Tues. 9-29-98 1:45 PM
I'm at school again.  Battling with the kids to write some intelligent answers to questions about rivers.  I'm done with the paper.  I couldn't help but eat three pieces of pizza for lunch.  The principal came in for about ten seconds.  I was sitting at my desk doing nothing.  The kids were working in their phonics books.  "I wanted to come for a visit, but they just paged me.  Are they having free time?"
I got up.  "No," I said.  "They're working in their phonics books."  I managed not to stammer.  I should have said, "They're working with partners on a teacher-directed lesson which I will be reviewing with them after they've had ten minutes to work with their partners."  She left.  She probably thinks I just throw them coloring books and sit at my desk and do nothing.  I wonder if Boston won.  I wonder how Houston is doing.  I should be able to see the end of that game and the beginning of the Yanks/Ranger game before I have to walk to work.  Haven't typed today.  Haven't done third person in weeks.  Read only a few pages of Sportswriter.  When I'm home, I study all I can.  It's the last week now.  I've got to cram.  I need to learn the British monarchy, review Shakespeare, state and world capitals.  I need to WIN!  Ugh.  What else?  If I didn't work so godam all the time, I could study more.  I have to tape "Jeopardy" tonight.  What else?  I could go for a beer.  No school tomorrow.  Too bad I have to work tonight.  When's the next payday?  Two weeks from Friday.  Ugh.  What else?  I'll be reading Trivial Pursuit cards on the way home.  I almost have the whole box memorized.  [pencil-drawn bust of Abe Lincoln hidden flask]
1:48 Ugh.  Shirelle just left.  She said she was going to take a whole bottle of sleeping pills.  Tomorrow I must definitely get some exercise [a pencil sketch of my mother as a young girl in a ballerina's outfit, from a black and white photograph].