All I got is brothers

Even after the weekend, I'm still not ready to go back to work. Friday was that awful. My first period was so terribly talkative I finally just said "Go a head and try to complete your assignment, you'll all fail cause you refuse to be quiet and listen to the instructions." So unprofessional.

Then, before second period a kid actually swung his arms at me. Again, with great dignity I said "Go ahead and hit me." I think I even through in an "I dare you." I've been around Ms. Ashton too much. She told me that is always her response when a child threatens her, but I know I shouldn't have said it. Really, I was thinking "I'd like to see my 6 foot 5, 280 lb husband come up here and kick your sorry little 5 foot 2 ass." I know Ben would never, but just the thought gave me a little smile.

Then during lunch, I had cockroaches chasing around me and my sandwich. It was so gross I had to leave. That building is filthy, and this is part of the reason why . . .

I get in the elevator to go to the Basketball game and the security guard tells me that some kids threw a bottle of urine at one of the teachers. Then I go into the office to excuse my players and over hear the principal say "He needs to be suspended for a couple of days. Last week I caught him urinating in the stairwells." WHERE THE HELL DO I WORK?

But then there are these little moments that I just think, I love my job. Like when my third period was so well behaved we were able to do our whole assignment together as a class, a little reward for their excellent behavior. And as I'm getting on the bus to go to our b-ball game I hear a couple voices screaming my name, when I turn around I see three of my former students standing at a fourth story window, waving at me happy as could be. They were sluffing class I'm sure. Maybe gambling in the cut. But I loved that they would give me a shout out from 50 feet up.

And just before that, as I'm literally running through the gym to try and get everything ready for our game, I notice a football take a bounce in front of me. Markell yells from across the gym "Szilagyi, get that for me." I was in such a hurry I didn't even stop running. I caught it on the second bounce with one hand, turned around (in my skirt, still running) wrapped my fingers around the lacing, and let her soar. It was the most perfect throw ever. The spiral was BEAUTIFUL! Markell about died. He caught it with the biggest smile on his face. The kid next to him, who is a complete hooligan started to clap and all the kids playing badmitton stopped to congratulate me. Ms. Ashton, the PE teacher just looked at me and said "Szilagyi?" I shrugged, throwing my arms up in the air and hollered "All I got is brothers." That's right kids, white girl in a dress has some skill.

So I guess I'll go back tomorrow, despite all the horror. And at the end of this month I should have all my applications to Virginia schools filled out.