Today was Alexander’s Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day. I went to school grumpy. I am severely anxious about my friends and family on the Pacific Coast states. I have people all over, and fire is just approaching them all. They’re all safe now, but so many are evacuated, ready to evacuate, or are facing losing everything. It makes me jittery with anxiety and dread. I told my class that I was keyed up about it, and that almost everyone I know and love and almost every single family member I have is living with this right now. They absolutely got it.

But it didn’t stop them from doing things that any kid would do at school, and especially 14 days into the school year after having TWENTY WEEKS OFF. All the blurting, interrupting. All the forgetting to distance from others. All the sneaky extra long bathroom breaks.

To top it off we were district testing, and the computers were overloaded.

It was just extra sauce. The whole week. And today was the end of the longest.week.ever.
I’m sure next week will seem longer.

The magic and excitement of masks and distancing has worn off for them, and now they just can’t deal. I spend any time that they are not in their desks reminding them to stay away from others. It’s like I have to put X spots all over the room. I guess I need to.

I turned my day around.

I went to Albertson’s after work near my school. I got fresh Steelhead in honor of Oregon, asparagus, wild rice and coffee ice cream for a birthday feast for my Jess. He’s going to be surprised. I went home and prepped the food and gave the animals little pieces of leftover cooked hamburgers, and now I’m sitting on my deck. The grass is growing back in now that it’s cooler. The yard is quiet and the city traffic is a dull roar. I have a beer and groceries and coffee for the morning, and two days ahead where I can sleep past 7. My house is not in the path of fire, and I don’t have Covid.

I suppose that’s plenty to be thankful for, to be grateful for and to see as Fortune.

Namaste.