Small Town Weekend

Saturday:
Today Grandpa and I headed out to the Rodeo ground for the CHSRA Division 2 finals. Bareback, Saddle Bronc, Bull Riding, Goat Tying, Pole Bending and Barrels were on the schedule and the whole county and then some came to watch. The little town did supply a fantastic backdrop. The arena is adjacent to the airport, and the grandstands look out over hatchet hill, which is still covered in snow. As if to entice visitors and hide the depression of the valley the sun even came out and the rodeo took place below clear blue skies. It was a lovely day for a rodeo. (my co-worker think's I'm begining to be corrupted by this small town)

The airport was in rare form as 2 planes made use of the runway! Fluffy and I took a break from the festivities and walked along the tarmac, and had to flee the runway as one little red/white Cessna decided to land. Exciting times in the small town for sure!

I have decided that there is a bit of cowgirl in me yet and I need to buy some boots, if only to handle the dirt and mud that is my life. My line dancing friends would be proud and my hippie friends would be shocked. I wonder if Converse makes a boot… On a side note, a few students saw me at the rodeo and one, in her way, informed me that my hat (circa Texas Wal-Mart 09) was not so much in fashion. Maybe I should head over to a hat store while I’m at it… but I hear the belt buckles you have to earn.

Went to dinner at the co-worker’s house and stayed way too late with discussion of family, children, small town depression, going back to college and a who’s who of the local population. The couple has been here for about 6 months and are starting to figure things out. It’s nice to have a co-worker, and a co-worker’s wife who know where I’m coming from and have similar concerns. I got a ride home around 11 and had him drop me at the entrance to the drive way. I didn’t mind walking in. Of course I didn’t realize how dark and long the driveway is, and those blackberry bushes are quite large. Is there something rustling in them? The cow and calf are out here… somewhere. Didn’t they say something about wild boar. I head coyotes the other night… Needless to say I ran home. Yup a great time for an impromptu work out!

Sunday’s experiences:

Personal homework – Finally finished one college class. Only two more to go.

I’ve worked on grades… seeing some good progress… Even the kids that have plateaued are at least maintaining the grades they had before or better for the most part. Feeling good about that.

Author’s note: Plateaued isn’t a word according to spell check. Perhaps I should say “have reached their plateau.” Man its tough to spell regardless.

The darn neighborhood “bar cats” have been digging up our seedlings to use as a litter box. Grrr. I won’t feel so bad the next time Fluffy gets “loose” on school grounds.

Sunshine!

Walked on the runway and laid out on the picnic bench to read my book and let the sun work on thawing out my bones from the extended winter. I may even wear a skirt Monday and really freak out the kids.

Watched The Outsiders to see about making this movie into a learning experience.

Lessons learned:

I don’t really like The Outsiders.

Buying jeans with pre-made holes means two things: 1. they are colder than regular jeans; the wind goes right thru them, and 2. you have to tan the parts you can see thru the holes… it’s like overzealous shorts… where’s the benefit?

Personal side note:

Everything happens for a reason, and the opportunity is to learn from the experience. More than once I’ve been in a situation only to find a friend in a similar one only months after, who I can serendipitously help. Currently I’m learning: how to balance a grade book, what not to say at parent conferences, don’t assign math homework without a answer key, that the first impression is usually right, but your first month isn’t always so, that no matter how far, or hard you fall there is always ground somewhere below you and after you hit and scrape along the bottom for awhile, it will still be there to stand on when you are ready to start your climb back up, and its all about perspective.

Yeah yeah I’ll stop being sappy… No, nothing crazy has happened and yes I’m still ready to move away from this place. I’m just realizing that there is a rhyme and a reason and a sort of chaotic symmetry to life. Call it fate or chance or circumstance, call it what you will but like any good story life will unfold when it’s ready and how it wants, you just have to pay attention.