Shoe's Back On!

Kyle Stepped in and Saved the Day

But what has the electrician been doing all day? Hard to know for sure, but the electrician showed up at about 8 AM. He told me then the electrical inspector was coming somewhere between 8 and 2. Then he asked me to show him where I had the short circuit in the car garage.

When I came home, there was a box from and outdoor light on the lawn, a drill, and a screwdriver on the front end loader, and two sets of lights on in the barn. Now, granted, apparently Kyle, my farrier's apprentice had just left after putting Tucker's shoe to right for me, but the lights on had nothing to do with him.

It kind of looks as if the electrician left in "mid-stride." If he doesn't come back tonight, I will have to take the tools inside in case it rains.

So, Tucker is back in fine form. I was thinking of working him with some tape on the shoe, but now I don't have to worry. Since he just got out to stretch his legs about an hour ago, I will just let him alone. Monday is the traditional day off and, as always, I am worn out from school, especially since it's the first day back after vacation.

I did have my regular schedule today, but again it was fraught with "extra issues." Several students asked for the work they had missed--something I had fully intended to put to a stop after Christmas. But two young ladies had been absent for extended periods before the holidays and need at least a chance to keep up. Then, one of them left my class without the packet I'd made up for her so I spent a good half hour trying--with no success to track her down. (Another long convoluted story I shall not relate.)

THEN the vice-principal dropped in to ask me to see if I could track down another student who might have a copy of a very important paper one of my other students had lost. The missing paper was the instructions and deadlines for the required marking level book reports--a paper I clearly warned every student to put in a safe place because I would not give out new copies. (This to prepare them for college/university when professors hand out a course syllabus and expect students to keep and follow it.) Apparently, one of my student's mother had called insisting I give her son a new copy. NO WAY. So the VP wanted to see if we could find a student who had a copy and would be willing to let her make a copy to give to the student who lost his.

This is the one rule I follow to the letter. It is the only piece of paper I give to my students that I expect them to be completely responsible for. When someone loses it, I tell them to get a new copy from a fellow student as I will not give them one. In this case, the student told his mom he'd asked "everybody" and no one had a copy. Curious. It took me all of about five minutes or less to find a student in one of my classes to help out.

This is the kind of nonsense that wears thin after 38 years of teaching.