sometimes my phone "loses connection" during obnoxiously long calls when i've tried to end the call politely to no avail.

eta: not the best plan, but in my passive aggressive way it's the only way to break mom out of a conversation rut.

Thankfully "Yeah, I gotta go now" seems to work for my family. And their lack of boundaries have gotten as far as coming and staying with me when I explicitly told them not to, so it's not like I'm Miss Clear Communication or anything. But it is easier to get off the phone than to not answer the door to an international plane flight.

I heard recently that if you hang up while you're talking, people will assume you've been cut off. Doesn't stop them from calling back, I guess.

repurposed drawers for mini raised beds

Yes, brilliant!

I know so many people for whom the words, "I have to get off the phone now" mean nothing. "Now" must translate to "as soon as you're done talking."

Ouch, I'm in a ton of pain tonight. All my joints are achier than normal. I don't know it if is from PT or the weather or what, but I don't like it.

My mom's a talker, too, so I'll use the "Oops, oven beeped/water's boiling/cat puked!" or "I'm gonna pee on the floor - gotta go!"

I have had the stomach flu. And I spent the time not, er, attending to my urgent needs the last 3 days in revamping my resume.

My dream job has turned out to be like handsome womanizer -- pretty, spends lots of money on you, but treats you like shit and is always on the lookout for the next woman. I like the kids, the building is great, but I have never seen such a fear-filled, toxic workplace. Organization is a joke, support is nil...I'm so sad about it.

I might stay for another year if they offer to have me back, but since they have something like an 80% turnover rate in the upper school every year for the last 4 years (I'm not exaggerating -- they offer the weakest-ass PD I've EVER seen, and fire people in the first year if they don't meet target EOC) I am just not sure the 80+ workweeks are worth the stress for less than 40K. Hell, I don't know if it's be worth it for 80K.

Maybe it would be a little less stressful if I didn't come in mid-year, but even with the prep issues a summer of prep would take care of...I don't know. It's a nasty environment. Pretty on the outside, kind of rotten at the core. I'm sending out resumes.

I'm sorry, Erin - it sounded like such a dream when you first landed the gig.

Oh, Erin. I'm sorry your job has turned out to be so stressful.

Erin, I'm so sorry to hear that about your job. Good luck looking for something else.

I know, and I've been really trying to keep an open mind, since I was warned about negativity in the interview.

But the negativity, although of course you always have complainers, and there's always something about any workplace, is...pretty darned justified. If there would be an administration change, I might feel better about it, but the lack of organization paired with the worst combo of laissez faire AND Big Brother...it's just disheartening.

It's all "We are going to hold you to the highest possible standards, demand results, offer no support, and listen in on intercoms for signs of discontented rumblings among the staff and fire people for asking for change." It's sad. I'm walking on eggshells, everyone is, and it's crazy. I keep my head down, and my ears and eyes open, and work my ass off.

And my objective viewpoint is that they need to get a new principal who has some leadership abilities, but the superintendent like yes-men, and everything, but everything revolves around The Test.

UGH. Vent. Finally. I've been trying to be all positive and "Work hard, keep your nose clean, it can't be as bad as it seems" but more and more, something is rotten in Denmark.