First day of school

Yesterday I got up early (before 6) and got ready for my first day with students.  I put on my cute black and white wrap dress that looks far more expensive than the $24.99 I spent on it at Target.  I got out the door by 7:15 and made my way to the bus stop, which is a bit farther down the road than normal (two stops more, because of construction, the road is closed until the end of October).

As I was walking, I saw a man in a suit, walking his dog in the grassy area across the street.  The dog looked like Charlie  if Charlie tripled in size and was black, and his hair was let to grow shaggy.  Okay, so the dog didn't look exactly like the wonderdog, but close enough.  It was off the leash and came bounding over to me, but couldn't get right up to me because of the temporary gates keeping people off the road.  He wanted to see me though, and kept walking next to me on the other side.  I petted him, gave him scritches behind his ears, and spoke to him in that doggie voice we all use.

Now, I'm missing my dog more than anything, but I took this as a sign that everything was going to be okay.  I'd been thinking about Charlie as I was walking, and then this dog shows up.  I of course teared up, because I'm doing that a lot this past week, but was smiling at the same time.

School was crazy.  All the students in little gray business suit uniforms, and the age range is really new for me.  11-year-olds to 18-year-olds all sharing the same space.

I didn't get a computer until lunch time, and then didn't really figure it out until after school.  I'm not  a lot of  help when I'm supposed to be taking role on it every class period.

My day starts in the History department, which is near the front of the school.  I have my form class there, because I share that class with a history teacher who is going out on maternity leave in November.  I then have to run to the back of the school to the English department, where I teach the rest of my classes.  There's a  20-minute break at five to eleven, which by then is much needed.  Lunch doesn't come until 1:20, but that means that there's only one class after lunch.  Oh, and my form class again.  I have to run to the front of the school, with my laptop, every afternoon, to meet the same class I began with.  Hopefully, this won't happen all year long, but we'll see.

I stayed until the bell rang at five minutes to six; basically a "Get out!" to anyone left at school so as not to be locked in.  Walked over to the bus stop, and sat down for a moment.  Right as the bus pulled up, this is what I saw:

Click on it.  Seriously.  I was fumbling for my camera at the same time I was boarding the bus, trying to be sneaky about taking a picture.  It's not quite focused, but still. This guy was out walking his llamas!  Down Southbury road, as if they were two golden retrievers.  He talked to them too; told them to "wait" at the crosswalk, and then took them over the pedestrian bridge.

Enfield is one interesting place.