(pho) pas

it's nearing the end of the school year and we teacher folks?  well, we're like marathoners dizzily trying to find the finish line.  some of this is psychological i'm quite sure, because if we knew we still had 26.2 to go, we probably wouldn't be so tired.  (funny how that works.)  it's the ".2", not the 26, that makes you want to quit.  at any rate, you have to find funny things to keep you running and get your mind off things for a while.  i just put on the annual school art show, for example, and the blog "art teachers hate glitter" helped me laugh my way through that.  last night at the public library i played my own version of "sorted books", snickering so loudly i'm surprised i didn't get my library card revoked.  (it's hard not to snicker when you've just stacked "you have problems"..."screaming won't help"..."into the void", but i digress.  i did really like "some monday"..."stargazing"..."here i am" and decided to leave off on that note.  in case you're wondering i did not, by the way, get kicked out of the library.) today's comic relief came in my favorite form:  food!  sometimes when i walk through the school office i will grab something from the cafeteria leftovers.  today when i looked, there was a styrofoam container of warm (that's a plus) healthy-looking (double plus!) food.  thrilled with my extraordinarily good fortune, i found a fork and enjoyed what i deliciously discovered to be brown rice, mushrooms, and lightly spiced thai chicken.  i even said out loud to myself, "wow!  it must be multicultural week in the school district because kid lunches have really improved since i was little, i mean, this stuff is amazing. i should start ordering hot lunch myself...this sure is a far cry from those chicken nugget 'things' or fake baby sausages circa 1984, good for them making healthy choices for kids...mmm, yum!"  patting my stomach happily and inwardly congratulating my country on cutting down on childhood obesity, i walked to check my mail in time to hear one of the office ladies declaring, "where is my lunch, am i losing my mind!? honestly, i just warmed up my leftovers and they're gone!"  well, of course i instantly confessed to my innocent thai mix-up to forever bear the cross of "lunch stealer" (my name for myself, she was quite gracious) and made sure she had some food for the time being.  i owe her one.  so, my friends, keep the good humor and take my advice.  don't overdo the glitter.  be quiet in libraries.  and if you do steal a lunch, even by mistake, always always make sure it's better than the one you packed.