Bittersweet:

Producing or expressing a mixture of pain and pleasure. That's how the dictionary describes it. It's my least favorite emotion.

I've been completely consumed by all things school since Friday...so I'm gonna do this bullet-style.

• Friday was a "work" day. Mission: unsuccessful. For the first time I walked out of school on the Friday before the first day of school with an incomplete classroom.
• Saturday morning dawned early - 8 am - and instantly started my painting projects. I stopped long enough to run in to town for more supplies.
• I concluded Saturday's festivities around midnight.
• I was out of bed at 4:30 Sunday morning and resumed my marathon.
• I left long enough to go to Mom's, print pictures, go back to town for more supplies and groceries.
• I finished my projects well after dark on Sunday evening. We then loaded my truck down - Sanford and Son style!!
• Then I had to work on "curriculum - stuff" and prepare myself for Monday morning (which included my fourth bath of the weekend...I was purple and green!!)
• I hopped...well, maybe not hopped...out of bed at 4:30 this morning, got all gussied up for the first day of school and was out the door at 5:40.
• On the drive to work I had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting a dog napping in the highway - sending all of the furniture in the bed of my truck sliding around - joy.
• Arrived at work over an hour early. It was already a muggy 80 degrees. And I had on 3/4 sleeves. and pants. and sock. and shoes.
• I unloaded the truck. Even my fingernails were sweating!!! I longed for a pony tail, but I resisted. I haphazardly set up my classroom. I made copies. I had sidewalk duty.
• I made it through the day....my voice is barely intact. But, all-in-all, the "teaching" part of my day went well. My classes seem good (I've had 3/4 of them before...some for the third time.) I know we are still honeymooning, so I'm not counting my chickens.
• And then comes the bitter part of my day.

A coworker - middle school science teacher from the same town where I live - passed out at Open House yesterday. Blood sugar was 53. Rushed to ER, the brought her sugar levels up, sent her home. She was even posting on facebook last night.
Overnight she spiked a fever, 105. Husband took her back to ER. She had a panic attack, they sedated her and from the info I got she had to intubated.
She was life-flighted to a better hospital today. She was diagnosed with a septic infection (she had her spleen removed during childhood). Outlook was grim.
Shortly before 7pm this evening she passed away.
She was 26. Only 26 years old. She had a 3 year old son. Her whole life was before her and then snuffed out. Just like that.
During her very first year as a teacher - only 2 years ago - she received "Teacher of the Year." Then last year, she received another high honor.
This is something that has been so hard to absorb. She was my age. With a promising career and a family.
We were just joking last week about funny first day of school manicures. I just don't understand.

In the short time I've been in my school district we have suffered so much loss. Our Athletic Director last football season. A long time retired teacher in the fall. An elementary teacher shortly after. It's a very small district. We are all family. This loss is being felt by two communities I love - home and school.


I'm going to end on a better note. My eating has been superb. I've been too busy to graze and eat junk. The weather has been hot and miserable, so I've been tight. My lunch today was a bandster's dream: 3 thin slices of Cajun turkey, 4 cucumbers, 1 low fat string cheese and 13 Special K cracker chips. All counted out and packed last night. (And I sat next to a coworker who had bypass March of 2010 and watched her eat a foot long hot dog with chili and cheese, corn, peaches, and her daughter's Frito pie. Seriously? Thank GOD for my band.)