Gold Day. Formerly A Day. Day 73.

Every morning my alarm goes off at 4:25. I like to start my day early so that I have lot's of time for remorse in the afternoons.

After that I get to school at exactly 6:30. I sit at my desk for about half an hour and just stare. Most adults do this during their actual work schedule. As a high school teacher I am bound by other realities. More than once a child at school has stopped me in mid lecture to ask what I want to do with my life. I have never had an answer as I assumed it was obvious, but maybe they are on to something.

Today I gave a test. It was for AP Government and Politics. I want to get in as many tests as I can while we still actually have a government to ask questions about.

After the test second hour, I again cemented my credentials as world Rock, Paper, Scissor champion, by beating my arch-nemesis. Again. I don't believe she has ever won.

Third period was the FBI class. I am considering just making them re-watch "Silence of the Lambs" over and over again until they are ready for the academy. Even if they don't make it into the FBI at least they will develop a healthy revulsion for canibalism. At the moment I am not sure where they stand on the issue.

Lunch was cold pizza. I would have heated it up in my microwave, but then I would have to spend all day answering questions like "Did you have pizza? Why does it smell like pizza? Do you have more pizza? Can we order pizza?" etc. So I ate it cold and found no comfort in it.

Fourth period continued the AP Government testing. I was not disappointed. At least not more than usual.

After school I judged a ginger bread house contest. When I was done, one group was happy, but four were as broken as their pathetic cookie houses. They were all better than something I could have built, but then again I wouldn't enter a contest pretending I knew how to build a house made popular by child-eating witches.

After school I went to the great equalizer of our time, the Walmart. The shopping carts were wet and stuck together. The white, dead lights, cast all of the worst features of all the customers into view and I knew to put my hood up. I gathered dog food (for my dog) and joined the parade of sadness to the checkout. It will forever bother me to have to allow them to check my reciept at the door. By the time I get there I own everything in my bag. Legally they have no right to search me. They also have the right to never allow me back in. I don't want to have to explain to my future grandkids, that I was banned from the Walmart. But even as I say it I realize it might not be that great a burden to bear.