My Arduous Commute in Everyday Ramblings

I took this on Wednesday on my way home from class. It is also my arduous commute to and from the office, all 2 ½ blocks of it. I look forward to these trees blossoming out each year creating this bower effect.

For the last week I have been in the office every day training a woman from our soon to be closing Cashiers office in how to be St. Joe’s backup.

She often has a commute that can stretch to two hours one way. Most of the time she takes the bus so she can read and chat with the other commuters from near her. She is jealous of my commute but in a good natured way.

She is a quick learner and very professional and I enjoyed working with her. She has an ease and comfort in dealing with others that I admire. But she is close to many members of “The Evil Empire” and I must be vigilant about everything I say when interacting with her.

Luckily for that we have been so insanely busy it has been easy to just keep the focus on work.

She lost her husband of over 40 years (they were high school sweethearts) to lung cancer about five months ago. We did talk about that quite a bit. I was able to share some of my experiences with Mr. Finch with her in a way that one can only do talking to someone who has been through a similar experience.

I think the conversations did create a bond between us that will serve us well as we continue to work together if the powers that be allow that to happen.

I didn’t get any of my own work done though and I am tired.

St. Joe, who was back from vacation today, was telling me about how immigration officers were wandering around the airport in L.A. stopping mature men that look Asian or Mexican for their name and identification, he was profoundly disturbed by this racial profiling. (St. Joe is blond and big and Irish in origin and therefore not subject to this scrutiny) and I was saying he would have been proud of me that for a week I made not one political comment. Not one.

We had this conversation behind a closed door.

I had a bigger class than I expected last night with some new students (I hope they return as they are a great match for the group) and had planned to teach basically the same material as I did on Monday but I had three returning students and I felt like I could have done a better job.

One has to explain everything to new students and it is fine I am not complaining as I was thrilled to have them but it was an unexpected extra effort. I know that has to show.

Tomorrow I am working from home (yippee) and teaching feet in class later. I like teaching feet. Mine always feel better after I pay attention to them so this should be fun.

And there is a rumor, still to be proven, that next week we might, (oh my gosh who knew?), get five days in a row without rain. I am so excited.

The irises are coming on out there on the flower clock. The world here is full of color that is such a delight for the eyes…