More Memories of Carrollwood Village Drive continued

You can imagine how unhappy my bosses were that I was going to be laid up that long. Thankfully that year almost everything closed down during the week of Mardi Gras so I was only going to be missing 1 week of work. I spent most of the time either in bed or at the computer with my leg propped up on a couple milk crates. Needless to say I spent ALOT of time at the computer (when my hip and knee werent bothering me from being in an unnatural position while seated). Thank goodness we were on the ground floor as Im sure my moving around would have bothered any neighbor that was living downstairs. I tried my best to just roll around as much as I could in the office chair but plush carpets arent really conducive to easy rolling around (well really no carpet is except the cheap shit the school used).

During the week when igmo went back to work, I was on the computer all day. Mostly for the company but also mostly because it was easier to get out of the chair and hop to the bathroom or kitchen if I needed something (thanks to the post at the corner of the kitchen being close to the refrig, sink and bathroom doors). I remember as igmo was going out the door the first day tossing him the keys to my office so that whomever that was filling in for me could get in to do the work. By midweek, around 10am or so I got a call from my supervisor (southern momma) to ask how bad I needed to stay home. I asked why and she said that they were very short staffed to start the day but then another teacher went home sick. Is it possible I could come in and sub if she provided students to help move the books and stuff I'd need? *ugh* As it wasnt a day that the nurse was due in (if she'd shown up and I was out and about the insurance wouldnt cover the expenses becuase I was *supposed* to be homebound) I told her ok but I HAD to stay seated. She said she'd send her D-I-L (who was covering me) to come pick me up. Great...I had 30 minutes to get ready. About 5 minutes later I remembered that I'd sent the keys off with igmo and the house key was on the same chain as the office key. SHIT! So I called back to tell her to send the ride with the keys so I could lock up. The girl had already left and was on her way so I had to think fast. There was no real lock to the frontdoorhandle and a deadbolt that you needed a key for to lock it (gotta love the hotel rooms with those automatic locks....). When the gal showed up the only thing we could think to do was have me climb out the window because that DID lock automatically (go figure). So here I am, with an injured leg....in a DRESS (I didnt have any pants that were "legal" work pants) climbing out the window which was about 5-6 feet off the ground. I ended up bumping my leg on the way out and of course it started to run again (thank goodness I had presence of mind to pack extra bandages and saline). *sigh*

We got to the school and I had to butt scoot my way up the staircase (aint no way I coulda hopped it). It took me 15 minutes to get up that staircase. I got to my boss's office and immediately asked for a bucket. The boss lady got a real good look at what I had when I unwrapped and rebandaged myself. Once I was set, I hopped to the classroom that I was covering and relieved the staff member who was sitting in. Thank goodness it was a upperclassmen class and not a jr high one. At least these ones wouldnt give me any lip and all I had to do was shoot "that look" to shut em up. Of course, that didnt happen because alot had been worried when I didnt show up for two days and had questions as to my leg (it had been hard to miss it getting worse and worse up to Mardi Gras). So we sat and discussed that (nothing better to do than for them to work their homework and most were done already anyhow). They had the usual questions...what happened...how long was it going to take to heal etc etc. About 5 minutes to the end of class, I sent one of the more responsible ones with the teachers books to my next classroom. I stayed in that first class while the kids were changing classes and kept watch while the next teacher was on her way. While I was there the teacher in the class next door to the one I was going to watched both her class and mine. When the bell rang I quick hopped to the next room. *ugh* A jr high class *bleah*. Ok this group was the 6th graders and for the most part werent too bad. They were used to the one teacher (who was very strict) and didnt give me much hassle. Most classes usually didnt. I expected they follow the rules, but was more lenient than most staffers. Why? Because although I love paperwork...I dont really like to generate it unless the kid is truly out of hand and I'd seen some really petty shit come through the office.

The day was a breeze the rest of the day as I had the same classroom and students for the remainder of the day (it helped that there were several in there that had known me for a few years and I knew some of their quirks and could head off trouble before it could begin). It also helped that a couple of the senior kids had periods free and were sent to check on me off and on.

The rest of the week and all the following week went the same way, if the nurse wasnt due...I went in and things were made as easy as possible. I healed up nicely....well if you can call a huge scar measuring nearly an inch- inch and a half in diameter nicely. To this day I still dont wear shorts or certain skirts in public.

That was my last year at the school. Stupid putzes kept me in limbo the entire summer before telling me I wouldnt be working for the same lady. A real shame because I was really liking working for my southern momma. The excuse was that I wasnt "professional enough". Yeah great. Wait until the end of summer and worse yet the only way I found out is because I confronted the headmaster himself. I was told that they could put me in the kitchen staff...gee thanks. Four years of hauling my ass up and down the stairs covering everyone else's asses and Im only good enough for kitchen staff? No thanks. I can make more in the retail industry. When I left the building that day I heard a door slam in my mind and my last thoughts leaving the property were, well that's ok because this place aint lasting much longer anyhow. On the way home to the apartment, we passed a Toys R Us and I pointed to it and said that that's where my next job was. Turns out I was very correct.