I\u2019m subbing at the High School today. One of the differences between \u201csubbing\u201d and \u201cworking\u201d, is not having a pattern. For me, every \u201csub day\u201d is a Monday. My retirement normal day is a 6:30 wakeup \u201ccall\u201d from Keelie, our black Australian Shepherd mix. Then it\u2019s a casual morning of feeding five dogs, doing the \u201cchores\u201d, then settling down right here in front of the computer with an endless cup of coffee for whatever idea I need to get on \u201cpaper\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But \u201csub days\u201d are different. The alarm changes; instead of a lick and a paw, it\u2019s the more traditional claxon alarm from the IPhone at 5:30. There are still dogs to feed, but this early it requires some rousing. Buddy, our oldest, doesn\u2019t really like to come out from under the bed until the sun is up, and Lou and CeCe, our youngest rescues, are happier cozied up by the fireplace. So getting them all to eat takes some persuasion. After that it\u2019s high speed chores, including filling the thermos with enough coffee to caffeinate the day, getting the \u201cbrown bag\u201d lunch together, and warming up the Jeep, all to arrive at school by 7:00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a thirty-six year teaching career, \u201csnow days\u201d carried the same joy that they did as a thirteen year student. \u201cSnow Days\u201d were days of endless possibilities, from sleeping to sledding, to rehearsing what retirement might look like. There was nothing better, really, than waking up to the message \u2013 snow day!! Even when I was working out at school early in the morning, already up and moving and often running out in the drifts before the call was made, \u201csnow day\u201d meant go find breakfast and \u201cchill\u201d for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But as a \u201csub\u201d, snow day means no pay. So while it\u2019s still nice to get an extra hour or so of sleep, in my life I can have a \u201csnow day\u201d anytime I want, so, as the song goes, \u201cThe thrill is gone\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What has always been a dilemma for me, ever since I began as a professional educator, is the dreaded \u201ctwo-hour delay\u201d. First of all, usually the \u201ctwo-hour delay\u201d announcement is late in the game, after the claxon alarm and the dog feedings. The first two cups of coffee are \u201con board\u201d and it\u2019s too late to head back to bed. Even if I did, the dogs are already rolling, there\u2019s no \u201cgo back to bed\u201d for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And there\u2019s the \u201ctime disfunction\u201d that a two-hour delay requires. So let\u2019s see: the plan is start the Jeep by 6:40, make lunch and drink one more cup of coffee by 6:50, then pack up and go, getting to school by 7:00. Now all that\u2019s altered, 6:40 becomes 8:40 and the rest, and I\u2019m all dressed up with nowhere to go. I keep recalculating the equations in my head, making sure I don\u2019t somehow show up too early, or worse yet, too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And why am I writing about all this?\u00a0\u00a0It was 6:40 when my friend John, the teacher I\u2019m subbing for today, texted.\u00a0\u00a0So here I am, with the five dogs wondering why we\u2019re up so early, sitting at the kitchen table, all dressed up \u2013 recalculating my schedule in my head one more time.\u00a0\u00a0Today is a two-hour delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How disruptive are two hour delays? When Jenn and I first got together, we were both still working. I went to work early, and we only had one bathroom at the time anyway, so she stayed in bed until I was out of the way. She timed her morning based on me. The first time I had a two-hour delay, the call was made early enough that I just went back to bed. Since I didn\u2019t get up, she didn\u2019t get moving, even though HER job didn\u2019t \u201cdo\u201d delays. She ended up rushing to work late, and it was definitely all my fault. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was such a big deal in our lives that it made it into our wedding vows. I promised her not to close my eyes when she was driving. She promised me not to be angry if I forgot to tell her I was on a two-hour delay. Then we both lived \u201chappily ever after\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So \u201cback in the day\u201d we had a \u201ctelephone tree\u201d to let everyone know about school closing or delays.\u00a0\u00a0Even from the earliest days, my name was near the top of the list.\u00a0\u00a0So I had to make sure the \u201ctree\u201d remained intact, and get through to the next down the list so everyone was warned.\u00a0\u00a0But now, there\u2019s an \u201capp\u201d that supposed to text out school closings and delays.\u00a0\u00a0Since I\u2019m subbing, I signed up for it, but that hasn\u2019t made a difference.\u00a0\u00a0I still haven\u2019t received a notification.\u00a0\u00a0Last week I checked the school website, saw nothing, and arrived at school to an empty parking lot and ice covered sidewalks.\u00a0\u00a0So I\u2019m checking back frequently now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s now 8:00 am. That calculates to 6:00 am on the regular schedule. Daylight has arrived, though the snow is falling so saying the sun\u2019s up is a matter of faith, not observation. Buddy has made his morning appearance, but Jenn, who spent most of the night watching cameras for lost dogs, is still sleeping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Channel Ten\u2019s phone app still has a two-hour delay, so I\u2019d better stop writing and get back into \u201cwork mode\u201d. But you never know here in Licking County how the roads are holding up. There\u2019s always still a chance for a last minute \u201cSnow Day\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I wouldn\u2019t argue about it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"