Another Long Day in the Office Crunching Numbers, But I Am Getting There (While Enjoying Great Weather)

I spent the morning designing stickers for this summer's writers' notebooks, and the afternoon ordering supplies for the teacher institute and the Young Adult Literacy Labs. As always, I went through W.B. Mason to get our pens, paper, notebooks and other shenanigans, but this was the first time doing so with the new accounting system.

Let's just say it took 3 hours to get all the items in queue and then, CRASH, I couldn't order, because the University platform times me out and so I lost the entire order and had to start all over again. It's okay. I know that a teacher lives synonymously with Sisyphus, so I simply ate a Twizzler (or two, thanks Anne Campbell) and started all over again. When I got it into the Workday system, I then had to go through 157 items ordered and redirect the accounting lines, numbers, and directions. Let's just say that I had to repeat these procedures 157 times, which took another two hours.

Long story short? It's done. The financial officer approved the order and we are getting closer to the summer work we passionately love to do.

I did take time in the morning to take advantage of this very Danish-like weather...cool breezes, warm sun and beautiful skies. I got a run in, walked the dog and read a little in the fresh air.

At night, I had the privilege, too, to join the Saugatuck StoryFest Youth Board and to witness the excitement as another literary festival begins to take off for the Fall of 2019.

I got home around 9 p.m. and entertained the dog who didn't have it too bad. She spent most of the morning outside and got her long hike in.

Today, I have a national conference call, two interviews, and another round of budget work.

I read a quote, too, that went something like Be careful when the passionate people go silent...it may be an indication that your leadership isn't working.

I am thinking about Faryl Edelen, Counselor at the Brown while I was there who said, "You never want to clip the wings of your worker bees."

This work takes hard work, and I hope it doesn't go unnoticed. I love every second of it, but I would be a liar if I didn't admit that I sometimes think, "Why am I doing this within a system that makes the good work almost impossible?"

Anything is possible when you go into ram mode and do what you need to do in support of teachers and kids.