Friday was the annual "Meet the Teachers Day" at all three schools. I knew going in that was going to leave a grumpy, hateful man when it was all said and done. Three schools in five hours with mountains of paperwork to go. It would seem that as soon as you sign them up for the next year (as I did in May), you get to relive the experience in August, in the sun, surrounded by 400 other kids that don't know when to shut the hell up. And being in Mississippi, it was hot to boot.
We started at a little after 8 (had to let the coffee get going) and went to the middle school. My plan was to make it one big circle, to both conserve gas and time. It didn't work out like, but it was the plan. At the middle school we learned a valuable lesson that helped guide us through the rest of the day: bring proof of residence. This is not the proof of residence that I used when getting them registered before the summer, but a whole new proof of residence within the last 30 days. Not that i mind showing that I'm a month behind on my power bill, but some warning would be nice. It would also be nice to know that I could have filled out all of these papers at home and brought them in to save time. It would have also been nice to know that they need to buy a planner when they registered. But then again, it is an extension of the government. Not that buying the notebook was bad, it was only $5, but warning would be nice. I mean, what if they didn't take checks? I don't carry cash with me and not everywhere takes a card. But I digress. It actually took only about two hours to get the middle school done. It was by far the most paperwork of the day, but the oldest can now go online at school (but not the dirty sites, we have already had that talk).
The second stop was the lower elementary, which is where the little one is starting this year. He went to pre-school year before last, but not last year, for reasons i won't go into now. So he isn't a novice at going to school, but being five he might not remember what do when he gets there. A little bit of paperwork and meeting the teachers, but the fun didn't begin till it was time to leave. That's when my hatred of Xterra's come into play.
If anyone has ever been to any type fair/expo/church or large gathering or people know, if there is a big grassy field in the back, that is for extra parking. And the ruts, they are for driving, not for parking. Especially when at the beginning of the lot, cause you might trap some folks in. Like the Xterra did to me and about five other people. I saw the first person just sitting there in the middle of the lane, wondering why he wasn't moving, but then i tried to leave and understood. I didn't just try to leave the one way; i looked for ways out. I went to the other side of the school, through the playground, the other grassy field in the back. Everywhere there was a way out, I looked. Alas, it was all to no avail. When i returned to the starting point, the line had grown from one to five. All SUV-type vehicles circling the parking lot like vultures waiting for the kill.
I had already had a highly frustrating day to this point, but I was about to get pissed. Many were already yelling to each other about how someone needs to do something about this. But they were yelling from their cars, not on the way to get something done, so i did the only thing I knew to do: I called the front office. I had a brain storm a few weeks back and put all the schools office and fax numbers in my cell, just in case. Quite brilliant if you ask me. So I called the front office and informed them that a lot of angry parents ready to leave where also ready to tear apart cars and throw the parts in the woods. Five minutes later the Xterra was moved and I was able to leave again. Victory was sweet. Victory was mine. It's almost too bad none of them will know that it was I who saved the day.
We were almost too late the the upper elementary school to register the middle child. The teacher was almost out the door when we rounded the corner. Not a whole of paperwork, and like the other two schools we dumped what school supplies we had on us to make the first day lighter.
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