Another school year has dawned, and for the first time ever, I didn't get excited to see school supplies in the store. I didn't want a $.79 package of Crayola crayons or a package of mechanical pencils or even a brand new gel pen. This may be the first year that I fully realized that back-to-school will never again be a part of my individual life. Sure, I'll have to take kids and a handful of different lists someday (and hopefully not be one of those moms who insists that the package of 16 crayons is just as good as the package of 64) and I felt a 'maternal' urge to take Mark to buy a new outfit for the first day of school. (He bought two pairs of pants because they were on sale and was tired of shopping already, in case you were wondering how THAT went.)But back-to-school is not a happy time in Ithaca, NY if you are a year-round resident. For me, it means I have to dodge crazy drivers on the road--whether they are 18 and just got their SUV for high school graduation or they are a parent trying to take their kid to the dorms and cannot figure out how the roads work in Ithaca. It means I have to schedule my trips to Target strategically so I don't end up there on the weekend or right when the TCAT bus pulls up with 3 dozen college students needing bean-bag chairs and mini-fridges. It means that at least until the first prelims start, there will be a party at least every other night blaring music 'til 2:00 in the morning when Mark and I go to bed around 11:00. It means that all of the very best things about an Ithaca summer--the peace and quiet; the swimming and hiking in gorges; the berry picking and the sunshine--are coming to an end. It's a good thing fall is the prettiest time of year here, or else I don't think I would love this place so much. :)
In other ways, the start of school means reality sets back in. This week I've had to deal with a broken toilet, two basement floods (two days in a row), and a very determined bat that seemed to have no intention of moving out of the house. (The day after we chased the bat out at 1:00 in the morning, an email circulated throughout Cornell about a rabid bat that had bitten somebody. Perhaps we chased it out just in the nick of time. . .) I'm not sure why it is that catastrophes always seem to hit at the same time rather than spreading themselves out through the semester, but I'm sure we'll have a few more before things level out and we adjust to this crazy life again. So if you are a devoted reader of this blog (hi Mom!) I apologize if it takes a few weeks before there are any pictures to post of us doing some fun New York things.
3 comments:
I don't think I'll ever get over wanting school supplies. We didn't even have "lists" this year, and I still made the kids get crayons, glue & scissors, and lots of tablets to scribble in (this stuff does come in handy during church, and it really is cheaper during the back to school sales than the rest of the year). But, same as Ithaca, South Bend gets crazy when ND students come back...oh, and IUSB, we have both here, and I forget that way too often (sorry friends that attend there!).
I am sorry that this is such a crazy time for you right now. I kind of feel your pain. Halle starts preschool tomorrow and I am already prettu stressed out. Between her preschool, soccer, naps and all these darn Dr. appointments I have (no I am not pregnant!! TMJ problems.) I don't know how I am going to find time to get everything done that I need to before winter sets in!! I guess I should be grateful I don't have to fight the college crowd at the store all the time. But keep smiling, things hopefully should get better!
good luck with all the craziness! I always love seeing school supplies. I don't think that will change, but the rest of your post cracked me up! And Mark with the school shopping, sounds like Jeff!
Hope everything turns out well!
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