it's been a long week and we have a longer one ahead of us.

early in the week, my classes were pretty cool. even the high school classes were pretty cool for the most part. no real major issues, no major stress for the most part. one of the art classes was a tough one, but one out of 5 isn't bad. the midweek gifted classes were wonderful, as gifted classes almost always are, and was almost a break in the week. gifted classes tend to be easy - the student do their work and that's pretty much that. they don't really argue much, if at all. the gifted classes were a nice thing to have because i ended my week with a couple of tough classes. i've had worst, but even so these kids were exhausting and thursday and friday i came home too tired to do much.

heck, during most my classes i wasn't doing much. revisions and writing have been pretty much set aside to study for the praxis. personal reading at home has been set aside as well. i did manage to finish a short story revision, but i otherwise usually have the praxis book out and with my good classes i'm going through that. today my plan is to start going through my math books and try to reconstruct my notes so i can work on passing the math portions of the praxis I - and to have math notes on hand so i can help the math classes i sub in without having to carry 2 or 3 monster math books with me.

between finances and the praxis right now, i'm stressing out majorly - borderline depressed even. some of that also comes from not writing much this last week. writing is a stress reliever for me. but right now, getting ready for that damn test has got to take priority. i've already found a problem area, and i'm still only on the reading section. i still have to get through math and writing. as for prep for the praxis II, i've set aside all my personal reading to try to read some of the y.a. authors on various lists and suggested by the praxis II study guide. not that i really want to be spending money on these now, but the books i have read i read so long ago i wouldn't recognize a passage if it smacked me in the face. as for the rest, well, most of it i've never even heard of, much less read it. so, i've started buying y.a. books. we can't afford the damn things, but i need to read them and then have them for my classroom.

we're in the last week before we get 2 major checks that should clear everything up and get us on track with payments. but, as we all know, it's always darkest before the dawn. the financial pressure is reaching a point that i'm finding a bit harder to deal with than usual. the bank account is in trouble . . . again, we have to eat, have to cover utilities, froggy needs to see the doctor, and so many other things are going on it's just nuts right now. yes, it will get cleared up, but god knows what's going to happen between now and the receipt of those checks.

there is good news in all this stress: i miscalculated how much we owe in overdue charges to the landlord.

still, we're worrying about what will be disconnected, closed, bounced, and otherwise negatively affected by the current financial mess between now and the tax returns and my paycheck. i'm calling who i can. i really am trying.

and god i hope this is the last time i have to worry about crap like this for a long time.

time for me to go work on those math notes and all that praxis stuff.