I hate Mondays. Just because it’s cliche doesn’t make it any less true. The weekends are always busy, but fun. I have no good transition from Sunday night to Monday morning. I usually stay up too late watching Sunday night football, so I am not adequately rested. Truth is, no matter how much I like my job, I would still rather work less for the money. Wouldn’t we all? Sleep a little later? Yes, please. And now that coaching season has started, I work ten hour days (or more on meet days), which is rough on these old bones. 

This past Monday was no exception. I was running late, getting ready for work. Travis had a cold, so I fed the dogs, making me more late. The feeding of the dogs isn’t really the problem. It’s letting them out after feeding. Roscoe tries to come back in at least three times without even doing his business. Blackie aimlessly wanders around the yard, shivering, and frequently has to be retrieved, which is super fun in the cold, dark morning, when I can’t see the land mines. So, I was late. When I was finally set up to leave, I grabbed my phone and tried, unsuccessfully, to put my phone in my pocket. Absent-mindedly, I continuously slid my phone down the side of my leg where my pocket rests on my favorite black stretchy pants. I could hear the crackle of a receipt in the pocket from the last time I wore the pants, yet I couldn’t get my phone to catch. Then, it dawned on me. My pants were inside out. My standard work uniform in the winter is black stretchy pants, black tank top, boots, and a chunky oversized sweater. It’s basically a black cat suit with slight modifications. On that day, I put my pants on inside-out in the dark, pre-dawn light, while trying to keep the room dark so Travis could catch a few more minutes of precious sleep. Men simply can’t have this problem because their work pants have zippers, so it would be abundantly clear if they were on inside-out. All I could think was, “What am I three? I actually put my pants on wrong? UGH! What is wrong with me?”

Now, I had to take off my coat and boots, flip my pants around, check to make sure my underwear was fine (it was… although I may have left it even if it wasn’t), and redress, while acutely aware of the clock ticking away the time I didn’t have. Fortunately, with no kids at home, I did this in the living room and didn’t have to waste extra time tucking away into a room with a door. While driving to work, I started to wonder if this was an indication of how the day or even the week was going to go. When I arrived at work just a few minutes before the last bell, my students were lined up by my classroom door, which happens to be right across the hall from the office, so everyone knows when I am running late. 

But aside from throwing away my fork at lunch (I retrieved it from the other lunch debris in the can), the day went normally. Well, as normally as a day can go when you work in a high school. I am thinking that we need to have a themed inside-out and backward day. That’s the upside of working in a high school. We get themed dress days from time to time. Have a great week everyone! And remember, if you are properly dressed when you leave your house, you are already winning! Go get them!