Here & There, 1.8.2022
I cannot believe another year has passed. The pandemic rages on, we are all still exhausted, but somehow, we are now in 2022. I don’t know if it’s the pandemic or burnout or just the massive amount of change that has happened this year, but my sense of time is feeling especially warped right now. I cannot remember what happened when, how long ago that trip was, how old that friend’s baby is now. I have more or less stopped using social media at this point, but I still want to remember my own life, to document special moments as they happen, and I think writing here more often might be a good way to do it.
In no particular order, here are a few things on my mind right now:
My school reopened amid Omicron this week, we are wildly understaffed, and it is exactly as exhausting as you’re reading about in the news. I am so tired.
This is my first January in Minnesota in more than a decade, and the sub-zero temperatures have felt brutal. This week, I learned that I’m supposed to take my 4th grade class outside for recess if the windchill is -10 or warmer. Quite the change from California life!
Good things from this week: The cozy feeling of making chili on Sunday afternoon. Walking on a frozen lake with my parents. Coworkers to commiserate with. Delivering Rose Patisserie croissants to brighten up a friend’s day. Working on the crossword puzzle in bed with Sean. A super helpful meeting with my kind U of MN advisor. Popping over to my grandma’s house for a last minute Chinese food feast with my aunt and uncle. Trader Joe’s Maple Espresso tea. Phone calls with friends while working on puzzles. A few good winter runs, thanks to 20+ degree temperatures, good gear, and plowed paths.
This week felt so hard & tiring, but when I went to list out good things above, so many came into my head. Isn’t it funny how our brains can focus on the hard stuff and ignore how much good also happened?
A few links from here & there around the internet this week:
"There is no enemy here but the pandemic." Education related news coverage made me incredibly frustrated this week. This situation is incredibly hard, and I’m tired of teachers being everyone’s favorite scapegoat. It’s exhausting.
I don’t use Twitter anymore, but I saw this graphic on Gabrielle Blair’s latest newsletter. As a 4th grade teacher who spends the bulk of the school day in one room with the same students, I have been thinking about it ever since. Can we start funding N95 masks for students and teachers?
McSweeney’s satire on education coverage during the pandemic has been spot on. This one, “A Note of Reassurance from Your School District Regarding Our Updated Omicron Policies”, was almost too accurate to be funny, and this one “Here’s Why You’re Wrong for Supporting Either In-Person or Virtual School”, feels like a good summary of what frustrated me about education news this week.
In the world outside school chaos, this New Yorker piece on love amidst sorrow and proposal soup was lovely.
“Capitalism leaves many people and communities behind.” I didn't necessarily agree with the end conclusion of this Atlantic piece, but I found it interesting to read about how even MBA students are becoming disillusioned with capitalism.
A friend recommended this sheet-pan surf and turf, so now I want to try it!
“We can’t be on the defense and just wait for misinformation to spread.” Love this profile of Azza Gadir, an immunologist with a 97 percent success rate for convincing people to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
My mom found a bundt cake pan she’d never used and gave it to me. As someone who’s lived in city apartments without space for superfluous pans, I’ve never made a bundt cake before. I’m thinking I might try this buttermilk marble cake in it first!
This was a genuinely inspiring year-end wrap up. Cheers to quitting things that aren’t working, and making decisions based on who you are right now, you know?
I’m still figuring out works for me when it comes to winter gear, but these grey Sperry duck boots have been a recent success. They keep my feet dry in the snow, are easy to pull on and off, and are somehow comfortable enough to wear all day teaching. Did I wear them everyday this week? Sure did! They’re on sale for $60 now, so check them out if you also need boots!