Snake juice and The Flu

On really tough days the only thing I want when I come home are a glass of wine, tasty food, Snake Juice and The Flu.  Let me explain. 

Eric and I have recently discovered Parks and Rec, and to be honest, are completely in love.  He claims that the reason he finds the show so funny is because I am Leslie Knope.  Strangely enough, when I watch it, I find myself connecting to her in a way that I rarely connect to female characters in any media.  My two favorite episodes are Snake Juice (technically called "The Fight") and The Flu (technically called "The Flu").  Every single time I see Ron Swanson drunk-dancing with a teeny little french hat on his head, I lose it.  I think I have now watched that episode ten times, and it still makes me laugh out loud during the last 15 minutes.  "The Flu" on the other hand gives me hope because Leslie is such a badass.  Giving a 10 minute speech to all the business owners in Pawnee, while burning up with 104 degree temperature, gives me the kick in the butt that I need.

Having said all that, today was a Snake Juice and Flu day.  I needed to laugh out loud and I needed a shot in the arm of encouragement. A moment to forget everything, and a moment to realize that I am a badass and can do anything I put my mind to.  The thing is, the kids were not awful today, as I have seen them be in the past, but they were just getting on my last nerve.  Jessica was gone today and I was not only trying to fight my own class' laziness, but I was also trying to keep hers under control.  Sometimes I wonder why it is that they cannot just chill out and make good decisions.  Can anyone answer that question?  Why can't they just do the right thing because it's the right thing to do?

For example, I have a student named Ricky who has earned himself two days of working in the office alone.  This all came after he earned 4 detentions last week, and has earned 3 more this week.  He simply refuses to think about ANYTHING besides his own immediate gratification.  At one point today, I look up to see him sneaking out of the office and kneeling next to a desk at one of the stations, hoping I would not see him.  Seriously?  That earned him an additional day of solitude.  

As raw as my nerves were when I came home, I have realized, after a dose of my own home remedies, that I must live to fight another day.  This is not personal, their just junior highers.  They need more structure now than they did a month ago, and I'm just going to have to push them in order to get the results I need.  It's not personal, it's business.  Strange how these things so often do become personal . . .

At least I know that I have Snake Juice and The Flu waiting for me tomorrow.  And only 13 days left of school.