SOLs and the insanity that is my name

So, I went to a parent-teacher-counselor-administrator crucifixion of my co-teacher yesterday and had the oddest experience I've ever had in my life (not the crazy mom at the conference, but something else). I sat there, staring at my SOL testing roster for the next two weeks, and I looked at my last name typed in like generic computer font, and I could have sworn that it didn't look right. So, I spelled it out, and it was right. Then I wrote my last name out and it still didn't look right. I kept thinking they had spelled my last name wrong, because it looked so wrong. I wrote it again at the top of the paper with the little song I have for writing my last name, "SCH-NEB-ELE" and now my handwritten last name looked wrong. So, as a last resort, I pulled my id badge off my lanyard and looked at it. I had, in fact, been spelling my name right. Then I started to think that my last name is ugly and I've never realized before how ridiculous it is having four consonants in a row and how bizarre it makes a name look. No wonder no one can ever pronounce it. There's no vowel until the fifth letter!
Then I realized I had probably snapped and stopped looking at my last name before I became even more obsessively fixated on it.
I think teaching is much harder than being a student.
I think I need a vacation in a padded cell more so than usual.

It's kinda sweet...

Cast: Kid A - obnoxious student in one of my classes.
Kid B - possibly the most obnoxious student in all of my classes who is a huge instigator of problems.
Kid C - another annoying student in the class.
Me - me, cranky, tired, and annoyed teacher

Me: (teaching poetry terms)
Kid A: Ms. S, where's my math and literature book? I left them in here the other day.
Me: I don't know, I haven't seen any of them.
Kid C: Why did you have either of them in here? This isn't math and you don't need to bring your literature book to class?
Kid A: Can I go to math and look for them?
Me: No, I'm right in the middle of teaching a lesson full of information for your benchmark tomorrow.
Kid A: (under his breath) Ms. S can ......
Kid B: (angrily stands up, approaches the other student and holds a pencil to his eye) Ms. S, he said something really bad about you.
Me: Okay, but you need to sit down.
Kid B: But don't you want to know what he said?
Me: No, not really. Sit down.
Kid B: But it was really mean. I'll stab him in the eye for you.
Me: Thanks, but no thanks. Take your seat.

I'm a little flattered.

New Thing That Bugs Me

Parents emailing me and calling me my first name. That bothers me a lot. And then asking for ridiculous demands.

Also, my car hit 100,000 miles on Thursday (or was it Wednesday?). I'm sad because I missed it. However, I did get to watch it when it was 100,001 for a good mile. Who doesn't love palindromes?

Also, I plan to leave here early and go get the new Nine Inch Nails CD. Woo Hoo!