I’m Lester the Nightfly, Hello Baton Rouge

It feels like I’m asleep today, I’m discombobulated and weary and can’t focus.

Like any other day, right?

Yesterday I went on a field trip with Girl-child’s kindergarten class, to a nature center. Outside, with 24 kids aged 4-6. Freezing cold, snowing, red faces turning to spy birds nests and evidence of deer and foxes. I was in charge of my girl and two very raucous boys who insisted on turning over every branch, slipping on every patch of ice, and dusting off every log to slide across with their snowpants-encased butts. But, and this is the weird part, once they knew who their group leader was (ME), they’d instinctively find me every few minutes, like a harbor light, and I’d touch the tops of their hats or brush the snow off their backs, in a sort of weird particle-orbit. Inside the main building, we examined snakes and turtles and frogs, stuffed birds and squirrels, marveled at the carcass of a 35-pound snapping turtle (!), and ‘oohed/aahed’ over the skulls of various varmints. Kids nowadays are so smart, it just floors me, with the questions they ask and their confidence, and the way they interact with each other. “Come see this!”, they’d say to a friend, and lead them by the hand to an exhibit, much explanation of the contents, pressing their faces to the glass and steaming up the aquariums with their sweet breath. At this age, my friends and I were just lucky to not pee our pants during forced naptime.

It’s cold today. I’m massively crushed with work, feeling behind and incompetent. Chrismas shopping lists on post-its near my pc. Feeling sick from my 4th (or 5th?) cuppa coffee this morning. Still finishing school board stuff. Stressed.

BUT.

There are 5 boxes of Girl Scout cookies on my desk, paid for and ready to eat.

AND.

Sergei gave me the ‘what-for’ this morning, so even though I’m hazy-foggy, I still sport a knowing grin and a tingling in my nethers.