11 49 pm pst   [ boys ]

I was with the middle schoolers today. I was talking with two boys about learning HTML and then they started houding me about my website. I kept explaining that I wasn't going to tell them the URL. It wouldn't be even a tiny bit difficult to find my site. If you search for Rachel on Google I am the 7th site to come up. How hard is it to track me down? Not at all. Would I be in trouble if they found publically accessible information? I hope not. Would I feel irresponsible if I distributed my site to a bunch of middle schoolers. Absolutely. Would they take no for an answer. No. Boy are so silly sometimes.

Web site nonsense aside, these two were really ill behaved. One of them kept picking on a smaller kid. I told him not to do anything else and five minutes later found him wrapping electrical tape around the kid's head. I told him he was going to the dean, who happens to have worked at the high school where I went. He promised to be good. When I stepped outside to ask one of my co-workers if the middle schoolers could joing the lower schoolers' hockey game, this kid locked me out of the room. He unlocked the door right away, but I just walked over to the phone and called the dean. I've never seen a teen so petrified in my life. He blanched, ran out of the room and then came back a few minutes later to see how my phone call had gone. It had gone well for him, since the dean wasn't in his office and I didn't feel like bothering anyone else with the disciplinary problem. Instead I had them reading quietly and then picking up trash.

But the point that I'm trying to get to is that the other misbehaving kid said, "It must be so fun to have your job!" He though I must enjoy ruining a kid's day by sending him to the dean [something I haven't done yet] or having to speak to his parents [something I really haven't done either; I always let the parents know when their kid was especially good, but the bad days seem to be obvious]. I was so surprised that he could think I enjoyed something I dislike so much. I like playing with the kids and teaching them new games. I don't like bustings them or having to tell them what to do. I wanted to ask if I looked like I was having fun since I am sure I was a protrait of frustration.

The only other noteworthy story of the day (and I know my stories -- work especially -- have been sparse lately, but I am just so overwhelmed trying to make the LA Film Festival deadline) is one involving one of my favorite kids. He used to play Scrabble with me every day, but he hasn't for a few weeks now. His dad and I get along well, so when his dad came to pick him up I said, "I think I've lost your son as a Scrabble partner." His father said, "______, get over here."

"What did I do?"

I responded, "Nothing-" but his father cut in with, "Rachel has a complaint about you and I second it."

I explained, "I don't have any complaint. You didn't do anything. Your dad is just having fun making you nervous in front of an audience."

His father looked surprised, but instead of being offended he said, "That was a good quick bit of analysis you just did there." I had to thank him and laugh in response.