It’s the last Friday of the month which means Marcia has opened the Runfessional!  It’s also time for another edition of Fit Five Friday hosted by DarleneRenéeJennMichelle, and me!  Let’s get started, shall we?!

 I runfess…
That I didn’t realize that today was the last day of the year when I was calculating my mileage for the year.  I thought the last day was tomorrow and was counting on those 9 miles.  On Monday I was adding my mileage and realized that I needed an additional 4 miles.  I did an extra mile on Tuesday and ran 3 on Wednesday (on my rest day) to make up for it.  

 I runfess…
I had am so tired of hearing how teachers need to be patient, show up for work with a smile everyday, etc., for the students.  It has been hard for them.  Yes, it has.  But it has been for us too.  For everyone.  We are all struggling.  We are doing the best we can.  We are also humans with real feelings and not everyday will be a happy and good day.  Oh, and s
tudents in Illinois will receive 5 mental health days per year starting in 2022.  While I think they should get it, what about others that also work in the schools?

I runfess…
I belong to a Tieks Facebook group.  You all know I love my Tieks.  The members there mostly sell new or slightly used shoes.  I’ve sold a few pairs myself.  Sometimes Tieks has limited edition shoes and they sell out right away.  If someone does not want or like the shoes, they can simply return them back to Tieks.  They even pay for return shipping!  However, some people in the group sell the limited edition shoes instead of returning them.  They also mark up the price to include shipping and handling and fees.  Tieks does not charge any of that.  I bite my tongue and don’t say anything.  No one is allowed to shame anyone.  I don’t understand why they can’t just send them back.  And don’t even get me started on people that buy the limited edition shoes and sell them for a much higher price to make a profit on eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, etc.

I runfess
I don’t expect gifts from anyone but I am surprised I didn’t get more from my students.  This year I received gifts from 5 students.  Yes, it was more than last year.  😀  I spend about 25-30 hours a week with the students and yet I get nothing from parents.  Seriously?  On Tuesday I received a Christmas card and a Starbucks gift card from a friend I haven’t seen in about 2 years.  In her card she thanked me for being a teacher.  Maybe the parents are not Christmas “people”?  See next point.

I runfess…
That I am not a Christmas “person”.  I don’t really like it.  I don’t celebrate it nor believe in the birth of Jesus.  I know Christmas is mostly about family spending time together and giving gifts.  I only buy gifts for my students (this year I gave them color pencils) and occasionally partake in a Secret Santa Gift Exchange.  I get together with my family on a regular basis.  Why should I wait for a holiday to get together with them?  Ugh, and then many businesses are closed.  I do my laundry on Saturday and went to 3 laundromats and they were all closed.  I was not happy about it.  Luckily my neighbor downstairs said I could use their washing machine.

Rant over.  Thanks for listening.

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22 Comments on Fit Five Friday and December 2021 Runfessions

  1. Glad you figured out your mileage before it was too late! I knew I wouldn’t reach a next “big” number so I wasn’t pushing it this week.

    Sorry you didn’t get gifts from your students. I know when my kids were in school the “class parent” usually organized a class gift (assortment of gift cards). If it were up to me, I would forget because December is such a busy time at work.

  2. We don’t do much for Christmas in relation to gifts. I did more when I taught and baked more too.

    I had to run 6 yesterday and normally I only run 3 each day …because I wanted to beat last year’s mileage… Crazy, right?

    I am part of Skirt sports market place group. I am amazed at how cheap things are sold.. I have gotten quite a few bargains. Their stuff is so expensive and I really need nothing. Your group sounds nasty..

    Happy New Year. I hope you enjoyed the break. You deserved one.

  3. I’m in a Lululemon FB group from back when I ran Seawheeze and it’s the same. Mostly people are grossly marking up stuff they got free from races and selling it. Sigh. I’m sorry you are not feeling the love from parents. That’s very sad you are so taken for granted. In our district we celebrate our teachers often. They are amazing! Happy New Year Z!

  4. Well, being Jewish Christmas is just another day to me. It does have good memories, though. When I was going up we’d go into NYC & get cheap tickets to Broadway shows. Now everyone does that but not so much when I was young — the lines were short then!

    I think teachers have an incredibly difficult job — even before you put COVID into the mix. So you can rant away any time you want to!

    Happy New Year, Zenaida!

      • My husband (then boyfriend) met my family for the first time on one of those Christmas trips. It was so cold! Then I went to meet his family. We’d only been dating a couple of months at that point! What were we thinking? I guess it turned out well because now here we are 37 years later.

  5. Yes, it’s tough times for teachers but as well, I think healthcare workers need mental health days. Instead, the CDC threw us under the bus this week, stating that if our employers need us, we don’t have to quarantine for COVID and instead will be called back to work early. Oh and the AHA said we have to do unprotected mouth-to-mouth on patients who respiratory arrest. And everyone is an expert on vaccines and immunity these days. It’s been rough.

    • Absolutely! I did not mean to imply that teachers deserve it more than others. Everyone needs to get it. I am just annoyed that “only” students get those mental health days. Ugh, the CDC is awful. They’re not making the right decisions and sometimes they change it from one day to the next.

  6. Your students are so lucky to have you, and hopefully their parents appreciate what you do despite not providing many gifts this year.

    I hope you have a wonderful start to 2022!

    • Thanks, Janelle! I try to be there for them as much as I can. I know I am making a difference. Maybe I am not making it now for everyone but hopefully these kids will remember me down the road.

    • Ugh, some parents are just awful. They like to complain and think they’re the experts. They really have NO idea what it is like being in the room. If these parents would have done their part last year, we wouldn’t have that many students in kindergarten level. But I also blame the education system. They’re the ones really at fault and let everyone down.

  7. My heart breaks for the teachers. Students are burned out. Teachers are burned out. Parents are burned out. It’s really hard. I can’t fathom how you get up day after day and put on a happy face and walk into that school building.

    I AM a Christmas person, but I feel the same as you – why wait for a holiday to spend time with people you love.

    • It’s just been awful. But I try to be positive and think about my students. I have my bad days but I realize that the kids are not really at fault. Well, maybe a little since some don’t want to put in any effort. But the one at fault is the education system. They let everyone down.

  8. Teachers definitely deserve mental health days as well and a little more respect than they get. Way to finish your year strong with your 1000 miles! Happy new year

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