Well, here it goes, My very first blog about a day in the life of me, Chantal, a skating preschool teacher living in San Anselmo, California. Which just so happens to be the perfect place to begin....
This Monday morning, I awoke and began getting ready for a new work week, then put on my old school quad roller skates and headed down the lane.
The path along the side of my home was still a bit moist from all the rain we've been having but once I got to the street, I knew it was dry enough not to worry about slipping, so I continued on. Even though I probably would have arrived on time, by noon, I called to let them know that I was almost there. One of the parents answered and when I told her that I'd be there any moment, she asked "why?" then she continued by reminding me that there was no school today because of Martin Luther King Day and that she had only stopped by for a moment to do something real quick.
Well you can imagine the incredibly freeing feeling I now gained when I realized I now had the rest of the afternoon off. Wow!!! Way cool. So I immediately flipped around and rolled back towards home with an enormous smile on my face. Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my job and not a day goes by where I don't smile. The children in my care are absolutely precious and I'm sure in time, you'll see why I feel this way. Some of the things they say are seriously wrong, but the innocence behind their words allow them to get away with it. I'm sure I'll be sharing plenty of their words with you in future blogs so I'll spare you with examples right now because I still want to tell you about the rest of my Monday off.
What did I end up doing with all this newfound time today anyways, you may wonder? Well, I came home, collected the mail (nothing too exciting however) and wheeled back the garbage can which had sadly been left out front since Thursday's collection day (at least someone had already brought back the recycling container- lol). Came up the steps (on my skates), and didn't even bother removing them right away but instead, unlocked the door and came inside (startling my son Forest in the process, whom was just getting ready to leave for a hike (his college courses begin next week so he's still enjoying the final week of freedom that he's had the pleasure of having for the past couple months).
Anyhow, still wearing my skates, I got motivated to clear a path through my other son Nathan's room because sadly it was cluttered unnecessarily. Threw all the clothes on his bed, moved a couple of other items and dug out the vacuum cleaner. Next thing you know I'm on a roll, (literally since I was still on skates- ha ha) and start vacuuming like a mad woman. I even went so far as to tidy up all the random cables in the way and tucked them away real neat and tidy under the carpeting. I must say I'm way impressed at the burst of productive energy that came forth (a rare thing for me).
Soon, my husband George arrived home for lunch, very surprised and happy to find me at home. Another pleasant surprise resulting from my forgotten day off. After hanging out with him for a brief moment, he had to go back to work, so I decided to get my things prepared for the Quality of Life meeting I would need to attend later, so I booted up the computer and printed out the agenda and the minutes from last meeting, as well as the town newsletter's from December and January (because we hadn't met in December due to the holiday's). Then, as you can imagine, once I was on the computer, I multi-tasked and tried to read through my emails, respond to people, explore links I was sent and of course got completely sidetracked, as most of the day slipped past me.
Next thing you know my family slowly begins trickling in and a few minutes later, it's time for me to get ready to for the meeting. Arrived a few moments before 7pm, and visited with two of the other commissioners, Woody and Kevin. The other three were a few moments late, but eventually everyone showed up.... Sita, then Quinne and a friend, followed by our beloved outgoing mayor, Barbara.
The meeting was filled with discussions on things like our BYOB (bring your own bag) poster that our commission agreed to endorse, posting these posters in merchant windows as a friendly reminder for people to stop using single-use plastic bags and of course precious paper bags. The QOL commission has in the past also endorsed things like encouraging people to make wiser choices when shopping, by avoiding plastic items as much as possible, especially plastic beverage bottles like water, and to start using eco-friendly reusable bottles instead.
We also discussed LED lightbulbs and whether we felt important enough a product to endorse. We all realized that none of us knew enough about the pros and cons to make a decision but would research this further by the next meeting. Smart meters were also a big topic on the agenda. We learned that one of the main things people oppose about them is the fact that they are wireless, so we agreed that instead of refusing them altogether, nor demanding folks be allowed to opt out, we decided we'd write a letter to the PUC (public utilities commission) requesting they offer an wired/vs wireless option, which we feel just may satisfy both sides of the coin.
Furthermore, we elected Quinne as the Vice Chair commissioner. I think she'll be perfect for the job. We also talked about the letter we wrote to the town council about free parking for electric cars, and QOL openings, now that Matt has been accepted to the town's Planning Commission. The Chairman, Woody, asked if anyone was interested in writing up some type of proposal for something we could possibly do for the upcoming earth day in April. So, naturally I stepped up. OMG, Uggg, what was I thinking? As if I don't have plenty of other stuff to do before our ccppns convention on April 1-3 (more about all that later).
For now, that is about all I've got to say as it is nearly midnight already. Boy it was a lovely day but it sure went fast. Not surprised though, every day seems to go that way, the older I get. So ciao for now until blog number two. I must admit, I'm not 100% sure how this will go. Part of me wants to write about me. Another part wants to write about my work and another about all my volunteering. I suppose by writing about me, it will inevitably include all of those things anyways, so I guess me it is. Hence the name "Through Skater Chantals Eyes."
Thanks for reading a little about my world. Blessings to you today and always.
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