Goodbye Big City - Hello Market Town!

Well, I've finally finished my term at Big City School. You know, it went okay. My students remained universally charming (and often a complete - if unknowing - hoot), my colleagues ranged from supportive to lovely and the work was rewarding and not too stressful. However, I won't miss Big City: I won't miss the commute; the rudeness of the bus drivers/taxi drivers; the particular area of the school I worked in; the aggression of the community I served. I now have a new job covering the maternity leave of an old colleague, it's in a faith school in my home town and I will be working part-time until after Christmas. I feel quite content to do long term supply jobs until the DH is on his feet, although if he does decide to retrain I will have to get a permanent teaching job.

I'm absolutely shattered. And, I kind of feel like the life I've been leading over the last few months hasn't quite been my own, as if I've been jumping through a rabbit hole every morning at 6:30 and ending up in Big City - a strange, disordered, nether-world full of damaged and tyrannical people who keep telling me to F-off!. What I'm feeling is a culture shock, of course. I've been living on Planet Dulce Domum for years and have found it a very pleasant place to be. I obviously need to get back there for a week or so. Therefore, I'm going to settle down with a few good books, my Cary Grant box set, my girls and a nice cup of tea and I don't intend to set foot out of the house. This is a decision I have just made. I will not be cajoled by other well-meaning folk to go and do stuff, I will not do any church work (I may not even go to church!), I will not be persuaded to go on long car journeys with a bored DH (he can go on his own) and we will frequent the chippy and the Chinese takeaway more often than is seemly. We have visitors over the Easter period, and a friend's wedding to go to, however I will not run around like a loony trying to please. I will be perfectly nice, but perfectly lazy because being perfectly perfect will drive anyone into the loony bin!

Ah, I'm so glad I've got that off my chest. It's very nice to have a plan, even if your plan is simply to do bugger all.

If, towards the end of the holiday, I blog again it will be because I have rested and read and played with my kids and got my skirtings clean and then, gentle reader, you'll know that all is well. However, if, towards the end of the holiday, you turn on the TV and see an overweight woman moon Ed Balls (yes, y'all in the USA, our Minister for Education is called Mr Balls), then you know that I have not rested and read and played with my kids and got my skirtings clean but quite the opposite and have gone completely mad - mad, I tells ya!

I shall leave you with this bit of YouTubery, for your delectation!