Some students were passing my classroom during my planning. I was working on grades on my computer, and they didn’t realize I was in there (you can’t see me when I sit behind my computer). I heard one say to the other, “You have Ms. Huff?”

“Yeah.”

“For Journalism?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard she’s mean.”

Good. That’s the sort of reputation you want to have as a middle school teacher. I, on the other hand, think I’m way too nice.

I can only say thank God it’s Friday at last. I am so tired. Our whole house being sick has taken its toll. Plus, I didn’t stay home from work (staying home when you’re a teacher only means more work — it certainly doesn’t help me relax to think of how awful the kids might be behaving).

I had a very profound idea for writing this morning and promptly forgot it.

Did I say I was tired? I did? Oh. Well. I am.

I am also extremely dull today.

When we were driving home this evening, I was watching the trees speeding by my window. Tall, black, spindly pines, all huddled closely together, drying in the gray late afternoon light. And I thought to myself that I could go into those trees, like Thoreau, and just live apart from society for a while. Well, not so much like Thoreau. After all, he went to town a whole lot, and he had more help than he lets on. But you get the idea. I’m not one for roughing it, so I probably wouldn’t last. But sometimes, it seems like it would be great to get away from bills, cars, city lights, and the fast pace of life and just be in the woods. I used to feel God in the woods. Now I’m scared of the Blair Witch.