By Slanted Light

I want to buy/get hold of lots and lots of stuff and plants to cover up all the gravel, and make it look green (and pink and yellow and white and purple, and... *g*), but I know I need to be patient! I was thinking about window-box type things on the fence too - I can nail things to it, but to be honest I wouldn't want to nail anything too heavy, so I thought I'd try hanging things from the top fence posts, and from the supporting rail along the middle - I think there's just enough space to do that cos of the angle the fence slats are at.

And hah - yes, any job must get dull if it's repetitive enough. If you did nothing but travel and write about it I suppose even that would be dull. What I'd like to do is find enough other jobs to break up the routine a bit... I've been all about the moving so far, but I must get on better with that! Oh, and the summer break is definitely something I miss about teaching - that lush 6 weeks (and 2 weeks, and 2 weeks, and week and week, over here! Of course it was pretty exhausting between all that - but fun. It's a shame they changed the job so much over here...)

I seem to remember that teachers are paid really poorly in the US to start with... It always seems strange to me when people who've retired apply for jobs! At least it sounds as if there's not someone who really needs the job being competed against... though I guess it would have been better for you if there was. Good luck with it all, anyway - shall cross my fingers for the second candidate!

Erk for the screen protector failing - which means that the whole laptop has to go back! Although I know what you mean about the reflections. I have</i. got used to looking past them mostly, but I can't help thinking that it must be bad for my eyes too, constantly having to fight not to focus on what's reflected... There just wasn't any alternative to a shiny screen over here when I bought it - at least not in my price range... good luck finding a better replacement!