Muffins and Elevator Banks

Busy week.
English Language Arts Tests on Monday and Tuesday. Trip to the Vocational and Educational Office for Individuals with Disabilities on Wednesday and a workshop in the city on Thursday.

The best part about the workshops that our Partner Agency offers is the muffins. Now I know that one of the benefits of working in a real city is the real bakeries and deli-catered events on good days or an elevator ride to the muffin stand on not so good days. I know this because when I graduated collegeI tried to work in one of those offices in a glass tower where the elevators are grouped into banks of tens (you know- floors 2-20 in the first line, 21- 40 in the next bank and so on 'til you reach the floors where the big wigs are housed and you can't get on the elevator unless you have a special swipe card.)

But I couldn't sit still at the desk for the eight hours that came after the muffin consumption so I went into to teaching.

I told the story as I sat around the conference table at the Office for Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities on Wednesday. I went with Connor and three other seniors to register for their services. Betina had to drop the baby off at the Day Care at a distant high school so we stood on cold windy corner waiting for Betina to be on the bus that took us the subway- Betina was running late and we actually watched five buses go by before the fifth phone cell phone call confirmed she was on the one the pulled up at the bus stop.

The head counselor explained the process of applying for the services and the benefits from their services and there were many. The office was on the top floor and the glass window wall looked over the city skyline. A helicopter made repeated circles. Four of us focused carefully on the counselors explanation while the most distractable one watched the helicopter- but hey I already have a job.

And then we went to Applebee's for lunch. And I thought about how much better my life had turned out now that I could have a bowl of onion soup and a small Caesar's salad for mere sum of $77, (at least they talked each other out of ordering the $15 dollar meals).
but in the company of people who had beaten the odds Klein/Bloomberg reported to the New York Times today and put together the credits needed for a high school diploma despite having learning disabilities, and other challenges.

Today I had a workshop in the city.
I rode the subway.
I walked through Central Park.
I rode an elevator that was part of an elevator bank.
I bit into a muffin.

And then my tooth feel out.

(The kind dentist waited me for me and cemented it back in)