4:11 a.m. - I'm up early this morning...actually I've been up since about 2 a.m, and I couldn't go back to sleep. Bella must have figured it out because she started whining early too. A lot was going through my brain, and I couldn't stop the flow and relax, so I might as well just get up.
That's a wrap on the 25-26 officiating season. Last night was my last game - a boys sectional game at Monmouth United. It was a good game, and we officials did a good job of officiating the game. At least I thought so. The problem is that no one is there to really tell you whether you did a good job or not, so you think you did a good job, but you aren't really sure.
My first junior high girls basketball game started on October 8, my last high school game yesterday ended on March 3 - that's roughly five months of officiating basketball - that's a long season. There were 46 games (junior high, f/s, and varsity) from Oct. - Dec. There were 56 games in from Jan. - March. -- 102 game...that's a lot...and I actually scaled back from previous years, trying to take at least one night off a week and trying to limit myself to only one game on Saturdays as much as possible. My earnings so far this year in 2026 (Jan-Mar) from basketball officiating, though, is about $3,500, and that doesn't count the postseason games that I've worked the past couple of weeks, as that pay won't arrive until probably next week. Basketball officiating earnings in 2025 this season were about $2,900. Grand total for the 25-26 basketball season will be, then, about $7,000. So it is a lot, and I wouldn't be able to pay for the things I do without that extra income.
The evening was at least something good to get to because the day sure sucked. It's not been an easy week again at IC Elementary. Yesterday featured "another meeting" with Mr. Bush, which generally means that someone has a problem with something I'm doing or not doing, so he has to be there to babysit. It sucks. I really wish I would just retire and be done with my career in education at Rockridge. That would be simpler and more peaceful. Unfortunately, I made a commitment to be the administrator until the new building is built, so I should try to do my best each day to honor that commitment - but geez I truly struggle getting any satisfaction or enjoyment or even pride in much of my day each day. I'm basically a punching bag a lot of the time, and fireman most of the rest of the time - picking up the slack because this person is gone or this student can't behave. Roles are critical in the building - all the roles. And when a role isn't completed, it's just hard to complete what I'm supposed to complete. Oh well, get through each hour, get through the day, get through the week, the month, the end of the school year, the end of next year and be done and never look back.
Today is Wednesday...I've got student council this morning, and then some meetings, and then after school I hope to get over to mom and dad's and visit with them and get some hay down from mom.
Things to do for School
- make a daily contact with Mrs. Sywassink and document
- update attendance each week in SDS
- send any IEP notices to Mrs. Saey
- Feb. 25 - PTO meeting at TRE at 6 p.m.
- Mar 25 - PTO meeting at ICE at 6 p.m.
- Apr 22 - PTO meeting at Andalusia 6 p.m.
OTHER THINGS
- reorder checks
- complete IHSA mileage form
- use Dick's gift certificate
- a hood light switch for the Ford
- March 11 - 10:25 a.m. - ORA Moline
- April 28 - Dentist 8 a.m.
- April 30 - 10 a.m. - Milan Optical
- July 19-27 - Trip to Branson, MO (and Strawberry, AK) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D3BB0_IuwRs0WDKqm1Euor9WUH84SeF1DIwKi7OWeS4/edit?tab=t.0
- July 28 - Bus Refresher Course
- What/Where is South Buffalo Prairie School and for that matter West Buffalo School and East Taylor Ridge School? ugh.
- Friday Tidbit on the RR History Network Page
