The other day I stopped by the Department Of Education to ask about my teacher certification paperwork. They've had it for a few months now. I got the same tired questions, "When did you submit the paperwork?", "Have you taken the PRAXIS test?", "Did you pass?", "Did you give us a copy of the test results?", etc. I was ready for the last question. I had a copy with me. But the PRAXIS company had sent a copy to the DOE. God only knows what they did with it.

Then I stepped next door to ask about my application to work as a substitute. I congratulated them on having such a healthy and dedicated work force. I knew they were healthy and dedicated because my phone had not once rung to call me in as a substitute. They looked through the file, I looked through mine to answer questions and then the woman pointed to an innocuous document that DOE had given me. If I were to take that document to the schools they would start calling. Back when they handed me the document in a pile of others they said nothing about that.

So yesterday I started distributing the document. At the first school they said they would probably call in the morning about 7:30. At the second school I handed over the document and they handed me a time card. I guess I'll be working in the near future.