Today, I:

- Greeted tearful ninth and tenth graders on their way into the classroom on the last day of school

- Bore witness to the results of kids tagging the walls-- both with chalk ("Thank you staff") and with spray paint ("Our school will never die!!!")

- Heard about a huge stand-off and apparent law-suit between the steel drum teacher and the principal, over who should get the steel drums; heard also that the steel drum teacher's wife had barricaded herself in the steel drum room, over the protest.

- Saw the police and media show up in response to aforementioned scuffle.

- Heard another teacher admit deviously that she had sneaked thousands of dollars worth of equipment out the back door while the aforementioned poobah ensued.

- Gave Mark his final back and watched him shout out loud, jump up and down, and hug several people, including me.

- Played songs on guitar for my kids while two girls sang along, knowing every word.

- Stopped mid-song to evacuate the building when a kid pulled the fire alarm.

- Watched a documentary crew, who has been following and documenting our school throughout the closure process, interview/film the evacuated students out on the field.

- Waved goodbye to all the buses as they slowly pulled away; realized our school's last day had finally ran out.

- Saw Joshua wearing his new fedora.

- Hugged students, said goodbye to students, and tried to hold back tears as I said MY last so-long to the students I've come to care so much about.

- Went home

- Packed

- Got dinner with my friend Kelsey; went to the airport.

- Got on a red-eye to New York.

- Listened to "Man Down Under" about 60 times on repeat at a cafe (WHY only the one song? WHY?) in JFK during a 2.5 hour layover.

- Got on another plane to Nashville

- Surprised ANNIE: happy Bluebird performance weekend!!! Did you ACTUALLY think I'd miss it??

- Hung out with best friend and her parents all day.

- Shopped at Anthropologie to pick Annie out a Bluebird outfit.

- Saw other fantastic Nashville friends

- Came back to Annie's house

- Blogged

- Went to bed