I need to water my plants and go home. My final exams are mostly written now, just dependent on how much of the last bit of material I get covered next week.

The minigolf outing was a mixed success. At first, it went really well. And I started to relax and congratulate myself a little bit for pulling it off successfully. But about an hour in, a few of the less-mature kids decided they were bored, claimed they were going to the restrooms (Dear Mini Golf In the Mall, why do you not have restrooms right in your facility? Oh, yeah - because when my co-worker asked about it, you said that teenagers would take the balls and clog the toilets. Thanks, bad apples, thanks a lot.). And somehow the "bathroom" trip wound up as an "arcade" trip and the less-mature kids had to be hauled out of the arcade. And then one person began to whinge that his mom had "really really" said it was okay for him to go to this other store in the mall, and he wanted to, and he was going. And we told him that his mom wasn't there, and we were responsible for him, and we weren't going to let him go. (I stopped short of saying: if we let you go, everyone else will want to). And I did not want to be running all over the mall at 7:30 pm, trying to round up scattered people. Especially not because there were about 8 security guards roaming around, and I didn't want to have to enlist their help and look like some hapless idiot who drags ill-behaved kids to a mall and they scatter like baby chicks...

The older kids were fine - they played their rounds of mini golf and then hung out in the place until it was time to go. But it was just two or three of the less-mature kids who made it difficult. Then, as we were leaving, they started running off through the mall. We had to yell at them FOUR SEPARATE TIMES to stop and or come back. (Once should be enough.)

Then they raced out to the van, aiming to get on first. And I told them, no, you will get on last, because you couldn't listen. Then someone else pulled something and when we weren't looking, they got on first. And took the good seats. And I wound up in the back of the van on the way home, hoping I didn't get car sick (it's happened in those big vans before) and just staring stonily out the window. I was DONE. I was SO DONE. I was angry at the less-mature kids and they knew it - I've told them that when I get quiet and don't want to talk to them, that means I'm angry.

the good news is it's over. I'm writing this partly as a reminder to myself: in the future, do not plan trips that involve the distraction of a mall or other shopping area. Next time, go to a free-standing mini golf where the only thing to do is golf.

And did I hear a "thank you"? I know not to expect it but...well, I still kind of do. It's an effort for me to give up my Friday afternoon - and petition for the $150 it took - and line up the drivers - and make the arrangements - and all of that. (Well, I did get a nice thank you from the pizza guy - I tipped him $5 because he had to shlep 6 pizzas all the way into the mall for us. In the rain. After I gave it to him, I worried if it was maybe kind of a mingy tip, but considering what he said to me, I guess it wasn't.)