Mission Impossible

 At my school, we have "secret buddies". Like a secret Santa, but it goes all year. I don't know why I thought this would be a good idea my first year teaching at this school. I don't really KNOW anybody or what they are like or what they actually like. The people I work with in my program are no help- we're all isolated! It's a little stressful trying to figure out what someone I don't really know would like as a small gift about once a month. 

Needless to say, I think I've been surprisingly (to myself) thoughtful so far. I don't think I've given anything too random or wacky. I guess I'll find out at the reveal.

The gift I gave today was a little too big to fit in the school staff mailboxes so I had to figure out a way to give it to her without her seeing me. Usually I just surreptitiously stick it in her mailbox and walk away. I always leave a note, but I never write it. I always print it and attach it somehow. This morning the color printer was out of order, so this meant I had to go back upstairs, reprint it to another printer, and attach it. After all that, I had to find another time to drop it off; the opportunity was lost.

Fortunately, I know how to check other people's schedule if they work in the same county. So that's what I did to figure out a time I could drop off the gift. Of course, things did not go as planned. I didn't get out of my classroom as fast as I thought I would, and then I was cutting it really close. 

When I walked by the door the first time, it was open. 

I thought, "Shoot!" Immediately followed by, " I can't bring it back home - this has to happen today!"

So I passed the door another two times trying to figure out my approach. I finally decided I would have to crawl on the floor and try to place it outside the door without anyone seeing me. I looked around and the coast seemed clear. I dropped to the floor and started slithering across the floor. Mid slink, I heard someone behind me. I looked over my shoulder and put my finger to my lips with a stern face. 

It was a staff member, not sure what her name is. (Sorry!) She said "Um?" with a quizzical look on her face. I'm not sure she knows who I am either.

I exaggerated the finger to my lips and shook my head at her. She backed away and left.

 I continued my crawl across the floor thinking "Sheesh, I gotta get this done! The bell is going to ring soon!"

There was another adult in the room with my buddy. As I was placing my gift in front of the door, she looked over and we made eye contact. I knew her. She started to laugh and say something, but I repeated the finger to the lips with a forbidding face and a shake of the head.

She totally tried to cover for me. She laughed, looked away and said something to distract my buddy.

I placed the gift, got up from the floor and got the hell out of Dodge!

Mission accomplished!