Yearbook Jitters.

I am the yearbook advisor to the 8th grade class. Well, let me rephrase that....the advisorship to the yearbook committee just kind of fell into my lap. There was an official club, separately funded, for the yearbook. A guy was the advisor, and he was being paid to do it.

Several weeks ago, the guy approached me and said, "Would you think about taking over the yearbook committee?" I tried to run as far away from that one as I could. Turns out the guy was leaving the kids, and would no longer be their yearbook advisor. So, the kids were officially in a lurch.

This is my first year with a grade 8 homeroom. How could I say no? So, I accepted the job, but on my own terms. I refused the pay, first and foremost. You might call me crazy, but here's my thinking...

The official yearbook meetings were taking place on Fridays until 5:00 PM. No way in HELLS am I interested in staying around until that late hour on a Friday afternoon. I have to get to the gym, and more importantly, start my weekend. Damn, cuz!

So, I figured if I were doing this on a volunteer basis, I could name my own hours and not be compelled to fulfill any time requirement, or stay on any specific day. Whatever.

What I didn't know when I reluctantly agreed to take on this project is that they had decided to do a digital yearbook. No paper. Just CDs to be distributed to to the kids at the end of year.

WTF????

As if I have ANY CLUE as to how to put this thing together.

I called the tech guy for the district, and he happily agreed to come and help me. Apparently the yearbook will be composed through a program called Microsoft Movie Maker. Seriously, folks, has anybody ever tried to use this thing? Let me just tell ya....it's impossible! I can figure out stuff on my Mac, but this world of PC is just a mystery to me. I scan pictures and save them, and then have no idea in Christ where they are when I go to find them in the computer to fill into the program.

Luckily some of the kids know how to use this thing, but still....

Is is right that I have more end-of-year anxiety than the kids in my class???

I mean, really, though. a CD yearbook!!!