If the last two days were all about planning. Today’s mission was…copying.
I was busy orchestrating copying between two copy machines, one upstairs and one on the main level of our school. When the machine on the main level, right outside of our reading room, abruptly stopped and told me that it needed more toner, I left the groove I had been in and headed to the office for help.
The lovely people in the office pointed me to a new bottle of toner and wished me luck. I joked with them as I left that I’d probably come back speckled in black ink.
“You’re coming with me for this,” I said as I randomly met up with Dawn as I walked down the hall back to the copy machine.
“What are we doing?” she asked.
“Going to live a slice,” I responded as I told her our mission, replace the toner in the copy machine.
We laughed our way down the hall writing the slice in the air as we went. “Jess and Dawn walked down the hall. ‘This might get messy,’ Jess said as Dawn burst into laughter.”
When we arrived at the copy machine, Dawn held the new bottle of toner as I opened the giant plastic door that hid all of intricate inner workings that some mad man had designed. “Let me just jiggle the old toner bottle first,” I said to Dawn as I shook.
Dawn looked confused. “That’s what they told me to do when I went to the office. Sometimes that’s all it takes,” I explained as I closed the door again. We stood there waiting to see if this trick would work. Sure enough, a few seconds later, the machine came back to life and the endless copying continued.
Over the next hour, the machine would stop every now and again to tell me about it’s need for toner or paper. When the cry was for toner, I’d reopen the door and give the toner bottle a little jiggle again. That worked like a charm three more times before I called into Dawn in the reading room. “I think it’s time!”
Dawn came out, right on cue ready to assist. I read the directions on the copy machine screen as Dawn confirmed that the directions on the toner bottle matched. We worked very carefully, reading the steps. First shake the toner bottle horizontally. Remove the cap. But not the inner cap. Insert the new toner bottle and rotate to the right.
As Dawn went in to insert the toner bottle, I said, “Wait. Slow down. I’ll get your picture for our slice.” Dawn obliged and even smiled for the camera.
We once again closed the door on the copy machine and smiled at each other. Together, we had accomplished a new task…without a speck of ink splattered.
Where There Is Joy 
I love how you imagined this to be a slice as you were walking and talking and writing your story in the air. Such a fun and light story. Your build up to the end really had me thinking there would be toner trouble. Glad everyone came out unscathed.
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It’s such fun to work with a colleague who is also slicing. I had that experience for a couple of years and I miss it now. Maybe next year I’ll have to work harder to recruit someone. I love that Dawn fell in with you immediately and that your first explanation in response to her question was, we’re “going to live a slice.”
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This is an amazing mentor text. You talk through your composition. It could easily transform to a how to or an all about. Great mentor for teaching how to create mentor text or writing about a small moment.
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Seen like a coach… anything can become a mentor!
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Bravo! So great that you voiced over the living of a slice! Love the use of fragments as you recounted the directions for replacing the toner cartridge. 🙂
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I always panic when I see that the copier needs toner. Now I know who to call – the SES Toner Team!!! This shows that really anything can become a slice, and a good one! I’m just sorry that, once again, we didn’t really get our time with kids. This last few days has been…..well…..different.
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A small harmless adventure full of learning and complete with a great buddy. Sometimes that’s all it takes. You made me laugh.
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Now the question is how Dawn’s version of this slice will turn out. This is what I noticed last year with kids in my class. They started trying new thing, going on new “adventures” because they were imagining that it would make a good slice. I think that’s a great byproduct of this challenge. It doesn’t just change our writing; the writing also changes the way we live.
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Oh lordy. Good to keep a sense of humor about copy machines. They used to say that all I had to do was LOOK at the machine and it jammed.
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I love how you lived this as a slice as it was happening! There really needs to be a course in college on toner, paper cutters, and how to not break the laminator. I also love the courage sign in the background in the first photo—it fits perfectly!
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This is awesome! Made me laugh as my copies are currently on pause for the same reason… ugh! You’d think they’d come up with a trustier machine for us to use. 🙂 I love the symmetry between Dawn’s body and the painting- great eye for detail when capturing that photo! Thanks for the smile this AM!
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Haha, what a fun slice, the sign on the wall behind, ‘Courage over fear’ seems a little appropriate for the occasion! A really great way to write a slice and reap the rewards of no ink splashes!
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I adored the running commentary of air- slicing as you live it. Life’s little adventures are why we slice. Enjoyed this.
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haha oh my gosh. The copier. How many of us could write odes to our copiers! In particular I enjoyed the “courage over fear” reminder as the toner was shook. Thanks for sharing!
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Such a fun slice to read. Thank you! I’m happy you had a friend to conquer the task with. I’m usually the one mumbling there all alone.
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Living a slice – the perfect way to do it. I’m glad you had Dawn with you as you did this – and her technique really does look like that painting!
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“Going to live a slice,” I responded as I told her our mission, replace the toner in the copy machine.- So fun!
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The battle is real! Impressed that you took it on and LOVED that you made your pal help. Those machines are our best and worst friends. Nicely sliced!
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This is a part of the job I don’t think I was every prepared for! But the secretary is so busy and it isn’t fair to leave the toner replacement to her (plus then it might not happen until hours later!) Same with the laminating machine. Some things we just need to learn to do for ourselves.
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I love your very meta approach to your slice, and I am impressed that neither of you got one speck of toner on yourselves!
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>The lovely people in the office pointed me to a new bottle of toner and wished me luck.<
Oh those office people! 🙂
What a great slice about new learning! I love it! And stain free too! 🙂
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