my pink life, mi vida rosada

I'm waiting a few more minutes, then will have to make a phone call.  I hate talking on the phone, but I need a few answers.... I'll be starting my new job soon, soon, and must respond to a parent email about the textbook she needs to purchase for her daughter.  I didn't choose the textbook, and it turns out that it is ridiculously expensive. The parent wants to know whether she can buy it used, or must purchase it new with an access code to the textbook's website.  So I must call, and talk to the veteran teacher, who doesn't like to respond to questions via email, to find out how closely I am expected to follow the book and use the online resources, then respond to the parent about whether we will be using all of the fancy audio and video resources online or not. I'm on the fence about it -- following the textbook and using all of the resources is much less personally interesting for students.  On the other hand, it sure does make planning easier for me if ...