More Sports...for now

Well, it was another action packed night of volleyball at Forest Meadow!   The eighth grade Lady Chargers exploded onto the scene with some amazing moves. 

The B-Team hit the ground running against Apollo Jr. High.  Both the first and second string teams stood toe-to-toe with their opponents, looked them right in the eye and never blinked.  The first game ended with a score of Lady Chargers 21 Apollo 25. 

Their second game was a true battle.  The Chargers played hard, made some out of this world saves and spent the first half of the game trading point for point with Apollo.  With the score tied 11 all, Apollo sent in a ringer who blasted 7 points and nearly broke the drive of the Lady Chargers.  However, after a brilliant save and some truly spectacular offensive moves the score was tied, 22 to 22. 

Somehow, Apollo managed to squeak the next three points by for a narrow victory.  This was a heartbreaking defeat for everyone.

The A-Team first string started off with a net serve that made the score Apollo 1 Lady Chargers 0.  The Chargers rallied and quickly tied the game at 1 to 1.  The next ten serves were a win one, lose one kind of a trade off.  That is until Jamie Crawford took the serve and drove home five straight points which made the score Lady Chargers 11 Apollo 6. 

Apollo made one last valiant stand and tied the score at 11 all.  After a time out, the Chargers came out running and never looked back.  They quickly made the score Lady Chargers 23, Apollo 14.  Apollo tried to rally, but it was no use.  The A-Team won the first game 25 to 19.

The second string burst onto the scene with a surge of momentum and scored four quick points.  Apollo answered back, point for point and from then on the game became a true nail-biter. 

Just when it seemed the game would last forever, and with the score tied at 23 to 23, the Lady Chargers put the moves in high gear and scored the last two points.  It all happened so fast it was hard to know what was going on.  What I do know is the final score…Lady Chargers 25, Apollo 23.    

Ramblings of a Third Grade...Sports Writer???

My daughter's eighth grade volleyball team needed someone to write an article type of thing of each game for the local paper and I volunteered.   Truth be known, I'm not exactly sure where it will be printed, but I guess I'll find out.

As  result, I decided to go ahead and post them here.  I seriously doubt many people are going to have any interest in reading about the Forest Meadow Jr. High's eighth grade volleyball games, but you never know.

So here goes.

Game date: September 11, 2008

Forest Meadow Jr. High -vs- Blalock Jr. High

Our eighth grade Lady Chargers kicked off their season Thursday night with a bang!  While it might not have been the exact bang we were looking for, the parents and fans couldn’t have been more proud! (Just ask the boys with the painted faces.)

The B team led the charge and found themselves down by 7 with the score Lady Chargers 16 and Blalock 23.  However, after some brilliant defensive plays they rallied and the score went to Lady Chargers 20 to Blalock’s 24.  Sadly, they weren’t able to hold on and we lost the first game 20 to 25. 

Game number two for the Lady Charger B team started off a little better, but Blalock took advantage of their momentum and quickly pulled out a win in the second game as well.

         The A team started off their first game in true Charger fashion with a score of 6 to zip!  Blalock surged and took the lead by one point.  The remainder of that first game was a fierce back and forth battle.  The Lady Chargers would score two or three point and then Blalock would answer right back with two or three of their own.  At one point, Charger server Colleen Livingston blasted four powerful serves to make the score Chargers 23, Blalock 24.  Somehow, the Blalock girls were able to sneak that last point by them and won game number one Lady Chargers 23, Blalock 25.

         The second game squad had an uphill battle.  Even after several amazing saves and some truly spectacular offensive moves, they weren’t able to take control of this game.  I’ve seen a lot of volleyball in my time, and the effort of these girls would have made Kerri Walsh and Misty May proud.  But alas, even though victory was not in the cards for us tonight, never let it be said that the Eighth Grade Lady Chargers didn’t fight the good fight!

Multiple Use Items...an Update

As I mentioned in my last posting, my shoes have multiple uses.  One being shoes and the other being bottle openers…bottle openers that, at the time of the posting, I had never actually used.  

I had no idea what fun I was missing. 

We were picking my daughter up from camp in Hunt Texas.  If you’re not from The Lone Star State, and even if you are, there is a good chance you’ve never heard of Hunt Texas.  Hunt Texas is a small, nay tiny community in the heart of the Texas hill country.  While Hunt is small population wise, it has enough acreage to be home to more summer camps that I can name.  I believe there are about 8 to 10 different camps.  

This was Friday at about noon and many of the eager Camp Waldemar parents had stopped at the Hunt Store for a quick lunch before heading to camp.  Waldemar is steeped in tradition and the gates don’t open until 2:00 PM, but a line of cars magically begins forming outside the gates about an hour before they open.    

The Hunt Store, which is a combination gas station, grocery store, butcher shop, burger joint, post office and bank, is as far as I can tell, the only store in this quaint little town.   End of camp for each of the camps in the area means big business for The Hunt Store.  

But anyway, back to my shoes.  

So there we are, standing in the store’s restaurant waiting for some friends to arrive and I decide to buy a bottle of IBC Root Beer and open it with my shoe.  Standing next to the table I said, “Hey everyone, check out the cool bottle opener shoes on their maiden voyage!”  

I lifted my foot, flipped the bottle upside down and popped off the top in one quick fluid motion.  And it worked like a charm!  

As it turned out, my fluid motions may have been a wee-bit too quick.  No sooner had I gotten the bottle turned back upright, it started to spew root beer everywhere.  

On the up side, the spew was quite impressive.  We’re talking about a root beer flying in a perfect arch for about five feet. 

On the down side, the spew was quite impressive.  We’re talking about close to 12 ounces of root beer spread out over about five feet that I got to clean up.  

After all was said and done, I got almost two full gulps of root beer and lots of angry looks. 

 

Like I said, I had no idea what fun I was missing.

Multiple Use Items

You know how some things are made to have more than one purpose?   For instance, I have a phone that can also be a calendar, and an iPod, as well as a whole host of other things.   I also have a printer that can be a scanner, a fax machine and a copier.  The list of things like this in my house goes on and on.  

In the garage, I have a small hammer that can also be a crowbar.  And then I have an electric drill that can be used to as a power screwdriver.  Come to think of it my grass trimmer can be used as an edger with one small twist.  

Yep, in life there are quite a few of these “Multiple Use” items and I own my fare share of them I’m sure.  

It seems to me that an item’s different uses would have some logical relationship.  It makes sense to be able to twist one small part and go from trimming your yard to edging, or having the ability to scan, then fax or copy the same document.  And I find it quite handy to be able to make a phone call and then enter new information into my calendar, as well as listen to my favorite tunes.  

However, I recently acquired a pair of flop-flops that have a quite unlikely second function.  

I’ve wanted some black flip-flops for quite a while, but I’m rather picky.  A few years ago I picked up some Tommy Hilfiger flip-flops on sale.  These had the soles that weren't just flat rubber, but rather the kind that were formed to your foot.  

I wore them out! 

After setting on the back porch wet for a few days and becoming green and furry I decided it was time to buy new ones.  But replacing these wasn’t easy.  

Don’t get me wrong, I was willing to pay, but I just couldn’t find the right ones.  

That was over a year ago and I finally found ones I like, but like I said, they have a rather odd second function.  (Yes, I looked for over a year, but not 24/7!) 

At first glance they seem like just ordinary flip-flops.  However, on closer inspection you'll notice a small irregularity on the bottom of each shoe.  Turns out it’s a bottle opener.  

So now I add flip-flops/bottle opener to my list of “Multiple Use” items.  

What’s really funny is I’ve had them since the beginning of June, but still haven’t opened even one bottle with them.  

Maybe today’s the day I'll finally pop a brew with my shoe!

 

 

Note:  It did occur to me that I need to be extra careful where I step…I mean cool, multi-use flip-flops are one thing, but I don’t want dog poop anywhere near the top of a bottle I’m planning on putting my mouth on!  

Going Mac...

Technology wise, our home has gone through some pretty big changes. 

We used to be a home dominated by IBM.  We had Microsoft everything.  In a little more than a month we have totally switched over and are now running all Mac products.  (With the exception of my school notebook computer, which I can do nothing about.)  

It’s a whole new world.  

I had no idea technology could be so clear or user friendly.  

Not to mention the fact that I had to call in for some set up help with one of our new Mac products.  The details of which really don’t matter.   The first guy was unable to solve my problem, at which point he transferred me to his superior.  

The second guy was also unable to solve my problem, but vowed to do some research and get back to me in a day or two.  

Now, while I’m sometimes a bit overly trusting, I’m also not fresh out of school.  I’ve heard promises like this before and knew not to hold my breath.  However, this guy gave me his direct line phone number and told me to give him a call in a day or two if I hadn’t heard from him.  I was very impressed. 

To make a long story short, if that’s still possible, he solved the problem and everything’s back up and running like it should be.  

I think what I was most impressed with was the fact that this “Techie” could not only understand all the technical stuff, but he could also communicate with a non-techie.  This is not a common skill in the world of the truly computer literate.  

Like I said, my house is going Mac…

 

And once you go Mac, you never go back!

I just knew it

I’ve been going to church, a Baptist church, my whole life.  I don’t know when this strange thought first crossed my mind, but now I think about it whenever my church has communion.  

Unlike some denominations, that have the congregation move in rows up to the minister and he or she puts the communion wafer on your tongue and gives a sip of wine or juice, the Baptists bring both parts to you. 

When you’re a young boy who is still not ready to partake in communion, but who wants to very badly, the idea of having crackers and juice in church is more than a little appealing.  While I couldn’t have them, I always wanted to make sure I got to at least touch the communion trays as they were being passed down the pew.  

I remember as a young boy at First Baptist Church of El Paso Texas how massive the communion trays seemed.  Well, not so much for the first tray that held the tiny communion wafers (the body of Christ), but second tray that held the small cups of juice (the blood of Christ) was big and heavy and I was not allowed to hold them as they passed.  

Maybe it was because of how small I was.  Maybe it was how big they were.  Maybe it was the fact that accidents involving beverages were all too common around my house.  Who knows?  

Whatever the reason, somewhere back in my early childhood the idea of someone dropping that communion tray full of tiny glasses of juice seemed like the worst spill accident I could ever imagine.  

I know it must have happened somewhere to someone.  I mean, in the history of the Baptist's “take it to the masses” style of communion, you would think that at least one of these trays must have hit the floor…right? 

I’ve asked many people, but to date none have ever witnessed such a disaster.  In college, I even asked about 80 people in a Sunday School class, but nothing.  I mean nobody had even seen one glass of juice fall to the floor, much less the whole tray.  

Today, at Wilshire Baptist Church, all that changed. 

We were sitting about five pews from the back and I had just taken the juice tray from my daughter, gotten my cup and passed it to the usher, (being quite thankful that I hadn’t dropped it of course) when somewhere behind me the sound of a tiny cup bouncing on the tile floor caused me to whip my head around.  

I couldn’t see the actual cup and I couldn’t really tell which person dropped it, but it hit the floor all the same.  I must admit I was a bit relieved to see that no small kids were sitting on that pew.  Because of course they would have been blamed. 

I turned back around and tried to refocus my mind on the real reason for communion.  But I couldn’t get the thought of that falling glass out of my mind.  

I was somewhat amazed and quite pleased at how little attention this falling glass had received.  Melissa and Macy didn’t even know it had happened.  I dare say only a handful of people even new anything was wrong.  

I knew that kind of thing had to happen. 

 

I just knew it!  

I give up...or do I?

Back when gas was only about two dollars a gallon I enjoyed a large vanilla latte from Starbucks pretty much everyday.  It cost me about four dollars per latte, or twenty-eight dollars a week, but I didn’t mind.  However, as the prices at the gas pump started to skyrocket I, like most Americans, started looking for places I could cut back.  You know, things I could give up.  

When I realized that I was grumbling about spending right at $4.00 dollars for a gallon of gas, but then would happily pop into Starbucks and spend $4.17 for a 20-ounce latte (which works out to $26.69 a gallon!) I knew I had to give up my daily Starbucks fix. 

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t totally given up my venti, vanilla latte, but I have gone from enjoying one a day to only having one or two a month.  

Now what I do for my caffeine fix is either make it at home, or go to Exxon where a 20-ounce coffee is only about one dollar.  

This morning, I was standing in line at Exxon waiting to pay a dollar for my Bengal Traders Gourmet Coffee when I became nosey and started paying attention to the guy in front of me.  

It seems he only had ten dollars and wanted a snack, some cigarettes and some gas.  

After finding out that if he purchased both the snack and the cigarettes he wouldn’t even be able to buy a single gallon of gas he started trying to decide what to put back. 

Now, the choice seemed obvious to me and I desperately wanted to step forward and offer this poor man some of my newfound “latte give up” wisdom.  I didn’t, but the teacher in me was chomping at the bit.   

If he had given up the cigarettes, at five dollars a pack…that’s 1.25 gallons of gas.  That means he would have been able to buy his snack plus two a little over two gallons of gas.  

As it turns out, he slid the snack across the counter and purchased the cigarettes plus about $4.50 in gas.  

What really got me was the fact that this guy wasn't millions of miles away in some poor third-world country.  No, this was a guy living right here in Dallas and he was having to make financial choices that to me seemed rather trivial.  

That’s when I realized that things aren’t bad for me and I really don't have a clue what the rising means to most people.  Sure, I had to stop buying an expensive latte each day, but did I really?  

Truth be told I didn’t have to, I chose to.  Why did I choose to?  I think I decided to give them up because it makes me feel like I was being financially responsible, or something like that.  

As I walked out to my car with my coffee, I topped off my gas tank and looked over to see that I had just added $69.66 worth of gas to my mornings purchase.  And I felt a little strange.  

When it’s all said and done, do I complain about the price of gas?  I don’t go out of my way to, but when the topic of conversation rolls around, and it always seems to these days, I’m quick to report on the gallon price of a Starbucks latte and then mention how I gave them up to save some cash. 

I think I'm becoming a democrat right before your eyes.

Does size really matter?

Evidently it does when you’re talking about your Internet connection.  At least it does when you’re talking about the size of the cables that bring, or take, or carry, or transfer, or magically cause words and pictures to appear from the information super highway.  

Please understand that my knowledge of this kind of thing is minimal at best.  Truth be known, as long as it’s up and running properly, I don’t really care how or why it works…just so long as it works! 

When I had but one computer hard wired into my modem, life was good.  Life was easy.  However, about a year ago I introduced a router and a wireless laptop to the mix and life has never been the same.  

First the modem and the router wouldn’t talk to each other.  Next, the router and the wireless laptop were both talking, but one was speaking English and the other Chinese.  Then the modem slowed the router down, or the router slowed the modem down.  After spending several hours on the phone with the not so helpful help desk people I finally got everything up and running well...so I thought.  

To date I have no less than five different wireless devices all on what I’m forced to call “My Network” and speed is the new issue.  I have DSL, which has always been great.  Yesterday, when I was at the apple store trying to get some help with my speed problems I learned that DSL is lumped into the same category as dial-up, and the cable Internet is all the rage.  

Here’s how the conversation went:

            apple guy:  What kind of connection do you have? 

            Me:  DSL 

            apple guy:  (making an ugly face) Ugh!  Well there’s your                  trouble right there. 

            Me:  DSL isn’t good? 

apple guy:  Well, maybe years ago, but a phone line is just too small.  (Holding up his hands with his fingers making a circle about the size of a softball he said) You need a bigger cable. 

Me:  AT&T calls it Broadband and… 

apple guy: That’s a lie!  They say that, but it’s just a lie!  You can’t have broadband through a wire the size of a phone cord! 

I realized that I had hit a rather tender topic with this poor guy, so I said thanks and slowly backed away.  

The truth is, this may have been reality for years, but I just turned a deaf ear to the whole thing, because my little world was working just fine.  

So now I’m on the hunt for the biggest Internet connection available in my area, because it seems that size really does matter.

Shopping Delimma

I was at the grocery store a couple of days ago.  I had my cart with my milk, my bread, my peaches, my usual stuff.  I was standing on the ice cream aisle trying to find the Blue Bell Natural Bean Vanilla, not the Homemade Vanilla.  I mean, the choice between Homemade and Natural Bean is a no brainer!  

I’m standing there grumbling to myself about how they always have a thousand rows of Homemade, but then they’ll have only two or three containers of Natural Bean when I heard this conversation: 

Woman:  “Blue Bell is his favorite and it’s his birthday.” 

Man:  “But it’s twice as much as this kind.  If we get Blue Bell we’ll have to put the juice boxes back.” 

Glancing into their cart I saw three items, one of which was a small package of six to eight generic brand juice boxes that might have cost $3.00 and my heart sank.  

Without looking up, I quickly grabbed my ice cream and rushed to checkout.  

I felt bad, but I’m not sure why.  

Did I feel bad for listening in on such a personal discussion?  Or did I feel guilty for having more?  Maybe I felt guilty for not offering to help.  

Whatever the reason, I felt badly for this young couple.  

I’ve never had those kinds of money issues.  I know everyone has those kinds of money issues, but mine have never been at that level.  I’ve never had to choose between ice cream and juice boxes for my child’s birthday party. 

I did some research, and while my annual income is not even close to the top incomes in Dallas, it’s also nowhere near the poverty level.  After my quick research I was a bit ashamed for wanting a larger salary.  

After all is said and done, I’m not sure what all this says about me.  

Maybe it says I’m rich.  Maybe it says I’m spoiled.  Maybe it says I’m blind to financial situation that the bulk of the world is in.  

I don’t know…I guess I’ve got something to think about.   

  

New iMac

Yesterday, I went to Northpark Mall and got my first iMac…and so far it is amazing!   

There are things to learn.  Lots of things to learn!   However, I’m having a blast learning them.  

What really chaps my buns is the fact that my daughter is already a pro at most everything...just one more sign that I'm getting old!  But the jokes on her;  I'm going to have a whole month to play and get really good while she's at camp.  Then I'll be iMac'in rings around her!

I had a PC with 256MB processor a 100GB hard drive and a second hard drive with 80GB.  It had 2 CD’s, but only one could burn.  It did have a really nice 13-inch flat screen monitor.  However, with the limits placed on me by how outdated my computer was, I really couldn’t make the best of the monitor.  It was kind of like having $1000 worth of wheels on $50 car.  I don't care how nice the wheels are, that car just ain't gonna run smooth.  

When Gordon, that’s Real Live Preacher to you, built it for me a few years ago, it was at the top of its game.  If you actually know Gordon I’m sure you’re saying, “Gordon built something?  Like, used tools and put something together?  Do you mean Gordon Atkinson?”  

Well, you couldn’t be any more surprised than I was when he offered, but he did a good job and it has served me well for several years. 

My new iMac has a 2.66GHz processor, 320GB hard drive and a 20-inch widescreen display.  At first, I got a little bit dizzy.  I mean I wasn’t used to this kind of speed.  I didn’t even know that things could go this fast!   

So I’ve got the next two months off…at least from school.  I’ve got several at home projects that I’ve been putting off that I need to take care of.  However, the bulk of my summer will be me learning how to use my new iMac.  

I’ll keep you posted

3 Days Left...a little late!

I find it increasingly harder to find,
A way to leave all of my school crap behind

You’d think that at this point it would be rather simple,
Like telling your brother he’s got a huge pimple

Now Hugh, that’s just gross, I can you each say,
But you like my poems edgy, so I keep them that way

Don’t forget that today is our dancing debut,
So come shake your buns as the kids shout, “YOO-HOO!”

And just try to keep up with our dear friend Ms. Jackie,
Please don’t copy her moves, they can get pretty tacky

Now back to your brother, the one with the zit,
Cause it’s fun to just smile, and then tease him a bit

And you have a good time, poking fun at his nose,
But then the fun starts to get old...I suppose

That’s just how it is, this time of year,
You know what to do, but you can’t get in gear

It could be because your thoughts are all hazy,
But it’s probably because you’re just being lazy

Don’t get all upset, and start throwing a fit,
Come dance at the show, and you’ll be a huge hit

Keep moving along, with your mind worry free,
Go have a great weekend, your days left are three

4 Days Left

I find it somehow hard to see
A day that’s sure to come
When kids no longer grace our halls
And my mind’s no longer numb

They’re funny, but they’re also hard
These truths our minds conceive
Sometimes we each get truly sad
When students finally leave

NO! That was just a giant joke
You’ll soon have tears of joy
We’ll hug, and wave and gently kick
Each small rump out the door

Today can be a happy day
If we decide it will
Just grab your giant happy drink
And take your happy pill

And once you have a happy grin
Then dance and skip around
And show all of your students
This new joy that you have found

Of course they’ll think your crazy
But they think that anyway
So why not make the best of it
And have some fun today

No matter how your day turns out
Go dance until you’re sore
There’s one thing that I know is true
Our days left are just four

5 Days Left

If you’re counting our days
Then you're down to one hand
And I know that’s some math
We can all understand

So stretch out your fingers
And look at each one
Then imagine a day
You can lie in the sun

Your feet are propped up
With your sunglasses on
You look over and find
That your drink’s almost gone

You raise those same fingers
And order one more
It’s not time to stop
Cause you’ve only had four

You’ll think back to the days
When you hadn’t a clue
Of the very high toll
End of year has for you

There are kids who are hyper
And dull chores you must do
Like that huge Check-off list
From Mr. You Know Who

And all that you want
Is to hop on your Harley
Cause it’s hard to find words
That rhyme with Ms. Farley

But you sit back and wait
For your drink to arrive
Then your face gets a smile
Cause we’re now down to five

6 Days Left...

Somehow I missed posting the 7 Days Left poem. But that kind of thing happens sometimes. When it does, you just pick up where you left off.

That being said...here's 6 Days Left

It’s funny how wearing jeans
Makes us so happy
Cause it’s not that our other clothes
Make us feel crappy

I think that it’s just what
Our jeans symbolize
That we do a good job
And that we won the prize

See, the sweat that has poured
From each TAKS beaten head
Has somehow caused us
To wish that we were dead

But as we get ready
To come back to school
And our thoughts turn to parents
And kids who are cruel

We remember our jeans
And our eyes start to glow
And you think the day may be okay
Don’t you know…

So you put on your jeans
And you saddle your horse
Then you have a great day!
Cause there’s six left…of course

8 Days Left

I’m glad that you’re back,
Cause I got stuff to say
Plant you buns in your seat,
And do not go away

Some things that I’m seeing,
Have got me concerned
I may just be a poet,
But there’s things I have learned

I spoke some about balance,
Way back last Monday
But some of us here,
Didn’t hear me that day

So please set a time limit,
And try hard to take heed
Then go home at that time,
Because rest’s what you need

I know what you’re thinking,
“Hugh, it’s different for me!”
But no balance means danger,
I hope you can see.

But that’s all about that,
I’ve said all that I will
I’m changing the subject,
So my tush you don’t kill

As far as TAKS goes,
I say, “Damn-it! We ROCK!”
And those students of ours,
Are smart like Mr. Spock

Mr. Spock is a Vulcan,
On original Star Trek
He had points on his ears,
And he’s smarter than heck

If you’re younger than 35,
You won’t have a clue
Just nod a smile sweetly,
Cause I’m almost all through

See what Spock had was logic,
To figure things out
He had zero emotions
And never did shout

Lauren, try to stay focused,
For I promise my friend
That I’m nearly all finished,
I’m almost to the end

For what I have to say,
Is this hear has been great!
You can hold your head high,
Cause our days left are eight

9 Days Left...

This urge to scream
We all must fight
Cause tunnel’s end
Has got some light

I know that it’s only
One small glow
And that its brilliance
Does not yet show

But soon its light
Will be quite gnarly
If you don’t believe me
Just ask Mrs. Farley

I know this time
Of year’s not easy
Your head it hurts
Your stomach’s queasy

But stand up straight
Hold high your head
Take pride in the fact
That you ain’t dead

We’ve made it, you see
Almost to the end
So look around
And find a friend

A friend that made it
Just like you
To the day when digits
Are no longer two

To me one digit
Is sounding fine
Cause baby,
We are down to nine

10 Days Left

You see it on faces
Around school these days
A strange look that I call
“The End of School Gaze”

What does this gaze mean?
Some non-teachers may ask
Does it mean that their meals
All come from a flask?

Let’s put drinking aside
At least for a bit
I know that it’s hard
Please don’t get in a snit

For the End of year Gaze
It comes round every year
And it’s just about due
So do not shed a tear

On the face of a teacher
It’s a far away look
And a dream of a day
With late sleep and a book

It’s a mythical land
Where life isn’t a bummer
It has many names
But most call it summer

For teachers, this gaze
Is a most happy thing
Its arrival make some of us
Burst out and sing

This gaze is quite different
On parents it seems
For it means end of
Their easy-day dreams

Cause they know that their days
Of late sleeping are through
And they’ll have to work hard
Just like me and you

So look in the mirror
And say “Hi!” to your gaze
Then have a great time
Cause there’s just ten more days

End of Year Poems...11 Days Left

Well, the school year is winding down and I have a little tradition this time of year.

I think it was six or seven years ago that I started a kind of a poetry countdown of the year. I write a poem for each day in the end of year countdown. Most of them are funny and all are a bit on the bizarre side. All of the poems are filled with words of wisdom and inspiring thoughts. Each cleverly disguised in my twisted ramblings.

I have no idea how many teachers at my school actually read them, but I email them to the entire campus all the same.

Monday, May 18 will be day 12, but that means there are actually 11 more days. So the poem I’m sending out today will be the “11 Days Left” poem.

I’m not exactly sure why, but I decided to post them here for your enjoyment/bewilderment. Who knows, there may be a teacher out there who stumbles across my words and not only feels inspired, but who now has the strength to face his or her final few days.

Or more likely you’ll read these and think, “Man, he really is strange!”



11 Days Left

We’re down to the wire,
And it’s getting quite short
So it’s time for some words,
And a rhyme...of a sort

To our MHE nubies,
Let me give some advice
But listen up now,
Cause I aint’ talkin’ twice!

At this time of year,
The kids start to get crazy
And for teachers the world,
Starts to spin and get hazy

Now don’t get all worried,
No, don’t get too stressed
Just get up each morning,
Take shower...get dressed

For what you are feeling,
Is normal you see,
And you’re sure to get through,
If you listen to me

Each day I’ll write poems,
With some sanity clues
They’re hints and ideas,
To help fight the blues

And while I’m not a doctor,
It will become crystal clear
That the drug I prescribe,
Looks and smells much like beer!

But forget about beer,
I sure know I will
Lest we follow the path,
Of that sub from Parkhill

I can hear you all saying,
“Hugh, stop being a goon!”
But please keep on reading,
I’ll make my point soon

Life is much, much too short,
So what I have to say,
Is you’ve got to find balance
And then keep it that way

Without proper balance,
Of life and of school
You may start to loose focus
And begin to get cruel

Please heed these odd words,
For they help in odd ways
But there’s one thing for sure,
Just eleven more days!

How NOT to Write a Note

I think it got handed to someone, who handed it to someone else, who handed it to me. I’m not really sure. However, here’s some background.

Bob is a very likable boy, everyone’s buddy. He’s always talking, even when he doesn’t have all that much to say.

Jane is very sweet, well behaved and VERY smart.

It’s has been more than a little obvious that Bob likes Jane for quite some time now.

The note started from Bob to Jane. I intercepted the note somewhere between Jane writing back to Bob.

The note went like this:


To Jane,

Your rily stewpit!

Form, Bob

----------------------------------------


Dear Bob,

Thanks for letting me know.
By the way, you’re really stupid.

Sincerely,

Jane

First I laughed out loud. Next, I went ahead and delivered the note to Bob. I just wanted to see if he would laugh too.

I gave Jane a 100 in Language Arts for extra credit...not that she needs it.

Something I’ve Noticed & Something Cool I’ve Seen...

Something I've noticed...

I’ve written before about the accident I was in back in September of 1990. I’ve discussed everything from how it happened and some of the problems it caused, to how I’m doing now.

In the months directly after the coma and throughout my first year of life as a closed head injury survivor, it seemed like everyday I discovered some new deficit I was going to be forced to live with. Most were minor at best, but deficits all the same.

As weeks became months, and months became years the frequency of new deficit discoveries became smaller and smaller. Eventually I got to the point that I rarely if ever think of it anymore.

That is until last Friday.

The teachers on my grade level, Intermediate we’re called, put an afternoon of bowling, pizza and fun up for bid at the school’s auction this year. This kind of thing usually goes for about $150.00 to $200.00 per teacher and we have six teachers. If you do the math, you can see our auction item brings in a pretty nice little chunk of change for our school. Plus, it’s really fun for the kids...and us too!

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned it before, but after being in a coma for a month back in 1990 my right side was paralyzed. I only had limited use of my right side for several weeks. The doctor told me that, with use, I should get most of my use back in time. However, he also said that some of the fine motor skills would possibly be gone forever. At that time there was just no way to know what or how much of the use would or would not come back.

To date the only lasting problem I’ve ever been aware of is the loss of my throwing arm.

While I was never the starting pitcher, of first-string quarterback I did have a pretty good arm. I could throw a baseball with power and accuracy and I could get a football to the right receiver, most of the time with a spiral.

Not so anymore.

The best I can tell, the problem lies primarily with my release. I can get the arm movement, but I can’t seem to release the ball at the right point to get it to project in the desired direction. This skill, which used to happen so automatically, now works about as well as trying to shuffle cards with my toes. I know what’s supposed to happen, I just can’t seem to make it work.

And while I haven’t tried a lot, I’ve tried enough with both baseballs and footballs to know that my throwing arm, it ain’t coming back. At least not without a good deal more practice than I’m willing to commit at this point in my life. I mean I’ve lived 18 years without it being an issue, so it’s not that big of a deal.

However, at last Friday’s pizza-bowl, I discovered a similar release issue with bowling. Now, I’m not a big bowler and I can count the number of times I’ve been bowling since the accident on one hand. However, in the few times I have bowled I didn’t make the connection to the throwing arm/head injury thing. I just assumed that it me being a bad bowler.

While I’m the first to admit that I am a bad bowler, this time my inability to control the release of the ball was more that a wee bit noticeable.

So now, at least in my mind, I am living with two head injury related, sports deficits. (Really three, if you count throwing baseballs and throwing footballs as two different deficits)

I wonder what I’ll notice tomorrow?


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Now for something cool I’ve seen...

My father-in-law, Melissa, Macy and I went to see Rain, The Beatles Experience at the Fair Park Music Hall last Sunday.

I knew it was about the Beatles, but that’s all I knew. Melissa told me it was going to be like going to a Beatles concert. I was intrigued, but still not overly enthusiastic about going.

All I can say is the show was great! It wasn’t only like going to a Beatles concert, it was like going to several decades of Beatles concerts all rolled into one.

These four guys, who only kind of look like the Beatles, but really sounded like them started with the Beatles from the 1960’s and then transitioned to Sgt. Pepper era and then into Abby Road years. It was quite amazing.

Take a look here to check them out... http://www.rainthebeatlesexperience.com/ and if you have the chance to check them out in person, I highly recommend it.

Dream Fence

I find it impossible, sometimes it seems,
To get my mind my out of the way of my dreams

See, sometimes my dreams, don’t make that much sense,
And around them my mind works to build up a fence

This fence’s true purpose, is not fully clear,
For I still see the dreams, and can stand pretty near

When I reach for a dream, that’s when things get strange,
And sometimes the fence starts to move...rearrange

And I get a small taste of what life could be,
If my dreams were set loose, could run wild, and be free

Then just when I think that a dream might come true,
It feels like a current has traveled right through

As my mind’s fence sends out a small dose of life’s charge
And I’m left with a feeling of fear that’s quite large

With a fence just an inch from my hand’s how I live,
Sometimes your own mind is quite hard to forgive

I'm not sure what this says about me...I mean, the first two lines popped into my head and I just started writing.

Really Cool Stuff I Know I'll Never Have...

I'm sorry about the quality of these pictures, but I don't have a scanner, so I had to use my camera.


Every time I fly somewhere I always look forward to thumbing through the latest edition of Sky Mall magazine. I guess I'm far to easily mesmerized by this kind of thing, but come on...there are literally hundreds of gadgets in there that would be so much fun to have and would make life SO much easier.

Take a look at a few of the things I'm talking about and maybe you’ll understand.


Here we have the world’s largest crossword puzzle. As you can see, it is in fact so large that it doubles as a tapestry. At first I thought, “Man, that would be cool!” However, if you combine how bad as I am at crossword puzzles, with how quickly I get bored with this kind of thing, what you get is an unbelievably useless and ridiculously ugly piece of faux-art hanging on the wall that costs $29.95.


Then we have the battery storage center that holds up to 53 batteries, complete with a high-tech battery tester that tests bulbs and fuses too! I must admit, I almost ordered this bad boy. I mean it’s only $14.95 and it holds 53 batteries! But really, do you need a battery operated tester to tell if a bulb does not work?


And what about a remote control Beverage Buggy. This little guy holds not one, but two 12-ounce cans or two 16-ounce bottles of your favorite beverage. I can just picture it, I’m watching TV and I run out of my favorite beverage. Luckily I have my Beverage Buddy. Assuming I can navigate the buggy around the multiple blind corners and actually get him into the kitchen, an assistant needs to not only be there, but be ready and willing to help. Not to mention the fact that he or she must also be clairvoyant enough to know what I want.
For $49.95 it’s a true steal.


What could be better after a long day of traveling that you very own portable, inflatable whirlpool spa? It holds 250 gallons of water (not included) and costs a mere $899.95.
I don’t know what else to say.


Now these next two I really do like. Not enough to actually order them, but enough to seriously consider thinking about the possibility of maybe looking for them at an actual store.


First, we have the six-device electronics charger. For $99.95, who couldn’t and wouldn't use that on a daily basis? Help me out. I an identify the phone, the I-POD, the camera and maybe a PDA, but what are those two small things?


Next up, is the Squid power strip. I confess, I have had problems plugging in more that two or three of those large cube shaped, device power cords into my surge protector. However, $54.95 would solve that problem in a hurry!


If you’re a true Star Wars fan then your life isn’t complete without your very own voice-activated R2-D2. He may only be 15 inches tall, but he responds to over 40 voice commands. If you could teach him to take your favorite beverage out of the fridge and put the bottles (or cans) into your Beverage Buddy, well then he’d be well worth $119.95.


And last, but not least, is the Programmable Beverage Mixer. Never again will you be forced to live without your favorite frozen beverage. Whether you like Margaritas, Pina-Coladas or Slurpees this $379.00 machine is all you need. It's fully programmable...whatever that means. Hey! I could give a voice command to R2-D2 that makes him mix the drinks in the Programmable Beverage Mixer and then load them into the Beverage Buddy!
Now we're cooking!

Sure there were other things like the $129.95 fake houseplant/cat box, the $39.00 Batagang money clip, or the $129.95 gutter-cleaning robot that were each very tempting, but it was getting late and I was getting tired of taking pictures of a magazine.

Next time you fly do yourself a favor and check out Sky Mall magazine. If you do you’ll get to see a bunch of really cool stuff that I’ll never have.

Just a big kid at heart...

It’s easy to take yourself too seriously. Everywhere you turn you’ve got responsibilities. You’ve got your family, your job, your bills, your taxes, your this, your that and your other thing to worry about.

Life is never ending.
At least that’s what I used to think...

My family and I went to Disney World and we left the world and all it’s responsibilities far behind. We stayed at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and it felt like the middle of nowhere. Somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind I knew we were in Florida, but it felt like we were in the middle of the Canadian forest.

A ferry took us from our hotel to the Magic Kingdom, or we could hop on a bus to EPCOT or any of the other Disney World destinations. It was a true get away.

This was my fifth trip to Disney World, but being a big kid just never gets old.

Here are a few pictures of our fun.

Me, on the ferry, contemplating some important Disney issues.


Heading into the Magic Kingdom on day one.
(That's Macy in the green shirt)


That Chinese lion almost got us both!


Here we are wearing our 3-D bug glasses.
(I'm the one in the middle with the angry bug face)



And finally...Macy holding up Cinderella's Castle

Why do I love Disney World so much?...I guess I'm just a big kid at heart!

Why didn't I help?

Walking to my car I noticed him. At first I thought he was friends with some people a few cars down. However, their stern Spanish words and his hasty retreat told me he did not know them.

Ignoring his timid, “Excuse me...” I quickly stuffed my bags in the car, hopped in and turned the ignition. Then I just sat there watching him fade into the darkness. This was a semi-rough section of Greenville Avenue here in Dallas and he couldn’t have been more than 13 years old. Based on the condition of his clothes and his less than persistent approach method, I believe he’s a novice at this game

I don’t know why I ignored him. I don’t even know what he was asking for. I assumed money, but he may only wanted to know the time. I never gave him the chance to ask...so I don’t know.

Driving away I felt guilty. I considered turning back to give him some money, but I had already turned, and Greenville can be hard to turn around on, and he may have walked back behind the buildings, and what if he has a gun or some other weapon, and I probably wouldn’t find him anyway...and...and...and...

As I drove home, my mental list of excuses became quite massive.

It’s been about a week since that happened and I can’t get him out of my head. I’ve driven down that section of Greenville several times since then and even though I don’t know if he’s black, white, green, purple or orange, I look for him. I don’t know, maybe I’m hopping to get a second chance.

Maybe it was his age. Maybe it’s my age. Maybe it’s the fact that I have a student in my class this year who’s teetering on the edge of homelessness. Whatever the case, for some reason this young boy looking for help, coupled with my uncaring reaction, has left a mark on me that won’t soon go away.

What's become of me...

No, I haven’t died or fallen off the face of the earth. My computer hasn’t blown up and I didn’t loose all my fingers in some freaky teaching accident. I’ve just simply been away for a while...a long while. However, I think I’ve figured out what has happened.

You see writing has always been an escape for me. I come home, sit at the computer and lose myself in the keyboard. Whatever I happen to be writing magically lures me away to some distant land where the real world, with all its schedules and tasks and problems, can’t hope to find me. And that’s how it’s always been.

However, from late November to about this time of year, if you’re a fourth grade teacher in Texas, something changes. It’s a thing known as “The Writing TAKS Test.”

Suddenly my world transforms from a regular world to one that quite simply revolves around writing. When you come after a full day of leads and conclusions and storyboards and vivid verbs and adjectives and “exploding the moment” and revising and editing and so on and so on and so on...then, at least for me, writing has lost its ability to be an escape.

Writing and I become bitter enemies as I struggle to help little Johnny understand that every sentence must have a subject AND a predicate. Or I’m helping Betty grasp the complexities of how such a small word like “is” can be the simple predicate of an entire sentence. And then I’m trying to explain how in the sentence, “My friends and I go for a run.” The word “run” is actually a noun and not a verb. And with my next breath I find myself re-explaining why, even though a dog can walk and run and bark, the word “dog” is not a verb.

I’m hoping now that this first part of my TAKS Test season is over, writing will be able to make the transition back from a desert of solitude, which it has become, to my oasis of peace which it as always been.

I’ll just have to wait and see.

Is there life after DSL?

I’ve had DSL for about eight years, and in the beginning it was wonderful. However, ever since I added a wireless router to the mix things have not been well.

My network, if you can call it that, drops the signal six to eight times a day! It’s worse than my old dial-up account used to be. We don’t have cable, or I’d check into cable modem, but those are the only options that I know of.

I feel like I’m being held hostage with no hope of ever coming up with the ransom money.

So where do I go from here? Dallas isn’t a small city. There should be other options…but what are they?

Really, any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be able to call AT&T and tell them (after waiting on hold for half the day) that I am canceling my account.

Signed,
Technologically Frustrated

Christmas came early...

My wife and I made a deal a while back that went something like this; We’d save money to buy a new sofa and then save money to buy a new HDTV.

She’s wanted a new sofa for several years and I’ve wanted a big HDTV ever since they first went on the market. A few months ago we got the sofa and started saving for the TV.

I, or I guess really we, had saved a little more than half of the money for the TV that I had researched and decided we needed. (Yes, I said needed, not simply wanted!) I set my sights set on a 40” Sony flat screen.

I was hoping to get the new TV sometime early in 2008, however, thanks to a very early and very generous Christmas gift to the entire family from my mother-in-law, we were able to buy the new TV yesterday.

After playing with the settings for most of the afternoon, we watched a movie on the new TV last night. And baby, it was sweet!

This morning I hooked up my PS2 and gave some up close and personal assistance to the US Navy SEALS as they battled a South American drug lord.


And in the end, a good time was had by all…




Well, maybe not by the drug lord.

My Technical Nemesis…the wireless router

I set up my first wireless router this summer, and I nearly lost my religion.

I would spend a completely frustrating hour on the phone with some guy in India (I asked him where he was during one of the 15 times I was forced to reboot my computer) as I would try to get my Linksys router’s settings to gel with my SpeedStream modem, only to find out that the problem was with my DSL provider.

Then I would then spend another equally frustrating amount of time on the phone with SWBell trying to undo all the different IP Address and Default Gateway Address code changes that the Linksys guy had made me make.

After that, I would have to head over to my school district’s computer support services department to have their guys tweak my firewall settings, and who knows what else, just to bypass all the goofy security measures they had installed.

Finally, I would end up calling the Linksys guy in India back, reporting all the SWBell and district changes I had made, just so he could say something like, “Now, click the DSL Override button.”

However, after about a month of the hi-tech musical chairs I finally got my desktop’s internet connection back up and running, as well as my wireless laptop’s.

And my Internet life was good, until…

We had a power surge about two weeks ago and suddenly neither my desktop, or my laptop could connect to the Internet.

Don’t ask me how, but somehow I managed to get the desktop’s connection back up and running. However, my laptop would show the connection, and say it was connected, but I couldn’t access anything.

After three calls to India, making someone in India extremely mad at me, and two more calls to SWBell, I am finally back up and running…Internet connection wise that is.

It’s all very humbling for a guy who takes great pride in his “Do-it-Yourself” abilities.

I guess some things are best left to the professionals…

Kids say the darndest things

So we’re in the middle of a writing lesson, but not just any writing lesson, oh no, this was a lesson being taught by the school’s, if not the district’s, most knowledgeable teacher. (We’ll call her JF for short) JF, from time to time, is able to come in our class and “Guest Lecture.”

The lesson was on when, why, where and how to take your writing and go deeper with details. Details that can make the difference between a story that is well written and easy to read, and one that truly comes alive for the reader.

JF was using the nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffet as her background text. She used this story for two reasons, first, because all the children already know the rhyme, and second, because it’s short and easy to finish in a couple days.

She instructed everyone to close their eyes and imagine how Little Miss Muffet looked to them. Then we opened our eyes and gave details about what she looks like, what she was doing, where she was and that sort of thing.

Jf had already taken quite a few notes about how you could tell that Miss Muffet was scared, and was in the middle of making a list of details about her size. I was sitting off to the side and was helping as best as I could. (Remember, this lady has forgotten more about teaching writing than I’ll ever know!) Then it happened.

We already had details like, “Skinny as a stick, dirty clothes, and messy hair.” However, what the next child thought of took us all by surprise.

“I think she’s flat chested,” said a small voice from the middle of the room. Even as the words were floating out into the room, I felt my jaw tighten, and my lips pucker. My head did a mental Google search. I was hoping I had heard her wrong and that my mind might come up with some alternative to the words, “FLAT CHESTED.” But alas, my ears hadn’t failed me.

JF simple stood there with a thoughtful look in her eye. After about 5 seconds she said in normal, level toned voice, “Okay, we can put that.”

I, on the other hand, was having to fain sudden, and urgent business in the dictionary. I sat there doing everything I could do to not make eye contact with anyone, and also not to laugh. I knew, that at least for me, eye contact would mean sudden, and uncontrollable laughter.

I’m sitting there trying to concentrate on how proud I am of JF for not laughing, when she bursts out laughing.

Of course, after that a good laugh was had by all…even those who had no idea what we were actually laughing at.

Ah, kids…they say the darndest things.

Things Are Getting Better

I know enough about the grief process to know that it cannot be avoided. I think it may be possible to get stuck in one of the stages, but when someone this close to you dies, like it or not, you’re going through it.

I think I still have the “why him” questions. Maybe I always will, but this morning while I was thinking/praying about the events of the last few days I stumbled across a piece of reality that is helping to make all this better.

In my last posting I said, “I want to be able to wrap my mind around some concept, some truth, some piece of reality that will make this all better.”

The truth is that I have been given a gift. I was able to be a part of Homer’s life for almost 20 years. I had the opportunity to call him family. I’m not sure what I’ll do with this truth, but for now focusing on that is helping.

Thanks for listening.

I don't understand...

I went to a close friend’s funeral on Tuesday, and it was quite possibly the hardest funeral I’ve ever had to attend.

You see, Homer was my car enthusiast pal, my house painting buddy, my guy to call when you need a favor right now…Homer was my father-in-law.

I want it to make sense. I want to understand why.

I know life and death and living and dying rarely if ever make any sense, but damn it, I want this to make sense. I want understand what part of God’s big plan needed for Homer, a perfectly health man, to go to bed one night and then just not wake up. I want to be able to wrap my mind around some concept, some truth, some piece of reality that will make this all better.


I don’t think this is too much to ask.

Spelling Tests and 4th Grade Hecklers

Whenever I give spelling tests I try to add a wee-bit of humor to the day. Sometimes I’ll have students think of and blurt out different nouns, and then I choose one and use it in the sentences that I say with each word. Other times I’ll pick one student and have that student doing strange things in each sentence. And still other times I just say whatever wacky thing happens to pop into my head.

Today I went with my off-the-cuff, whatever pops into my head routine…and baby I was hot! I had ‘em in the palm of my hand. And let me tell you, it’s not quite as easy as you might think to keep a room full of nine and ten year olds in stitches. Well, maybe it is, but never the less, I was on fire.

I looked down and “gown” was the next word. Of course the first thing I think of is wedding gown. Before I knew what I was saying this sentence popped out of my mouth.

“At my wedding, the gown looked great on me!”

And everyone laughed.

However, just as the laughing was beginning to die down, a tiny voice from the corner of the room squeaked out these words,
“Mr. A, are you trying to tell us something?”

And the room completely fell apart.

Just when you’re thinking about taking your act on the road, you get taken down by an unruly 4th grade heckler.

Sometimes teaching can be brutal.

An Unusual Sight...at Least for Me

unusual
adjective
1. not usual or common or ordinary;
2. being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected;
3. not commonly encountered;

While I think all three of these definitions would make sense in the context of my situation yesterday, really the third definition is the one that makes the most sense…at least for me.

You see, yesterday my daughter brought home here first jr. high report card and she got all A’s. She even had a 100 average in not one, but two of her seven classes.

I think I’ve mentioned things before about my lack of success as a student, at least through my high school days. I mean I never saw all A’s until I was in graduate school. And I’m sorry if this ruffles your feathers, but getting a 4.0 in seminary just ain’t all that hard!

So my head is still spinning as I try to wrap my mind around this crazy new world.

Because all A's on a report card really is an unusual sight...at least for me.

Life on a Cloud

Feeling safe and secure in my own little space,
Yes, safe and secure, cause there’s never a trace

Of any real danger or sadness or hurt,
I always have dinner and usually dessert

The world that I know is not a cruel place,
When I go to sleep, there’s a smile on my face

I have a wonderful family, supports always there,
I’m surrounded with love, compassion and care

Yet I know that not everyone lives like I do,
That our world, it has pain and suffering too

It’s just far too easy to look past the pain,
To live in my world and try to stay sane

I exist on a cloud with the pain far below,
If I squint I can see it, or at least I think so

Sometimes from way down, I can hear a faint hum,
So I toss down some pennies, a quarter…a crumb

Then I fluff up my cloud and think, “Man, I’m sure nice!”
Of the folks down below I don’t even think twice

But my cloud took a dip, and I came face to face,
With a world and an image my mind can’t erase

What I saw was a world where children have fear,
Where they’re yelled at and beaten, but just why was not clear

I looked deep in a face, whose gaze came back hollow,
The despair that I saw was a hard pill to swallow

With my cloud way up high, my life was so easy
But now I’m uncertain, and I feel a bit queasy

Now my cloud’s not so fluffy, and a little less white
The temptation to clean it, I hope I can fight

I’m still trying to figure out what I should do,
Cause if clouds can float down, I’m sure help can too.

I'm trying to write...no really!

Have you ever had one of those periods in your life when you just don’t seem to have time to get everything done that you want to?

And when you have those times, do you find yourself prioritizing your to-do list for the week?

Then does it always seem like you can never find time to accomplish the last few things on your list, so you just keep moving bumping them over to the next week in hopes of somehow finding the time to do them?

If so, then welcome to my world.

The beginning of each teaching year is like that for me. Nothing, other than school stuff, ever seems to get done. Due to my inability to “jump” right back into the swing of things I spend what feels like an eternity playing catch up.

You would think after 14 years of teaching I would have figured out how to flip my school mode personality on and off like a light. However, I spend several weeks winding down at the beginning of the summer and several more getting geared back up in the fall.

All that to say, I’m trying to write…I really am.

On a fun note, I read my Frog Memory (You can read it here) story to my class and they laughed like it was the funnies thing they had ever heard. I even got a few fun comments and two or three odd looks from some of the parents the next day.

I’m not sure, but I think this only confirms their suspicions that they have a strange teacher. A mindset that I do everything I possibly can to encourage.

With this age of kid, the weirder you are the better…at least in my mind.

What ever happened to Jr. High?

When I was in jr. high it was very different than it is today…at least that’s my impression. Sure, it was 30 years ago, but I don’t remember there being such a huge effort to teach organization skills as well as the curriculum.

At my daughter’s school every student has a day planner that they MUST have with them at all times. If you are ever caught without it, then you get after school detention.

I had never even heard of a day planner until I was in graduate school, and by then all my bad scheduling habits were so ingrained that it was literally teaching an old dog new tricks. Actually, one of my goals for this school year has to do with organization. I’m going to do my lesson plans on the computer, because I tend to keep better track of the things I do if they are on the computer.

But I digress…

All I remember about jr. high was trying to look cool while at the same time keep my grades above the D mark, a stunt that didn’t always happen. The only choices I had were whether or not to play football and if I wanted to take art or music. I just circled my choices on a sheet of paper and stuck it in a box.

For Macy it’s a lot like college was for me. She has to decide about athletics, pre-AP classes and band. Basically she arranges her own schedule. She’s making decisions in jr. high that effect classes she will be able to take in high school that can give her college credit!

Growing up in El Paso, my dad was of staff at UTEP, so I knew what college was. I probably couldn’t have spelled the word college, but I knew it was a place people went after high school.

There’s always somewhere she’s supposed to be, something she’s supposed to have and somebody we’re supposed to give money to. All I know is Melissa and I are being baptized by fire.

It’s a whole new world.

Another FUNY Thing Happened...

I'm sorry about the spelling problem with my last posting's title. You would think that I could at least write the title without any spelling errors!

Now let me see...what would I say to one of my fourth graders if he or she turned in a paper with the title misspelled?

I bet it wouldn't be funy...