Saturday, May. 08, 2004
It's a beautiful day, posted at 2:12 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com Today was a fantastic day. In fact, this has been a great week. I got to hang out with my dad and feel pretty close with him right now. I won my only baseball game, and we're on a 4-game winning streak after losing our first 5. I won my lawsuit, which took only an hour out of first day off in a long time. I went to Blue Moon Cafe for the first time. Dad bought me new batteries for my shower radio, something I had been putting off for a long time. He also fixed my windshield washer fluid tank, which had been broke for 18 months. And washed and waxed my car, all while I was at work on Friday. Much accomplished all around.Today, I dropped him off at the airport at 5am (getting up at 4:25 - ugh). I then went home and went back to bed, getting up at around 8:30 feeling well-rested. The weather was beautiful and I went and had a great workout at Bally's before doing some much needed Trader Joe-ing. I went to Value Village on York Road and bought a 4 white shirts for under $11 for working at the restaurant. I ran a few more errands, and now I'm back at home.
My mood is indestructable right now. I just feel like this great weight has lifted off my life, and now I'll be able to proceed accordingly. I'm as un-neurotic as they come, believe it or not, but the last year has been one of neurosis, stress, and more unhappiness than I'm used to. I'm hoping it's over. I'm not stressed out about money right now. Both jobs are going just fine. As soon as coaching is over, I'll have a lot more time to myself, and the season has been a great success.
I'm beginning to realize that this upcoming 4th year in Baltimore will probably be a turning point in my life. Right now, I couldn't imagine a better teaching situation. That's a goofy thing to say while teaching in a financially strapped system, but as long as I have a job, I can focus on what I do have: we're doing things at my school - at least in my department - that are nearly unheard of in public urban education. I feel like I have opportunities for advancement and have already been given a few. I wrote a whole curriculum and am given flexibility to re-examine it for effectiveness. I'm head coach of a varsity baseball team in only my third year of teaching. I work in a very collegial, professional department. So, the job thing is going great, as long as the larger financial problems of the system stay away from me as much as possible. Things feel safe now.
But everything else is up in the air. I still haven't bought a house, but think I'll be able to in the middle of the school year next year. I miss my family. The last year has netted few new friends and I'm seeing the old friends less and less, primarily because I'm so busy. Nothing is going well for me socially like it was during my second year in Baltimore, when I was dating, when I rippled with confidence, when I felt healthy and active and primed for action. I feel that way now, this minute, post-workout, but I've got to return to feeling that way all the time, and that will only come with more regular workouts and the loss of the weight I've gained this year (almost 20 lbs). It's no secret why; I'm just someone who has to work out all the freaking time, pretty much every day, to stay fit. I became more erratic while working 100 hrs a week in the fall, I stopped altogether when I was having surgeries, and have had a hard time staying consistent now in the spring. I have to make this a priority or I won't feel like I felt last year again. A co-worker and I are making some tentative plans to start marathon training, something I'd like to do in my lifetime and now seems as good a time as ever. She's already printed out some training schedules and I think we're going to begin in earnest next week, possible through the Leukemia Team in Training program.
Anyhow, here's hoping that this next year continues to be my comeback year. Just like the Detroit Tigers.