Epiphany in Baltimore

Wednesday, Jun. 09, 2004

Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com

It's been a weird day that I never seemed to find my footing with.

I woke up with a pleasant hangover (I never have a problem with hangovers, unless I really overdo it, which I don't really do anymore because I'm a responsible adult [ha!], but I just get myself hydrated and I'm ready to go, if a little cloudy), then realized that I had never secured a ride to school for the day. My car's still in the shop. I figured Bill would take me, but he overslept, so I found myself without a ride. I live 2.2 miles from the school, which is totally walkable, but I would have been late by that point. So, I called the school to have a colleague come and get me real quick. While I was on the phone, though, another colleague happened to be driving by, and she gave me a ride. It was very serendipitious.

Then, I had a fun day in class. I read much of the Cyclops adventure from the Odyssey to my students, and got really into it. One kid said I sounded like a cartoon character, which I took as a compliment because I tried to make different voices for Odysseus and Polyphemus and ended up doing a lot of shouting and really getting into it.

At around 11:30, an administrator came into my room, and whispered that schools had been cancelled for the afternoon because of the heat and that students were to be going home at 12:45. I didn't spill the beans to the students until the end of the class, when I asked them to guess why the administrator had come into my room and whispered something to me. My little 9th graders are so naive and funny, that they had no clue. Talking later to other teachers, other classes easily guessed right away that there was early dismissal, but not my freshmen.

I asked them what they thought it was that was whispered, and their first guess was a little bit sad, but certainly spoke of the conditions of B*altimore City Public Skools this year. They thought someone was being fired. Specifically, me. Sad stuff.

Speaking of which, I signed a letter of protest to the school's area coordinator this morning. Basically, we've been having crazy thefts all year. The school safe was busted into by carving a 15-inch hole in the wall, something that had to have taken hours and only netted $800. Laptop computers have been stolen ad nauseum. The pop machine was busted into. Money in the cafeteria was stolen. They're convinced it's an inside job, so, after this weekend's theft of 12 laptop computers, all custodial staff who has the keys has been given an ultimatum: provide information, confess, or all will be fired. They have no union and apparently no recourse. Among those to be fired is Miss Joan, a 60-something old woman who cleans my classroom, and Miss Jackie, who gave me a hug after hearing about my surgeries and told me she and her prayer group prayed for me on that day and asked if it worked. I'm furious about the ultimatum; hopefully it'll all work out.

After the early dismissal, I got my car with the fixed sunroof back, then went to Marshall's to buy myself some undershirts so I don't have to do laundry for at least three more days, then got ready to head to work at the restaurant. I had four tables and nine covers all night, making $25 after tipout. A very disappointing evening, to say the least. Was everyone at home watching the Reagan funeral or something? My big breadwinner table of the night was actually sort of cool, as it was four old people, three of whom went to the high school I teach at. One graduated in 1944. I had a nice conversation with them, and then they didn't even tip 20%. But, then, they are old. $14 on 74 isn't that bad.