Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004
Seven things happened today., posted at 9:59 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com I'm enumerating tonight's sleepy entry because I'm too tired to make transitions.1. I just got back from the Baltimore Bloggers meetup. Met some new folks, talked with old folks. Good time. I needed a beer or three (plus a ginger beer mix thing that was really good) to wind down after the long, long day I had. And the long, long week, which saw me work three shifts at the restaurant.
2. Today I fell into an uncontrollable giggle fit twice during 7th period. I have this kid who is one of the funniest kids I've ever taught. On day one of the year, he tells me, "Oh, don't call me Michael. I prefer Mike-Mike." And this kid has lived up to his name. He is very theatrical in all of his movements, and off in his own little world so much that sometimes I look over and he's dancing or singing to himself. Then, when I call him out on it, his apology is so over the top that I laught out loud, because his hands speak just as much as his mouth. I don't know if I'm describing Mike Mike well, but he's one of a kind. Anyhow, today was his big mythology presentation and I just couldn't stop laughing. The kids were sort of giggly, because they all sort of laugh with him, and I was too. I was biting the inside of my cheeks and turning red, then a kid would half laugh and I would just burst out. At one point, I had to leave the room and had to apologize for my lack of professionalism. I thought about my grandfater's funeral to stop from laughing, and that didn't help that much, and then I had to utter the phrase "one of the best public schools in the nation" to myself over and over again to remind myself that I can overcome this problem. Eventually, I did. Boy, was I embarassed. He took it totally in stride, though, and got a 92.
3. I guess it's good the kids know I enjoy my job.
4. Coach class was ridiculously long. As soon as 3:05 hit, I had 25 kids gathered around me, telling me what makeup work they had to do. The problem with being a tough teacher is whenever I get really tough and post grades, I have to deal with the repercussions of late work and missed work and failing kids. It would be a whole lot easier to just pass them all, I guess.
5. This was my post to the Detroit Tigers mailing list today: Yahoo sports and one other source are reporting that Adrian Beltre has signed with the Mariners.
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I'm pissed off about this. The Mariners had a terrible season last year, and they go out and do something about it. The Tigers haven't been good in almost twenty years and they're still dinking around, and we wonder why most players don't take them seriously... Heck, I don't understand why we signed PUdge, a 32 year old catcher who is making $40 million. Why not follow it up with players who will help you win? We go out and our first signing is a closer when we have a pretty good one and big holes at third base, center field, and the top of the rotation? That makes as much sense as selecting a closer as the first pick in a draft, especially since it's looking like it will be the big move of the off-season... Beltre is a bargain at the money he is being paid. There's no reason we shouldn't have offered him more to come here. I don't understand it, at all... We should have targeted Beltre first and foremost this season. He signed with a last place team at a bargain rate. That shouldn't happen, not with the expectations I had for this team going into the off-season.
6. I had the urge, and caved into it, to buy fruity pebbles on the ride home from the bar. I haven't had them in years. That's evidence of me not working out all week - I'm eating like shit. And you know what? They don't taste like fruit at all.
7. More strange things with Bobby. I don't know what I'm going to do with the kid. He asked for money today. He didn't want to, I could tell. I don't know what I'm going to do about it. He wants to buy his family members christmas presents. Plus, I think he might have incurred some debts he needs to get out of. I'm thinking about giving him $100 tomorrow. I don't really have the money (obviously), but he said he would do work for it and then pay me back. I was considering buying him a student membership for the YMCA for Christmas, and that's about what I would have spent, so... I have no idea. I have to sleep on this.