Monday, Mar. 21, 2005
Amazing Day, posted at 8:41 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com I really feel like I lived today. Big time. I'm almost ready to hit the sack, and it's rare that a sleep has felt so earned.The All-School Book author visit not only went well, but it was incredible. She was one of the most down-to-earth and modest people you'll ever meet, she was great with the kids, and she really seemed to enjoy herself. I was worried about the day, but it went well. I had to miss the latter half of the day to attend to my baseball game, and she expressed a lot of disappointment to my colleagues about not being to talk with me, as I had suggested her book and spoke with her in the weeks before. When I finished with the ballgame, there was a message on my phone from her inviting me out for a beer tonight. I'm beat, but if she returns my return call to her within the next fifteen minutes, I'm there.
I brought my class down to see her for 5th period after reading part of one of her stories to them. I was so nervous that I passed my questions to students to ask - nervous not only because I was starstruck, but because I was told by a colleague that I talked too much at the book discussion we had last week. I never am accused of talking too much, so I now have a complex about it. The kids were cute in their engagement with her. One girl asked to take a picture of ZZ and I together, and that was pretty cool.
When we returned to my classroom, one of my Juniors hugged me. I was taken aback; I usually don't go around hugging students. She told me I was her favorite teacher and she hugged me because she could tell how nervous I was around the author. What a sweet girl. And she was right.
Then I had to leave for my game. During seventh period, I started taking off my tie and unbuttoning my shirt while teaching, and a kid raised his hand and asked why I was stripping for them. I was out of there minutes thereafter, and boarded the bus across the city with the team. We ended up stomping the team by a score so distinctively high that I don't want to give it away to any sports section readers in the morning. My pitcher, Pasty, pitched a no-hitter, the only run scoring on an error, a couple stolen bases, and a balk. I was able to play every player who dressed.
The victory was nice, and as much as I told the guys that the opposing team was pretty bad, that we shouldn't get cocky about this victory... well, it's okay to be cocky tomorrow before we face a much tougher challenge on Wednesday.
Life is good, and I look forward to sleep, although a call from a certain Best Selling author on my phone for a drink at Brewer's Art would also be welcomed.