Epiphany in Baltimore

Tuesday, Apr. 12, 2005

Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com

Tomorrow is the biggest game of my coaching career. The team that we're playing is good and undefeated. Our team is good and undefeated. We haven't come close to beating them in the four years I've been here. All of our sports this year lost to them except for wrestling. They're our chief rivals, but their baseball program has the benefit of a JV team, a maintained field, and a coaching staff of three. And we're going to hang with them tomorrow.

I hope I'm not putting too much on this game. I told the kids tonight that tomorrow's game could be the game that could change this year from merely a good one to a memorable one. I told them that if we play our game, then we can't be beat. All the motivational stuff that I wish I was better at. I hope they respond; I want this victory and I know they want it too. But it's going to be tough.

My left fielder, the best athlete on the team who has hit home runs in consecutive games, twisted his ankle at the end of practice today and is doubtful to play tomorrow. That could be a downer.

Life is very, very full right now. I drove up to Towson U. after practice to meet for the first time with my academic advisor about what courses I'll be taking for the next couple of years to get my Master's. I'm excited by the prospect of being a student again, but nonplussed by thoughts of paying for classes, wading through the red tape of both the city school system's reimbursement process as well as Towson U.'s enrollment system, and filling up my schedule more than it already is. But stepping back and looking at my teaching is something that probably would be a good idea to do. I'm also hoping to be able to take some sort of English graduate course, whether at TU or another local college, as I'm required to have graduate electives.

Meanwhile, my eyes are killing me and the eye doctor can't see me until May 18. I have no idea why they're not getting better. It is extremely frustrating.

Thanks for all the advice on the lawnmower. Since I don't get home before dark most days anyway, I can safely ignore the yard until the weekend. I'm going to check out the Pennysaver on Thursday and check on used lawnmowers, and then go from there. Gale also suggested I check out E-Bay; maybe I'll do that. But maybe I'll just go to bed now. My eyes hurt and my head hurts and tomorrow is a big day.