Epiphany in Baltimore

2002-06-13

Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com

Wow, this has been one of my longest stretches between updates in a long time. A few factors - extreme busy-ness, a prioritization of the things I need to do versus the things I want to do, and the loss of the Internet at school yesterday - have contributed to this, and today I probably only have time for highlights.

*On Monday night, I played my first softball game with the co-ed extreme social team that I'm coaching. Our name is Corporal Punishment, because there are a number of teachers on the team. The game was such a blast. I couldn't believe how fun it was. We lost 15-4, and really aren't very good. But if you take away the first inning and the last inning, we did very well. I pitched most of the game, and I definitely got a hang of it after a while.

On the team are two guys who I picked up as individuals for our team, and I met them for the first time on Monday. They're a lot of fun - preppy jock types from the midwest. Afterwards, we went to the sponsoring bar and soaked ourselves in $1 Miller Lites and played bizarre drinking games. I remember turning to Nick at one point and saying, "Nick, we're playing drinking games on a Monday night" and us both exploding with laughter. I didn't drink very much - probably 2 beers total - but the comraderie of the team was a helluva lot of fun.

*On Tuesday, school was let out early, at 12:45pm, because of extreme heat. We don't do that sort of thing in Michigan when it gets 90 degrees, but I guess Marylanders are just a little wimpier. I certainly wasn't complaining, although I was looking forward to reading Stephen King's "The Last Rung of the Ladder" with my 7th period class, because I know they would have liked it.

After we got let out, Nick, Marcia, and I headed out to a bar-restaurant for lunch. We got there at 1:30pm and were going to have a drink. Well, we got to philosophizing and such, and the day didn't end until 11:15pm on Marcia's porch. Marcia is so fun - a 41-year old woman getting liquored up with two 24-year olds and discussing life. Her husband joined us for a spell before heading off to work, and he (his name is Brenden, and he is this amazing man from England, a guy with so much optimism and genuine childlike interest in others that you feel like you're the most important person in the world when you're speaking to him) made a hilarious comment about his wife getting sauced up with two men half her age.

The three of us spent hours talking about the state of education in America, our favorite poems of all time, our favorite films, our favorite students, who we thought was hot at school, the difference between the words "wacko," "cuckoo," and "nuts," and other important life topics. We said things like, "You know, it doesn't get any better than this." And I don't think it does - good conversation with people you love is amazing.

* Yesterday was the first day of finals. I spent the entire time while my students were taking their tests writing letters to each one of them. They are all personal, 4-paragraph letters. I've wanted to do it for a long time, and this semester I finally did. I'm so glad I did. I had kids crying, some kids hugging me, and others writing me back one. I will miss a lot of these kids very much. Writing the letters was an unbelievable experience. I don't want to share some because they're too personal, but suffice it to say that I wrote lots of cheesy things like, "I believe that you are at the crossroads of your life right now, and I want more than anything for you to choose the path that will lead you to success" and "You're a special kid, Dena. I hope you realize this." and "Your willingness to share and your eagerness to learn is both admirable and inspiring to me as a teacher. Thank you." I got choked up writing many of them.

* I was so exhausted last night that I eschewed the invitation to go out and instead went straight in after our faculty's end-of-the-year get-together at the Rusty Scupper. I was pretty proud of myself that I went home and made use of my time, building two Ikea CD holders. I'm looking forward to transforming my house a bit now that I'm in it alone.

* Speaking of which, I'm currently searching for a roommate. I put an ad in the City Paper this week. Here it is, if you're curious: HAMILTON/ WALTHERSON Young prof. seeks roommates to share 3 Br, 2 Ba, 2 kitchen + yard duplex near Walther / Moravia. Nice/safe location, tem minutes from everywhere and 2 blocks from mayor's house. Have dog and cat. $250/month + 1/3 utilities. Call (Epiphany), 443-XXX-XXXX or email [email protected] Wouldn't you want to live with me? The only problem is, I'm paying $22/week for the ad, and they put it in the wrong section (the county) and have a typo in it ("tem" instead of "ten"). Ugh.