2002-03-07
OMAM trial, insurance woes, baseball, posted at 11:51 a.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com As a guy who's had a driver's license for eight years with a flawless record, I would think I would get a better deal on insurance than $237 a month. Nope.I'm so pissed off about it. My insurance rates will cost me almost as much as my car payment every month. This is despite the fact that I was quoted a rate of $137/month while at the dealership. I think it was a scam to get me to buy the car; I never would have bought a car where the 6-month insurance payments are in the $1500 range. Ugh.
I'm not sure what to do. They tell me I'll get a decrease when I turn 25, which is in August. But living in the city, having a nice new car, and being a male under the age of 25 has put me in the upper echelon of insurance payment. And I hate it.
What's more, but I got a flat tire yesterday. Yup. Brand new car. Flat tire. The two just don't seem to match up. Shit shit shit. It's still not fixed; the wrecker is on the way - at least my 24-hour roadside assistance is coming in handy.
But the events have really pissed me off. I think my insurance that I purchased when I got the car lapsed on March 1, which means I'm driving without insurance at the moment. Actually, since I have a flat tire, I'm not driving at all. I should have insurance at the end of the day, at least.
At least my kids are cheering me up today. It's been a good one. Every time I attempt the Of Mice and Men mock trial, I get better and better at it. We're putting George on trial for the murder of Lennie, and first period did an exquisite job. It's odd, but the minor, rather flat character of Carlson ends up being a very key witness in the proceedings. Who saw where the gun was hidden? Ha! So Lennie couldn't have taken it!
It's very amusing to hear this story - which features all white male characters (except for Curley's wife and Crooks) - being performed primarily by Black girls. There were a few moments today that were so funny that I was biting my cheeks not to laugh. When characters like Curley and Slim are inhabited by an African American girl who does the neck thing when she argues, it's a time for great hilarity. The kids are so creative and funny, and so into this. Prosecutors called up medical witnesses, who gave demonstrations that George couldn't possibly have shot Lennie during a struggle. The ghost of Curley's wife made an appearance, smacking gum throughout a testimony full of ain'ts and whutevahs. I've got a black robe that the kids playing the judges are wearing. It's been a riot in here today. Best of all, the kids are really getting into it. I've been able to, for the most part, step back from them and just pass along notes to gel discussion.
Baseball practice last night again was a lot of fun. I'm hoping it continues to be the highlight of my day. I came home hoarse from yelling so much (not in a bad way), and love the fact that these kids are so raw that they need a lot of instruction. I worked with the 9th and 10th graders last night, many of whom will be cut today because there are 36 players trying out for a 20-member varsity team. Funding restrictions don't allow us to have a JV team.
Hmmmm? Anything else? Well, the guy who wrote this book came to speak yesterday for our Black History month assembly. He was so interesting that I think I'm going to buy the book. My kids disappointed me by falling asleep, however. If they're lucky enough to have a college professor who lectures as interestingly as this guy, they'll have it made in college, though. I wish they realized that.