2002-10-03
Ready for trip, posted at 10:29 p.m.
Epiphany in Baltimore has moved to epiphanyinbaltimore.blogspot.com An odd ending to an odd week: A string of shootings in a ritzy suberb about a half hour from here caused all extracurricular activities in the city to be cancelled and the area to be put under a "Code Blue" alert today, so my anticipated stressful afternoon/evening of running one student activity (and illegally driving them over to it) and then rushing back to run my Open House event was cancelled. The building was evacuated and I was required to leave ten minutes after the final bell rang. Instead of getting home at 10pm, which I had expected, I was home by 4 - the earliest return in weeks. It's terrible that people died, but having everything cancelled offered a nice respite from my recent brutally busy schedule so I could relax at home and get ready for my trip.I leave tomorrow at 7am for the Appalachian Trails with seven freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. It will be a good time, though I'm sure I'll be ready to come back on Tuesday evening.
We'll hike between 5 and 10 miles every day. I'll let the kids call me by my first name. We'll go mountain climbing and repell off a sixty-foot wall. We'll not shower or be allowed to wear deodorant for five days. Our code word for peeing will be to "take a 50," and we'll dig a hole when we have to poop. Some of the city kids will be surprised when they hear crickets. The sky will be clear. I will use the time to clear my head, do a lot of thinking, and connect with students.
I'm looking forward to it.
Perhaps another update on Tuesday night. Wish me luck.
I appreciate everyone's kind words about my debt in my guestbook. Does anyone have any experience with debt consolidation? It would be so much easier if I had one lump sum every month instead of eight; it would at least give me a place to start. However, I figure there's got to be a catch.