Mid-Summer's Night-Mare

Don't let the title fool you: this summer has not been a night mare. However, the overall temperature has, and I couldn't resist a Shakesperean play on words. To be completely honest, the summer has been quite nice.

Let's start from the beginning.

First: 100 mile ride around Lake Tahoe for Team in Training. By far the (second) best weekend of the summer; I'll explain why in a minute. It was a weekend of fun and friends, emotions and tears (not mine however). This year TNT raised nearly 7 million dollars to be donated directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It rained and poured on us for two full days. We weren't sure if the big ride would be dry or not, so we prepared for the worst and hoped for the best. A few of us did some miles in the downpour on Saturday just to get a feel for riding in the rain. We rode out to Fallen Leaf Lake to an absolutely beautiful waterfall. All I can say is that after that ride, I was thrilled to see that it had dried up when I awoke on Sunday. 100 dry miles was way more fun than the alternative. The cycling gods were on my side for the second year in a row as I had no complications on the ride; not even a flat tire! The only downside to the weekend: I, as usual, came home a few items lighter. I forgot both of my jackets in the hotel room.

Next: San Diego. If I could afford it, I'd move there. Gorgeous weather, nice people, and beaches everywhere. We spent 3 1/2 days enjoying the sand and sun the San Diego had to offer. We chilled on a mini-beach for a bit, took in the Zoo, walked
SeaPort Village several times (back and forth, back and forth), and were disappointed at the Scripps Aquarium. We drove up La Jolla Cove and Mission Beach, stopping for photo ops and so forth, then enjoyed chili dogs on the way back. Overall, a somewhat relaxing vaca with the family that we can hopefully do again. Next time we stay longer and the kids will enjoy it more due to the fact they will be older and will be able to appreciate the scenery. By the way, dinner on the harbor (Pizza Nova) was to die for.

Finally: Hanging out at home. Being at home with my family has definitely been the highlight of my summer. I really enjoy and appreciate the fact that my wife and I have the summers to be home together with our children. To be honest, neither one of us get a lot of time during the school year with the kids. Katie works her tail off at her school making sure that her students get the most of their library, and I stretch myself very thin at my school as well. Between teaching (a new assignment this year, I'm teaching first grade!), coaching multiple sports, and being a mentor to students of all grade levels, I feel sometimes we devote more attention to our students than our own children. The summertime allows us to spend every day with them (it takes its tolls, don't get me wrong), but at the end of the day, I can safely say we wouldn't change it for the world.

Uh-Oh: I better put this in or Katie will kill me. Katie and I went to see Wicked on Fourth of July weekend. She was way more excited to go than I was, but it was her gift from me. I will say I did enjoy it. Great cast, awesome acting, and the part that I was most impressed with, it may sound odd, but I could not get over how spectacular the costumes were! They were sooo good; that's what I talked about most afterwards I think. I think the next show we'll take in will be Phantom; it comes back to Phoenix this October.

Other than that, it's been a nice summer. It's over next week, as Katie and I go back to work to get ready for the new school year. We both have changes to deal with: she is working at two schools now, trying to keep order in two different libraries and with two different staffs, and I have abandoned my 6th graders and am taking on the immense challenge of teaching first grade. A huge difference, but my administration has shown confidence in me and has given me the opportunity to try something new (most principals don't allow teachers to move more than two grade levels at a time, so I consider myself lucky). Maybe not lucky. I'm awesome. Yeah, that's it.

I think that's it. One more week. Oh yeah, we're waiting patiently until tomorrow to go and see HP6. Peace Out!

Summer Begins

So school has been out for a week now, and we haven't really done anything too productive. Katie and I have finally figured out the routine that the kids have fallen into. They get up early (the kids and Katie, not me), and by the time I join the party (usually only about a half hour later), it's breakfast time. Lucy and Tommy are growing up super fast; it's crazy to see how grown up Tommy looks now, plus he's started walking, so now we really have to try and keep up with him.

They are beginning to play together quite well also. Well, most of the time anyways! Lucy still plays pretty rough sometimes, and Tommy usually ends up on the floor in a heap crying his eyes out. Live and learn right? Before too long, The table will turn and Lucy will be the one on the receiving end of a little brother beatdown.

My riding season is quickly coming to an end. I can't believe I've been riding pretty regularly since February, and that it's almost over. I really do love my time out on the bike. You get to see so much more of your surroundings when you're forced to slow down. Our cycling team has ridden all over the Valley this season, covering all types of terrain; from nice flat roads to hellacious climbs and wicked downhills. I was able to top out at 47 mph going down one of the big hills this season. Yep, 47 mph on tires less than one inch wide. It is such a rush to cruise down a hill at that speed!

We leave for Tahoe this coming Friday for the big ride. I was able to raise nearly $4,400 dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society this season; much thanks to Pena Acoustics and FCI Constructors, who each donated $1,000 to the cause! So it all culminates this weekend when 3,000 cyclists from across the country come together in Lake Tahoe for a weekend of fun and togetherness, all in support of those who have been affected by blood cancers. On Sunday we will all set to accomplish the goal we set last Spring; complete a 100 mile century ride around the Lake (and into Truckee, CA).

If it's anything compared to last year, I'm in for a treat. The temperature at the start of the ride was 31 degrees; I started out wearing three layers of clothing, and by the time I crossed the finish line 9 hours later, the layers were gone, the legs were burning, and I could not wipe the smile of my face! This year I plan to take a much more recreational approach to the ride. I want to take more pictures and enjoy the scenery. I was so worried about finishing in one piece last year that I didn't take it all in. This year will be different.

The only downside (if you can find one) is that I have to leave Katie with the kids for the entire weekend (Friday to Monday). She'll tell you that I don't care, but I really don't like doing that. I don't think it's fair for one person to have to take care of two kids alone for four full days, especially when they've grown accustomed to having us both here all day long. Plus I miss my kids tons when I'm gone. Don't get me wrong, I totally miss my wife when I'm not home too, but I think I can safely say that we are used to being apart, and it doesn't affect us too much anymore. Put it this way: back when I was in the Marine Corps, there was actually a period in our relationship when we had been apart more than we had been together.

So now neither one of us really leaves for any extended amount of time. It's nice to get away sometimes, but I do miss being gone. For the rest of the summer, Katie will be working two days a week and going to class two nights a week so that she can OFFICIALLY get her Master's degree. We'll take a few mini vacations: San Diego at the end of June, may be a weekend in Flagstaff or Sedona to get away from the heat. That's about for it now. I will be spending parts of this summer getting ready for my new teaching assignment for the 09-2010 school year: First Grade. I'm leaving the attitudes and hormones of sixth graders and trading them in for untied shoes and runny noses of first graders. Can't wait!

Wow...it's been a month!

A what a busy month it was. Lots of new developments in the household. The kids are getting bigger everyday. Lucy is taller than some of the kindergardeners on my campus, and Tommy is just a few weeks from taking his first steps.

On the business end of things, the downward spiral continues. Katie's position at her school is getting knocked down, and a position for next year waits in the hands of her school board. They vote tomorrow on what exactly they feel the students DON'T need at school anymore (librarians are apparently not important to have in schools), and her fate should be decided in the very near future. My job is, for now, safe. I have enough years in the district to be spared from the reduction list. However, other things are going. Pay cuts, class size increases, fewer materials, and the possibility of junior high sports cuts.

I love how the state of AZ always complains about being ranked in the bottom two states in the country in test scores and per student spending. People bitch about how we can't get good, quality teachers in our classrooms. Well, take a look around. When you treat your teachers like this, they're going to see the light. Pay us nothing, give us nothing to work with, stuff our classrooms to the brim with students who don't care about anything except their cell phones and IPods, and make us deal with parents who think they know more than the entire campus combined.

Huh...why can't we get teachers in this state? I can't see the logic in why experienced teachers aren't busting down our doors wanting to work in AZ. Now I know it's not just Arizona teachers getting the shaft here. It's everywhere. But all I see are glum faces on my campus, and no one wants to give us answers. Good teachers are getting booted (my wife is one hell of a teacher, and she may be jobless, too), and nobody is stepping up to help. We were told by our own state legislators that they will only listen to the complaints of the parents. They won't listen to a word that we teachers say.

The thing is though, the parents are too busy complaining about everything else at school except what really matters: their child's education. So if you are a parent out there with a child in public education who remotely cares about the educational future of your child, PLEASE call or write your legislator and tell them that your child should not suffer because they got greedy with their spending.

Busy Couple of Weeks...

So it has been a crazy few weeks. School has been damn near depressing. Home life has been practically non-existent. And everything in between has just been a blur (note my clock!) It's springtime, so those once pre-pubescent 6th graders are now full fledged hormonal wrecks. They have discovered their attitudes, cliques, and yes, the opposite sex. My God it's annoying. On top of all this, the lovely country-wide economic toilet bowl we're in now is wreaking havoc on our school system. Teachers and other staff are losing their jobs left and right. Just today I was told that next year my school would be staffed by no less than 20 fewer educators and others. No that's not a typo. Our school staff is being cut by nearly 1/3 next school year. How the f@(% can we as a school be successful and produce educated young adults if our state takes away one out of every three teachers, aides, and support staff? Apparently the AZ state legislators couldn't care less about the future of their state. Interesting. Who do they think will be voting for them in the future?

In other news, my training for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's TEAM in Training is going well. We rode 32 miles last weekend through north Phoenix. I had the benefit of riding with brand new Shimano shifters and brakes. My old (and I mean OLD) shifters took a crap on our first training ride, so I had to quickly order and have installed nice shiny new ones. Happy Birthday to me! They worked like a charm, and I was able to have a nice smooth ride, despite the never-ending headwinds we had. This weekend: 40 miles...can't wait. This time I'll remember the sunscreen. I was (and still am) a nice shade of pink as a result of my forgetfulness.

Finally, I finished another book this evening. I took a swing at The Natural, by Bernard Malamud. It's the original print version of the 80's flick starring every woman's favorite slugger, Robert Redford. This has got to be one of the most depressing stories I've ever read. If you've seen the movie, don't expect a mirror image in print. I won't go into too much detail here, but all I'm going to say is (like most book-to-movie jobs) the book is nothing like the movie. A good read; a bit slow to start; I nearly lost interest halfway through and gave up on it, but I figured since I started, I may as well finish. Now to determine what to pick up next. Katie is trying her damn hardest to get me to read the Twilight series. I REFUSE. I will never open the cover of any of those books. I'm actually torn here. I want to read The Princess Bride, but I've had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind to finally read the Harry Potter series. I think I'll mull it over for a few days. Got any suggestions for me? Let me know.

I think that's about it for now. It's late, I'm tired, and it's been a depressing day (lots of my friends and colleagues lost their jobs today). I'm out.

So I've keeping up on my reading lately.  I'm actually beginning to surprise myself with how much I am reading these days.  If you're wondering, I've read more books in the last two months than I have in the last two years!  It's weird; I'm a teacher, and I harp on my students about how they should be picking up a book at night instead of a video game controller, yet I spent most of my time working on my stats in Madden or MLB The Show.  Hypocritical?  Maybe; I mean, I am the adult in the equation, but sometimes it seems that I should take my own advice.

So I did.  I read Bump & Run, loved it, and then read the sequel, Redzone.  Another great read, although not as good as the first.  Lots of corruption, just like the first, but for some reason I just liked Bump & Run better.  It was then that I went over to the bookshelf in the living room.  I picked up our copy of The Hunger Games.  Katie read it a few weeks back and loved it; couldn't stop talking about it.  I decided to give it a try.  Man am I glad I did!

That is one of the most intense books I think I've ever picked up.  It is cover to cover non-stop action, and suspense.  It also has a bit of young love for those who crave that in their books.  The connection between the two main characters just intensifies the rest of the book and actually makes it so much better.  It isn't the type of connection that's all mushy and drives male readers away.  I wish I could give a summary like I did with Bump & Run a few weeks ago.  If I did, I would ruin the read.  

So if by chance you are still reading this, stop now, and go find a copy of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  It took me less than a week to finish, so it's quick.  The only down side:  the sequel, which you will be dying to know what happens next, doesn't come out until September.  I'm already on the Barnes and Noble pre-sale list for it.

Rough Night

Alright, so it's been awhile since I've shared my random thoughts to whomever might be reading. But whatever, here goes another thought.  

Holy crap what a great game the SuperBowl was tonight!  Yes of course I'm disappointed the Cardinals didn't come away victorious, but wow, talk about defeating every OTHER odd that was placed against them.  I have been a Cardinals fan since I moved out here in the early 90's, back when we cheered for the Phoenix Cardinals.  I've seen players join the Cardinals team, suck it up royally, then go on to other teams and be fantastic players (Michael Pittman anybody?).  But I think that tonight, Big Red made a statement.  No longer will they be be the doormat of the NFL.  I think no matter what, that title now belongs firmly on the doorway in Detroit.

The Cardinals achieved something truly phenomenal tonight.  I know they'll be the team who Pittsburgh goes into the books as getting their record 6th championship title against, but more than that even, they showed that even through all of the (cliche word alert) adversity, they still went to the SUPERBOWL!!!  Not the Patriots, or the Giants, or Eagles, or even the Ravens.  Yes the Arizona Cardinals stood tall in Tampa when 28 other teams couldn't.  

And for that, I am a Cardinals fan.  I was when they went 4-12; I was there when Denny Green blurted out "We are who we thought they were!"  I was there when nobody said they should be playing past Week 17, and I still am tonight.  Now I really can't wait until next fall when they strap up again and take the field.  Hopefully again led by the big three: Warner, Fitz, and Q.  

So Arizona sports fans rejoice!  No Lombardi Trophy in the case at Cardinals Stadium, no ring on the fingers, and no cheerful plane rides back to Sky Harbor Airport, but definitely smiles on our faces, joy in our hearts, and a fresh look forward to next year.  Go Cardinals!

Bump & Run

So I finished this wonderful book, Bump & Run by Mike Lupica.  Holy crap what a great book!  It's (generally) about a Vegas casino host who inherits half of an NFL team when his father passes away.  But it's so much more.

It starts with you meeting the "Jammer," a casino host who can get you a girl for the weekend, but make it look like you spent the whole time either at the buffet, on the golf course, or relaxing at the spa.  By the way, he can also make your life a living hell, if you cross him.  Fast forward to the Jammer getting the news, via casino gym TV, that Big Tim Molloy has suddenly died.  The Jammer hops a flight to NY to play nice with all of the fellow Molloy's he'd left behind him years ago.

It isn't until big Tim's will is being read by family lawyers, that the Jammer, Jack Molloy, has inherited half of his dad's team, the New York Hawks.  The other half went to the "evil twins,"  Jack's step sister and brother from Big Tim's second marriage.  From here follows the ups and downs of Jack and his newfound profession:  owner of an NFL team.  

With the story comes allegations of gambling, betting, cheating (on sports and on women), inside jobs, and internal family affairs of all sorts.  Not to mention the various introductions to Billy, the Vinny's, Johnny, Mo Jiggy, and Donyell.  These, uhh, upstanding gentleman do anything they can to make sure that Jack is not voted out of the league in his first year.  

Overall, I enjoyed every single page of this book.  I even sometimes neglected my job just to finish a chapter (yes, the bell would ring and instead of dismissing the students or walking them to the door, I'd just wave them out, sometimes not even doing that).  Anyways, I'm off to pick up the sequel, Redzone, tomorrow from Tom.  I should finish that one by the end of the month.  I be back then to let you all know how it went.

Guilted into reading...kind of

So if anyone knows my wife or reads her blog at all, you know she has this newfound obsession with reading. It started out simple; reading at night, occasionally on the weekends, no big deal. Then my newest arch nemesis was released...Twilight (ugggghhh). First off, I'd like to thank Kim and anyone else who took part in Katie's cult-like following of Edward, Bella and the rest of the gang.

Anyways, over the past few weeks, she has been hounding me (yes, Katie, I said hounding) about why I don't read. I told her because that takes thought and concentration. I teach all day, I don't want to come home and think more. I just want to be mindlessly entertained. Turns out my buddy Tom (PE teacher and fellow coach at school) is also an avid reader. Every now and then he will toss a new book my way. I let two or three pile up on my desk before I realized something. Lucy is in a stage now where she watches and copies us now more than ever. It dawned on me that I don't want her to grow up with the notion that staring at a TV screen all evening long is OK.

So I picked up the latest book that Tom gave me (Bump and Run by Mike Lupica). What a great read so far; it tells the story of a Vegas casino host who inherits an NFL team from his millionaire father (whom he hasn't spoken to in a half decade). I'm halfway through it with plans to finish it by the weekend. I think I'll give Tom the last book I read, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (it's a Pulitzer winner, so at least I can say I've read one of those). To be honest, I think it took me almost two years to finish it. Granted I read it for only a week or so at time, but at least I read it all.

So here I am, a teacher of five years, married to a librarian, and raising a toddler who loves to read. Guess I should jump on the book-reading bandwagon. Hell, I might even like it.

World's Longest Week

Holy Hell...I've just made it through, in my opinion, the longest week of my teaching career. I guess I just got used to my "new" schedule over winter break. My nights got longer (sometimes staying up until the wee hours), and not getting up until 8 or 830. I'm sure Katie hated the fact that I got to sleep in, seeing as she was the one who got up early (Tommy doesn't yet know the meaning of "sleeping in"). Her extra couple hours came in the form of a midday nap while the kids took theirs.

Now I'm paying the price. I've never been a morning person as it is. If the sun is down, so should my eyelids. Getting up and moving in the dark on a winter morning and actually being productive just goes against everything I stand for. And now I have to automatically not only be productive, but be productive ALL DAY LONG. No grace period, no warm-up time. Just right back to it. Spending more time with 110 students and other teachers than I do with my own family.

As much as I love my job, it takes its tolls. I hate those people who think that teachers have the easiest job in the world. Apparently they have never experienced the pleasure of spending half of their day entertaining/controlling/educating 11 year olds.

Wow...this blog just went from "I had a long week" to "People don't know what I go through on a daily basis." Now it seems like I'm bitching about my job. I better quit now. I swear it's just been a long week. 85 days until summer vacation! But who's counting?

Very Cool

I just found out I can access my blog from my school computer! I know it's not the most productive use of my time here (and I'm sure my admin wouldn't like it very much either). But what the hell, it's my lunch break!

Anyways, got to get back to molding young minds, or so they say. It feels more like crowd control most days.

Back in the Saddle Again...

Yes you can take that statement literally. The time has come for me to once again begin training. Finally! Training for what you ask? It's Century time again! A bit of a back story might be helpful here, so be patient.

Exactly one year ago this month I hooked up with an organization called Team In Training (TNT). They are a group of endurance athletes who devote their time and energy to raising funds and awareness for leukemia and other blood diseases. Check out teamintraining.org if you're interested. They train and compete in endurance events such as marathons, triathlons, cross terrain hikes, and century rides (a century is a bike ride that is a minimum of 100 miles-yes at one time). After doing some research and talking to my brother and sister-in-law who rode for TNT a few years ago, I decided that I was up for the challenge. I chose to train for the Century. I had a bike and the desire, but it all turned out to be way more than I expected.

I knew it would be difficult. I mean, I'm a realist. No one can just jump on a bike and ride 100 miles. Oh yeah, did I mention the 100 miles was to be ridden around (and up and down the mountains of) Lake Tahoe? Training started in late February with short 15 milers on cool mornings and graduated to grueling 80 mile days in 90 degree heat. In the course of four months, I went from being tired after 15-20 miles and never wanting to ride again to considering 45 miles as a nice warm-up. Crazy huh? Despite the fact that that I was up as early as 3am on Saturday mornings to make a 530 ride that would last 60, 70+ miles, then drive home practically holding my eyelids open because I was so drained, I look back over the course of training, and then revisit the 100 miler around Tahoe and think: Totally worth every second of pain and fatigue.

So now I'm ready to go again. I've found all the weight I lost during last spring's training season (I think I dropped in the neighborhood of 15-20 pounds). I have a new reason to ride; one of my 6th graders was recently diagnosed with leukemia and is fighting hard everyday to survive. Now I can only hope that things will fall into place again so I can again participate in this absolutely awesome experience.

I want to start a freezing cold June day at 30 degrees, ride the hills and switchbacks Tahoe has to offer, climb Spooner Junction (a 6-mile, 1200 foot climb) and then come back down again at an insane 48 mph. And I want to cross the finish line at the CA/NV border while thousands of people scream and cheer for me. It's like you're a movie star on the red carpet at a movie premier. And most, I want to make a difference so that those who can't ride can at least enjoy life a little bit more.

This amazing group of people dedicated to living life to its fullest made me a believer. I know I made a difference to some family I'll never meet. So once again, I have the bike and the desire. It's time to get back in the saddle again.

I'm Gettin' the Band Back Together!

Well, not really. But I am going to make an attempt to share my thoughts on life on a more, uh, consistent basis. I hadn't realized that it's been a year and a half since I last wrote in this blog. I guess time does fly. A lot has happened since my last rant and rave here on Blogger, so if you're interested, not interested, or just have nothing else to do, stay tuned.

I make no promises on the quality (or quantity) of posts to follow, but I will be back to let you know just what is going on my warped mind.