September 21, 2006
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The Daily News
1 Composing the DN is different these days in that a) I get up much earlier than I ever did in my life, b) the DN is on longer posted so that students can read it, which was its original intention, and c) because of b), I am liberated as to what can go into it. Oh, it’ll still have information about the Drama Workshop, and YB, because that’s the common denominator, but it also isn’t confined to articles about school things, making it much broader in scope.
2 Don’t get me wrong, I would have written about Korean soaps, ants, or Popeye and the Pirates anyway, but I now have expanded to being able just to goof on life as we all move forward and mature and get older. And it still gets to keep that legacy of the wonderful wackiness of education, of high school and all its goofiness, and of keeping everyone informed about a broad range of things.
3 I mean, it’s still the world’s first blog, make no mistake about it. It still is amateur enough that lines sometimes run together, and words that are spelled one way to the rest of the world occasionally wind up spelled the same way they are spelled on Mars when they make the DN.
4 It’s the nature of the beast.
5 But it’s always a joy to write, because I maintain to this minute that it’s not me doing the writing; I’m channeling. Pretty creepy if you ask me, but then so is the CIA, and
Scott Hamilton, for example.
6 It’s also challenging; I have a computer that just insists on freezing every now and again. I’ve taken it to several doctors, and they all put it through a series of tests, which it passes with flying colors.
7 And as soon as the doctor is gone, it freezes again.
8 It’s almost like a reverse Michigan J. Frog, the famous Warner Brothers cartoon about the guy who goes into the bar trying to show people that his frog can sing “I’m just wild about Harry!”, which the frog DOES anytime nobody is looking, but when the guy puts him in front of people, he just sits and croaks. Here’s Michigan caught in the act:
9 So every time I get someone in to look at the computer, it sings “I’m just wild about Harry!” and does a song and dance, eliciting “Why, there’s nothing wrong with this computer!” statements from the computer doctors.
10 Reverse Michigan J. Frog Syndrome. RMJFS.
11 Last night, as I was attempting to bring Michigan J. Frog into the DN, the words kept getting possessed and jumping all over the place.
12 Sometimes the fonts go every which way, and it starts getting near midnight. It drives me insane.
13 But then, that’s the nature of the beast.
14 Meanwhile, there’s always the business of trying to keep everything else alive and well. Not being at YB is quite a challenge. I’m working offstage trying to keep the Drama Workshop alive, the Pigeon Players going strong, and ATFNL on top as the Club of the Year . The new job keeps interrupting that with Back-to-School nIghts, volleyball games, dances, ASB cards arriving, their unique sort of Spirit Week going on this week, and myself being unable to be mobile.
15 One person can’t possibly do all that. I get something like thirty e-mails a day, and six or seven phone messages and I don’t even know how to access them! I’m sure it will all settle in, but right now, trying just to communicate with two different schools is the task at hand. And everyone wants everything right now, which is okay because I love trying to work miracles.
16 It’s just a bit of a challenge is all. Working out the logistics of two schools and coordinating everything in timely fashion is a challenge, but one that is well met. I am a bit at the mercy of management that wants some things done yesterday, even if the task is physically impossible. So they throw things at me last minute and want it all. My job is and always will be to try to get that done as swiftly as possible.
17 A lot of it is simple time-management, which I’m already working. Doing things for one thing while helping with another. For example, I’ve been able to organize and look at calendars and all during a volleyball game that I am supervising.Confusion that never stops, closing walls and
ticking clocks…
18 It’s all just me thinking aloud on this DN but in a way, letting those groups know that in every area, I’ve talked with key folks, and things are in the works. Once the heat of the school opening dies down, it should get considerably easier. It’s just a lot of phones and e-mails, and a great deal of faith that we can all face down these challenges, let the frog out of the box, and he will finally break out a hat and cane, and deliver the goods.
19 So let’s go, on with the show.
20 It’s all insanity, but when has it ever not been?
21 Ya gotta have heart.
22 Peace.~H~
