February 27, 2012
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1 We're baaaaaaaack!
2 I forgot that occasionally teaching gives us breaks.
3 They aren't really breaks. They're opportunities to make the bed, clean the garage, and get life in order.
4 My house finally looks like a house instead of a place taken over by papers, paper clips, staples, pencils, and what was becoming my favorite drink, brandy and cough drops.
5 Yeesh.
6 That's six fingers of brandy and one Hall's sugar-free lemon drop.
7 Don't try this at home. It's atomic, and you won't be able to handle it.
8 I somehow found myself feeling astonishingly like Leslie Howard.
9 I kid, but thank the Lawd for handing me a bit of time. This was probably the first time I've ever had time since jumping up to the Chill-on-the-Hill six or seven years ago, who's counting?
10 The years, they just keep on flying past, don't they?
11 It clearly must be the brandy and lemon drops.
12 Moving on, Part the First: For the umteenth time in my life, I ignored the Oscars. Don't know why. Maybe it's because I taught drama for so many years, and have seen talented people my entire life. Maybe it's because ironically, I never have time to go see movies, or even watch them on teevee. Maybe it's because I watch classic films in the two a.m. on Hulu, and nothing modern comes close.
13 Or maybe it's because the blue-collar guy in me doesn't want to watch a bunch of egomaniacs congratulating themselves for going to work.
14 Not sure, really. I just don't give a hoot. I especially don't give a hoot about who wore what, or who came off as an idiot. Same stuff, every year. I sort of glance at it, and then blow it off as a glorified lava lamp.
15 AnywayZ, that's my word on the Oscars. Couldn't care less.
16 Moving on, Part the Second: Well, it's great to be back. I maintained my insomniacal ways; in fact, I worked on behavior modification that would awaken me at certain hours so that I could control my sleep.
17 The nice thing about having ten days off is that you could experiment with your sleep habits. I enjoy getting to sleep early these days. I find it refreshingly different than mainstream sleepers. If I awaken at one or two a.m. I know full well that I will already have gotten enough sleep, and that everything else is just energy to enjoy the following day.
18 It's sort of fun watching others stay up late and then dragging themselves through the day with utterly no sense of energy. To me, it's all about pacing and balance.
19 It took years to embrace my insomniacal ways, but it is almost a formula that has been perfected.
20 Interestingly, my Dad used to do this as well. I remember him conking out at eight or nine, awakening at 3 a.m. to grab a spoonful of ice cream, and then going back down until six a.m.
21 My Dad is still my hero. He worked hard, and was always there for all of us. He never complained, and he still has those incredible ethics to this very day.
22 As of last week he was out doing gardening and enjoying things. I'll be spending the weekend with him later this week. Maybe that's why I couldn't care less about the Oscars. If I'm going to hero worship, it's gonna be about my Dad. He's the very best.
23 He is polite, classy, funny; he respects women and children, and rarely uses foul language. He is every bit a hard worker, a dandy bit of a sweet person, and a large bit of a witty person.
24 He is also Mr. Lucky. We once got him a hat that said that when we were in Tahoe years ago. He has crashed in an airplane, been hit by a car, has battled cancer, diabetes, and about six thousand other horrid diseases, and still gardens and makes children smile and laugh.
25 I stand amazed at him.
26 And it is nice that I had this week to conquer all my work so that I could spend the weekend with him. I can't wait. He makes me smile.
27 All you dads out there take heed: a true role model walks the walk. They are polite, caring, funny, and classy. They can utter words all day sans cussing. They can be classy and quietly sensational.
28 That's my Dad.
29 I thank this week for allowing me to put all that paper grading and school stuff to bed so that I could begin living again. That's what this week off did.
30 I worked so that I could finally be caught up. And even though a week off usually means a horrid Monday, I am refreshed and ready to roll.
31 Wowzers.
32 And my focus for the week is to make it my own. I allowed the school to completely dominate me this year, and for the past six. I truly feel that I got my life back this week.
33 It's amazing how refreshed a person could get in one week. It is also pretty nice to catch up with virtually everything.
34 Oh, I'm still a week behind. But I've always told younger teachers that in this profession, if you are a week behind you are a week ahead.
35 A truer word was never said.
36 With that, I think I'll climb in bed.
37 It's moving to the 3 a.m. so I'm an hour earlier, and that's awesome for a Monday morning.
38 It's good, because I was beginning to sound like Dr. Seuss.
39 So it's good to be back, making you read of this and that.
40 It's all becoming a very, very, very old hat.
41 Just mumbling. I once wrote a song called Old Hat.
42 It's a sort of Dr. Seuss song.
43 Dum da Dum Dum Dum Dum da Dum Dum Dum...it goes.
44 There's a reason I'm not famous.
45 Great sharing stuff with you. Hope you have a glorious day. Fly low.
46 Look up in the sky and smile at a cloud. If it smiles back, it's someone you love.
47 Ah, dear perfection.
48 Peace.
~H~
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