The Daily News
1 Thank God, or Jayzuss, or even Joe the Bear, but there’s no baseball coming to us today. I loves me some playoffs, but it does make for some late hours and groggy days.
2 I could be wrong; I think I have me a Thursday night to write this, and then to do whatevs. I feel a bit like a pitcher who finally gets a day for some rest, and maybe even some healthy food, like leafy vegetables, or arugula.
3 So lettuce begin. <groan>
4 Bad, bad veggie pun. All apollos. Right off the bat. Yeesh.
5 I finally got my Nissan Ol’ Timuh washed. I love car washes. I love mechanical car washes more than I do most other car washes because they are, well, mechanical. I don’t have to deal with people. I sometimes like that. It’s just that I always seem to need a car wash when a bajillion other cars need them. It is always like everyone else decides to show up when I show up. But I do love car washes.
6 I love them because a) they wash my car, and b) they go well with music.
7 I remember one time when my obsession with coincidences worked to my advantage at a car wash.
8 I went to the car wash, as always, and drove the T0000000NDRA in slowly. The second I rolled forward, a karaoke CD of Disney’s Just Around the Riverbed blasted in sync with the spraying of the water on my windshield. I was suddenly surrounded by spraying water and magical Disney music.
9 Delightful. I was no longer at a King and Story Shell, but in the Magic Kingdom, with water shows causing wonderfully cartoony images in my head. The music blasted and the water surrounded the T000000NDRA, a dazzling display for six bucks.
10 It set the tone for a beautiful day. AND I knew the T000000NDRA enjoyed it too, emerging all shiny and ready for the day.
11 All week I have been trying to get a car wash for my new Nissan Altima, which I affectionately refer to as the “Ol’ Timuh,” sort of after myself. The Ol’ Timuh sits outside under large Sycamore trees that throw some sort of misty sap mixed with spider webs on it each night. It needs to be washed constantly.
12 The same is true of the T000000NDRA, which also sits outside waiting to make a trip to the dumps. It has spider webs and autumn leaves, but it still runs like the proverbial champ.
13 Most people who know me know that I would rather go to the dumps than to Disneyland. And I loves anytime I could drive the T000000NDRA these days. It’s nostalgic, and it’s fun. It was just getting a bit old, so I wanted to rest its miles.
14 AnywayZ…
15 Yesterday after yet another meeting, I got into my home area at around 5:30, looked over at my own neighborhood Shell station and noticed no line for car washes. This NEVER happens, so I popped into the station, paid for a cheapo car wash, and zipped right in.
16 I forgot to hook up some Disney music, so the radio in the Ol’ Timuh started buzzing. I turned it off, and suddenly the car wash caused me to hallucinate.
17 Have you ever gone into a car wash and it seems like you are moving, even if your foot is on the brake? All that stuff swirling around can give you an unearthly feeling, especially if you have had a week like I have had, which was filled with meetings, school lockdowns, deadlines for grades, more meetings, baseball, insomnia, and still more meetings. The baseball I liked, but it was still time spent up late.
18 So I thought the Ol’ Timuh was moving forward in the car wash, and suddenly, it WAS. One of the mechanical washer arms swung by my right door with a red light that said, “BACK UP!” like some science fiction whack version of R2.
19 It was more a cross between R2 and Wall-E. It was other worldly.
20 That has never happened before. So I backed up and all the water stopped, and a green light went on. It seemed too soon to me, but I drove forward to the drying part of the car wash.
21 Nothing happened. I looked in my rear view, and this light misty rinse was dancing behind me.
22 And no evidence of a dryer went on in front of me. Something wasn’t right, especially when it was late afternoon and I had gotten out of a meeting late.
23 It was a living hallucination. I thought of going up and complaining to the guy in the booth, but decided it just wasn’t worth the investment of time. I just drove around the parking lot letting things sort of wind dry. Walter Mitty on crack.
24 I was THAT disoriented all day.
25 My car came out squeaky clean anyway. I just thought to myself, “Too much stuff happening this week man. Go home and get you some rest!”
26 So ended another in my endless battle with inanimate objects.
27 Moving on, Part the First: Today marks the anniversary of the release of the Beatle’s first single ever, “Love Me Do”/”P.S. I Love You” in 1962! Here is a blurb about it from a great little book called On This Day in Music History by Jay Warner:
1962 The Beatles’ first single, “Love Me Do”/”P.S.” I Love You,” was released in the U.K. on the EMI records affiliate Parlophone. Radio Luxembourg played the record for the first time that evening. The group couldn’t believe it. Rumor has it that manager Brian Epstein bought 10,000 copies for sale through his NEMS record store chain, knowing that was the magic number of sales needed to make the British Top 20. He sold them all.
28 Will you tell me that?
29 Time hurries on. I always thought the story about Epstein buying 10,000 copies was true. Pretty expensive, but pretty good marketing idea. People are lemmings, after all.
30 Moving on, Part Two: What a madhouse this week was! I’m still sort of reeling from all of it.
31 You know how it is said that you put horrid things out of your mind? This was just a bajillion mildly horrid things, but if someone put a gun to my head I couldn’t tell them what transpired.
32 My brain has become like Fifty First Dates, only hourly.
33 Nowadays, any time a grading period comes to an end it is a madhouse. We are grading another half-class worth of papers each day because of increased class sizes. It doesn’t seem like much to a layperson, but if class sizes increase by just three students per class, that’s fifteen more students. I’m pretty sure I have more than that.
34 Schools have reached a critical time. They have cut beyond cutting, and it is starting to take its toll. The students might sense a difference, but the staffs at each school will tell you to a person that these the toughest times ever. Ask anyone in education.
35 I won’t bore you with too many details, because this year I have been trying to give people a glimpse at what goes on “behind the scenes” at a school.
36 I still wouldn’t change my job, and I still love going in each day. There is a certain spirit that makes it all somehow worthwhile.
37 Maybe it’s just that I teach some really fun knuckleheads, all ears and braces.
38 I also teach some kids who will become scientists, doctors, lawyers, brick-layers, plumbers, car salesmen, authors, and yes, even teachers.
39 I have to remember that. The meetings dictated by people who have been out of the classroom don’t do much for me. They are just like meetings anywhere: useless and lousy for morale, by and large.
40 They come down from the top, and we all know the cliche. It all rolls downhill.
41 Accountability. Yeesh.
42 Without reading a single piece of homework I could grade kids based on the looks on their faces and the amount of stuff they have in their backpacks.
43 Honestly.
44 I had probably better stop now. Somewhere there might be a district person hacking into my computer and reading this.
45 Some people need to get lives.
46 Not me.
47 I’ve had more than enough of real life this fine week, and I’m finally going to get some much-needed rest.
48 You get some rest too.
49 Have a sweet weekend. Go Giants! Go A’s. Go Bay Area sports!!! I hope we all emerge victorious.
50 See you again.
51 Peace.
~H~
www.xanga.com/bharrington
1 Thank God, or Jayzuss, or even Joe the Bear, but there’s no baseball coming to us today. I loves me some playoffs, but it does make for some late hours and groggy days.2 I could be wrong; I think I have me a Thursday night to write this, and then to do whatevs. I feel a bit like a pitcher who finally gets a day for some rest, and maybe even some healthy food, like leafy vegetables, or arugula.3 So lettuce begin. <groan>4 Bad, bad veggie pun. All apollos. Right off the bat. Yeesh.5 I finally got my Nissan Ol’ Timuh washed. I love car washes. I love mechanical car washes more than I do most other car washes because they are, well, mechanical. I don’t have to deal with people. I sometimes like that. It’s just that I always seem to need a car wash when a bajillion other cars need them. It is always like everyone else decides to show up when I show up. But I do love car washes.6 I love them because a) they wash my car, and b) they go well with music.7 I remember one time when my obsession with coincidences worked to my advantage at a car wash.8 I went to the car wash, as always, and drove the T0000000NDRA in slowly. The second I rolled forward, a karaoke CD of Disney’s Just Around the Riverbed blasted in sync with the spraying of the water on my windshield. I was suddenly surrounded by spraying water and magical Disney music.9 Delightful. I was no longer at a King and Story Shell, but in the Magic Kingdom, with water shows causing wonderfully cartoony images in my head. The music blasted and the water surrounded the T000000NDRA, a dazzling display for six bucks.10 It set the tone for a beautiful day. AND I knew the T000000NDRA enjoyed it too, emerging all shiny and ready for the day.11 All week I have been trying to get a car wash for my new Nissan Altima, which I affectionately refer to as the “Ol’ Timuh,” sort of after myself. The Ol’ Timuh sits outside under large Sycamore trees that throw some sort of misty sap mixed with spider webs on it each night. It needs to be washed constantly.12 The same is true of the T000000NDRA, which also sits outside waiting to make a trip to the dumps. It has spider webs and autumn leaves, but it still runs like the proverbial champ.13 Most people who know me know that I would rather go to the dumps than to Disneyland. And I loves anytime I could drive the T000000NDRA these days. It’s nostalgic, and it’s fun. It was just getting a bit old, so I wanted to rest its miles.14 AnywayZ…15 Yesterday after yet another meeting, I got into my home area at around 5:30, looked over at my own neighborhood Shell station and noticed no line for car washes. This NEVER happens, so I popped into the station, paid for a cheapo car wash, and zipped right in.16 I forgot to hook up some Disney music, so the radio in the Ol’ Timuh started buzzing. I turned it off, and suddenly the car wash caused me to hallucinate.17 Have you ever gone into a car wash and it seems like you are moving, even if your foot is on the brake? All that stuff swirling around can give you an unearthly feeling, especially if you have had a week like I have had, which was filled with meetings, school lockdowns, deadlines for grades, more meetings, baseball, insomnia, and still more meetings. The baseball I liked, but it was still time spent up late.18 So I thought the Ol’ Timuh was moving forward in the car wash, and suddenly, it WAS. One of the mechanical washer arms swung by my right door with a red light that said, “BACK UP!” like some science fiction whack version of R2.19 It was more a cross between R2 and Wall-E. It was other worldly.20 That has never happened before. So I backed up and all the water stopped, and a green light went on. It seemed too soon to me, but I drove forward to the drying part of the car wash.21 Nothing happened. I looked in my rear view, and this light misty rinse was dancing behind me.22 And no evidence of a dryer went on in front of me. Something wasn’t right, especially when it was late afternoon and I had gotten out of a meeting late.23 It was a living hallucination. I thought of going up and complaining to the guy in the booth, but decided it just wasn’t worth the investment of time. I just drove around the parking lot letting things sort of wind dry. Walter Mitty on crack.24 I was THAT disoriented all day.25 My car came out squeaky clean anyway. I just thought to myself, “Too much stuff happening this week man. Go home and get you some rest!”26 So ended another in my endless battle with inanimate objects.27 Moving on, Part the First: Today marks the anniversary of the release of the Beatle’s first single ever, “Love Me Do”/”P.S. I Love You” in 1962! Here is a blurb about it from a great little book called On This Day in Music History by Jay Warner:1962 The Beatles’ first single, “Love Me Do”/”P.S.” I Love You,” was released in the U.K. on the EMI records affiliate Parlophone. Radio Luxembourg played the record for the first time that evening. The group couldn’t believe it. Rumor has it that manager Brian Epstein bought 10,000 copies for sale through his NEMS record store chain, knowing that was the magic number of sales needed to make the British Top 20. He sold them all.28 Will you tell me that?29 Time hurries on. I always thought the story about Epstein buying 10,000 copies was true. Pretty expensive, but pretty good marketing idea. People are lemmings, after all.30 Moving on, Part Two: What a madhouse this week was! I’m still sort of reeling from all of it.31 You know how it is said that you put horrid things out of your mind? This was just a bajillion mildly horrid things, but if someone put a gun to my head I couldn’t tell them what transpired.32 My brain has become like Fifty First Dates, only hourly.33 Nowadays, any time a grading period comes to an end it is a madhouse. We are grading another half-class worth of papers each day because of increased class sizes. It doesn’t seem like much to a layperson, but if class sizes increase by just three students per class, that’s fifteen more students. I’m pretty sure I have more than that.34 Schools have reached a critical time. They have cut beyond cutting, and it is starting to take its toll. The students might sense a difference, but the staffs at each school will tell you to a person that these the toughest times ever. Ask anyone in education.35 I won’t bore you with too many details, because this year I have been trying to give people a glimpse at what goes on “behind the scenes” at a school.36 I still wouldn’t change my job, and I still love going in each day. There is a certain spirit that makes it all somehow worthwhile.37 Maybe it’s just that I teach some really fun knuckleheads, all ears and braces.38 I also teach some kids who will become scientists, doctors, lawyers, brick-layers, plumbers, car salesmen, authors, and yes, even teachers.39 I have to remember that. The meetings dictated by people who have been out of the classroom don’t do much for me. They are just like meetings anywhere: useless and lousy for morale, by and large.40 They come down from the top, and we all know the cliche. It all rolls downhill.41 Accountability. Yeesh.42 Without reading a single piece of homework I could grade kids based on the looks on their faces and the amount of stuff they have in their backpacks.43 Honestly.44 I had probably better stop now. Somewhere there might be a district person hacking into my computer and reading this.45 Some people need to get lives.46 Not me.47 I’ve had more than enough of real life this fine week, and I’m finally going to get some much-needed rest.48 You get some rest too.49 Have a sweet weekend. Go Giants! Go A’s. Go Bay Area sports!!! I hope we all emerge victorious.50 See you again.51 Peace.~H~
www.xanga.com/bharrington
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