SUMMER
As a teacher, it’s not that surprising. Unless you consider the fact that I really like teaching and I consider myself less cynical than a lot of other teachers. That said, a short anecdote. In my naive, first-year-teacher semester one, I had the audacity to frown down my nose at all the “cynical, jaded old teachers…they should just make way for us young ones” (in my head, of course, I was not ever THAT bold). We got an e-mail from administration that, by the beard of Zeus (anchorman 2…no seriously, look it up, it’s coming), we could wear jeans on a not-Friday!! Now I was still stoked about my new ties and Old Navy chinos I’d just recently bought, so I was still wearing them even on casual Fridays. So do you think I wore jeans on a normal school day? No way! I was far too rigorous and business-like for that. I would never stoop to the level of being cowed into working happily by trite, worthless gestures the administration made to assuage the masses.
And now there are two weeks of school left…and I nearly weep with joy at the gracious offer to wear jeans. I’ve even paid money to wear jeans for a “Casual for a Cause” day…a Tuesday! I never thought I would be this far from my ideals so soon. But it looks like those “old” folks know how to take advantage of an easy way to reclaim their humanity from the iron jaws of the grinding futility that is public education…but that’s for another post.
All that said, I’ve enjoyed teaching but it’s time for a break that’s actually long enough to forget some names.
ROAD TRIP
Gabrielle and I will be traveling this summer (and I can wear all the jeans I want!) and I can’t wait. We’re going to leave after father’s day and head south and then west…then north and east to get home, of course. Some of the stops will include Roanoke, Durham, Charleston, New Orleans, St. Louis, and Cincinnati. It’s going to be a combination of seeing friends and family and doing our own thing for about a month and maybe a little more. Seriously, I can’t remember when I’ve looked forward to something this much. We’ll be camping, biking, roller-coastering, worshiping, bedding and breakfasting, driving, picturing, and generally having a blast doing anything that strikes our fancy. Seriously. Awesome. Expensive. Awesome.
ANNIVERSARY #1
June 28. One year. Marriage to Gabrielle is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And we get to eat our cake topper. Gross. Cause it’s a year old. Tradition.
GRE/PA School?
With prerequisites completed to the tune of two A’s and a B in biochem, microbiology, and organic chem respectively (I’m told that a B in organic chemistry is enviable…I’m not sure I believe ‘em and I was a little frustrated…never thought I’d be a grade grubber), I’m plotting a course to PA school. At the moment, I have only slight ideas about where, but I think Gabrielle and I want to get out of Virginia. The west coast has a certain appeal but it has yet to be determined.
Post #2…check!
