Babes in Toyland

Congratulations are in order!

My best friend just birthed her first child, a boy.
And another dear friend just announced that her belly is starting to grow.
woo hoo!

Happy Birthday to E. who has two babies of her own.

and because I always need a negative point... I lost my fantasy football playoff game by one point... damn you Marion Barber getting me only 3 points... I always hated the Dallas Cowboys.

surprise note:
I finished two sets of essays in one day. I spent all Sunday grading in my class. Nearly 12 hours.
Next week I'll be able to breathe again.

Season's Greetings

I hope you all are having a happy holidays.
Cheers to a better new year. Season's Greetings
from Santa and his elves!

Medical Update

thanks to all for your concerns... it was great to see your faces all again...

as for the update from Kaiser

I have slight tears in both my Achilles' tendons.

I have to sleep with night splints made from fiberglass.

I was forced to sleep with some computer on my arm to

measure my heartrate and analyze my REM/sleeping patterns.

My new doctor is really aggressive about treating things.

She wants me to consider bariatric surgery,

but I don't think I need it. Also, if I want my veins stripped

again from my right leg, she's willing to do that to,

but I just don't want to close up all the veins I have left down there.

My energy levels are extremely down ever since the shot

in the foot from the softball. Even Hawaii didn't spark me up

as much as I thought it would, although the rest

from just not being near work benefited my psyche greatly.

See... below... no energy... great psyche

Scavenger Hunt Weekend

I'm currently in the midst of another Leadership Final scavenger hunt. Only one day in and it appears the final is doing its job of forcing the students to study clues and become more organized while working together to solve problems.

This year's theme is Disney. Thanks to all of you who helped out, especially my family at their candle sale today. I hope you all had a chance to attend it.

I'm getting too old for scavenger hunt though, or maybe, it's because we had a winter rally and winter ball last night. I'm falling asleep as I'm distributing clues.

zs;ldkf'fa'''djzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Too much to take in

I've been needing to type for days, but as usual, there is just too much going on for
me to soak in as the next thing happens directly afterwards.

Two days ago I found out my mentor teacher Mr. Maldonado
passed away. He was the activities director at EC when I
was in his leadership class. I found out several weeks
ago that he hadn't been doing well and I had no idea it
was to this degree. My first couple of years, I modeled myself
after him until I learned to make the job fit more of my personality.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/11/28/MNMALDONAD21.DTL

so much of the traditions of El Camino High School
began or improved with him: the huge courtyard
homecomings the high school dances with n
early a thousand students in the 80s the
lip sync rally; hell, all rallies were rooted
with his vision and amazing announcer voice...
much of what i do is to keep the spirit alive of
all the events he introduced to me.
former colleagues and students of his
have been sending money to the school and
I want to establish a scholarship in his name;
please inquireof me if you'd like to
assist or contribute

i can't even comprehend anymore at this point in time

because I just found out today that
there is a woman hiker
missing on Mt. Tam and that woman is
one of my former leadership
students and sister of one of my classmates.

http://www.marinij.com/marin/ci_7633382
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/12/06/BAGI5TP9IJ.DTL

just look at the difference between the
two articles... i think
that's why i get annoyed with the chronicle so much

oh yeah,
last Monday I went to Kaiser to see my new doctor...
that was depressing

ever since i was hit by a softball over a
month ago, my tendinitis in my heels
it won't go away it hurts me to just walk

i'm actually being sent to a podiatrist
specialist next monday

my varicose veins are spreading

i now have tennis elbow and it hurts
to lift objects with my left hand

i feel like i'm falling apart...

i am supposed to get tested for sleep apnea
after i see the podiatrist...

and if anybody has an exercise bike they are
getting rid of, i will take it and
put into my office at work...
it's the only physical activity i can do outside
of a pool that isn't counter-effective.
so my softball career may be over

earlier this year my family lost 2 of our 3 cats
to diseases and now the oldest
Robbie, who is 16 years old,
now has kidney disease...


somehow with even other things more pressing
on my mind along with the above ones
i have had to play santa all week at lunch
with teenagers sitting on my lap
and i have to host a winter rally (
which Maldo really specialized in) tomorrow...

i wish it was my birthday week in hawaii again...

Midnight Madness

I always here sports talk radio hosts comment that "only bad things can happen when you're out after midnight."

So late last night I left work after watching an amazing production of City of Angels (a musical noir). After cleaning up and gathering my papers, I went to exchange some dvd's at Blockbuster which closes at midnight. I got there just in time. I was exiting their door right at midnight when this guy slammed up against the other side of the door. He started screaming and I didn't know what he was saying. Then our eyes met and recognition was made. He happened to be a former student of mine that graduated about three years ago. He was the kind of kid who was smart but always in trouble and barely graduated. His senior year in creative writing he was working hard on a hip hop cd and was hoping to crack the business somehow. Apparently, his life has taken many twists and turns since I saw him cross the stage.

I get outside and scream his name and he just grabs me in a huge bear hug. Now, I'm not easy to grab. He starts talking but I can't make out what he's saying because he starts crying. This is your stereotypical guy who you'd think would never let a former teacher see him cry. Evidently, he's had no one to turn to lately in life. He proceeds to remark how he tried to leave his bad friends behind and began hanging out with people he thought would be a better influence. He was trying to join the sheet metal worker's union and live a regular life. Yet, somehow, these new friends let him down and caused trouble for him with the police for something he allegedly had nothing to do with. He was passing Blockbuster having come from Orange Park just a bit too drunk.

I offered to bring him to Starbucks and get him some coffee to sober up and talk out his problems. But he refused, and just thanked me for always giving him a chance and not just failing him when he acted like a bum in my class.

When we parted, it looked like he wasn't ready to go, but I did end up bringing him to a friend's house, where hopefully he wouldn't be getting into trouble. He said he was going to visit me at school and I can only hope that he does find his way in life.

It was truly a surreal moment.

Family Candle Sale

Season's Greetings Friends!

Many of you know that my aunt & uncle own a candle factory that sell wholesale only to Nordstroms and Williams-Sonoma. It is that time of year when you can buy directly from them because you have a family connection to them. So, here's the info, I will see you all there.

I put a link on the side so you can always find them.

Designers & Their Wax

Directions below:

149 Starlite Street
South San Francisco, California 94080
(650) 761-3838 | Fax (650) 583-2010
Email: david@designerswax.com

Directions from 101 North and South:
Take 380 freeway from 101 to the first exit, El Camino Real North. Make a right at the light and continue on El Camino Real for about 1 mile. Turn right onto South Spruce Avenue (you will see See's Candies at the corner). Go down three blocks (through two sets of traffic lights) and turn right onto Starlite. Designers & Their Wax is 150 yards down Starlite - on your right #149.
Directions from 280 South:
Take the Westborough Exit and make a left onto Westborough Boulevard. Continue to El Camino Real (about 1 mile) and make a right. Drive five blocks and make a left onto South Spruce Avenue (you will see See's Candies at the corner). Go down three blocks (through two sets of traffic lights) and turn right onto Starlite. Designers & Their Wax is 150 yards down Starlite - on your right #149.
Directions from 280 North:
Take the Avalon/Westborough Exit. When you exit, you'll be on Junipero Serra Boulevard. Continue to the second light and make a right on Westborough Boulevard. Follow Westborough to El Camino Real and make a right. Drive five blocks and make a left onto South Spruce Avenue (you will see See's Candies at the corner). Go down three blocks (through two sets of traffic lights) and turn right onto Starlite. Designers & Their Wax is 150 yards down Starlite - on your right #149.