Summer Finale

Last weekend of Summer. It's cloudy and rainy. It's very blah and almost as if Summer knows that its time is up. Fall and Winter are going to gang up and the real question is when will this happen. 

Leaving for New Paltz in an hour... Saturday night boogie down special. 

Sunday afternoon/evening and Monday will be strictly for planning and writing lesson plans. 

Second day of work

Second day of work at the new school. It was a bit fun. It was mostly receiving a bunch of papers and being explained the rules and conduct expected of me. A universe apart of my year at Far Rockaway High School... a universe apart. 

Third day tomorrow and it's Friday. Hopefully Blockheads after work. New Paltz on Saturday... hopefully. 

Work

Set up my classroom today. Added color to my display boards and brought in supplies. I actually have a closet in which to hang my coat and stow away my supplies. 

I'm excited. Really excited. 

Work Tomorrow

Yay! Or rather nay? It's a mixed bag of what I feel right now. My second school in as many years. It's like being a rookie teacher all over again. 

Classroom set up is tomorrow. Just put together my bag of supplies like speakers, sponge to clean board, teacher's dictionary and various leftover supplies from June. 

Yay or nay!

I am Teacher Man

Finished reading Frank McCourt's memoir about his teaching career in NYC. It was good. He more or less captured what my student teaching and first year of teaching was. My mother pointed out some similarities between McCourt and Myself. We were/are aspiring writers and educators in the NYC education system. We've had love affairs with classmates. He had June and I had Natalia, who I saw yesterday...ouch, kind of but not really (I would have rathered inflicted pain but taken here almost without a moments though). 

Everyone should read McCourt's Teacher Man. It's not perfect and it struggles at moments but once the Stuyvessant High School portion of the book is reached it's wonderful and beautiful. 

I'm still sick and I still have work Wednesday. Ugh. 

Sick

I caught an end of the summer cold. I went from a sore throat a few days ago to a runny nose that won't stop. My vision is blurry and I feel out of it. I don't like being sick. 

If I'm gonna feel out of it I might as well be high because at least then I'll fall asleep from the floating feeling I'll be experiencing. 

Getting Sick

I have a sore throat. This is ironic because work resumes this coming Wednesday. I won't have to teach till September 3rd though. I should be okay by then but I love that I get sick towards the end of the summer when I'll be working again. 

Haha. 

Mirrors

Close to 50 pages into Frank McCourt's Teacher Man. 

I've already got the feeling I'm going to be looking/reading a mirror image of myself. McCourt's June is my Natalia. 

This is gonna be a heavy, boss, fucking real read. 

And so it goes

I finished reading Get in the Van not even two minutes ago. It's funny, by the end Rollins is repeating things over and over and I'm thinking to myself that I can't wait till I finish the book. Then when I get to the last journal entry I don't want it to end. 

Rollins' experience is a vivid one and I don't think it's been experienced by another group. From the journal entries it seemed that most crowds were hostile towards the band. I've been to numerous shows before and I've never seen a crowd get into it with a band. I've never seen a crowd reach the point of physical violence with a band. It's truly a unique experience. 

A part of me wants to be in a band and go on tour. I want to know what it's like. I know it will be tough, stressful and even dangerous to a point but I want to experience it myself. That's the romantic in me but if I asked Rollins I'm sure he would tell me there's nothing romantic about going on tour although I think a part of him would want to say it is. Based on the journals he kept, he preferred like on the road or in the van over staying at home and not doing much of anything. 

Who knows. Who knows. 

I'm going to start Frank McCourt's Teacher Man tomorrow. It'll probably be the last book of the summer. Work is a week and a half away. It's a weird time right now. 

Dream

I dreamt I owned a blue polo shirt last night. I have a green, red and 2 black polo shirts. No blue though. Twas just a dream. 

The Prestige

Just saw this movie and I'm left speechless. It's amazing. The plot twists are superb and unique... never have I seen such a movie that gives you a bit here and there and when you think you have it figured it out from out of nowhere it smacks you upside the head. 

Amazing. 

Time

Hit up Splish Splash today with the family. It was basic and fun. Got some sunburn on my arms. It's okay... could be worse. 

Listening to some Tiger Army right now. They're so good. Musical tragic romanticism. 

Workshop for this Friday was cancelled.  

Two weeks of summer vacation left. August 27th marks the beginning of my second year teaching. 

Testify 2

I'm on a huge Testament rampage right now. Just downloaded the new record and I want to venture into the attic and find my old copy of "The New Order." 

They were so good live. I want to seem them again immediately. I can't believe it took me this long to acknowledge this kick ass band. 

Chuck Billy sounds so possessed on the new record. Amazing. 

Testify!

Brian visited Saturday night. It was fun. Saw Pineapple Express, which was interesting in that it was surprisingly violent and graphic. Good times though. 

Last night caught the Masters of Metal tour at Jones Beach. Saw Testament, Motorhead, Heaven & Hell and Judas Priest. All of them killed it with Testament being my personal favorite. I couldn't understand a word Lemmy said and Dio gets smaller and smaller every time I see him. Judas Priest was rockin' as usual. Amazing show. I took the little brother. It was his first concert. 

I should continue apartment hunting this week. I have a professional development workshop on Friday at work. Should be fun. Vacation is slowly coming to an end. 

Restless

Had a hard time falling asleep last night. It seems like every couple of days or so I'll find myself bored with TV and yet not tired enough to fall asleep. I'll then toss and turn and eventually sleep but not without some struggle. To be blunt, I hate it. I like to fall asleep almost instantly like I usually do. 

Brian is supposedly coming down on Saturday for the night. Mainly because I have Judas Priest and Motorhead to catch in concert on Sunday. This sucks. To good things overlap each other. I kinda wish I didn't have tickets since I rather hang out with Brian. He's a good dude. 

It's morning and there's food in the fridge but I don't know what I want for breakfast. This sucks 'cause I know there are people who want to be found in my situation. 

I'm feeling quite restless as of late. I need something to happen. 

Rumblings

Saw a room available in a 3 bedroom apartment in Bushwick yesterday. It's nice, clean, near the J train, near stores but it's too small for all the stuff I would bring along in the shape of books, CDs and DVDs. Shame. 

The search continues. 

Still reading Henry Rollins' journals from his stint in Black Flag. I just started his entries from 1985. Two more years to go. WOOO!