2020-21...Hell's School Year in Review

       Now I must admit, I have had some doozies in terms of school years. Hell, in 19 years, one is bound to have a few. Here is a little sum-up of my school years on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being worst, 10 being best:

2002-03: 7

2003-04: 7

2004-05: 1

2005-06: 6

2006-07: 9

2007-08: 8

2008-09: 6

2009-10: 7

2010-11: a negative 2 (as I ended the year on FML, this score is generous)

2011-12: 7

2012-13: 9

2013-14: 10

2014-15: 8

2015-16: 7

2016-17: 9

2017-18: 9

2018-19: 8

2019-20: 6

and, drum roll...

2020-21: 5

Those 2 lowest were, in order, my first year ever of teaching 5th  grade and my first year teaching 4th grade. That 5th grade intro was once the worst until the year of 4th hit, and worst went to 2nd worst. It would be easy (and a cop-out) to say the kids were the factor, but honestly it was pretty much me and how I reacted to people and events. 

I actually ran into one of the kids from the 5th grade intro year shortly before the pandemic. He was one of my personalities that drove me nuts back then, but when I saw him and all the memories came flooding back, I remembered just how funny that group could be and how much of an easier time I could have had if I'd been less reactionary.

As for the other year, well, I am not sure what could have helped that. I was the new guy at a pretty established school and before the year started I had to move my family to a new apartment. It was also my first regular year of teaching as opposed to year-round, and I was exhausted by November. On top of that, I had not sat down to form any real classroom management plan and as a result a lot of things went by that shouldn't have. Truly, this is the year I would choose to do over if I could.

And then we come to this past year that ended on May 26. When the teachers re-convened in early August, we weren't quite sure what to make of what was coming in terms of online learning. There had been a small taste of it the previous Spring when we went into pandemic mode, but now we were in full swing. We spent a couple of weeks trying to learn an online system called Canvas, though we ended up using Google Classroom for the year instead. Those appeared at first to be 2 wasted weeks, though it looks like it will be our plan in the fall...even though we are scheduled to be in regular learning mode.

The year commenced with the kids on August 12. I had a couple of kids from a previous class when I taught 2nd. I would have to say the toughest thing to get the grasp of was time management. The idea of teaching for 30-40 minutes, then having the kids do things on their own for the next 40 or so minutes was insane. Plus, there was no way to get the kids back on track if they weren't doing the work. The problem was, parents worked and often the kids were at home alone. 

The students themselves were pretty good. Many of them kept their cameras on to be engaged in class. With this new learning mode, there weren't a whole lot of true behavior "problems", just a lot of kids not getting their work done. 

Sitting in a classroom by myself managing the class, assigning things, and trying to teach via the ELMO was pretty tough, as well as lonely. A school without kids in the halls isn't a school. Staff meetings on a Google Meet are bizarre to say the least. 

On the homefront, Natalie was doing 6th grade from home. It wasn't going well for her as she missed the physical and social engagement aspect of each class.

I have to say that one of the best things in the year was something I created...a new tradition of coffee Fridays with my friend Candice, who was teaching from her home (as other teachers did as well) with her 2 kids learning from home as well, and she lived very close to work. One Friday I'd bring her brew to her front gate and the next Friday she'd have it ready for me...meaning more often than not her husband went and grabbed it. On either instance we'd talk for a few minutes about how school and our own lives were going, then I'd head to work. 

This tradition lasted until mid November when the spike in COVID cases forced everyone to be home. This was bad news for me, since our Internet wasn't all that strong. Luckily, I was provided with a hotspot from work that Natalie could use. Even with fairly good Internet, my home system was not designed for work use and it was impossible to play educational videos. Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks were definitely looked forward to.

After the New Year, January 6, and inauguration happened, my boss informed us that we could return to the school building if we followed the distancing rules. Really, I would have worn a hazmat suit if required just to go back. The home environment was just not working well with me.

 I really was overjoyed to be back and enjoy the smell of new carpet that had been installed after we were all kicked out. There were only a few of us coming back but it was better than nothing. Even so, a month later, pre-K through 3rd was scheduled to come back in a cohort format. This meant that teachers in those grades had to teach both kids in the classroom plus the ones at home via Google. One cohort was in Monday and Tuesday, one was in Thursday and Friday, and the other cohort just stayed home all the time. 

Also in early March Vickie had a hysterectomy and I had another kidney stone blasted 3 days later. That was quite the week!

Before Spring Break, it was decided that everyone who wanted to could come to school on April 6, but those choosing to remain home could do so. I was scheduled for 18 kids in class and 8 at home..that later changed to  20 in class and 6 at home. 

I have to say, the best part of the teaching year was being with the kids physically. Even though there were restrictions like no full class bathroom breaks and limited play outside, it was workable and made the end of the year more bearable even with the fucking state testing!

Teacher appreciation week was pretty good for me, getting lots of Starbucks cash among other things. Even though our coffee tradition had more or less died in November, we still got each other a brew here and there like we had before the pandemic hit. One day during the week before the last week, I was dragging for some reason and out of nowhere she brought me a rescue coffee! Friends like that you hold onto for life!

Then came the end. Like the previous year, we had a parade at school after hours and it was great to see those faces one more time. And then, it was over. That day was the last day with students and the next one pretty much consisted of a morning where teachers couldn't wait to check out and get out. Granted, most years end like that for teachers, but this one seemed particularly empty of emotion, just a desire to get out.

If I was forced to, I could do another year like this, but I really do not want to. At one time I was thinking about getting a provision on my license for blended/online learning, but I no longer feel this way. There is a definite bond between teachers and students that cannot be replicated on a computer screen. And there is a bond between teachers that also cannot be recreated digitally. In closing, I raise my Starbucks cup in salute to all those who survived 20-21 and are returning for the real thing!

There's Show Business Like Ho Business

 Some embattled entertainment mogul with his (mostly) useless kiss-ass minions: We're in big trouble!

Minion 1: Why?

Mogul (opening the blinds): Look out there! What do you see?

Minion 1: Smog?

Mogul: Exactly, and who is out there BREATHING in that smog?

Minion 2: Morons?

Mogul: Even worse, morons who aren't at home glued to their devices or TVs! We're losing our touch. 

Minion 3: If I give you a good idea, can I be promoted to minion 1?

Mogul: Let's hear it! 

Minion 3: While on the crapper today, I thought of a new reality show, but this one takes place in a zoo and-

Mogul: And the zoo is like a big escape room, right? With the people INSIDE the cages?

Minion 3: No, I was thinking more like life at the hot dog stand.

Mogul: Forget it, mogul 5 said that last week, not even Pluto TV would touch it.

Minion 4: How about another celebrity game show?

Mogul: Nah, that's already cornered and it's mostly B and C list has-beens anymore. Move on.

Minion 6: Well...this is a long shot, and nobody in their right mind would ever agree to it...but what if  we took a movie premise and turned it into a streaming TV series?

Mogul: You've watched me pick my nose for years....do I LOOK like I'm in my right mind?

Whoever that mogul was, he has apparently hit paydirt! So far we have "The Mandalorian", a Star Wars offshoot about a resourceful bounty hunter and his "Baby Yoda". In fact, all it needs is John Williams music to seal the deal. I caught the first few episodes and I wasn't all in. But then again, the Rogue 1 and Solo movies didn't impress me all that much. The original storytelling from 44 years ago has changed hands a lot...and I am a bit of a purist. Of course, that said, even I admit George Lucas lost his touch with the prequel trilogy.

Then there is "Cobra Kai", which takes "The Karate Kid" from its original roots and brings the the first rivalry forward 35 years later, mostly from former bully Johnny's point of view. In fact, I found myself cheering more for Johnny than I did Daniel as I watched further. 

OK, we have 2 successes there. Sadly, I can see where this will go. What other movie series will they turn into comic melodrama on the home screen? Let's take a look as the meeting with the mogul and his sellout whores continues...

Mogul: Now what's this with The Groupies?

Minion 7: Goonies, sir. We'll focus on the funniest one in the group, Chunk, and how he turned from an obnoxious kid to an obnoxious adult...it'll focus on him and the rest of his Goonie buddies.

Mogul: So they live in the same small town?

Minion 7: Er...yes.

Mogul: Did any of them happen to manage to get laid?

Minion 7: Of course! They all have kids! The new Goonies, if you will.

Mogul: And who are their adversaries?

Minion 7: Umm...the kids of their old adversaries.as well as the kids of the Fratellis.

Mogul: So nobody has really evolved?

Minion 7(feeling defeated): Umm...no.

Mogul: Sounds like the public will love it! Anything else?

Minion 6: Yes, my  father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate had a great one about Willie Wonka...each week 5 kids get the golden ticket and by the end there's only 1 winner, the rest get washed out.

Mogul: Er, right, Beavis. And what do they get since Charlie already inherited the damn factory?

Minion 6: But that's the catch. In an alternate universe, nobody won, not even Charlie. There wasn't even a Charlie who won at all because he didn't turn back to get another bar.

Mogul: If you think the studio will spring for another set like that, YOU'RE in an alternate universe! Next!

Minion 8: We have the Breakfast Club. Listen, this is great-

Mogul: Listen, Skeezix- that won't fly because it'd be 30-60 minutes of kids on their damn phones! Too tech-stoned to really BE stoned. Next!

Minion 9: Little Shop of Horrors?

Mogul: Let me guess- the plant eats most of the cast every week? Only the fans of Zoey's Playlist will go for all the music numbers. Next?

Minion 10: I know, I know! There was that movie The Fugitive where the doctor was accused of murdering his wife. He spent the movie running from the law and trying to prove his innocence. Well what if he just went from place to place each week getting involved in other people's lives?

Mogul: What a great idea! Brilliant! I can see this happening except for one thing.

Minion 10: What?

Mogul: The movie was based on a series already, then they tried to revive it 20 years ago, didn't fly...but then again, this streaming gig has a new audience not addicted to the old big 3. Give it a shot. One more!

Minion 4: Boogie Nights?

Mogul: Skinemax? Meeting Adjourned!

So, there may be 1 or 2 decent ideas out there. The problem is, the originality is gone and even in base roots, there's repetition and at its worst, rehash.  For the time being, I'll stick to the stuff I have and just enjoy the past as it is...especially on the crapper!

Living Life on the Binge

   Let's see...what can I watch? Ooh, I have the first 4 years of Barney Miller! What else? Oh yeah, my dad gave me the entire Maverick series...on that note I also have all of The Rockford Files, The Wild Wild West, Sledge Hammer, most of Soap, Titus, SCTV, and the first season of SNL...among other shows.

   Then there is all that streams on Netflix or Hulu or whatever other services there are...way too many.

   But that is the nature of the beast in the 21st century...binge watching an entire series, or at least an entire season of a series in one fell swoop.

   I don't know about the rest of you, but I just can't do the binge watch the way many do these days. Yet, shows made now especially for streaming have shorter seasons. The Mandalorian, for instance, is less than 10 episodes in a season, and go for about 40-50 minutes each. One could watch that in a 12 hour period if they really wanted to...and in this COVID era with people staying home, those streaming originals are tailor-made for that kind of watching.

   It wasn't always that way, though.

   Back in the 1950s, when television was in its infancy, the idea of a rerun wasn't in anybody's minds. On average, sitcoms went between 30-40 episodes per season! That pretty much meant that the season went from September to April or May, then some other summer replacement show would fill in until the next season began. Same with westerns and dramas. All 6 years of Leave It To Beaver were 39 episodes, putting its total at 234 shows! I have watched that on one of the services, and I can't do more than 2 or 3 before deciding I've had my fill.

   My wife just finished watching all of Bewitched in a bit over a month, and that was 254 shows! She is more binge-tolerant than me. I was happy when Dick Sargent showed up, it meant the end was near.

   So when did this binge-craze begin? In my mind, TV Land got it started a bit over 20 years ago with their focus weekend marathons of severely cut shows (what they did to Barney Miller was a crime!) That brings about another bit: if you are going to air a show, air it WHOLE...otherwise there is no point. And also, air it with its original closing credits and studio logos, it is part of classic TV.

   The trouble with some classic shows is, many lack the original charm they once had, especially after 3 or 4, maybe 5 episodes! Take Cheers, for instance. Once a hot 80s-90s staple on NBC, Norm and Cliffie wear a bit thin after an hour or so, especially the first 2 years. Another is Family Ties, which truly belonged to the 1980s. The nostalgia wears off after a bit. I can only handle half a disc of The Rockford Files before I'm ready to do something...anything...else!

   Don't get me wrong, lots of these shows are considered classics and deserve to be watched again. For me, I generally have specific episodes in mind for different shows that were, in my mind, the "best ofs". For example, I absolutely love The Wild Wild West, but not all of its 104 episodes were gems. If I had to pick a show I could probably binge-watch for at least a whole disc, it would be WKRP in Cincinnati, I don't think there was a dud in there.

   Actually, I find that my former couch-potato-head ass doesn't desire a whole lot of TV watching anymore. My attention span for it just isn't where it once was.

   Until I get old and retire, I think I'll just stick to an episode here and there of whatever, then put it back into my memory for the time being...unless someone finds the missing episodes of The Edge of Night....then I'm there, dude!

   

The 2000s part 4: 2006

    Eek! It has been some time since I took my trip backward...the holiday doldrums tend to put my creativity into a kind of suspended animation...that and my walking as well!

   After waiting out the beginning of 2021, it was soon apparent the holidays were indeed finished. January 6 clinched that, in fact.

   Looking back at my previous entries about the early 21st century, it is apparent that while there were some decent periods, my personal life was in a serious state of ennui. Catching up on not getting laid for my first 29 years of life wasn't doing the trick enough...I needed more out of life, a more solid connection with another woman that would be longer-lasting. A 3-month relationship in early 2004 had proved fruitless and an attempt at shacking up with another in late the same year proved disastrous...making 2005 a sort of hangover-and-recover year.

That brings us to...

2006

   I was more determined than ever to find "the one" with the new year. I had taken myself off the market in fall of the previous year to shed some old shit off of the soul. The trouble with that was after about 2 months my loins were holding protests. Therefore, after Christmas I got myself back into the game. It started to happen fairly quickly even if sparsely.

   On the way back from my holiday time in San Diego, I met up with a woman named Melanie in Laughlin. What I hadn't quite gotten from her profile was that she had one eye. Eh, not a biggie. We had a nice dinner and chat before I headed home, listening to more of my new Spenser audio book on the drive. We made plans to meet again.

   A couple of weeks went by with nothing really going on. I sent messages to various ladies but with little to no response...though one would prove fruitful later.

   During MLK weekend...the Monday in fact... I met a girl online named Vanessa who really wanted to meet right away or not at all. Having no plans I met her at a bar later at night, bought her a drink or 2 plus a pack of cigs (at least she didn't blow it in my face), then we went back to her home, a trailer in her parents' yard, and proceeded to have a nice time of it. What I discovered pretty quick was that she liked a certain technique that gave her a LOT more pleasure than me, but not before I got my jollies.

   Shortly after that, I met up with Melanie in Laughlin again, this time getting a room. We had dinner, had fun in my hotel room, then she left to be with her boys, with whom I bowled the next morning. Melanie was a nice person, but she was way too down on herself. I recalled I was feeling the same way regarding myself not too long before and realized I did not want that in my future.

   I hung with Vanessa a few more times but before long I came to understand that her mood swings were pretty quick, and I wasn't getting much pleasure emotionally or physically from her. Also, as she didn't have a car, I found myself driving to the southwest to get her, sometimes eat with her, and then take her home. The physical end of the relationship had already died down, so the writing was on the wall.

   A promising start to the year it was not! However, there was a person I had contacted previously whom I had not heard from that finally messaged me back. Her name was Vickie Johnson and she didn't have regular computer and internet access, hence the delay. 

   On February 7, our school had a hard lockdown that went from 12:30 p.m. to almost 6. Everyone was pretty freaked out, and no kids were required to come in the next day if they needed a day to recover... though some came. On my way home (finally) after it was over, I called Vickie, and we talked every night after that and made  a plan to meet on Saturday the 11th.

   On that Saturday, I had to go get a blood draw and had not made an appointment, and as it was a fasting draw, I was pretty hungry and had a big headache when it was all over. I called Vickie and asked her whether she wanted to wait a bit and let me shower or just come over in my cleanest dirty shirt...she chose the latter.

   I picked her up and we went to Pick Up Stix for lunch. My headache was still going even after we ate, so on the way to the movies, we hit up Albertson's for some Advil...for which she had a coupon! What a great omen! We went to see "The Pink Panther" with Steve Martin, during which I felt much better. We had a nice time...and didn't see much of the last part of the movie!

   Afterward, we played some slots for a bit, then went on a drive around town and just talked. It was nice to just be able to get to know someone without getting to the obvious home plate. We stopped and ate at South Coast (later South Point) at the diner, then later headed back to my place and talked and smooched a bit more while watching "Revenge of the Sith". Before we knew it, it was 2am! It had been a long day for me, but I really liked being with her. I made her an offer of sleeping on my bed and I would sleep on the couch (I had napped there many times so no big deal). After some thought and seeing how tired I was, not wanting me to get into an accident taking her home or on the way back to mine, she agreed.

   The next morning, I got up and after she did, I made us breakfast and we just hung out talking and whatever until mid afternoon when she had to get ready for work. I took her home, waited for her to get into her Arby's uniform, then drove her to work. We made plans to have dinner on Valentine's Day, 3 days later. Pretty much immediately after, I went to the store and got her some flowers and a card. I couldn't WAIT until Tuesday!

   I think my kids at school saw something different about me on Monday, I seemed more relaxed and easygoing. On Tuesday after work, I picked Vickie up and took her to my apartment where I made her meatloaf with turkey along with my Nana Moore's piquant sauce (ketchup, brown sugar, and nutmeg). I asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend and she agreed. When I took her home that evening, I couldn't hold it in anymore...I told her I loved her. Now this was almost a classic case of me running off the cliff like Wile E Coyote again...but this time I was covered...she told me she loved me, too.

The End!

No! You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? However, seeing as Vickie and I are still happily together 15 years later, there is so much more!

The following weekend was Presidents' Day. Vickie and I went to breakfast, then out to Valley of Fire. We filmed a little informational video while walking around, then drove around some more. While driving, I was starting to feel quite ill. Recalling that at a school staff function the previous day I had some hot dogs, I figured those were the culprit. I asked Vickie if she could drive. She said she could, but was uneasy about it even though she had a license. After a bit, I took over again and we made it home. I was feeling horrible and she took good care of me. Sometime during that evening I asked if the name Vickie Moore sounded good to her. At the time I wasn't sure if she was humoring me, but she said it had a ring to it. She made some chicken and corn and later I threw that up...and felt much better later!

The next morning, I felt even better, but discovered my computer wasn't working. After breakfast, I called a mobile tech guy to come out, a wheezing 300+ pound guy named Barry. It cost $300 along with a new hard drive (the old one was virus-stricken), but he got it going again. I left him there to work while I took Vickie home so she could get ready for work.

About a week later, I took her over to her brother Mark's house to drop off a birthday present for her 5 year old niece Kaitlyn. I met her, Kaitlyn's brother Brendan, and Mark's girlfriend Laura. Not long after, we went to Joe's Crab Shack for Vickie's birthday where I met her brother Mark and her mom Laurie. At this point I had met most of the family in town...all except her half brother John, with whom Vickie did not have the best relationship. 

Soon after came track break number 2. Vickie and I spent as much time together as possible. On many days I would take her to work, do my thing for a while, then pick her up to hang some more. I took a very short trip to San Diego during track break, but was in a hurry to return to Vickie. She really didn't like being in her own place, which was a house in which she rented a room and had use of the laundry and kitchen facilities. Her roommate, whose grandfather owned the house, was quite the bitch and held the only mail key. Vickie got disability checks due to some previous medical situations (including 2 bouts of childhood leukemia and resulting other things) and was waiting her her monthly installment one night so we could go to dinner. The roommate Christie was taking her time getting home and Vickie went to check with Christy's brother if he had a mail key but he didn't. For some reason that pissed Christy off, but finally she got home with the mail so we could go. Soon after, Vickie rented a box at Smith's to avoid the hassle.

Not long after, Christy let some family friends stay at the house and they pretty much had the run of the place while Christy put restrictions on what Vickie could do and when, including laundry. They got into a huge fight about it one night, after which Vickie hugged me for support and said, "Let's go home." We also got my friend Robin to help us get Vickie's rear projection TV from the house garage to my apartment.

In April, we went to San Diego together for my dad's 60th birthday celebration. We stayed at my mom's and she got to meet my mom, Don, and dog Sabrina and cat Callie. The birthday celebration was at a country club where some of Becky's family had also traveled. Well, everyone who mattered had met everyone who mattered. Later that month, we took a little trip to Primm and stayed at Whiskey Pete's. Little trips like that when she wasn't working were a treat for us. 

In May, I was thinking a lot about her. We had done things nice and slow, pretty much just enjoyed being with each other. I knew I was always happier when I was with her and vice versa. Somewhere in my mind, the m word was rattling around...yep, marriage! As Memorial Day weekend was coming up, we planned a short trip to San Diego. Before going, I bought her a nice simple ring. When in California, we went to the beach and I proposed to her...Wile E. lucked out again, she said yes! Shortly after, we went to a celebratory lunch at Bully's North in Del Mar with Mom, Don, and his business partner Bob Ellis...who had me say "REAL ESTATE" so he could make it a business expense.

As we were now engaged, we decided it would be good to live together before our November wedding. It was a great time, too, because my apartment complex had changed hands and was now run by an outfit that was horrible and cheap when it came to maintenance and repair, especially with water leaks! We looked around and with the help of realtor friend Treasa, we found a really nice 2 bedroom apartment not too far from the Arby's where Vickie worked. It was spacious, well lit, and a perfect place for Vickie's cat Mitzy Mew to romp around in. During the final track break of the year, we hired Starving Students to move things from the apartment and our friends Lauren and Aaron helped get Vickie's things from the house. On the final morning she would ever see that house, Vickie got some final things from there and had a fairly nasty confrontation with Christy...I think she had been looking forward to that. All I remember is Christy following us out of the house in her pajamas just woken up. She looked pretty stupid as we drove away.

Indeed, as the move had happened during the week of July 4th, it was an independence for both of us in our new home. It was a slow process unpacking our boxes. The spare bedroom has the bed Vickie had used in the house. Our kitchen table was a mere card table for the time being, but that was ok. Also during that summer I met Vickie's grandpa Walt. We got along immediately, and he accidentally got my name wrong, calling me "Dave". It was a running joke for years right up until he passed in 2016.

We got in another trip to San Diego, which was memorable because on the way back we stopped and had something to eat at the Excalibur Café with a friend. I played my first round of keno then and won $600! That paid for Vickie's wedding dress and alterations. I haven't won at keno since.

In July we traveled to the L.A. area for my friend Rob's wedding to Samantha Ross. We hadn't made a reservation so we scrounged around for a hotel and found one in Azusa for $75. It was a bit dumpy and it was also a night of power failures. The next day we drove around for a while until it was wedding time and then went to Pasadena. It was a good wedding and Rob looked genuinely happy with his new bride. As Vickie had to work the next day, we drove home that night.

In early August, we wrapped up the 2005-06 school year. Unlike the previous year, this one was ending on a good note and I was sad to be parting with that group of kids. On the last day of school, Vickie and I had dinner at the Top of the World restaurant at the Stratosphere, sharing a chateaubriand dinner. We then went to Mesquite to stay the night. Our room at the Edgewater had a bad A/C unit so we got to move to a new room with a better working one. The next morning we swam a bit, went to breakfast, then drove a bit into Utah and back into Nevada while listening to good music. One thing I already knew about Vickie was that she was a good road trip co-pilot, keeping me awake with coffee, gum, and loud music.

Shortly after the 2006-07 year began, I had a couple more weddings to attend. On Labor Day weekend, we traveled again to San Diego (by plane) for my mom's wedding (finally) to Don. It was a very pleasant time, and nephew Ian and I walked her to the gazebo on the lagoon, which was pretty much the community's back yard. Afterward we had good food and the men had celebratory cigars, me included. The following weekend, we flew to San Francisco then drove up to Santa Rosa for Scott's wedding to Darlene. I hadn't been up there for a while, so the visit was great. Looking back on the wedding shots, I had been gaining a good (as in BAD) amount of weight throughout the year...we had eaten out many times.

As the new school year was progressing, so were our wedding plans. While Vickie's dress alterations were going on, we searched for a chapel, settling on Special Memories Chapel in downtown. We also got flower arrangements through Smith's floral department. 

One night we were out drinking and karaoke-ing with the Mikinka sisters and Vickie had gotten a bit toasted. She fell off her stool, giving her quite the bruise, and later she felt nauseous, throwing up a few times on the way home. After getting her on the bed, I said something to her and she told me quietly to F off. I thought it was funny, but she didn't...and quite frankly has not done a lot of alcohol since.

Before we knew it, November had arrived. Luckily we had the first almost 2 weeks before the 11th to finalize things. On the 10th, everyone was coming in from everywhere, both my family and friends plus Vickie's family. There was a rehearsal dinner at Mastroianni's Italian restaurant, where my dad held podium as "master of ceremonies" so to speak, telling his corny jokes. After dinner, Vickie and I checked one more time with the chapel to make sure all was set, then she went to stay at her mom's for the night.

The next day, I got up, ate, got a haircut and shave, went to get my tux, had a bit of lunch, then got dressed. The plan was to get to Red Lobster where the chapel limo would pick me and the wedding party (Scott, his dad, Lora and Alexa, Vickie's coworker Tonya, the Mikinkas, and I) at 1:30 as the wedding was at 2. Somehow the chapel people hadn't checked this so I had to call. The limo was late and as it had to dodge around Veteran's Day traffic. On the way, I got a call from Treasa, who immediately gave her phone to Vickie, who was fearing I had changed my mind. At last we got there, but had to wait a bit for another wedding to end as we came late. At least the ceremony went right and we said our personal vows to each other. 

The limo getting us to Red Lobster for the reception wasn't too bright either and took his sweet time getting there. Luckily as it turned out, due to the disasters, Scott and Sam Catania had a Sicilian style talk with the chapel people, who got us a lot of our stuff for free. Red Lobster itself was good, though I suspected that despite our chosen appetizer items we'd agreed to pay for, some full meals were put on our bill, which was about $900. 

That night, we went to our apartment and changed clothes. Rob and Sam stayed there as well, along with my grandma. While Vickie and I went to Mesquite for our brief honeymoon night, Rob and Sam hung with my grandma and took her to breakfast the next day before going home. Vickie and I had a good night together and hung around Mesquite for part of the day, where we saw some of Vickie's family on their way back home. Once home, we took Grandma Jo to dinner then to the airport.

After that it was just hanging out in our apartment with each other doing whatever for a few days. We then took a small road trip up into Utah then across to Page, Arizona to check out the Glen Canyon Dam (pretty DAMN impressive), then headed down to the Grand Canyon and then home...a good 2 day trip. Not long after we went to Big Bear Lake to meet up with my mom and Don for Thanksgiving at their cabin. There was a decent little apartment above the garage for us to stay in. Dinner was great and we also took in a movie and did a little fishing. Soon after, it was time to get back to school, and that week I celebrated my 34th birthday.

In December, we got a new kitten from Vickie's friend Courtney, a pretty orange tabby we named Layla. Finally Mitzy had a playmate! Also in December, we went on a late night drive to visit my grandma as she was getting ready to move in with my aunt Terry in San Diego and needed some organizing help. One thing we attained was my grandpa Fitz's chiming naval clock. That had always been one of my favorites. Also in December we were getting some things here and there for the apartment, one of them being a wooden dining table with 4 chairs. That was a fun fit into the car trunk!

We decided that Christmas would be spent with just the 2 of us in Las Vegas instead of traveling. It was the first time I had ever done Christmas without my parents, even when they were apart. It was a nice change. And it was a great end to perhaps the best year of my life!

2020...The Review

 Well, to sum it up really quick...fuck this year! OK, I'm done.

Wait, what? You actually WANT me to go way back to one of the worst years in modern history that many people faced? Hey, do you reheat crappy food, too?

(sigh) All right, fine. Just remember, YOU asked for this, not me!

To be fair, the year should be separated into 2 distinct parts...the normal part and the pandemic part.

On my end of things, I was starting a weight loss contest at school, and went on a very low carb eating plan. Despite the oily hair and truly rancid breath at first,  the weight was coming off pretty well.

The normal part, was of course quite short, from January to mid March. Oh sure, there was talk of the Coronavurus and there were a ton of jokes made at its expense. Why? People joke about what they don't understand...and even better comedians know how to joke about what they DO understand...and make enlightening connections.

In those opening months, nobody thought much about it. As for me, I was teaching grammar and writing to 3 different classes every day, one of the worst set-ups for a grade level I ever experienced...and I am glad it was cut short.

In terms of politics, the first months were still about weeding out what was essentially a 20-contestant round of The Dating Game., a round that began the previous summer. There was so much buildup over who could topple Donald Trump in November of 2020. The bizarre twist of this was that he was impeached in January and was acquitted.. He was in fact pretty unstoppable despite the social media hype over his political demise.

We lost Kobe Bryant...and many mourned his passing more than the other folks who were aboard the flying machine. Fame is a bizarrely twisted thing.

Hollywood slimeball Harvey Weinstein was finally convicted of rape and sexual abuse. His many victims had some justice at last...but that doesn't repair soul damage.

And looming through all of this was the COVID 19 epidemic. People talked...people rumored...people fucking PANICKED!

And then March hit...and bit by bit the shit really did hit the fan. First up was the stock market crash. COVID was really having an effect as more cases were coming up. Meantime, I took my wife to Laughlin for her birthday. The next week, we scored for free tickets to see Billy Idol on March 14. There had been talk at work the day before whether schools were closing down, but no final word.

The final word hit on March 15 that we would be out through the middle of April. The first week we did nothing but sit and wait. That didn't bother me much, the rest felt good. 

What DID suck was what I call legal looting...meaning people were allowed to buy up as much water and toilet paper as they wanted. Really, the panic was scary and quite ridiculous. The mask wearing was recommended at first but not enforced. There were also more hired security guards standing in front of stores...just in case.

My weight loss had been 20 pounds by the time we were sent home. The trouble with being home with not a whole lot to do is that you tend to stress eat, even though I wasn't really stressed. More like bored off my ass. As the first week passed, we as teachers were told to just do review for the remaining 2 months, nothing new to teach at all. Plus, we had to make sure we made at least once a week contact with parents and students for attendance purposes. This went on from late March to mid-late May.

I decided that since we were in an emergency mode, I didn't want to style my hair anymore, so my wife gave me a crew cut in late April, and I razored the rest off. Been maintaining the baldness since. As I was giving assignments merely for attendance purposes and checking with parents, I didn't have a whole lot to do, so I got back on the jigsaw puzzle craze. Trouble was, a lot of other people felt the same way...and new puzzles got scarce. 

As we got into mid May, things calmed down a bit, and slowly toilet paper and water got restocked. We had bought a 5 gallon bucket of laundry detergent that was delivered...and we are still using it!

The stimulus checks came and we put ours to good supply use. The country was starting to relax...maybe a bit too much.

I finally had myself on a normal (as in low carb) eating plan again and began experimenting with different things. It was nice to be active in the kitchen!

In late May we had a drive thru graduation ceremony for the 5th grade on the school playground. It was perfect social distancing.

And then George Floyd was beaten by police....and like the Rodney King tragedy 29 years previous, people went apeshit and there was a wave of combined peaceful and violent protest. A local police officer in Vegas was shot by a civilian in early June. So now we had not only COVID to contend with but also social unrest on a different level. 

Plus, Joe Biden had become Trump's opponent in the upcoming election. It was like a choice between Denny's and IHOP. Not the 2 best breakfast choices, but when you're hungry and that's all there is at the next exit...

The summer of 2020...probably my best in a long time! We did not have the dough to travel, and there weren't a whole lot of places to go, anyway. So I walked. And walked and walked and walked! The walks started slowly and then built...from 3 to 4 to 5 to 6,7,8 mile jaunts, and then finally I did a 10 in July! It was probably a bit much but that was ok. I finally got my weight below 200 for the first time in years, and my clothes were hanging more on me. We got a few swims in also at the YMCA as well as at a friend's house, but really it was about the walks.

Then came murder hornets without Kato. Move on.

I lost an old and dear friend from my first school Tom Williams. It was a sad time in mid July, and I was honored to speak at her funeral, though sad and angered that only a few old colleagues came to pay respects.

In August Kamala Harris was nominated as potential VP to Biden. I had no opinion since she had no impact on me.

Then came the real distance learning for most of the nation. After some wasted time on learning one system via page design, we ended up using another system anyway. The sudden spike in internet usage caught the Internet/wifi providers in their bare asses. Come to think of it, the problem has remained though on a smaller basis.

The west coast was up in flames! Wonder if those hornets were involved?

I will say this about distance learning...if your heart is into your class and you want to make it work...it is not all that bad. You just have to expect some going in and out among your students as they have connection issues. Just takes patience.

We lost Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Eddie Van Halen within a month of each other...2 legends of 2 different ilks....yes I went to college, I am ALLOWED to use higher-level 3-letter words!

October brought us the debates sponsored by Satan...yep, IHOP vs Denny's all right! We also lost the grand quizmaster of Jeopardy...Alex Trebek! The quiz game show world will never be the same. We also lost legendary actor Sean Connery. There will never be a Bond like him...no will there be a sexier Scottish lisp again.

November brought a surprise or 2. First, the COVID rate was rising, and at an interesting rate in our district. Therefore it was determined that even teachers couldn't be at school alone, they had to suffer with their families. On the plus side, I turned a proud 48. On the political side, everything that was foreseen and warned about happened. Biden won the electoral and Trump fans went apeshit. They still are.

December brought a subdued Christmas spirit as COVID cases kept rising and the election results kept being challenged. Overall a pretty fast month.

Other deaths of famous people...and this year the deaths of many nonfamous people should also be respected...a tough year for many.

Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore in Goldfinger)

Wilford Brimley (actor)

Jeremy Bulloch...the original Boba Fett costume wearer

Edd "Cookie" Byrnes (actor)

Pierre Cardin (fashion designer)

Mary Higgins Clark (author)

Robert Conrad...famous for playing James West on The Wild Wild West...one of my favorite shows!

Mac Davis (singer)...rest in peace, sir, but I never got hooked on you.

Olivia de Havilland and Kirk Douglas...both at 104! That is a life!!

Brian Dennehy

Winston Groom (author of Forrest Gump)

Buck Henry (writer and comedian)

Terry Jones (Monty Python)

Tom Kennedy (game show host)

Hal Ketchum (country singer)

John Le Carré (author)

Jim Lehrer (TV newsman)

John Lewis (civil rights activist)

Johnny Nash (singer)...I hope he can see clearly now.

Fred 'Curly' Neal (Harlem Globetrotters)

Ken Osmond (Eddie Haskell)

Regis Philbin

Charley Pride

John Prine (singer)

David Prowse (the man in the Darth Vader costume)

Helen Reddy...she was woman!

Carl Reiner

Diana Rigg (played James Bond's only...and brief...wife)

Kenny Rogers

John Saxon (actor)

Jerry Stiller

Peter Tork (the quiet Monkee)

Max Von Sydow

Lyle Waggoner

Fred Willard

Bill Withers (singer)

Chuck Yeager (legendary pilot)

That was just a sampling, I know, and we lost many more.

In closing, 2020 could be heaven or hell, depending on where you stood in life. For me it was heaven surrounded by chaos. We can only hope that the hells of one year can evoke the heaven of the next.

A happy and blessed 2021 to all!

Santa's Coach

 As I watch all of these Christmas specials we have on disc, I have to say I am quite grateful to not have to tune in to local stations to figure out when the few remaining classics will air, for there are so many more that USED to air.

   We are all familiar with the somewhat prickish Santa Claus in Rudolph, and the gentler jollier ones in Frosty The Snowman, Santa Claus is Comin' To Town and The Year Without a Santa Claus....and if you are NOT familiar with these, you are a low-down dirty millenial, now GET OUT!!!

   No, sorry, I had a little 2020 tension there, forgive me. Only 8 days left.

   What I was getting at, though, is that no matter the depiction, there is an original image of Santa Claus from which all translations sprung, for better or worse, from TV and movie versions to Salvation Army models outside Wal Mart and so forth. That said, the original Santa Claus likely didn't just KNOW how to BE Santa Claus, he had to have some sort of training from a form of acting coach, perhaps a coach elf. I can imagine the training might have gone something like this:

Hi there...the file says your name is Santa Claus?

All right, well, I've been asked to give you some insider tips on how to do your job.

Well, I never said you were doing it badly. Come to think of it, I have no idea what your job actually is.

No. You see I was pulled out of a gig just the other day, showing some guy named Washington how to be 'presidential'. 

Yeah, I seem to have a reputation for helping first timers, I guess. Problem is, it can be a crap shoot at times. Now, this is your first time at your job, am I right?

OK, so tell me what your general duties are.

You go around the world and give presents to all the children on Christmas Eve. All the DAMN children! 

Right. Okay, I think the first thing to do here is improve the attitude a bit.

Yes, I don't think you'll develop a very good rep if you curse your clientele regularly. I think what we need here is a sense of jolliness. Now let me hear you laugh.

Oh god, you sound like my dentist when he announces a root canal for me. I don't think har har is going to work here. Let's try something else.

No no no, the he he he won't work either, you sound like a future restraining order. Let's try it again.

Whoa! Definitely not a huh huh huh, you sound like a butthead. One more try.

Yes, YES! HO HO HO is definitely the way to go. I want you to practice that laugh as often as you can. Now, let's talk about the gift-giving. What's the plan?

Well, now that's something else we need to work on. I don't think you're going to be successful if you just walk into people's homes and drop off presents and just leave. 

No, it's mildly creepy and while the kids will like it, parents probably won't. If some stranger walks in and drops off presents, wrapped or not, I'm likely to toss him out on his ear.

Oh no, I can work this out. I'm thinking...hey, what if we make it so you come at night when everyone is asleep? Yeah, that's it! And you won't get caught up in any unnecessary conversation...otherwise you won't get to all those damn-er, all the kids.

No, the front door isn't such a hot idea, often they're locked.

No, I don't think the image of you as a lockpicker will go over well...there is P.R. to consider here. No I was thinking of you coming down the chimney. 

Sure! When you come late at night, the fires will most surely be out. Let's see, what else? Oh, let me take a good look at you.

No, there's nothing really wrong, you just look like a middle-aged barfly, and those are a dime a dozen. What we're looking for here is...a right jolly old elf! 

How? Easy: put on a good amount of weight and grow a big beard and mustache. You have the white already. 

No that won't be enough. Some special clothes will be needed...a suit of some sort. Um...what's your favorite color?

Eek! I don't think black is a jolly color. Tell you what, let me think about it for a while and I'll send you to my tailor when I have it mapped out. We have a few months. Now, there's one little wrinkle I haven't figured out. You give gifts to all the children, right? 

Well, I think you might want to think of that a bit. Some of those kids, well, can be DAMN kids and pretty naughty. Let's do this. Come up with a list of the ones who are naughty and the ones who are nice. The ones who are nice will know you're coming to town.

The bad ones? Hmm...well I could be a little turd when I was a kid and my dad whacked me with a piece of coal.

No, no! No whacking, remember I mentioned having good P.R. But maybe leave them some coal, I think that'd leave a message for the next year.

Good good, I think we're making progress. Listen, I'll work on the clothes angle and get back to you. You work on the attitude and laugh. Oh, and I also have a line on the newest thing in transportation. 

Yep, think of this: flying reindeer. Sleep on that and we'll talk later!

The 2000s part 3: 2004-2005

So far, the 21st century had been quite a rollercoaster ride for me, and it was not looking to change anytime soon. I had gone from a somewhat high to a pretty big low, then dug myself out of that to enjoy a new start in life, including a new foray into the dating world. As I was about to find out, though, my digging myself out of that big hole wasn't a permanent thing!

2004

As the new year was upon us, I was getting more involved with Gigi, the friend of a married woman who tried to have a fling with me. As previously indicated, despite my desire to catch up from a pretty lame time in my 20s sexually, I had some scruples and had to turn that girl down. Gigi, on the other hand, was openly divorced with an elementary-aged daughter. We got together a couple of times in late 2003, and right after new year, we had ourselves a nice time on the pretext of me helping her put together a metal shelving unit.

I really dug Gigi, and we were having a nice time of it. Sometimes she would come to my apartment, but usually I went to hers since most often her daughter was with her. There were a few issues, however. One was that she had some jealousy about my past flings, few as they were, especially in regard to Treasa for some reason. That one escalated when Treasa took me out for a belated birthday celebration at a dinner theatre show called Ba-Da-Bing. Admittedly, when I took Treasa home, we did share a kiss and I was tempted...but temptation was it and I went home. The other was that I was tiring of the constant drives to her apartment, which was southeast of the airport. She also grew weary of my admittedly cavalier attitude toward our relationship. At 31 (she was 38), I should have been a lot more mature, but like I said, I was catching up on life at this point.

On a more normal plane, I was keeping a nice platonic friendship with Lora and started hanging with her and her daughter Alexa from time to time. I enjoyed those times more because there wasn't any sexual bullshit to contend with. Considering that to this day she and I remain great friends should be a big indicator of priorities!

On the work front, things were...ok. I enjoyed my class a lot and I had also begun a twice a week tutoring program after school for some extra bucks. That and going to the gym afterward made me pretty exhausted by the time I got home. 

After a bit of an argument about whatever, around Valentine's Day I believe, Gigi and I had a temporary breakup...meaning she broke up with me in the morning, then after going to a wedding and getting hammered, she begged me to come to her place. So, we continued a bit longer, but not much. By late March, we agreed (mutually this time) that we weren't a long-term fit. Treasa and I started hanging together for a bit after that, but like before it wasn't exclusive...and for a change I was ok with that. I'd already figured out that I wasn't quite ready for what I considered tethered domestication. Treasa even invited me to her home for Easter dinner which included her folks, whom I had seen many times when they were picking up Christian from school.

I met a few others around this period with mixed results...sometimes they were drinks and/or dinner, sometimes a one time dalliance. One was a girl named Danni who I met up with at the place where you watch planes take off and land at McCarran...the place seemed designated for such meetups.

Another was Shannon, a pretty BBW redhead I had taken a fancy to, but she suddenly backed away and I didn't think it was me this time...but it likely was. Looking back at myself in those days, I really do not think I displayed what could be considered self confidence and self possession. Women generally have a good radar for those things.I think about the way I sat at restaurants with dates, not really listening to understand, but rather to get an "inside" angle. Yeah, I do believe I was shallow in that way but didn't realize it...just a boy inside trying to catch up to manhood...but not emotionally.

It was getting to me big-time!

Back at work, Teddy Brewer was finally about done with her first full year at Tom Williams, and was ready to make some changes...one of them being a switch for me from 1st to 5th grade. Quite a jump for sure, but she had me observe some good 5th grade teachers to see how they did things. I got a few ideas, but nothing really solid. What didn't help was that it was near year's end and they were pretty done with the year as well.

As the end of the school year was upon us, Treasa and I called it quits again. I wasn't so upset at her as I was at myself. Something was definitely wrong...but it was just beginning.

I did some of my time off between years (2 1/2 weeks) in San Diego and while there continued the online search for women. I began talking with a somewhat younger girl named Dorothy who lived in Texas. I figured maybe some long-distance thing without meeting would be healthy...it wasn't.

One problem with being in a new grade was that I had to change rooms...this room being a portable that had a faulty AC system sensor-wise. After a short time available to get the room together, the year began.

Now, I can pretty much sum up this ENTIRE year in one word: bad. It was for the most part a pretty rough group of kids. However, looking back on it all...they were pretty funny and if I had not let my bad level of self-respect and frustration get in my way, I think the year would have gone a LOT more smoothly. However, my state of emotion left me quite reactionary to the smallest things...and 5th graders pick up on that and use it against you. My classroom management was shit and not only the kids but many of the staff took note of it...and people I considered to be friends at work began turning their backs on me and getting quite cold, especially a couple in my own grade level. If I had the strength and courage to ask for help, I would have. But I was drowning...and having many a discussion with Teddy in her office. For the first time in my career (but not the only time) I was getting regularly called on the carpet.

One positive experience at this time was a trip up to Reno with my friend and colleague Kathleen Everett for a class on Nevada School Law and Nevada Constitution. It was a quick weekend where the school law stuff took the most time and the constitution was essentially a long lunch/text scavenger hunt. What was nice was getting out of town on a road trip. Kathleen and I were already friends, so we had some nice conversation up and on the way back.

While talking to Dorothy in Texas frequently online, I also had a reunion with Indy from the previous year. She had asked me to help with her broken down car on the freeway and things just developed from there. It wasn't the right time at all, but my timing sucked these days anyway. 

My mind...especially emotions, was a mess by October. The past several months of one failed romantic/sexual efforts had taken their toll on me. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't teach right, it was all falling apart! So in my infinite lack of wisdom...I asked Dorothy to not only come visit, but also stay with me for a bit and see how it worked out. It was the dumbest idea I could have had then, and my family and friends were quite baffled by this.

Dorothy came on a Saturday,6 days before Nevada Day weekend. I cleaned up my place nicely and made room for her stuff, then picked her up at the airport. It was ok at first, and our curiosities about each other were satisfied that first night. We did some food shopping and made some plans to hit up some concerts coming up. Then the week hit again and she was stuck at my apartment...getting homesick in the process. The week dragged on like that and by the time the carnival came on Thursday, I practically forced her to come. I was introducing her like she was the one for me, even though she was definitely uncomfortable.

The weekend after was fairly tense and getting worse. Monday morning, we were rearranging furniture in the apartment. I was fixing something and she had made a joking comment that I didn't seem like a handy man...and I completely took it as a huge offense...for no good reason. But the writing was on the wall...it had been there when I asked her to come in the first place! The experiment wasn't working at all, it had in fact sunk me lower than I had been 3 years before! To be perfectly honest, I don't think I had ever completely left that funk, I should have gone to see an independent shrink after I left the HMO one, there was a lot of crap to sort out and LET out!

We decided it was best for me to take her back to Texas. A road trip did sound fun. I asked her from time to time if there was any way to work it out, but that was how desperate and emotional I was at that point. I knew the answer when I asked the question...many times!

The road trip itself was actually pretty good! I had never explored I 40 east of Kingman, so I got to see a lot of nice Arizona country along old route 66. Not a whole lot to see east of Flagstaff, but it got better once we got close to New Mexico. We made it past Albuquerque and stopped in Santa Rosa 100 miles later for the night. The next morning I discovered we were in the Great Plains portion of New Mexico...pretty blah, and it stayed that way all the way to Amarillo and down U.S. 287 to Wichita Falls. Afterward, the trees were more aplenty as dusk came and we passed through the Fort Worth-Dallas metro area to Dorothy's home town of Rockwall.

We stayed at her brother's house that night, then  drove around town the next day and she introduced me to her family members all over the place. It was a bit uncomfortable as I knew I was leaving her the next day. We hung with a friend from late afternoon until night. Her friend noted my dour mood and reminded me frankly that I had done the inviting to stay in the first place..so I needed to take my part of the blame for this situation...what she didn't get was I was already doing that...a ton!

The next morning, after a brief but tearful goodbye, I headed out. Actually, the road trip by myself was what I needed. I listened to some Baldacci book on tape as I cruised down I 30 to I 20 and saw a lot of Texas rolling and flat land...flatter as I passed Abilene! By the time I got on I 10, the sun had set and it was a dark ride to El Paso where I stayed the night. The next morning was a bit rainy. I went to Tucson where I visited my second cousin Mike Fitzmorris and his wife for an hour or so, then I headed to my grandma's for a couple of days in Sun City West. I remember her asking me how Dorothy "was"! There are really times I miss that woman's lack of tact to this day!

When I got home, it was easier than I thought it would be with the emptiness. I made sure my appointment with a shrink was confirmed. Just the first few sessions got a LOT out that had been building and I saw where I had to go in order to be a better me in terms of teaching and relationships. Soon after, I went to San Diego for Thanksgiving. My dad and his friend Mark took me to their form of therapy...a strip joint! To understand just how bizarre this was, my dad is FAR from the strip joint type, though Mark seemed right at home. I got a lap dance or two and got fairly plastered. I probably shouldn't have driven to Mom and Don's new house in Cardiff, but rush hour traffic actually helped me to drive carefully.

Then it was back to school. It was only a few weeks between track break and Christmas break and those few weeks were not too bad in terms of teach-student relations. The first day back was my birthday, and a girl I had met in October named Jen kept our dinner date at Red Lobster, though she understood I was a bit messed up at this point and it was the last I saw of her. 

My therapy sessions had done a lot for me already, and I cautiously tiptoed back into the dating scene, promising I'd take it a lot easier and not feel so rushed. Well..that was ME! A girl named Thea that I met the second weekend of December had a quicker solution in mind. I will say this about her at the very least...the sense of manhood I felt I had lost over the year was restored. Like Lora, she became a friend for life! Like Treasa, she had a wandering eye and got involved with someone else pretty fast after that. This time it was not so bothersome.

Christmas in San Diego...'nuff said. Though I will say that my time with Dad and Mark before gave me a new interest. Going to 'gentlemen's clubs' was actually therapeutic for me. It kept my mind happy and relieved tension on Fridays after a tough work week...they were all tough work weeks at this point.

2005

Coming back into school after the holiday was not something I was looking forward to. Despite new ideas and gimmicks I had, the opening weeks from 2004 had sadly set the pace and my class for the most part wasn't having it...though my toughest kid Ja'shon was actually slowly warming up to me and by year's end he and I probably ended our time together better than the rest. That said, the year was really sliding downhill faster than before. A couple of new boys caught on fast to the fact that their teacher wasn't worth a whole lot as a teacher. 

Thank heaven for weekly therapy with a therapist and at my favorite 'club', The Library! Working out at the gym still along with a twice a week yoga class also helped.

I turned my eye back to the dating scene. I met a girl named Stacy online and we got together a couple of times. End of story. Then I met someone named Jacqueline, who was a live-in nanny for a family of 5. She seemed pretty nice and we had a good time, but something was off. First, she gave me a promise ring on our second or third date. WARNING! Also, she had quite the mood swings and was a wiccan practitioner. That last part didn't bug me as much as the mood swings and promise ring. Among these mood swings, she accused me of being cold and emotionless.

There was some truth to this. As in the beginning of my first therapy rounds 3 1/2 years earlier, the emotions let out a lot first, leaving essentially an empty tank waiting to be refilled...the tank was still on empty.  

After 3 tumultuous weeks, I called it quits with her. It was then that I found out that she was still married to her second husband!! Now, I could have asked about that before, but being a somewhat typical guy, I didn't have a pre-date questionnaire asking for past history and insurance number. I truly believe I escaped a ticking time bomb.

During the spring track break, I headed to Washington for a family visit as well as pop in to see Derek. This was significant in that it was the last time I got the chance to see him. He was happily married with a cute boy named Orion and another on the way. That wasn't why I stopped coming...it was just a year later I had other things on my mind. He and I still talk to this day via email.

After coming back, I had one or two dating opportunities...then Thea came back into the picture. I was interested in pursuing her more than a certain level, but she wasn't. That was ok, for she was really the best thing for me at the time. Nothing else was lurking on the horizon in that department and I felt good with her.

Treasa had gotten engaged to a guy named Darin, who I got to meet one day at lunch with Christian. He seemed pretty nice, I was glad she had found someone pretty solid...in relative terms. Lora, Alexa, and I hung out from time to time. I even was trusted enough to pick up Alexa from her school when Lora was working a long shift. One time when Lora worked a pretty long night shift, I picked up Alexa and took her home, fed her, and put her to bed, then sacked out in Lora's bed until she came home, then slept more until it was time to go get ready for work. There were times for a bit when I wondered if I had missed an opportunity that night, but we had a perfectly platonic friendship...and love. An attempt on anything else would have killed all that and Lora was a jewel in my life.

I was invited to Kathleen Everett's home for Easter dinner with her family. I had already met her husband John and daughter Nicole before, so it was a nice gathering.

At work, I was just barely catching my breath every day. Professionally, I was shutting down and getting shut out by my colleagues. Sad to say, I know I wasn't actively calling for help, but nobody was reaching out to me, either. I think I was being viewed as one of those people who was lucky enough to get by for 3 years before calling it quits. There was a new second assistant principal named John Villareal. I was never sure why he was there, but he was another who called me on the carpet a couple of times, though in a gentle way. Teddy's time was about up and Kristie Rodeles was taking the reins as principal...and she had my problems to contend with. As there had been a few issues parents had raised concerns about (and rightly), for the last two weeks she had someone sit in the room with me while I taught. Given how the year had gone, I was grateful for the backup.

During the final track break, Rob Lander and I took a hiking trip in Zion. It was a breath of fresh air for a couple of days, well needed!

My time with Thea had gradually, and wordlessly, come to an end. I always knew she had an eye on something or someone else. It was ok. Other endeavors were proving mostly fruitless with a couple of exceptions. One was a girl named Karen Mikinka, whom I ended up hanging with along with her neurotic, quite weird sister Denise. Actually, they were both a bit off center, I hung with them here and there. Another was named Robin Fitzgerald who had 2 kids. We became movie and meal buddies here and there. What endeared me to Robin was that when the next school year was starting, she called me the night before to wish me luck.

But first, let's end the other year and quickly before my mind goes again! The schedule was a bit messed up, with 5th grade graduation the day before the last school day, which was thankfully only until 12:40. We were done with each other at that point, no love lost. As I said, I was the one who made that year what it was, not them. After the day was over, I got in my car, grabbed my stuff, then headed to San Diego. There was a bit of sprinkling going on during the drive, which suited me fine. During the time there, my mom had gotten me a book called The Reluctant Disciplinarian ..a pretty good read and gave some tips on how to get the year started right. I actually liked this one more than The First Days of School. 

Upon return, I got to move from the portable with iffy AC to the main building, and was neighbors with Dorothy Williams. I always had a good relationship with her, and she remained positive with me even through my tough year before. I can say the same for Kathleen Everett, tech guy Paul Minkler and librarian Bob Boucher. The rest were what one would call fair weather friends. We also became bathroom partners, watching each others' classes if one of us had to go. We had 2 new specialist teachers, Christy Speas for music and Erica Hendrickson for art. New year, new faces, a positive already. A downside was that Scott Gupton had moved on to another school.

And with that, the school year began. Therapy had ended months before (due to insurance not paying) but I was feeling overall much better. I had a fairly tough class again, but I was much better prepared mentally for it and therefore got things started off right.

During Labor Day weekend, I met a girl named Jessica...another with 2 sons. We got together for coffee and then later at her place, and then again a week later. After that, it was a quick shut out (like others). This time, instead of shrugging and deciding to try again, I made a quite huge decision...to drop out! Indeed after over 2 1/2 years of one failure after another, despite some fun times in one bed or another, I needed a break or there was going to be another huge downfall! It was time to concentrate on me and work. The strip joint thing was still going, though not every Friday as before, so I had that if needed. I was hanging here and there with the Mikinkas and also Robin from time to time for companionship.

That time of celibacy really helped me to rediscover me. My teaching became a LOT more solid and Rodeles started to throw some praise my way here and there. I think she did that out of some sense of obligation. In the five years I worked under her, I never got the sense that she really liked me that much...I am not to everyone's taste.

As the carnival of 2005-2006 came, I was feeling great and definitely ready for track break. This time, I mostly hung around Vegas until Thanksgiving, then a quick jaunt to San Diego. In the early part of break, I went out with the Mikinkas for a little partying and got myself pretty plastered on vodka tonics. Quite frankly, my system needed the flush. They ended up driving me home and Denise brought me my car later. As Karen went on a business trip, Denise was scared to be alone to I hung at their place on the couch a couple of nights. The more time I spent with those 2 the more I understood how asexual they were...no vibes in that direction in any way. I do recall once that Denise asked if something happened to Karen, would I move in? It didn't take me long to say no...I was trying to be me for a while...whatever that was.

As my 33rd birthday passed, I realized the celibacy was wearing thin. I was getting good social time but that one part that had gone long without until 29 was getting restless, and the strip joint visits were getting less helpful. I decided that after Christmas I would enter the market again, this time more aware than before.

In fact, after I came back from the typical empty San Diego Christmas, I stopped in Laughlin to have dinner with a girl named Melanie. What I didn't realize from her online pic (taken at an odd angle) was that she had one eye. Hey, that didn't bother me, I had grown a lot in the past months. We made plans for another visit after New Year, which I partially spent with Robin and then the Mikinkas. We went to the Excalibur to watch the fireworks, ring in the New Year, then fight the crowds to escape. Pretty empty really. I realized that I wanted more...and was ready for more and I don't mean just sex. Ah, the next year!