getting there

non airconditioned 3d floor library @ my school. Sweating. Me and principal only in school. Listened to whitey's latest mix, now waiting for thom Hartmann to hit. Two. Speanding lottes time in librray this summer. This librray very old fashioned, and takes tonnes of work from me to make it into a modernlike asset to the school. Wulling to do the work - say, 10-15h /week no pay. Will make my life so much easier this Fall. Good for kids. But does suck having to go into .... sweatbox to work boring on de kids outripping did i really need to come in today? Hadn't the first three days this week - but the feeling of falling behind....what am I doing? I am automating the library here - meaning when the kids check out a book, it will not hav eto be done the old fashioned way of kids signing card etc - now we will be able to check the out w a scanner - like a REEAL library! However, i measn that I have to spend unpaid weeks dripping nasty here - but does force meself to stay out of trouble.

the work consists of me going thru' every single book in the collection and inputting it into the system. Every book thru' my hands. thousands of books. tedium. Some simple - scan the UPC code on the back, if it reads, then scan the library bar code on the back of the book and hit enetr. Maybe 15% of the books. Ohterwise, open up the cover, look for the UPC< enter it manuelly. hope it is found......etc etc etc....

Not hard, but tedious. And in 90% heat ((how will th ekids deal with this furnance in 4 weeks??). Gotta get done. Being abit lazy - i really shoulda done each day this week- but i am slitely shaving bits off my total work, so slow and steady and sweaty is the way.

P_lus, you know, I actually have a job - the same job i will be going back to in the Fall. Me. A job I have kept.

get off yr asses

Been on the 1975-1977 punkrock blitz. Many bio's of the pistols. Immersion in early PiL. And all of the other milleau of the late 1970's, especially in Britain and Eire. This here first livelive perormance of the Pistols. Again, the utter singularity of Johnny Rotten. Love this clip.

Your Bedchambers

Since early twenties - despite weeping on reading bits of Hamlet - have always loved Shakespeares Richard III. This addition to the general story of Richard is as kool as hell.

Beloved Kip

kip lives still!

We'd had the vet come over on that nite two weeks ago.  Although the slitest glimmer that 'this dog mite live to see the next day' was a possibility - it wasn't. 

But, then, we decided it wasn't the rite time yet to do it.  The vet gave us a few options for pain management for the dog - and we took it.

I was deeply relieved.  Thre have been many etars over ths dog, but when it went official last week that "Maybe we'll try some of these pills and shots for Kip" huge tears of releive.  Huge relief.

But, again, two weeks later, the question remains  - put him to sleep?  Mothers feels that he has suffered enough - and he has suffered.  Tonite is again a death watch for the Kip - except im much more energized to keep him going while Mothers feels the dogs been through enough.

I hope he sees tomorrow.

Kip: The Loss of My Friend

Today is a day long wanted to be avoided, but, yes, here it is.  The loss of a friend - a dog - but a beloved dog.  Kip, Mothers 16.5 year olf Chow/Alsatian, is to be put down tonite - 8.5 h left.  I've only known him for a year and a half, but that's far more time to have him lodged in my heart. 

He has that hip thing that Alsatians get when they get to be elders.  He can no longer walk rite and falls down all the time.  We constantly have to pick him up.  His poor body and spine has been twisted terribly to try to overcompensate for his failed hips. It is deeply harsh to watch him ragged around - fall - pick him up - and then limp again.  He can no longer dump w/out being held up by his hindquarters.  He can't whizz w/out walking doing it.

Although his mind is still sharp - tho' not his hearing or eyesite - his body has just failed him. It'll be impossible to deal w/out seeing his face and personality. So used to him.  I've never been able to experience him in full bloom.  Love to hear tearful stories of him young and racing and jumping and being a scamp.  Days never to return. 

And now his days are gone.  This has been a deatchwatch week.  Was @ her place on the weekend.  Brought up Bolo and Captain Monday to share the house w. him this week.  Wednesday Mothers came over to enjoy one last day @ my house (no longer will he be in the yard.  No longer will the carpets be brought out to help him be steady as he tries to walk.  No longer......).  Stayed over last nite @ her place so I could max out on these last hours w. him.  And now...

I'll leave for Mothers place after school today.  I'llbe able toshare his last few hours w. Mothers and he rother dog Scout and Bolo.  Sometime around 8, I guess.  Today is just dreadful.

Life is so short. 

"http://www.youtube.com/embed/4DHGZZ-apMk"

comissioned

An officer again.

defender or wing or stopper: equally bad

Played my first organized game of soccer in ... 28 years, and boy was it a test. The guys I coach with have run/been on the team for years, part of a complex of under 16 boys teqams, girl teams, and this one - the 'Verten' team. It is a mix of older and younger guys who play for fun - but are also very competitive. The league - CLASA - is mainly Mexican Americans and Mexicans who all have played the whole lives and want to continue playing as they get older. Pretty skilled an dknowledgable, it's not aleague for beginners. And ... Im sorta a challenged player, so I'd've been happy to get a few minutes in each half to break meself in - but ...

We had a team of 11. In a sport thta plays 11 @ a time. So there would be no rest for me. 90m full of running and covering and muscling and trying to control and pass the ball. Yikes!! So out of shape I am. We played Saturday in the 90+ heat, and I was wilting. From the kickoff. Prtetty much all I could do was just run into the other players to try to destroy what they were doing. My tramates put up with me - there were no replacements, so it was better w. me on the field than me off - but I felt oftentimes embarressed @ my skill level/fitness.

1/4 of the way into the game my team -Atlante Veterns - got an extra player. I immediately signelled "cambio" and sat for the last 20m of the half, just drinking ater and pouring it on my head. Oi so devestated!! I was somewhat recovered for the second half and actually played the entire second half - but was so gassed that I was inneffesctual. I could break up someplays, but others my guy was left unmarked. Sometimes I got to the ball, but often it would be just stolen off of me. Once I was open and there was a real long pass from the back - agreat play on me an dmy teammates part - but I was not fast enough to catch up to it.

I felt I left them down a lot - but they were more thna happy to have me on the tram - crappy as I played. I need to play more to get myself to a place where I will not embarress myself. I was glad none of the kids I coach witnessed me playing.

But I was also happy I finally played. It was a goal of mine to get on a team. I almost did last spring, but then I had my knee injury. I was prodded by the other coaches to join this team, and I'm glad I did.   Must get inbto shape, eat less macdonalds, and love water ever more. 

Loved wearing #33.

monk

She can hardly wait till "C"

But what about "B"

courtesy Gallo

the olde school

Gamed'up @ Gately Stadium today - where i actually played in grammer school and across the street from where I used to teach about 10 years ago. Game was really fun, but ultimately frustrating - varsity again tied, and this time so did we. I had two girls back from varsity - not my chpoice as it was the people above me, but deeply welcome as it meant we actually had a bit of skill and some talent and the possibility of offense. However, we still hav enot scored, despite the fact we had chance after chance bounce off the side of the net or dribbled into the other goalies hands after a tepid strike fromone of my girls. Should've won. Scored. But no.

Brite side? Our spirit. The girls love being part of the team. JV is much less.... less issues than the varsity, lets say. Despite my gloomyness about not getting the 3 points, they were cheering and happy. Good thing.

And, hey, across the street from the old school. Taught there about 5m and in the middle of the year mentally collapsed. One weekend during that year I had gotten myself into a position where I actually thought I ws gonna be killed - and my mind just snapped out. Never went back to that school and quit it. Ten years on I can see my mistake now. Was @ several schools since then and haven't been able to stick @ any. NOW so wish do i could have that chance back. Such a rough school - but have been in tuffer.

Ahd an interview @ a grammer school earlier in the week. Englewood neighbourhood, so I bet it'll be tuff as hell if I were to get the job.

Except Im shure I will never get hired again.

The interview went well, and the school library - of the 35 things I'm certified to teach, this position is a librarian spot - has so much potential. great space, windows so i can smother it w. plants, and a decent -but oolde - collection of books. Only four computers, but we can work on getting more.

Well, except i will neve rget the job. Or any job again.

Except soccer coach @ the school I coach @ now. A job I will never lose, actually.