Why Am I Here?

Well the students are gone and summer school starts in July and here I am sitting in my empty classroom. The administration's planned activities for the day, now get this, are meetings, lunch, ping pong and croquet. Well, at least I am getting paid for this silliness. =)

Well, I get Playstation Underground Magazine, and I have been informed that the new PS3 is coming, finally, and it will only cost me $600.00. Damn, it better be better than that crappy X-Box 360. That thing has NO games what so ever that I want to play. That's why I LOVE my PS2, there are just so many damn titles to choose from, that everyone can find something they like to play.

There is much talk about AOL and other major companies and their total lack of customer service. I heard the tape of the guy trying to cancel his AOL account. It would be funny if it wasn't so true. I had an issue with Amazon, who I love, and could only contact via email. It took a month to resolve a gift cert issue, which is ridiculous, but there was no one to call. I have found being an unwieldy bitch to be very helpful in dealing with this type of rudeness.

School's Out!

I think I will have to introduce my students to Alice Cooper - School's Out, today. It is their anthem after all! The room is packed, the walls are bare and the party will begin shortly. I am not sorry to see this group go. For one, I will have about 2/3 of them in 5th grade next year. But secondly, they have been a very rude group of kids. I know they live in South Central LA and they have a rough life, but I live in Pomona, another tough town. One reason I think it was so tough, is that at the start of the year, there were four 4th grade classes. They were combined into three classes after a 5th grade teacher was dismissed for too many DUIs (he has lost his credential PERMANATELY...OUCH). So, a 4th grade teacher went to 5th and that just screwed up the dynamics for the rest of the year. 20 kids were easy to manage. 30+...God, shoot me. Next year I have to take the dismissed teacher's place in the 5th grade. That's OK, though. I made a deal with my principal to keep my same classroom. It is a bungalow and much larger than the other traditional classrooms. So here's to summer vacation, even if I do have to teach summer school!

Two More Days

Well, the classroom is almost packed, the grades are done and all that is left is completing the entries in the permanent records. Today, is game day, and the kids get to play all the board games I have stashed away in the cupboard. I have been secretly buying old board games on eBay to make today more fun.

Tomorrow is the last day party, and I always show 2 scary movies on the last day - Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Dolls. Both are not too scary and really give the kids a big thrill. It has become somewhat of a tradition and several of the graduating 5th graders want to come and relive last year's event.

Happy Summer Solstice! Don't melt!

It Won't Stay in Vegas

Wow - what a great trip!!! My college students arrived a bit late, in a 2007 Chevy Suburban. It only had 1400 miles on it. AWESOME! But traffic was crap. We left at 5:30 and didn't get to Vegas until 11:30 PM. I got to drive from Barstow on, and the SUV is really great to drive, even if it sucks down the gas. When we stopped in Baker at like 9:30 it was still 102 degrees out. There were these little owls swooping around catching all the moths that were attracted by the lights of Baker.

We rolled onto the Strip, and of course traffic sucked there, too. So we cruised the strip, and got to the Imperial Palace. Not the best hotel, certainly not the worst. I went and took a shower and my kids disappeared. This was OK, as I was tired. Just as I was falling asleep, one of my students pounded on the door and dragged me out into the night. 1:30 AM and the streets were teaming with people. It was SO HOT. We went casino hopping, but eventually I wound up at the Palace, playing the Wheel of Fortune machine. I love that slot. I fell asleep, so late. =)

I bummed about the hotel most of Saturday, cause I was tired, but my sons' friends came by and we partied a bit. I took the kids to the Luau, which was pretty crappy. I mean the food was good, but it was 100 degrees and the entertainment was not as good as I hoped it would be. After that madness, my sons took off on the Monorail to New York, New York to ride the coaster. The girlfriend, my son's, and I hit the bars and the slots in the hotel. We hooked back up after midnight and had room service. I love room service. They roll up a table with all the trimmings. I love Vegas...Where else can you get room service in the middle of the night?

We checked out a bit early, to beat the traffic. We had lunch at the world famous Bun Boy in Baker. I spent way too much money, but I had a great time. I am going again soon =)