Another 14 inches
I woke up this morning, looked out my window and saw this:
And, after a day of staying cozy indoors, ventured out to play in the snow. The snow is so thick now, it’s like the ground is covered with a giant pillow. Our new favorite pass time:
With another 14 inches on top of our previous storm, the snow piles are getting ridiculous. I just couldn’t resist:
And to top it all off, we found an adorable puppy running around in the snow on our street:
Yes, I threw a snow ball at it. And yes, we have yet another snow day tomorrow.
- Jeff
28.5 inches of snow
It’s a beautiful thing. The entire city was blanketed with thick, fluffy white snow. In the days before the snow turns to gray slush, I can barely contain myself as I walk down the sidewalk. You’ll usually find me walking just to the side of the cleared paths – I prefer the crunching sound of walking on snow. Instead of running for the nearest hill or making snow angels in the backyard, Erika and I made our way to the neighborhood playground and had us some snow fun. The pictures speak for themselves, and snow days on a playground come highly recommended. Climbing up and sliding down play things is just more fun when they’re covered in snow.
Exhibit A
- Jeff
Inclement weather
We had all given up hope. It seemed as if the largest snow storm in Philadelphia’s history just wasn’t enough to get us out of school. A house full of manic depressed teachers is really no fun – especially after being stuck inside all weekend.
And then.
It’s the second snow day of the year, and it came at just the right time. There were echoes of cheers and shouts throughout the house and I had the pleasure of calling some of my closest friends to give the good news. There’s really nothing better than making those calls. It’s actually the highlight of the whole experience. Now, I rest.
- Jeff
One of those days
In the magical world that is my school, things aren’t always rainbows and unicorns. There are days, like today, when I shutter to imagine life at some of the schools where my friends and roommates work. The constant interruptions, talking and glaring apathy – these are the banes of my classroom. In comparison to the violent outbursts and biting rhetoric of other students, my classroom management problems are often low-key. Today was different. And by that logic, I guess today was high-key.
It started out innocent enough. My principal had requested a lesson about Haiti, its history and the current challenges it faces in the wake of this month’s earthquake. I obliged, and put together something pretty good, I thought. From the looks of the kids in my audience, you would think I was forcing them to re-learn the alphabet. Bored and disengaged, they fought with me constantly. They seemed to feel entitled to an easy day, as if Fridays were just thrown in for good measure. And it just got worse, and worse and worse. Until my homeroom returned at the end of the day.
There was an assembly downstairs, and so their usual elective was cancelled and replaced with homeroom. To them, it was free time. For me, it was time to learn. Am I stubborn? Perhaps. But I wasn’t going to give slack to a class that hadn’t earned it. In times like these, I wrestle with a feeling pettiness, wondering if my application of consequences to one class or student is really warranted or not. It can come down to just a few kids – the difference between my tolerance of disruptions and a complete meltdown. And this was a meltdown. It got to the point that I could barely finish a sentence without someone laughing or shouting. I paused. Remained calm. And went for help. Now, this isn’t my usual response, but I was tired and it was Friday. After the lecture by my principal, the detention list was finalized, and I just sat down at my desk and stopped teaching, well aware of the fact that they were no longer learning.
Days like this don’t come often (I’m thankful for this), but they hold value in at least making clear my limits. And I hope, rather than seem like I gave up on them, my students realize I expect more and won’t settle for less. Most likely they’ll completely have forgotten by Monday. I’m sure it was to them, as it was to me, just one of those days.
- Jeff
Redemption
These were waiting for me as I walked into the house today.
In response to my consumer complaints, I got what I asked for – a $15 refund from United for losing my bag and $7 worth of vouchers to buy new Jolly Ranchers. Sometimes, asking nicely for what you deserve can pay off.
- Jeff
Blind Child Area
I had never seen one of these before.
At first, I thought it was a joke…or a hallucination. It was just too out of place and strange to be real. But it was, to my dismay, real. Apparently parents of blind children (up to the age 12) can request that the city install a “Blind Child Area” sign that warns oncoming traffic of the possibility that a blind child will wander into the street. I guess that’s what it’s for. It just seems like such a strange policy. I suppose coming from a suburban city, I haven’t been exposed to stuff like this (although I would argue some people in Elk Grove drive a lot meaner and faster than in Philly). All in all, it feels unnecessary and kind of arbitrary. I can think of plenty of other people I’d rather be warned about. How about “Irresponsible, Wandering Child Area” or “Old Person Area” or “Crack House Area.” Nothing against blind children – I understand the need to make everyone in the neighborhood aware, but it sort of jolted me.
Every time I ride by the sign, I go extra slow and peak around cars to make sure no blind children are wandering in the street. Not sure, though, if this is simply increased awareness or contributing to an unhealthy paternalism of the blind.
Either way, I’m driving slower. And I suppose that’s a good thing in the end.
- Jeff
Bridesgroomsman
I’ve been in weddings before, but it’s always been traditional. I’ve done the role of the groomsman, and it was fun and all. But now, I want to be a bridesmaid. Totally strange to write. Probably stranger to read. I get it. But to be honest, I’m a lot closer to Diana than Harry, so why can’t I stand on her side of the aisle? Thankfully, Diana agrees.
But if I’m going to be in the wedding, standing with Diana, what should I be called? Originally, we called it a bridesgroom, only to find later on that the bridesgroom is the name of the groom (that would be Harry). I am certainly not the groom, so bridesgroom is out. Upon closer inspection, we discovered that I’m officially the “bridesman.” My spellcheck is currently underlining all of the above terms in bright red, informing that these are, in fact, not real words. But I’m going to just ignore that.
A bridesman, according to several sources, is a close male friend or companion of the bride and has no prior affiliation with the groom. They stand with the bride during the ceremony and participate in all of the bridal activities prior to the wedding (well, maybe not all of them). Now, I know what you’re thinking. Totally non-traditional. But what is tradition anyway? Usually, traditions maintain their stature not because they make our lives better, or because they even make sense – but because they are accepted. I say to hell with it. When it comes to people, I want to do what feels right. And this just feels right. I’m actually pretty proud of her for not bowing to the pressure of this genderized tradition.
Ok, so spellcheck is telling me genderized is not a word, either. To hell with it – I’ll wrap this up.
And my favoriate line from the wedding planner website:
“Men who fill the role of a bridesman usually do not want to wear a bridesmaid dress.” Usually.
- Jeff
Diana’s getting married
One of my closest friends through the years just got engaged a few weeks ago, and I’m all a jitter. The story of Diana and Harry is actually quite an old one. They met nearly five years ago this summer, in a hostel in New York. Diana and I were travelling up and down the east coast during our summer of love in D.C. We were both interning at agencies and made our get away every weekend. It was a summer I’ll never forget – and one in which I learned a lot about myself. It was also the summer Harry met Diana.
Well, technically Harry met both of us at once. He was an English tourist on his leap year during college and he was tall and he had a cute little accent. I remember it all very vividly. I even remember when Diana got his email address. It was harrythepimp. And yet despite that, Diana fell in love. In the weeks that followed, they hit if off. We planned to all meet in Philadelphia for a concert, and they shared their first kiss. Then, he visited D.C. and the rest….well, the rest is history. They stayed in touch over an entire continent and ocean and maintained a transatlantic relationship for three years. An impressive couple, we all knew this day would come. Now, the fun part: a wedding in London!
Congratulations, Diana & Harry, I love you both
- Jeff
Consumer report
I’ve always been an advocate of my rights as a consumer. Both my parents instilled in me a strong conviction to stand up for getting what you paid for or for what you were promised. As a middle school student myself, I can remember returning french fries at McDonalds because they were cold. My friends thought I was rude, but it just made sense to me. Along the way, I’ve actually found that demanding a certain level of service generally means you’ll get something in return. No doubt – there’s a line you shouldn’t cross: when you go from being someone taken advantage of to a raging jackass in the customer service aisle. I don’t cross that line. I’m firm, but reasonable.
This isn’t coming from no where – I promise. In the last week, I’ve encountered two such incidents, in which I brought myself (almost too naturally) to challenge the products and services rendered by United Airlines and Hershey. On my recent flight home, my checked bag was lost for a day. They found it and delivered it the following day, but I still had to do something about it. I had, after all, paid $15 of my hard-earned money to have them check my bag and bring it to my destination. The least they could do is refund that service fee, since they failed in their service. I called United a few days ago and logged a complaint in their online system. Lo and behold – I received an email today with a $15 refund and a $100 gift card on a future United flight. Boo ya.
Then, I bought a 4 lb. bag of Jolly Ranchers at Target this weekend for my students. When I got to school and opened the bag, the Jolly Ranchers were all green apple – every single one of them! And my kids hate (absolutely hate) the green apples. It was kind of funny and I won’t deny that I enjoyed torturing them, but I really felt annoyed and wanted some kind of redemption. So, of course, I called Hershey today…during class…on speakerphone…hooked up to my speakers. I thought the kids could use a lesson in consumer rights.
And they loved it.
And I’m getting a coupon to replace the bag next week.
Jeff, 2. Corporations, 0.
- Jeff
Orange and off-white croche
One of my beloved students made me a scarf over winter break. It’s my Christmas present, she said. And I’ll admit that I had admired her skillful knitting for some time. I may or may not have pressured her into making me a scarf. Regardless of the origins of her gift, it lifted my spirits right when I needed it. This week has hit me like a brick wall. I’m in the groove, but feeling tired and sick. Going from vacation to 5:30 AM wake-up calls is not easy for anyone, I’m sure. We’re all feeling it around the house. But things, on the whole, feel optimistic. The new year is feeling new – and that’s always welcome.
So though I may not wear it often, my new scarf is probably my favorite gift this year. When she lifted the 6 ft. scarf out of her bag – my expression was likely priceless. “an orange knitted scarf!” I exclaimed in shock and awe (attempting to seem equally as excited).
“Actually, it’s orange and off-white croche,” she corrected me. She does know her yarn.
- Jeff
1 comment