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8 april 2004
this is apollo mali.   i won a spelling bee when i was 10, honest.      Info and a downloadable PDF for Girl Next Door Runs Amok |
lub, dub. yep. lub, dub
Hi, everyone! Hi hi hi hi hi hi hi. Yep, hi! I guess I picked a bad time to get writer's block, huh. Corresponds too closely to the surgery, and questionable health and all that. Makes people wonder, or worry, depending on who you are in relation to me. My health is fine, and I do thank all of those who have inquired. More about that momentarily.
I've had writer's block when it comes to the site. That's all. I've poured so much of my energy into being the best teacher I can be, and then saving a few scraps for the occasional poem here and there, that there has been nothing left. Now that the school year is winding down, I actually have time these days to think about what I've done. Not in the punishment sense--˜go think about what you've done, young lady!' Not like that. It's been a good year, even extraordinary at times.
I think that when I consider the transitions I made this year (new job, new city), the economy (blows), my workload (unbelievable), the sleep deprivation (comical), and my health (comical/scary/very much improved). I can safely say that this has been one of my most challenging ever. I can also say that I seem to be coming out of it very, very content. I have never been so happy with my work life. My personal life is good, too, if limited by time and work constraints. That will change next year, since I think I've got a pretty good, solid volume of lesson plans at this time. At this point, it's a matter of adding and tweaking by choice.
For the past couple of months, I've been coaching track. That's where the heart news comes in—I'm fine. The heart seems to work AOK. My recovery didn't take long, really. I had the surgery one week before Christmas break, and was back in the gym within a month. I've still got some residual work to do on toning and conditioning, but I've finally gotten to the point where running two miles feels almost effortless again. I lost some muscle mass here and there, since I wasn't allowed to do any weight training. (Doctor was afraid I'd pass out during the spells and drop a dumbbell on my head.)
Track has been fun, if time-consuming. Not sure that I'll do it again next year, but it has been reassuring to know that I can keep up with the kids, and make a difference to their own health and well-being. They went from getting mad at me over the 2-mile conditioning runs, to thanking me when they finally broke an 8- or a 6-minute mile. They hated my guts for racing them in 4-400 meter runs, but then learned that they had enough to push out at the end of their races. They were certain that they would die.
Currently, two of my classes are reading Fast Food Nation as part of their last big unit on activism. We then have statewide testing, and then I do a short, fun unit on advertising and propaganda. The kids' project will be to create their own video commercial or print campaign for an imaginary product. It should take them into summer with a bang.
So, yeah. There you go. Until next time, sooner rather than later.
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