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at least it was for 1st and 2nd graders. us kindergarten teachers are still screening bright young minds before placing them into classrooms. i'm showing off my mad-crazy reflexes above in a skit for our school's positive behavior system. if the objective was to show how to fluster mr. brown enough to make him remove his hands from his pockets, then they failed...big time. actually, mrs. frush and mrs. weaver were showing 2nd graders how not to get to the bathroom as they irresponsibly brush mr. russell and i to the side, interrupting our engaging conversation. the picture is courtesy of the photo dude from the newark advocate and can be viewed here.
that's right. i'm a star.
Ashley and I kept our niece, Allysse, five days a week this summer. Occasionally, Ashley would keep her alone while I was in class or at work once a week and I would keep her alone when Ashley was teaching. For the most part, it was a team effort. At the swimming pool, at the park, playing putt-putt, visiting Cosi. It also made for a loooooong and tiring summer at times.
Which is why I've really cherished these last couple of quiet weekends with Ashley. They've been moments for us to spend alone and enjoy one another's company. Relaxing and leisurely, compared to weekdays with Allysse at least.
Today was my last Saturday with Ashley of the summer. On Monday, teacher workdays begin. On Tuesday, we start pre-assessing Kinders. On Thursday, I meet my students and their families. The following Monday, 180 days of learning begin.
I feel bad because I don't feel that I took full advantage of my first full summer with Ashley. We were so busy with Allysse that we didn't make as much time for ourselves. Alas, the past is the past and you've got to take advantage of the days alone that you do have.
I enjoyed my Saturday with Ashley. We spent a little time at the pool, took a nice walk at Dawes Arboretum, had dinner at Ruby Tuesday's (salad bar, YUM), took a bike ride in and around Hebron, and had soft-served ice cream at Ashley's favorite, Hayman's. I wish we had more days like this during the summer, but we've got many more summers to look forward to.
I love you.
the one and only dream team. kerri strug landing a pivotal vault on a sprained ankle. michael johnson hitting 23 mph in his 200m run. derek redmond's father helping him limp across the finish line.
these images and events remain embedded in my mind over a decade later. they were memorable for varying reasons. the dream team was the greatest collection of basketball talent ever, playing together and dismantling the competition. kerri strug fought off her own personal pain for the benefit of the team. michael johnson displayed pure, insane athleticism. possibly my favorite, derek redmond, with the help of his father, finished what he set out to finish.
now there's a new image.
i thought the 4 x 100 freestyle relay was a nail-biter. phelps' teammates, especially lezak, stepped up and pulled out a victory. but phelps showed why he is the best during the 100 meter butterfly. why he may be the greatest ever. if it were any other swimmer, i would've conceded victory to the serbian swimmer cavic at the turn, with 25 meters remaining, and in the final 5 meters. but even as cavic reeeeeeeached for the wall, my gluteus maximus rose from the couch and i pumped my fist as phelps willed himself to victory with an extra half of a stroke. the replay was close. really close. 1/100ths of a second close.
on a slightly negative note, phelps could only manage an olympic record. his previous six races resulted in world records. step it up, mike!
but now phelps has 7 gold medals in one olympic games. his name will live forever. on saturday night, he and three other American teammates will decide whether his name will stand alone or with spitz.
the bunk and cool lester smooth from the wire are two integral pieces in david simon's new television puzzle. the two actors, wendell pierce (left) and clarke peters (right), signed on to simon's new orleans project treme. "treme" refers to a musical community in new orleans. the show will follow musicians trying to rebuild their lives in post-katrina new orleans.
hbo has only bought a pilot script. once the pilot is made, hbo will decide whether or not to greenlight a full season. judging by hbo programming co-president richard plepler's recent comments (and simon's already completed masterpiece the wire) i think treme stands a good chance of allowing simon to once again "write" a visual novel.
Lush Life is my 2nd Richard Price novel of the summer. While it wasn't as good as Clockers, it was pure Richard Price.
And that's a great thing.
Forget plot.
Price writes dialogue and characters better than anyone I've read. Ever.
Characters unfold at a deliberate pace. Price doesn't force anything. He allows the characters room to breathe and simply be. Every bit of dialogue doesn't have to push plot. Dialogue, in the case of Price's novels, do as much to reveal and build character.
And don't really forget plot. Plot is still important. Price's novels explore the differences (and similarities) between people and the clash that can inevitably take place when cultures collide. In the case of Lush Life, the clash takes place on the Lower East Side of New York City where established immigrants are finding themselves slowly pushed out by young aspiring bohemians and they're all surrounded by towers of broken promises in the housing projects. The event that pushes the novel takes place early on (and the perpetrator is revealed fairly early, too) and the joy of reading Price is how (and if) you reach the conclusion.
He doesn't disappoint.
this is what the olympics are all about.
sure, it would be great to see michael phelps coast through his events and sweep the golds.
but it's not all about him. it's about representing your country amongst the rest of the world-class athletes from around the globe. and in the case of the men's 4 x 100 freestyle relay, it was about four guys giving their all.
in the end, it wasn't phelps who carried the US to victory. it was the final leg, swam by jason lezak, that brought the US from behind. lezak swam the final 100 meters in 46 seconds. 46 seconds! that is absolutely unbelievable and i hate that i couldn't stay up late enough to see it in real-time.
oh well, that's what the internet is for.
at least it was for 1st and 2nd graders. us kindergarten teachers are still screening bright young minds before placing them into classrooms. i'm showing off my mad-crazy reflexes above in a skit for our school's positive behavior system. if the objective was to show how to fluster mr. brown enough to make him remove his hands from his pockets, then they failed...big time. actually, mrs. frush and mrs. weaver were showing 2nd graders how not to get to the bathroom as they irresponsibly brush mr. russell and i to the side, interrupting our engaging conversation. the picture is courtesy of the photo dude from the newark advocate and can be viewed here.
