November's/December's theme:"We diverge and I collapse into my bed/And you are shoved awkwardly into my head" A Separate Lid Behind Closed Eyes

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Jason recommends the album, American Weekend by Waxahatchee

Extra doses and double shots - December 13, 2021
Half a life ago - December 12, 2021
Buggy - November 27, 2021
When We Two Parted - November 25, 2021
Catfish - November 22, 2021

August 16, 2001 // 11:02 a.m. // I don't mean to brag, but...

This morning, I was given two choices. I could either stay home, or I could drive my sister and momn to her school registration. I was surprised too when I chose the latter.

After dropping my sister off, my mom and I headed to my dad's work. Their stories about the school being a disaster area weren't exaggerated. On Monday, not only was their no power, but there weren't even light fixtures in the rooms or hallways. The floors were covered with a grocery bag-like paper to protect the tiles. All of the teachers supplies were stored in trailers, and on Monday they had to move their stuff into the building. They were basically given two days to organize their classrooms despite having no artificial light. The school isn't even finished yet, and to make things worse, it isn't even a new school. They retrofitted it for earthquakes, and for only two million more dollars, they could have built a whole new school.

I enjoyed the visit to his school more than I thought. My mom and I toured the kindergarten trailers for ideas for her classroom. So many of the teachers had amazing ideas. One had a line painted outside of her trailer that she used to get her kids to line up on. Another had a laminated paper with all of the students names that acted as a bathroom pass. When a student left, they clipped a clothespin next to their name, and when they returned, they clipped it at the top. The clothespins and papers were even color coded: blue for boys and pink for girls. Plus, it's helping the students recognize their own names.

One of the teachers we stopped to talk to had heard from me from both of my parents. "I've heard a lot of good things about you," she said. "You're very bright."

My parents keep using the same accomplishments they've used for me since sixth grade and before. Like:

- Eight year ELP student.

- Perfect attendance since 1st grade.

- 6th grade graduation speaker.

- Highest math scores (timed and otherwise) in 5th and 6th grade.

- Learning to read "The Cat in the Hat" at three.

- Reading "The Night Before Christmas" in kindergarten at a senior citizens center.

- Hope of America award, 6th grade.

- Elementary Invention Champion, two years.

- Utah Museum of Natural History intern, six years.

- Entering the spelling bee *on the way to the spelling bee* and coming in 6th out of 25.

- Various leadership awards.

- Published writer in Metaphor, a college writing publication.

- Asst. editor of Pencilings, our high school literary magazine.

- Floie award-winning actor (for Best Drag Queen) in "Hello, My Name Is Tinkerbelle (or Rated G)"

She leaves out embarassing or shameful things like:

- Paste eater, 1st grade.

- Fell asleep during Snow White in a movie theater, kindergarten.

- Fell asleep while alone at a basketball game, 5th or 6th grade.

- Sat alone at a recreation center for five hours after arriving late for a field trip.

- Diving off the diving board into 12 feet of water when he didn't know how to swim.

And my favorite:

- Nearly broke his nose after imitating his dad's trick of throwing grapes into the air and catching them in his mouth. (I tried the same trick with rocks.)

Today's trip was almost enough to throw the whole, "I don't want to be a teacher" argument out of the door. I'm now more optimistic about how much teachers can help (despite how unappreciated they are), and about how much we need them. But I won't follow mom's advice. I would want to work during the summer (if only for the money.)

Jason

Random Mariah lyric:

"I am thinking of you

In my sleepless solitude tonight

If it's wrong to love you

Then my heart just won't let me be right

'Cause I've drowned in you

And I won't pull through

Without you by my side."

-My All

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