Trying not to be melodramatic...

Life is an artwork
a tragedy counted against the sky
worrying that it might be falling
or worrying that it won't

each syllable counts for something.
and nothing counts enough
to make me start keeping tally
of might have beens.

You make me happy
to be just one link in the chain
because the link in the chain doesn’t get to see both ends
it just has to hold onto anything within its reach:
just has to hold on and hope
that if he holds on hard enough
the weakest link
expression isn't true.

just has to hold on and hope
that he isn't
the weakest link.

(Hey I just said trying, I didn't say succeeding :) )

Haircuts, Horse Shoes, and Hand Grenades.

One of the ways I feel like my childhood was depraved is that my parents and grandparents didn't use nearly enough colloquialisms. I have to lie and pretend that they did most of the time when I tell people some precious nugget of knowledge they should hear. Example from class: My dad always used to say "Life's not fair, anyone that tells you otherwise is selling something". I think my dad probably has said things like that in the past, but really The Princess Bride said that much more to me. :)

Fortunately, I do not always have to lie; I am being totally honest when I say Mama always said close only counts in Hair Cuts, Horse Shoes, and Hand Grenades.

This is a phrase that I both quote often and don't totally believe in. I think that in some situations that this is very true. However, to truly believe this would make my life much more dismal.

I live in the struggle for reaching beyond my skills and almost succeeding most of the time. And effort must count. I am not a great teacher. But there are days I get close. Those days count. Some of my kids haven't mastered thinking about what the math problem is asking, but they are getting close. As long as they keep working close counts for something. Or it better. And if the road to hell is paved with (actually) good intentions, then I hope they have Poetry, China Buffets and Whisky in hell- because I am gonna be there awhile.

Highlights from the last two weeks:
I had one REALLY good lesson this week. Most of this week was rough in the class.
"John Glenn" still has light years to come, but has made so much progress this year he is one of my best contributors in class.
Friday we had MAN NIGHT. Once again Kenny the Pizza guy was our man. We smoked a cigar with him and made him a Wii character.
Saturday night we played a Newsies Drinking game (pop of course...) On a totally related note, later that night combining a Razor scooter and slaloming the parking garage is fun.
My roommates are amazing people.
I did sign the papers and I will be here 3 years.
I have seen the sunrise over the ocean.
We are trying small groups in class, I love the concept, but if close doesn't count- it seems unlikely that barley managed chaos would count.