Today, I wore black.

Every day, on my way to work, I pass by a make-shift memorial on the side of the road about half way through a curve. It is just south of Belmont on River Road and is set back a bit into the woods. There is an obvious gap in the forest there which leads me to believe some vehicle crashed through and tore open a hole in the forest. There are flowers and a statue of the Virgin Mary, and candles and a few other nick-nacks that I am, usually, driving be too fast to identify. My best guess is that there was a car accident there and that someone died in way that was tragic, possibly being hit by a drunk driver. From time to time, however, I have noticed that the flowers are sometimes fresh and that things that get moved or taken away are replaced, but I've never seen anyone there until today. This morning, as I drove by, I saw a car parked on the shoulder near the site and a woman kneeling with her head bowed at the foot of the small statue. I don't know why, but I felt very strongly when I saw that scene. Not sure what the emotion was, but I was moved.

I am also dressed for the occasion, I'm in all black today. We have a "Faculty Fun Night" this evening at work and my team for the activity is dressing in all black, we're badass like that (the attire goes along with our team theme, it's not like an emo look or anything so don't worry that I'm turning into an eighth grader or anything). Either way, the whole scene was somber, yet surprisingly uplifting in a way. Just the fact that this woman obviously visits this site regularly to remember the person who (I assume) she lost there, would mean a lot to me.

Anyway, Happy Friday.

"That's so Metal/Cute?" - Child Moment of the day

Caleb (thanks for reading my blog and not stabbing me in the eyeballs, even if it makes you want to) replied to my previous post with:

Speaking of salty, the two later ended up playing a game (in which the older, louder one was constantly cheating) that involved trying to roll a "Knex" wheel past each other. As you may remember from your days as a young boy, the Knex wheels are just shy of a hockey puck in the way of weight and density. The game of course ended up with the younger child getting hit in the face with the wheel and crying. So I sat him down next to me and as we chatted and he calmed down he was licking the tears that were rolling down his face. I asked him why he was drinking his own tears; he said he liked the taste. That's so metal/cute.

Adorable/awkward/hilarious/WTF?! child moment of the day...

An argument just erupted between a boy with a serious speech impediment and a very sweet girl who was trying to convince him that her younger friend was very smart for his age. The argument, as is usually the case in situations like this, went quickly to what level of math they were in (only after a short stop in "well if you're so smart, kid, what is 3x/19 + 5 = 16" land). As it turns out this kid who is in 2nd grade is doing pre-algebra (I think I was doing this in maybe 6th grade). Anyway, little 2nd grade boy seems to have it, even though the older one is doing algebra. This is the kind of thing I see all the time. I remember getting into it with other kids over who was smarter, but it wasn't usually about who was doing more advanced math, it was more like who could do math.

Adorable/awkward/hilarious/WTF?! child moment of the day...

A student, let's call him Saul, he's about 13 years old and just under six feet tall, showed up at the door of the computer lab today ready to take his make up, standardized reading test. I saw him pacing back and forth in front of the door out in the hallway. When I went over to let him in he had that "I'm-13-and-I'm-making-this-decision-into-a-big-deal-even-though-I-know-it-isn't-but-I-can't-help-it-what-do-I-do?!" look about him. He was holding a balled up grey... hair-ball looking thing and fiddling with it nervously. I asked him if he was ready to come in and start his test, to which he replied: "Yeah, but can I bring in my beard? I'm not supposed to wear it during school so I keep in in my pocket." I gave him a WTF look followed by an IDGAF (sorry couldn't resist) look and ushered him into the lab. He began stuffing the beard, which contained enough fake hair to cover most people's heads (I believe it was some sort of Socrates kind of style), into his pocket as he walked over to the computer I had set up for him. He is now sitting there with half a very large beard-wig sticking out of the pocket of his jeans which are too short for him.

P.S. I know of only perhaps two, count them, TWO, boys who attend this school who's pants are not at least two inches too short.

Gifted Education

I had an interesting conversation with some of the neighbors while at Hannah's (Mitch and Doreen's dog) birthday celebration this weekend. Now, I had just inhaled two bowls of what was quite possibly the best chili Mitch has ever made which, as you might know, means the best chili I've ever had. I had been asked how my new job was going, if I liked it, etc., and after answering "well" and "yes," respectively and rather enthusiastically, I began explaining why my experience was also quite fascinating to me.

The school I work it could not be more different from the schools I have attended in the past. It is a small, very small, private school in the north west suburbs of Chicago. That in and of itself would be enough to make it starkly different than my educational experience. It also happens to be a school for "gifted" children. Now, there are all kinds of implications with the word "gifted," some good, some bad (actually when I first told Dave that I would be working at a school for gifted kids, he asked if it was Professor Xavier's school- think X-Men), but I feel I've been able to keep an open mind about the whole idea.

Initially, thoughts like "these kids are going to be smarter than me," crossed my mind. The teachers that I met before school began repeated over and over how "different" the kids were, and that I was sure to have the same feeling. I have to say, however, that had I not been set up to look for the signs of "giftedness" (I have a problem with the use of this word in this context, but I'll save that for later) I probably would have thought nothing of all the quirkiness walking around the halls. I have to admit though, I may have noticed a rather high incidence of nerdy/geeky/awkward-ness even if I wasn't told about it outright. When the kids skip recess for chess class, or when the Diablo and Devilsticks are the games of choice on the playground instead of kickball and football, one begins to wonder. Not to say that it's wrong or strange by any means, it's just not what I have observed elsewhere and certainly would lead me to believe there is something different about this school.

Now I have been developing my own impression of the overall (meaning this includes academic, social, behavioral, emotional, financial, etc.) cost/benefit breakdown of the idea of "gifted" schooling since I had my interview and I have to admit I have changed my mind a few times. This is where the conversation went over the course of my second bowl of chili. I was asked what I thought of the whole thing, was it worth paying for? Was it worth missing out on all the social growth one could gain by learning how to navigate in a diverse social setting like a public school? Did I think it was all about the parents? I knew that the parties asking the questions already had an opinion on the matter, and I also had a pretty good idea what that opinion was. So I began my answer with the skepticism that I felt before I began working here (some of which has not been lost). First of all, and I was not the one to say this, but I think it's worth noting; every parent thinks or wants to think that their kid is gifted. Why wouldn't you? Having a child is the crowning achievement in many people's lives. Therefore, when we start separating the "gifted" from those who then get labeled by default as "not gifted," we cultivate feelings of anger, disappointment, and jealousy for the parents and in some cases, the kids themselves. There is also the argument that because these kids are told they are "gifted" (which in so many movies, comics, stories, etc. is how super heroes are described) they get a swollen head and, without the jocks and bullies of public (or not gifted) schools around to cut them down every once in a while they can not handle criticism later in life. There is also the general question of whether homogeny is really good for students of any kind (more or less because of all the questions raised in the previous statements).

I have to say, I can not disagree with any of those arguments, nor can I say that I don't worry about some of the kids at my school for those reasons or other similar ones. However, I have warmed up to the idea that "gifted" ("gifted" does not necessarily mean "homogenous") schools can be beneficial on several levels. One thing I want to say right away is that, though the students here tend toward the nerdy/geeky side of the social spectrum, this is still a school and the same social structure does develop itself here as any other. There are still cliques, social hierarchy, inclusions and exclusions, fights (though they are usually rather pathetic), disagreements, and diversity of all kinds throughout the school (and just like every other group of kids, they cannot agree upon the rules of Four Square if their lives depended on it). Just because the kids here have been "separated" into a single group does not make them all completely the same by any means. This being the case, I believe that they are, in fact, getting the social education they need to navigate life beyond the walls of this school. They may still be in for a bit of a shock when they move on the another school. Perhaps they were a big shot here and will be right at the bottom of the pecking order at their next school, but does that not happen everywhere? In fact, spending some time at the top is not really a bad thing for the nerds and geeks of the world, it is certainly an opportunity that is not afforded to them in most other schools. The way I see it, these kids are being prepared sufficiently to handle the next step in their lives both academically and socially. Is there more that could be done? Yes. Are they missing out on some social interactions that might prepare them for the world? Yes, but so are kids in most schools (they are just missing out on different things). I guess I can not say I do or do not support "gifted" academic schools like the one where I work. They are what they are, and they do what they do. Are they worth the price of tuition when other schools are free? Again, it depends very much on the child's disposition (more so than his or her "gifted-ness," I believe), how much the price of tuition affects the family's financial situation and what the alternatives are in the area in which they live.

On the lighter side of things I want to say that I have really enjoyed getting to know the students and the faculty here. There are some fantastic people here that I am proud to call my colleagues/mentors/friends all of whom do excellent work for the children they teach.

Quick follow up...

I lost a hub cap today on the way to work, not sure where. It makes my car look even more creepy. Although I already had four different hub caps anyway.

Too many keys, not enough brain cells

I had a bit of a "senior" moment today at work, nothing big, just got sidetracked by a teacher with an email problem and forgot to do what I had been heading down that hallway for in the first place, but it set the tone for the following two and a half hours.

For those of you who don't know, I recently purchased a vehicle: a lovely 1992 Plymouth Voyager SE.

This isn't actually my car, but if you just picture this beautiful piece of American engineering with a bunch of rust, a sweet roof rack, some duck tape here and there, and not majestically perched on top of a mountain, you've got my hot new ride (oh and I've got the Grand Voyager version with the extended back end). Also, it looks like the hub caps on this one match, that is not the case on my car. I have to say, however that I am extremely happy with my new ride. It has low milage (for its age of 17 years), and it has a tap which makes it very easy to hook my ipod up to the stereo. Matt has already named the car "Silver-back," more than appropriate I'd say not only due to its size and color, but when it's on the road, you know who's in charge... I bought the car for a song from our the Franklins (thanks you guys!!!) across the street, where it spent the last few years delivering Jonathan's paintings. They bought it new in '92 and they still think it's weird to see it parked in front of someone else's house.

Anyway, I digress. The key piece of info you need about my car really is that, though I've had it about a month now, Jon keeps finding more keys for it and giving them to me. Unfortunately some of these keys work for the doors and some for the ignition, and some, as I found out today, for neither.

So, after a lovely Monday at work, which is about an hour commute in rush hour, and my little senior moment toward the end (which the teacher I was helping diagnosed as "brain overload" - to which I replied "I hope you're right and it's not an underload of brain"), I headed out to my car, reached for the set of keys in my pocket and tried to unlock the door. FAIL! Neither of the two keys on the ring were successful at unlocking the door. Apparently, when I entered the car in the morning (this was all coming back to me now) I had used another set of keys to unlock the door, found out that they would not start the car, and used the set in my hand to turn it on. At this time I also recalled how I had, instead of doing the smart thing and putting the first set of keys in my bag and kept them with me all day, left them in the car. Long story short, Matt was nice enough to come and deliver another set of keys to me all the way from home (thank you Brother!!). But my episode of dementia was not over.

As I was driving home on Roosevelt Road, I remembered that I needed some deodorant and soap. I stopped at the Walgreens a couple of blocks from our house and as I walked up to the soap isle I had one of those (prepare yourself for an inside joke) "Al you dingleberry!!" moments. I had, once again, locked myself out of my car. Once again I was standing outside of my car with a set of keys that would turn the car on, but not unlock the doors.

I'll spare you the rest of the details, but rest assured, I will be turning off my brain for several hours this evening.

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Originally I wanted to write a few things about CHC this weekend, but I felt that the "tale of too many keys and not enough brain cells" was worth telling. So here they are in brief.

Frisbee is fun, driving to and from frisbee is not fun (no sense of direction in this case - went very far in the wrong direction both to and from the tournament on Sunday).

I had a frustrating weekend. Haymaker is a very good team, but I feel that there is just not enough young blood to compete with other teams who can run hard all day without injury, who don't have weddings to attend (I am just as guilty as anyone for not showing up to tournaments/practices by the way), or other engagements, etc.

I got a wake up call with my fitness. I really believed I could run with anyone, the way I've been training and the speed I've gained, I feel like I'm the fastest I've been in a long time, possibly ever as far as top speed goes, but some of these guys we played against can just keep it up longer than I can. Or, perhaps, they just care less about breathing than I do. Even Edward mentioned that I looked faster, which I take as a great compliment, but I still need to develop the killer instinct that gives you that little bit extra.

As a team, we only came up with one win on the weekend. There were, however, several impressive showings against very talented teams, but we were not able to close them out, which is tough to deal with.

I completely lost my voice and got terribly sunburned on my face and neck. I need a hat and a bullhorn.

There were some points where I felt... exultant (ten dollar word of the day): scores we needed badly and got easily, plays where I felt no one could touch me (chest pounding, shit talking, all that stuff you don't see me doing too often).

There were some points where I felt I was out gunned, got ran circles around, had my mark broken, made a weak play to the disc, etc. (no chest pounding here).

I seem to be checking my g-chat list much more often these days...