Arising From Unmelty-Cheese Unemployment

I GOT HIRED!


It's been rough starting the new job. The creativity needed to keep up a BLOG and/or do any writing, even e-mail, had to be redirected into starting the new job well. A couple of months have passed, and I've started the new job well enough. It took a while to get the papers under control and graded well and get the classroom in order, but it's all done. I managed to write a couple of e-mails during the dry spell that I though might fit well into my BLOG. I'll include them here, edited for clarity's sake:

An e-mail from late January:

Hey, all,

I just accepted a teaching position at a secondary
charter school right down the street (less than 2
miles away). I'll be teaching social studies, so I'm
gonna' have to study some socials between now and
Tuesday, I guess. EEEEEEEEK! I'm excited and
nervous.

I wrote a poem about my recent struggles. It's a bit
over the top but all I could do so quickly...

UNEMPLOYMENT
by M. S. Adams
(with apologies to Mr. C.L. Dodgson)

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware of Unemployment, Mike!
O, bills will bite and “friends” detach!
Beware Creditor Birds; and hike
Away from the Banker’s snatch!”

He took his résumé in hand,
While sinking deeper into debt,
Made copies nine for the schools he’d find,
And mailed some on the ’Net.

But, while he armed himself this way
The Unemployment kept right on
Belittling him more day by day,
In love and yet alone.

But, finally Mike did raise himself
Up from the depths of deep despair
And slew the beast to work again
Not one moment left to spare.

“He has, like, so slain Unemployment!
Raise your fab arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh, Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

(The pale imitation of Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky”
above, such as it is possible for it to be, is
COPYRIGHT 2003 Michael S. Adams.)

I'll post the poem, saccharine as it is, on my website
(which most of you don't know about yet. I'm not
ready to share it with everyone yet though. I want to
write a few more entries so you won't think it's just
something I'm just passing time with. I'll share the
web address soon. Promise. It's where I now write
those long e-mails I used to send. If you've been
missing those, patience, patience. And, hey, Carey,
you can now just read the (relatively) short e-mails
(since my website is not in-your-face like a regular
ol' e-mail) and will no longer have to sit through my
rambling (this e-mail excepted). Don't you just feel
the pain my soon-to-be students will have to sit
through--Mike rambling on about socials.)

Anyway, Los is working, as of a couple days ago. I'll
start work Tuesday after the holiday weekend. Maybe
we can soon afford to buy some cheese that actually
melts.........

Love to all. Thanks for cheering me up when I'm down.

Send some healing vibes to my left leg, maybe knee,
definitely ankle if you have any to spare (vibes, not
ankles). Thanks...

More later... On Cloud 9--off to pick up Los, meet
some other friends, and eat sushi.

Chat soon...
Take care!


And, here's an e-mail from mid-February catching everyone up about life in Phoenix as the new job was dominating my life:

Hey!

Thanks for e-mails sent lately. I was so busy getting
a job during the first part of January and have been
so busy at and with the new job since that I've had no
time to keep in touch. I do hope you're well and that
you do keep in touch with me.

I'm doing OK and have a moment or two to write early
this morning. However, the writing is gonna' be
randomly-fired thoughts. I'll try to keep it
organized; you try to keep up....

I'm wearing a gold band as of yesterday. During
fourth period at school yesterday, one of the other
teachers brought in a bunch of balloons that had been
brought to the school by Los. Yeah, it's great to get
a balloon that says "World's Greatest Lover" when
you're in a room with your students.

We are deep into cheese that costs a bit more here.

I went to the doctor (not my regular HMO doc but
another doc at my HMO) about the left knee/ankle thing
this past week. As a result, I'm on some
anti-inflammatory/pain killers and am awaiting the
X-ray results. Keep your fingers crossed. I have a
follow-up appointment and a get-to-know-you-a-bit
appointment with my regular doctor at my HMO the last
day of February. There, I'll also mention the kidney
stones and the right shoulder problems in addition to
hopefully finalizing the knee/ankle thing. Insurance
is so nice.

Los and I, in a few hours, are off to Flagstaff for
the three-day Presidents Day Weekend. It rained
buckets the last couple of days here in the Valley of
the Sun, deep in the desert. WE HAVE STANDING
WATER!!!!!!! From what I understand, although it is
NOT snowing but raining as well in Flagstaff, it is
snowing near Flagstaff in Snow Bowl. Perhaps, we'll
see some o' the white stuff for a change.

The weather finally got cold enough to warrant
long-sleeves during the day lately. At night
sometimes even a light jacket has been needed.
However, at work, with everyone in long-sleeves, I
still have to turn on the A/C by mid-morning to keep
everyone just right.

Don't get me started about the kids. I'll just say,
as usual, there are a few stars, a few sweet ones,
most of them are nondescript, and, of course, there
are more than a couple who insist upon acting like
complete bastards and bitches.

STUDENT #1: (mutterings under breath to STUDENT #2)

MIKE: Excuse me, STUDENT #1, please stop talking.

S#1: (waaaaay over the top, angrily) Oh, my God, I'm
not talking.

MIKE: Oh, just to let you know, I can both see and
hear. Lose the attitude and, as I said before, stop
talking.

S#1: (turning to STUDENT #2) He thinks I was
talking.

S#2: (trying to help me to understand the situation
since I am so inexperienced with these things) Oh,
Mr. Adams, he was just answering my question.

S#1: Yeah, see, I was just answering her question.

MIKE: Oh, I'm starting to understand now. Help me
out though, those things, I'll call them sounds, that
were coming out of your mouth when you were "just
answering her question," isn't that called... umm,...
TALKING! SHUT... IT... PLEASE... STOP... ANY...
FORM... OF... TALKING... DO... YOU... UNDERSTAND...
PLEASE... JUST... NOD... YOUR... HEAD... YES... OR...
NO... BECAUSE... IN... CASE... YOU'VE... ALREADY...
FORGOTTEN... I'VE... ASKED... YOU.... TO....
STOP...TALKING!

Oh, God, I told you to not get me started. Anyway,
the job is OK. Some challenge, some reward besides
money, and some money too. It'll do for now.

The Oscar nominations came out recently. I still need
to see about six or seven films but have seen many of
the nominated films lately. ADAPTATION! was a
joyride. THE HOURS was nice and intense. CATCH ME IF
YOU CAN was good fun. CHICAGO, although there was
singing and dancing, was alright too.

I haven't BLOGged (updated my weblog) in forever.
Sorry about that if you're a regular reader. I'll try
to work that back into my routine after I catch up on
all the grading awaiting.

But, I'm not gonna' think about student papers for
about fifty hours or so.

Gonna' try to relax in Flagstaff. Gonna' maybe see
DAREDEVIL this weekend and maybe some Oscar films as
well.

Gonna' do the Renaissance Faire in the next couple o'
weeks.

Let me know how you're doing. Do keep in touch even
though I've been so bad lately about keeping in touch.
I apologize.

Have a nice weekend.

I hope any sea voyages, plays your students are
putting on, new homes back East, new schooling, and/or
same ol' same ol' routines are going well or went
smashingly.

Love,
Mike


There, the two e-mails I put some of that elusive creativity into the last couple of months instead of BLOGging. Thought it would help complete the complete picture I meant this BLOG to be. It it's repeated info, I apologize.

I did finally get back to my H.M.O. this past week. The ankle thing is soft-tissue damage I'm just gonna' have to live with apparently. The doc X-rayed my right shoulder, which has been hurting since the Softball World Series this past summer. Results soon...

The job is sailing along recently. I finally got a good handle on it and have made some good connections with many of my students. Of course, stubborn, inconsiderate, and/or lazy ones still make their presence known daily, but so many others are starting to speak out, be comfortable in my classroom, and join in the learning/teaching festivities. The adults I work with are first class, good people in it for the kids. That makes the job feel good, knowing that we're trying our best to do good for the kids.

The Oscars were ho-hum. CHICAGO, ho-hum. Of course, guess which soundtrack I'm listening to right now. So, sue me. Los and I are thinking of seeing SPIRITED AWAY and DREAMCATCHER this weekend, if we're feeling OK. Allergy season has hit hard in this household. I missed a day of work this week 'cause my nose was out of control, and my head was detached and residing in Space City.

What else is new, I hear you asking.

And, for that, I'm out of here.

(The web-log entry is COPYRIGHT 2003 Michael S. Adams.)