A Disturbing Trend

Hey all,
This post may seem pretty random but I have been noticing this phenom alot lately and just had to write about it. Here in Stumptown we have alot, and I mean ALOT, of wi-fi availible at public places. Now this is all well and good but the other day I was walking down Hawthorne Blvd and I glanced in the window of a coffee shop and this is what I saw:
A couple with their baby (in a stroller) sitting at a table. OK so far. But both adults had laptops and cell phones out and powered up, staring blindly into their screens! Upon further investigation I counted at least 3 more laptop-using customers.
Now I am a fan of technology but damn!..whatever happened to talking at a cafe? It is as if we continue to isolate ourselves from our communities and at a point in time where we really need open and honest communication with our fellow humans, many choose to sequester themselves in their own little electronic world.
Don't get me wrong, I'm posting this via wi-fi, but I am at home alone. When I go out to public spaces it is for the purpose of interacting with other humans. So folks, please power down and have a chat..the internet will still be there when you get home but you may miss out on a potential new friend!
All the Best,
John

Everything AND the Kitchen Sink!

Hey all,
Well, it has been a stressful couple of days. The quarter ended so I had oodles of student evaluations to write, had to prep for my massive moving sale, transfer some beer to secondary fermentation, continue to figure out what to keep and what to get rid of, and still do all my preps for school. We also have some German exchange students visiting the school, so I try to diversify my lessons which adds...you guessed it, more work.
So on Saturday, after my sale which was a dismal failure, I began to think, and think, and think, and then I began to mentally thrash about, stressing over all that isn't done and forgetting about what is done. Many thanks to Katie and Sam for "talking me down" yesterday. Today was much more focused and productive. And now that the horrible weekend (rarely do those two words follow each other in my life!) is almost behind me, I can now share one of those "if it rains it pours moments".
The woman in the apartment with which I shared a wall moved out a couple of weeks ago. On Friday I heard some workers banging about during the afternoon. I didn't think much of it as I was bushed from all my work and had tickets to a concert. I went to the show, (RR Earth is Awesome!), came home late and went right to bed for my early sale. As the sale spiraled into nothingness, I decieded to clean up the few dishes in the kitchen sink from breakfast.
Well, as I turned on the tap, it belched air, then rusty water, and then a trickle, and then nothing! I said, to no one in particular, "Are you F***ing kidding me!?" Well, that was the straw, I'll tell you that much. Today, with a clearer and more focused mind, I purposely lugged jugs of hot water from my bathtub (I guess it's on a different line, cause it works) to the kitchen to do my dishes and general cleaning. I guess it's a little bit of pre-pre-service training for life in Georgia!
I'll miss my apartment even though the living room ceiling fell in once, I've lost water service on many occasions, inexplicaple power outages, windows so thin they only have one side, the doorknob to the entryway that literally broke off in my neighbor's hand, nearly trapping us inside the apartment, electric heat so inefficient and costly I keep the place the temperature of an abbotoir (OK I like it cool), and a wobbly ceiling fan that only functions on "Low" setting, among other things....It's funny how easily we can adapt to adversity and how things that are not perfect in the conventional sense are comfortable and known in our hearts. I learned alot this weekend. Again, thanks to friends and family who provided comfort and insight!
Have a great week!
John

Why teachers really need vacations

I'm back to school tomorrow after a great spring break. I had to finish up some grading that I had put off. Now, I know that everybody doesn't get every question right but we at least hope for some effort from the kids. Here's one that put my head in my hands for some time this afternoon. The question was," Describe in detail, Hannibal's victory at Cannae in 216 BC". This is what I got from an 11th grader. Teachers all over the world struggle with this every day, so the next time someone says "It must be nice to have summers off", just tell them, "they need them"

(PS, All Hannibal's elephants were dead by this time, so no partial credit was awarded)

No Place Like the Right Time

Me and my pal Sue :)


My friend Sue just visited last week. Five wonderful days of music, sightseeing, friendship, and of course...BEER! (This is Portland after all). We had a really great time and the only downside was that she was here for only five days. She is truly an amazing person with a really great outlook on life. Portland suits her to a tee. The weather was kind and we were able to get out and about everyday. She brought me some Maryland crab soup, so it felt only right to repay her with some fresh salmon. We didn't hit all 30+ breweries, but we did give it the old college try. Excellent hikes through the trees, a walk on the beach and a stroll through our local street market among other things. It's always very cool to share my wonderful state with friends. Still, with this happy feeling in my heart, re-energized in both spirit and mind, it's time to get back to work!

My buddy Scott, who bought my bookshelves is picking them up today, so morning was spent taking oodles of books out and stacking them haphazardly throughout my ever-shrinking apartment. There's laundry and food shopping to do....all the mundane, grinding things that must be done in our lives, but today they just seem effortless and full of joy. And it's all thanks to My Friend Sue!