Ahh, the Week of "Lasts"

Hey all,

Just trying to sell my car and while it is on a test drive, I thought I would post as I enjoy a beautiful early summer's eve in Portland. I can't believe I'm outta here in a week. I boxed up all the stuff I won't be bringing with me and now there is just a pile 'O stuff that I will jam into bags next week and take on my merry way.

That being said, a common perception is that I'm all ready to go, which could NOT be further from the truth. I have graduation this weekend, I have to write 90+ report cards, schedule and conduct year-end conferences, do my final pack, and see at least one more baseball game and bluegrass show...all in the next 7 days!

Still, I have managed to have a bit of fun in between all this insanity. Chad, Kimmy, and I headed down to the legendary Horse Brass Pub last week for a couple of pops (see picture above) and I have had the heart (and liver) wrenching pleasure of having friends and aquaintences wish me the best over the past couple of weeks. I'm sure that I really won't miss Portland until I'm gone...but it's not going anywhere and I am! However, I have been reveling in all the beautiful gifts that my town offers, from great music and beer, to the finest vibe I have ever felt in an environ.

I really feel like writing a bit more, but I'm sure that there will be more frequent posts in the next couple of days as I take stock of all the gifts that I have been given here in Stumptown and beyond!

All the Best,

John

Can't afford Hawaii? Then head to the Alibi !

"Mom and me doing an interpretive dance suggesting our love of tiki bars"

Whenever I have had friends visit, they often remark about my ability to find drinking establishments that have lots of....well, "character", for lack of a better word. What can I say, it's a gift.

Now, with friends, I can really stretch my legs, taking them to the ends of the temporal planes, to dive bars that haven't seen a cleaning since the Johnson administration, pushing the very limits of time, space, and alcohol. But with parents....well a modicom of tasteful discression is required. Don't get me wrong, my folks are cool...they like to tip a few as much as the next (probably more than the next :) but it takes subtle art to keep my reputation intact without offending their midwest sensibilities.

My folks came out for a few days to see me off and since they have been here before and seen the many sights, we basically hung out and shot the bull for five days....and went to alot of gardens (HEY! it is springtime in Portland after all). I took them to some of the cool places I go but I really needed a capstone on their visit, so off we went into the wilds of North Portland and arrived at 'The Alibi'. Alibi is a tiki lounge/restaurant that has kareoke at night and plays nothing but big band music during the day. My folks loved it!

My dad says it reminded him of the bars he used to go to when he was young and my mom loved the music. We talked about their time growing up at the tail end of the depression and through WW2. It never ceases to amaze me. Older people have such a wealth of knowledge and perspective that we younger folks often lack. If they apply their wisdom without bitterness, those experiences can be a wellspring of information that transcends generations.

I'm so very thankful for my parents and all their support throughout the years for their "Wild Goose".

All the Best,

John

An Omen?

The other day I was flipping through the channels and came across the movie Animal House. Now this film is an old favorite of mine and I hadn't seen it in quite sometime. The scene that was on when I tuned in was just after the Deltas had been expelled...and these were the first words I heard:





" 7 YEARS!! 7 years of college down the drain, might as well join the F***ing Peace Corps!!"



Well, after I got up from the floor and dried my eyes I found that while Bluto's words were funny, they weren't that prophetic. I'm really looking foreward to this venture and can't wait to get the ball rolling. Besides, it only took me 6 years...(just kidding) well, 5. No, honestly I graduated in 4 short years..but it is still a damn funny line.

All the best,

John

My New Place

It was once joked that friends help you move but real friends help you move bodies. Well what kind of qualifier can you place on friends who open their home to you for 5 weeks before you leave for the Peace Corps? For once, I find myself without an appropriate superlative. Meet my friends Joel and Maura and their adorable kids Mollie (brown hair), and interestingly, Georgia!
I've known Joel and Maura since 2000. They lived just two doors down from me and my ex and we immediately hit it off. Joel has few failings other than being a Yankee fan. When we were neighbors, Joel was the only guy with which I could talk sports with and be an east-coaster amongst the "true" Portlanders. My other neighbors were great but lacked the "directness" I require from my friends. With Joel, you always know where you stand. It must be his New York City upbringing! Joel has sucessfully bridged the seemingly disparate worlds of NYC with Portland. Climbing Mt. Hood one day and watching the market the next.
Maura is always doing arts and crafts (although she claims NOT to be crafty however) and has one of my all-time favorite laughs. I have watched Georgia and Mollie grow up and it is so good to see them more often once again.
So as I settle into my basement apartment I am truly happy to have folks to talk with every morning and having a chat and a laugh every evening. I know that I can never repay them appropriately (I tried offering a kidney but they are different blood types) and I will always reserve a place in my heart for my best friends in Portland!
Gotta run,
Maura's home and I have to try to make her laugh! Plus I'm cooking dinner tonight..roast chicken (Sue knows how good it is) YUMM!
All the best,
John

Alternative Teaching Strategies 101

The "Mr. Garrison" method is always good to break monotony in the classroom!
However, when students need more motivation, the "Homer Simpson" method can be a powerful teaching tool!

If all else fails, the "Hank Aaron" method may be implemented. (I always did have a sweet swing!)

Since I'm an experienced teacher, I'm sure that I may be called upon to assist some of my brilliant, motivated, yet uninitiated fellow volunteers into the mystical arts of education. Above, the reader will see a few examples. These arcane, often misunderstood, techniques are not to be summoned lightly, but with the utmost respect for the craft and the student. Please do not attempt any of these methods until properly instructed! Improper use could cause resentment at best, and at worst, rip a hole in the fabric of space-time. Remember, fellow humans, when teaching we are trying to light a fire, not fill a bucket.

Til next time,

All the Best

John

I don't need anything...just this chair....and this thermos..

Hey All,
Yesterday I turned in the keys to my apartment after furiously cleaning for many hours on Tuesday. Despite my stresses over the last week or so, I was successful in getting rid of 98% of my belongings. That's right, it's all gone save some clothes and keepsakes. In a way it is quite liberating not to be shackled by one's possessions but at the same time it is a bit disconcerting as I'm not exactly helping the war effort by going out and shopping:) Still, I am at peace with my decision.

Many thanks to my friend Stacy for coming over on Sunday and lending a hand, to Chad and Kimmy, my neighbors, who took alot of stuff off my hands including all my beer brewing gear(boo-hoo)(they just bought a house), thanks to Sue for the inspiration for the title of this entry (she always 'moves me brightly') , and above all thanks to Joel and Maura for taking in a somewhat aged boarder for 6 weeks (beats living in a van, down by the river!). This will warrant a separte blog entry, no doubt!

There is still much to do in the next month and some days I feel alot like Sisyphus but in a few weeks there will be no more Portland rocks to push. Hope all is well with everyone.
All the best,
John