Overalls Friday...And Big Big Big News

Overall it was a pretty good week. We had some student issues that are pretty common about this time of the year. We are also seeing some student success stories which is really inspiring as well. Also, Happy 18th Birthday Harvey! Yeah boy!

Due to a much needed school-wide all staff-development inservice on Monday, we will have a short week with the students Tues-Fri (less planning is always nice).

Now the tiny news: I bet my students that for every Math Phase they pass, they can personally cut one inch of my hair off. I have 8 math students with about 12 possible Phase passes coming up before Christmas so there is a distinct possibility I will have a very short hair do for Christmas break.

So for the pretty big news: Just announced, Phish, the mega jam band powerhouse that filled the shoes of the Grateful Dead and then some touring the nation, changing peoples lives and goals for life, and redefining what live music is all about, split about 4+ years ago and has finally reunited ripping the summer festival season wide open for everyone. They announced their first show for March 6th, 7th, and 8th with more to follow. What this does is basically take any festival goers normal summer festival schedule and throw it out the window. Phis has got back together and now anything is possible. I'm not going to even pose like a mega fan here, I'm not. I've never even seen them, just watched DVD's and listened to their music. Amongst festies (festival goers) there is a serious divide, People who've seen the Dead, people who've seen Phish, and the rest of us. I'll never be able to join one of the two former groups but I want to see them for myself (even as a poser). So the summer is all up the air now baby! Especially following what comes next...

SO now for the mega big ultra huge humungo seriously gargantuan news. I just talked to my brother a couple of days ago on the phone. He was considering doing his student teaching abroad next year (I already knew this). He had expected a placement at an Army base in Germany or possibly Latin America but the agency called and delivered the stunner that he had been placed in England! Point being I have been desperately trying to figure out what will happen next in my life and it depended on friend's plans, family input, and my brothers teaching plans. If he ends up taking the gig in England (for what I'm guessing would only be a couple of months starting in Jan of 09) that would put him being done right around the time I am done here in early May. What I'm saying is that the much anticipated "Iverson brother's do Europe" may be happening much sooner than I ever expected (as opposed to an optimistic tentative plan for when we were rich and in our thirties). Plans arn't made or set in stone but it sure is exciting to think about right! I mean we'll never get a chance to be this young (and I'll actually have some good savings by then). There is a good possibility we would work our way toward Africa as well. All I know is that no matter what happens this summer, its going to be even crazier than this year's for sure.

With this combined news, I feel like a huge bomb of possibility has been placed in my lap. Like anything is possible now, and life is, once again, ripe for the pickin. It was just the boost of the future that I needed to start figuring out what I am going to do with my life. It certainly changes a lot of things. I'm still waiting on a couple key people's inputs on the matter and with out giving too much away I will simply say

"Life...you wily, tricky little bastard, you've thrown me quite another curveball yet again, and I won't know till years later whether to thank you for it or curse you till I'm old and gray."

Awesome, friggin' Awesome.