The Bird

This is banned books week.  The American Library Association has a list of the most challenged books of the decade, and I highly recommend checking it out.  If you're like me, the list will boggle your mind.  It's important to remember that there are still people out there who would censor some of the best books ever written.  A number of the bloggers I follow have written about their favorite banned books, and reading these posts has inspired me to write about the banned book that means the most to me.

To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book of all time-hands down-banned or otherwise.  I didn't read the book in school, which is surely an indictment of my education.  I read it on my own after graduating from the University of Wisconsin.  I read it over the course of a Western road trip with a good friend of mine, and it had an immediate, profound effect on me.  For my money, Atticus Finch is the best character in American literature. His integrity and perseverance in the face of evil still inspire me to this day. 

Then there's Scout.  Let's just say Jean Louise Finch made quite an impression on me.  When the doctor told Meg and I that our first born was going to be a girl, I knew her name had to be Scout.  Luckily for me, Meg was amenable, and I have to say, our Scout embodies the spirit of her namesake.

I think the main reason people have tried to ban Mockingbird is because of racist language, particularly, use of the n word.  The language makes people uncomfortable, but that's the point. Harper Lee was shining a light on hatred and racism.  Yes, the n word is abhorrent, but to exclude it from a book set in Jim Crow Alabama would have been dishonest.  And that's the thing about To Kill a Mockingbird.  It is the most unflinchingly honest book I have ever read.

I make it a point to reread The Bird every year.  If you haven't read it in a while, maybe now is the time. 

Double Digits

My oldest daughter, Scout, turned 10 today.  Double digits.  Hard to believe.  I have to admit, I have mixed emotions.  My heart swells with pride daily as I watch Scout grow and evolve, but my little girl isn't so little any more, the innocence of childhood beginning to slip away.  I think this was the most excited Scout has ever been about her birthday, and while her enthusiasm was infectious, there was definitely an underpinning of sadness.

Scout had very specific ideas for her party this year.  She chose to invite only her two closest friends.  In the time-honored tradition of kids everywhere, she initially wanted to have a sleepover.  After careful consideration, she decided a sleepover wasn't the way to go.  She reasoned that while sleepovers are great, you're asleep for most of it, not hanging out with your friends.  I was impressed with the logic.  Instead, she wanted to spend an entire day with her friends.

Scout planned the whole day, and it was a blast.  The girls came over Saturday morning around 10:30, and they hung out for a while, doing 10 year old girl things.  We had lunch at Little Anthony's, a fun 50s style diner, and then we went to see Legend of the Guardians.  After the movie we came back to the house for swimming, lemon meringue pie, and of course, presents.  Scout had a look of pure joy on her face all day.  It was the look of a kid whose plan was working to perfection.

Today was a typically busy Tuesday for the Rileys, but we squeezed in birthday touches all day.  I gave Scout a lengthy birthday piggyback ride this morning to get things started.  There were birthday treats at school and at dance class.  We had Scout's favorite, Panda Express, for dinner, followed by family presents, and we finished things off with ice cream bars at soccer practice.

Pretty great birthday I'd say.  I just went to check on Scout and she's still awake, well past her normal bedtime.  She said she doesn't want to go to sleep because she doesn't want her birthday to end.  In a way, I think her feelings are similar to mine right now.  We both want something to last that by its very nature must end.      

Funny because it's true

Back when I was a student at the University of Wisconsin, The Onion was a fledgling student newspaper. Like most Badgers of my era, I spent a good deal of class time sneaking a peek at The Onion, trying not to lose it. I've been a fan ever since. My brother sent this clip a while back, and I just rediscovered it when I was cleaning out my inbox. I can't figure out how to embed the video correctly, so just click the link for a good laugh. Glad to see The Onion hasn't abandoned its Sconnie roots.
Packers fan announces he will return to drinking

Fall in the Desert

It is still ridiculously hot here in the desert.  It's probably 100 degrees as I write this at 9:00 P.M.  I was talking to a friend in Madison this past Saturday night; he was turning the heat on in his car, and I was about to jump in my pool.  In fact, I'm going to jump in the pool after I finish this post.  All this heat almost makes me pine for winter - almost.

Despite the heat, this past weekend was a blast.  We had our first soccer games, and the girls were outstanding.  Meg coaches Quinn's team, and she definitely has her work cut out for her.  Lots of standing around, watching the ball go right by.  Quinn is a stud on the pitch.  She scored a goal, and was generally all over the field, wreaking havoc.  I coach Scout's team with a buddy of mine, and we easily won our first game 5-0.  Scout is very dependable, so we usually keep her on defense.  She's so fast, even if the ball gets by her, she can easily recover.  We let her play forward for a quarter, and she took full advantage.  She scored a goal, and she made an amazing crossing pass to a wide open teammate.  The ref called offside, but the skill of the pass was undeniable.  Overall, great beginning for both girls, looking forward to a fun season.

Fall, of course, means football, real and fantasy.  My Badgers are still undefeated, but more underwhelming by the game.  My high hopes for the season are sinking rapidly.  The Packers are off to a quick 2-0 start, and while they haven't looked that great either, I think their best is still to come.  Unlike a certain team with an elderly quarterback who probably should have stayed on his tractor.  My fantasy football is not going well at all.  I'm 0-2 in both of my leagues.  One of my teams, the Desert Lombardis, looks particularly pathetic.  It's early, things can still turn around, but I'm not holding my breath.

Soccer and football make the fall a great time of year.  Now we just need the heat to finally break.  On that note, time to get in the pool.        

Parents These Days

It's my job to get the girls to school.  On time.  Not to brag, but 4 years in, not a single tardy.  Every day I see the same parents show up late, frantically running with their kids.  I have to resist the urge to tell them they're already late, save the energy.  Every day I have the same thought: what the hell is wrong with these people?  Get your kids to school on time!

On the way back to my car today, I overheard two of these habitually late parents commiserating.  One parent was complaining she couldn't get her son to school on time because he wouldn't stop playing his DS. The other parent said his problem was TV.  I was this close to stopping.  Instead, I contented myself with visualizing the verbal smack down that wasn't.

Excuse me, I couldn't help overhearing your conversation, and I've noticed that you have a hard time getting to school on time.  If I may be so bold.  Addressing the woman: take the damn DS away, and watch how fast little Johnny gets his act together.  Now turning to the man: And you sir, the television has an off button, you might want to figure out where it is.  My head now oscillating between the two:  If the problem persists, might I suggest a sledgehammer.              

Vegas

It took me 41 years, but I finally made it to Vegas over Labor Day weekend.  The drive from Tucson to Vegas is quite beautiful, so the 7 hours went by quickly.  I particularly enjoyed a scenic stretch of road north of Wickenburg, AZ.  Joshua trees filled the desert for miles, the perfect setting to listen to a little U2.  There were warnings of long delays at the Hoover Dam, so that will have to wait for the next trip.

This trip was centered around Wisconsin football.  The Badgers opened their season against UNLV, and I was just one of many using the game as an excuse to get together with friends for a long weekend.  The Badgers easily won the game, but a lot of people lost money when they failed to cover the spread.  The spread was 20.5, and the Badgers won by 20.  If you know anything about sports gambling, those half points are notorious.  I didn't have any money on the Badger game, but I did go 3-5 on my college football bets.  I promptly gave my meager winnings right back at the blackjack table, but I managed to get out of town without breaking the bank.

Sunday night was the highlight of the trip.  The Krieghoffs and I went to see The Beatles LOVE at the Mirage.  It was a perfect combination of Beatles music and the acrobatic spectacle typical of the Cirque du Soleil shows.  The storyline was a little vague, but the athleticism and artistry of the performance was amazing.  It was a great way to end the weekend.

Vegas seems best in small doses, and I was more than ready to hit the road yesterday.  I rolled out of town blasting the killers, Vegas finally under my belt.  Now that I have the lay of the land, I can definitely see doing a family trip to Vegas.

Of course, sometimes the best part of going away is coming home.  The girls had Welcome Home signs all over the house, and not much beats hearing your kids scream, "Dad's home!"

The Right to Make Me Uncomfortable

I was a political science major at the University of Wisconsin.  I've always enjoyed a good political debate, but lately the tenor of political discussion has become so vile, I find myself becoming apolitical.  It's all ranting and raving.  If you're a republican, you can't possibly take seriously what a democrat has to say, and vice versa.  Working with someone from the other party is considered weakness.   This makes me sad.  It strikes me as profoundly unAmerican.  The media is to blame for much of the animosity.  I guess people trying to belittle each other makes money.

I'm trying to avoid politics more and more, but I can't get a couple things off my mind this weekend, and I think they're related.  First of all, the whole debate about the mosque near Ground Zero.  I'm glad our President spoke out in defense of religious freedom.  Frankly, if he hadn't, I would have been incredibly disappointed.  Religious freedom is one of the founding principles of our nation, and if our leader can't defend it because it's politically unpopular, then we have a serious problem.  Having said that, I sincerely hope the mosque isn't built, it just doesn't seem like the right thing to do.

I also take issue with went down yesterday in D.C.  I'm not going to lie, I can't stand Glenn Beck.  I believe he is a hateful man masquerading as a compassionate one.  For him to hold a rally on the anniversary of Dr. King's historic moment strikes me as crass and egomaniacal.  He talks about taking America back, like those of us who disagree with him aren't American enough.  The man is shameless.  Having said that, I'm glad Mr. Beck had his rally.  It is his constitutional right, and I will defend it every bit as much as I will defend the rights of Muslims to build a place of worship.  

A mosque near Ground Zero makes me uncomfortable.  Glenn Beck channeling Dr. King makes me uncomfortable.  You know what?  Tough.  As citizens, we don't have the right to be comfortable all the time.  Too many of my fellow citizens have confused their comfort with rights, and it's making a mockery of our principles.

Leonard Smalls vs. Anton Chigurh

I'm a huge Coen brothers fan.  The Big Lebowski is my all-time favorite movie, but that's not what I want to write about.  I recently watched Raising Arizona again, and I couldn't help noticing some striking similarities to another Coen film: No Country for Old Men.  If you've seen both of these films, the comparison may seem like a stretch, but I've been thinking about this a lot the past couple weeks (just ask my wife), and not only do I think the films are eerily similar, I think a case can made that they are essentially the same movie.  For the record, I don't consider that a bad thing.  In fact, I think it's genius.

Both films have the same basic premise.  The protagonist takes something that doesn't belong to him, and then is relentlessly pursued by a demonic antagonist.  The Coens deftly use both Leonard Smalls and Anton Chigurh as symbols.

You don't have to be a film expert to realize these two characters represent pure evil.  On a deeper level, the Coens use the bounty hunter and the hitman to symbolize the evil of the times, which happens to be the 80s in both films, catching up with America.  Or something like that.  The Coens do love their symbolism.  I'm certainly open to other interpretations.

There are other, smaller similarities as well.  Both movies are set in the desert Southwest.  Both films have friendly police officers, and finally, both movies feature lengthy scenes with dogs chasing the protagonist.  There are more, but you get the point.

Now, having tried to make the case that Raising Arizona and No Country for Old Men are basically the same movie, I want to give the Coens their due.  These cats are auteurs, so I'm pretty sure they did it on purpose.  Even though the films are quite similar, the tone is completely different.  Raising Arizona was made pre 9/11, and the movie is essentially a comedy.  NCFOM was made post 9/11, and it is most definitely not a comedy, unless you tend to the very dark.  I have a feeling the Coens made the same movie to illustrate how different our world has become.

Of course, this could all be complete nonsense.  I can't help myself.  I watched a lot of Siskel and Ebert growing up.

School and Favreball

The first week of school is in the books.  Even though my class sizes are bigger, it feels like a good group of kids, much better vibe than last year.  We're still in the honeymoon period, but my instincts are usually pretty good.

I actually had a first this year.  I always start out with student interviews.  The kids interview a classmate and then they present that person to the whole class.  I realize this is a nerve-wracking experience for the kids, so I offer extra credit if they volunteer to come up.  I've never had an entire class volunteer until this year.  Just one of many signs that have me cautiously optimistic.

With school back in session, that means the football season is right around the corner.  I've written about Brett Favre before, but in honor of his 20th season, I thought I'd say a few things about the ol' gunslinger.

I'm glad Favre's back.  Love him or hate him, the guy is flat-out entertaining.  Favre and the Vikings put a beat down on the Packers last year, and if the Packers want to be a serious Super Bowl contender they need to beat Minnesota with #4 under center.  I'm sure Favre will play well, he always does.  Just remember Vikings fans, the plot may change somewhat, but the ending with Favre is always the same.  Heartbreak City.  If you're like me, you'll love him anyway.    

The Road

Cormac McCarthy's The Road was one of the most profound reading experiences of my life.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I was moved to tears, and more than once.  The Road is right up there with To Kill a Mockingbird in my personal pantheon.  The amazing thing about the book is that it works on so many levels.  On one level it's a simple, and undeniably bleak, story of a Father and son trying to survive a post-apocalyptic wasteland.   Go a little deeper, and there is a beautiful and incredibly powerful theme at work.  No matter how bad things are, every minute we spend with loved ones is to be valued and fought for.  In the end, what else is there?  At it's deepest level, The Road is a commentary on the times.  McCarthy illustrates how hard it is to keep the fire with so much evil lurking in the world, and yet, in the end, if we follow the road, there is a way.  Sorry to go all literary there, but I love this book.  Don't take my word for it, Mr. McCarthy won a little thing called the Pulitzer Prize for his efforts.

I wanted to see the movie when it came out last year, but Meg isn't a fan of the whole post-apocalyptic thing.  Meg and Scout were at a Girl Scout camp Saturday night, so I picked up the DVD.  McCarthy has had a number of his books made into excellent films (No Country for Old Men is a classic), but I wasn't sure if The Road would translate as well.  When you love the book, the movie can often be disappointing.  The movie isn't on the same level as the book, but I definitely wasn't disappointed.  I love Viggo Mortensen, and his spot-on portrayal of the Dad makes this movie worth watching.  The Road isn't for everyone, but it is a powerful film in it's own right.    

Mixed Emotions

School starts tomorrow, and I have conflicting emotions.  As a teacher, I'm ready for the challenge of another year.  As a parent, I will dearly miss spending so much quality time with the girls.

Last year was the most difficult of my teaching career.  It was my first year at a new school, and in an attempt to fit in, I dialed it down, particularly in the classroom.  I like to describe my teaching style as a cross between Bobby Knight and Father Flanagan.  I kept Bobby bottled up, and Father Flanagan got his butt kicked.  I may not go as far as throwing chairs across the room, but to be truly effective, I need to let the inner Bobby out every once in a while.  After a lot of reflection this summer, I had to admit to myself that the fire, the Bobby, just wasn't there last year.  I won't make that mistake again.  I'm challenging myself to teach with that fire this year.  My students deserve it, and I won't let them down.

On the flip side, I hate to see this summer end.  This really has been one of the best summers of my life.  June was all about lazy days: playing games, reading, swimming, watching movies, taking naps, just being together.  July was an action-packed month of travel, family, and friends.  August has been about integrating Riley into our family.  I am incredibly grateful for the time we've had, but selfishly, I want more.        

New Addition

Meet the newest member of the Riley family - Riley.  That's right, Riley Riley.  No, we didn't name her, she's adopted.    

Before going up North this summer, Meg and I told the girls we would look into getting a dog when we got back.  Meg and the girls scoured petfinder.com throughout July, and they fell in love with two dogs in particular, one of them being Riley.  Things came together quickly once we got home.  Riley was in foster care in Tempe, and as it turns out, we were going up to Tempe for a feis on Saturday.  We arranged to meet her before the feis, and we picked her up on the way home.

When Goldie passed away last February, I knew it was only a matter of time before we got another dog. The girls were persistent, but this isn't a case of the parents folding.  Meg and I grew up with dogs, we've raised the girls with dogs, I guess we're just dog people.  I did have my doubts, but something Scout said wiped them all away.  "It's like having a best friend who never leaves!"  So there you have it, my little girls have a new best friend.          

Geocaching

The Rileys picked up a new hobby in Minnesota.  It's called geocaching, and it's a great family activity.  Shout out to Aunty Jody for introducing us. 

Geocaching is basically a modern treasure hunt.  Yon can sign up for a free membership at geocaching.com, and you're off and running.  Punch in any address, and a map will show you all the caches in the surrounding area.  With over a million caches worldwide, there will be plenty.  Each cache, or container, has coordinates, so you do need a GPS device.  We used the Garmin my dad gave me for Christmas, and it worked just fine.

Plug in the coordinates, and your GPS will take you right to the area.  The caches come in all sizes, and they're hidden, often in difficult terrain, so finding the container itself can be challenging.  When you find one there is a real sense of accomplishment.  Here are the girls looking mighty proud after finding a cache today.  It was cleverly hidden at the base of the Palo Verde tree in the background.  We were out for about an hour today, and we found three caches.

Each cache has a log book to sign, and some have little trinkets you can take, but only if you leave something else behind.  There may also be a travel bug.  These are little dog tags that people buy through the website and attach to an object.  We've already found two, one attached to a Lego Indiana Jones, and the other attached to a mini surfboard.  If you find a travel bug, you can take it and put it in the next cache you find.  Travel bugs have a tracking number, so you can follow where they go online.

Each geocaching excursion is logged online, even unsuccessful attempts, so the creator of the cache can see what's going on.  That's the next step for packoriles (our geocache name), hiding our own cache.  It's ready to go, we just need to figure out the best place to hide it.  The girls are looking forward to seeing what kinds of things people leave behind.  I'm looking forward to all the time we'll spend as a family with our new hobby.      

Opportunity Knocks

After 35 days on the road, we finally made it home, albeit a little later than originally planned.  Our flight was overbooked, so we took a bump.  We weren’t on a schedule, so we couldn’t pass up the $300 vouchers.  That’s $300 per person, $1200 total=NO BRAINER.

We were perfectly content to stay in a hotel and fly back in the morning.  In fact, the girls were down right giddy about the idea.  They weren’t exactly itching to leave this morning, so anything to extend the trip was fine by them.  They’ve already decided that we’ll use the vouchers to go see their cousins in Portland.   They wanted to get bumped again, but alas, no such luck. 

I heard the agent trying to get some other people on the last flight to Tucson, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask if we could squeeze on as well.  Turns out there were some empty seats, so we made it home by 10:30.  In my mind the Rileys made a cool $1200 for spending an extra three hours in the friendly confines of the Dallas/Fort Worth airport.

In my last post I wrote about the girls learning first hand that sometimes the most rewarding experiences of travel happen off the beaten path.  I think they learned another valuable travel lesson today.  Be flexible on the road, you never know when opportunity will present itself.  Well, that, and never pass up free plane tickets.

Off the Beaten Path

Our trip is winding down, a few more days with Auntie Jody in Minneapolis and then back to Tucson on Tuesday.  As usual, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Madison with the Krieghoffs.  We got our shopping fix on State Street, and of course, ice cream at the Union.  There are now two Big Chairs, and the girls chose to take their requisite Union photo on the new one, gets the lake in the background.  We did a little more campus this year, walked up Bascom Hill, and then ended our extended tour at the Lakeshore dorms.

The highlight of Madison this year was the show the girls put on for us our last night.  My goddaughter, Carlen, choreographed dances to 6 or 7 pop songs, and after the girls got the giggles out, the performance was actually pretty impressive.  We've had a number of these shows over the years, but this year's was by far the best.  I recorded the whole thing, so I can bust it out any time I need to properly embarrass the girls.

The drive from Madison to Minneapolis is usually nothing to write home about it, or in this case, blog about, but this year was a little different.  While flipping through radio stations, we came across a show on public radio about tourism in Wisconsin.  A woman called in and raved about a graveyard of wacky fiberglass animals and shapes at the F.A.S.T. Corporation in Sparta, Wi.  Meg was intrigued and checked the map.  When we realized we were only a short detour away, we decided to check it out.

The graveyard is full of fiberglass animals and shapes, the kinds of things you see at water parks, restaurants, cheesy tourist sites.  The place reminded me of a Midwestern island of misfit toys.  We walked around for a bit, took a bunch of pictures, then hopped back on the interstate.  It may not sound like much, but we went off the beaten path as a family, and I have a feeling this little stop will be remembered for a long time.

The Raft

In my last post I alluded to a big development at the beach this summer.  The beach at Eagle Harbor has a raft floating about 50 yards off shore.  It's always been my job to escort the girls out there.  It's one of those little things you do as a Dad that make you feel useful and appreciated.  On our first visit to the beach this summer, I was more than happy to fulfill my fatherly duty when the call came.

Turns out there wasn't much for me to do.  Scout can easily walk out now, and what Quinn can't walk, she can easily swim.  It struck me that my presence, while perhaps comforting, may not actually be necessary.  It took the girls a few more days to figure this out for themselves, but eventually the question came: can we go out to the raft by ourselves?  Meg and I had already discussed this of course, but we acted the part of deliberating parents before saying yes.  The girls had the look of kids who are fairly certain they'll be shot down, but it's their duty as kids to ask anyway.  Their little faces lit up as it sank in that they'd actually been given the green light, and they were off.

The girls made it easily, like I knew they would.  I smiled, swelling with pride, as they jumped off the raft, over and over, the thrill of independence floating back to me on their laughter.  As I kept watching the girls, it dawned on me, this won't be the last time they figure out they don't need the old man.  Letting go is only going to get harder, and in that moment, I was grateful for the practice.   

Family Time

Meg’s parents left Friday morning, ending two great weeks of family time at the cottage. We head to Madison on Thursday, so we have the place to ourselves for a while. Kind of a bittersweet deal: nice to have some time alone here, but we miss having everyone around. I think it would be better to have our time on the front end, then leave with everyone else.

The first week was full-on family, very action-packed. We kicked things off on the 3^rd with the annual Popeye Run. Meg and I haven’t been running lately, so we didn’t do the 10k this year. I “ran” the 5k, finishing in 29:52. You know you’re slow when a 6 year old leaves you in her dust. In a first, Scout and Quinn walked the 5k. I suppose it won’t be long before the girls are running the 5k, and then ultimately the 10k. I’m sure they’ll bury the old man too.

The 4^th of July is always great up here, classic small town Americana. The festivities kick off with a parade. The kids wear costumes, and at the end of the parade, they present themselves before judges, who will create an award for each kid, thus earning them a nifty $5. When the cousins are together we try to do a theme, this year’s being Star Wars. Check 'em out: Queen Amidala, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, and Obi Wan Kenobi.

After the parade, everyone meanders over to the ball yard (you could say “park" but the more old-timey the better around here) for an afternoon of games. It was really hot this year, so by the time the rolling pin toss was done, we were ready to hightail it back to the cottage for a dip in the watermelon hole. The icy waters of Lake Superior never felt so good.

The weather was great the rest of the week, so we spent a lot of time at the beach. The highlight for me was the afternoon we spent trying to body surf at Great Sand Bay. As far as the kids were concerned, it was just as good as being at the ocean. There was a big development at the beach this year, but I want to save that for it’s own post.

Scout and Quinn tried waterskiing last summer for the first time, but they weren’t able to get up. They tried again this year, and they did really well. They never got very far before falling off, but they made huge strides from last year. I bet next year they’ll be all over the Harbor. That means more time on the water for Big Dad, which will definitely make him happy.

Meg’s dad loves to be on the water, and his granddaughters love to be in the boat with their Big Dad. We usually just cruise the Harbor, with a quick run out to the bell buoy mixed in. The best boat ride this year was on the last day with the cousins. We went down to Silver Island to do a little exploring. We hiked around for a while and ended the excursion by jumping off the rocks into the lake. It was a great way to send the cousins off.

In between all the action, there’s still plenty of down time to enjoy. We play a lot of games, take long walks, read, take naps, just sit around and chat. Our time at Eagle Harbor is the perfect combination of action and relaxation. The whole experience is very restorative. The other night Meg and I were taking a walk after dinner, and she summed it up perfectly. The images of Eagle Harbor, the old ones that are updated and the new ones that get added, make it easier to deal with life in the real world-until we can make it back. I feel very fortunate to have a place like this in my life.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame

It’s hard to blog from the road, so I’ve decided to break our summer trip into manageable segments. The first segment is the shortest, just the first couple days.

June 30^th was a travel day, and even though we had to sit on the runway in Tucson for an hour and a half, we made our connection. I was very impressed by how well the girls handled the delay. It was pretty late when we got to Aunty Jody’s house, so it was straight to bed for the Rileys.

Meg’s sister and her family got in the next morning, and the cousins got right to it. My brother-in-law and I took the two older girls to a Twins game. The new ballpark is as good as advertised, but they might want to beef up security. A pretty nasty fight broke out in our section, one drunk guy using the other drunk guy’s face as a punching bag. These were big dudes and no one was doing anything to break it up. For a second I thought Tom and I might have to get in there, but thankfully someone beat us to it. The “security“ that finally showed up was some old guy, no way in hell he was going to help. He didn’t even have a radio to call for back up. I never did see a police officer, which I found more than a little odd. I’ve been to a lot of sporting events, at a good number of stadiums across the country; I’ve never seen a situation in the crowd so poorly managed.

Both of the brawlers left bloodied, although I think it was all one guy’s blood. I was worried the girls would be traumatized, but they quickly turned the whole thing into a game, creating possible conversations between the two guys, always ending with “and then they started fighting.” Pretty damn funny actually. The game was quite exciting, but the Twins blew a lead in the ninth and ultimately lost in the 10^th. The best part of the whole night was working with Scout to fill out the scorecard. If you’re taking a kid to a baseball game, forget all the fancy souvenirs. Just get a scorecard, spend the whole game talking with your kid about baseball, it really makes the experience.

That brings us to July 2^nd, another travel day. The drive from Minneapolis to Eagle Harbor, Michigan, takes 8-9 hours with the kids, but it never feels that long. I love driving through northern Wisconsin, close to my roots kind of thing. Eagle Harbor is a pretty remote place, especially if you’re coming from the Sonoran Desert. Not a lot of internet access here on the Keewenaw Peninsula, but the one restaurant in town does have wi-fi access this year. We’ve been told you can sit in the parking lot and patch in. I can’t decide if this is a good thing.

Road Trip

Meg finishes summer school today, and then we're off on our annual summer odyssey. Every summer we leave the heat of the desert and head north to visit family and friends in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. We used to leave town the day school let out, usually around May 20, and return a day or two before school started up again, usually the middle of August. With Meg doing summer school the last couple years, our departure has been pushed back, but we still have a ton of time to travel as a family.

The girls are jumping out of their skin excited. This year is extra special for them because they get to hang out with their cousins in Michigan. Meg's family has a place on Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We're right on the water; we fall asleep to the waves lapping at the stone shore. The wall the girls are sitting on in the picture is right out the front door. This pose is a bit of a tradition, the girls looking at the lighthouse. We usually spend about 2 weeks there, this year it'll be about three.

After Michigan we'll head down to Madison, stay with friends 4 or 5 days. My favorite part of our Madison time is the pilgrimage down to the Union. We park up toward the capital and shop our way down State Street. I always get some Badger gear for myself and the girls. We wind up at the Union, the kids get ice cream and the adults drink a beer or two on the terrace. We have another photo tradition there, the girls in the big terrace chair. Madison is an important place in my life, I love sharing it with the girls every summer.

Last stop this year will be Minnesota. We'll stay with Meg's sister and visit as many friends as possible. Meg grew up there, and I lived there for 8 years, so we have a lot of people to see. The girls love spending time with their Aunty, she always makes our visit special for them. Meg's parents have a lake place about an hour west of Minneapolis, but I'm not sure if we'll get out there this year. It seems like we've spent less time at the lake over the years, but when the girls were younger, we spent a lot of time out there. The place is for sale now, and even though it's a tough market these days, it will eventually sell. I'm grateful for all the great times we've had out at the lake over the years.

When you're visiting with family and friends, it's hard to find time for writing. The time I do fit in needs to be for the book. I'm at 44K, and the plot is starting to pick up. As Grady Tripp said in The Wonder Boys, I'm at a critical juncture. While we're on the road, my goal for the blog is to post pictures of our adventures, and maybe a written post here and there. Lots to do yet this morning, time to get cracking.

Say Hello To Our Little Friend

We had a little excitement in the Riley house yesterday. We live on an acre of desert, and we see lizards all the time. For the record, the Rileys love lizards. We catch babies in the house all the time, no big deal. This guy was no baby, he was probably a good 8 inches long. When I came across him in my room, right next to my bed, I'm not sure who was more freaked out, me or the lizard. After a brief stand off, our uninvited guest bolted under the bed, and the hunt was on. Nothing like a good lizard hunt to bring a family together. The girls were completely unfazed, they were right in there trying to help, laughing the whole time. It probably took us a good half hour, but we finally caught the intruder. I put him in a garbage can to take this picture. I have a feeling this will go down in family lore. One of those stories that begins, remember the time?

Earlier in the day the girls and I saw Toy Story 3. Great movie. I think the Toy Story movies are all about growing up, and this third installment beautifully deals with the end of childhood. Scout said an interesting thing in the car on our way to Peter Piper. She said the ending was sad, but it's probably sadder for adults because they know what it feels like to miss being a kid. It's pretty awesome to see a movie with your kids that can generate that kind of discussion.

We're having friends over this afternoon, so the girls and I decided to have our last Pizza Friday on Thursday. Peter Piper is a bit of a nightmare, but I've really enjoyed Pizza Fridays with the girls this summer. Before we ate, Scout asked if she could make a toast. We toasted to Pizza Fridays, and spending time together this summer, just Dad and the girls. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Perfect Weekend

The last three days have been such a blast, I'm feeling a little Lou Gehrig tonight.

Friday morning we watched the US/Slovenia match. The girls get a kick out of all my screaming and yelling during sporting events, and I have to admit, I was pretty into the game. I nearly lost my mind when the last goal was disallowed, but that second half was flat-out fun to watch. After the game the girls played while I did a little work on the book, and while I didn't write a lot, what I did write felt good, it felt true. I love that feeling. The girls earned a bunch of free pizza coupons at school this year, and we've been using them on what we creatively named Pizza Fridays. The coupons are for a place called Peter Piper Pizza, and while I'm not crazy about the place, the girls always have a good time, so why not. We play some games when we're done eating, and then the girls cash in their tickets for a bunch of crap they'll soon lose or forget about. I do love watching their faces as they try to decide what to get with their tickets, very serious business for them, kinda priceless. After lunch we stopped at Target to pick up some cards for Father's Day. The girls enjoy picking out their own cards, and they really put a lot of thought into their choices. This year's theme was dogs; the girls were quite happy with their selections. When we got home we swam for a good two hours. I spent a majority of the time judging a "diving" contest. I'll give the girls this, the number of dives they're able to come up with is staggering. Sure, we had best cannonball, smallest splash, but most of the dives were a little more creative: best dog dive, best cat dive, best insert-name-of-animal dive, best trumpet dive, best violin dive, best insert-the-name-of-instrument dive, you get the drift. After swimming we ate dinner, and then we watched Labyrinth. The kids enjoyed it, especially David Bowie, even though they refuse to believe he's the same guy who sings Changes and Golden Years, songs they both love. I remember thinking the special effects were so cool as a kid, but I was surprised by how dated they looked. Meg worked a long day, so she was pretty much in bed with the girls. I decided to usher in year 41 by watching Dream A Little Dream. I admit it, I was feeling a little nostalgic, and nothing like a good Corey and Corey flick to bring back old memories, well, for me at least.

I woke up Saturday to birthday hugs and kisses from my ladies. Meg and the girls gave me a beautiful new leather bag for school, very exciting. Unfortunately, Meg had to go to a seminar, so it was me and the girls most of the day. We met up with my sister for lunch, and then went by to check out her new place. There was another diving contest when we got home, and then we watched another classic kid flick from the old man's time, The Neverending Story. The special effects in this one were so bad, I'm ashamed to have been impressed by them as a kid. We had Mediterranean for dinner, and really, the rest of the night was pretty mellow. Before bed I checked Facebook, and I was overwhelmed by all the birthday greetings. Facebook has its faults, but that was pretty cool. No big party, no drunken debauchery, just hanging out with the family. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Pretty sweet to follow up my birthday with Father's Day. The girls gave me a new wallet, and Meg gave me Dave Eggers's book, Zeitoun. We lounged around the house like any other Sunday morning; it was good to have Meg with us. Meg had to get a few last things at Borders, and then we met up with my parents and sister for lunch at In-N-Out Burger. This is the Riley idea of a fine dining experience. We went to my parent's place for desert, and spent a nice afternoon just hanging out, my dad and I keeping tabs on the U.S. Open. It was great to see my dad enjoying himself. A couple weeks ago the guy was laid up in a hospital bed, so I know today was special for him. It's been a rocky road for my dad after his kidney transplant, and it means a lot to share Father's Day with him.

It's funny, this weekend probably sounds pretty uneventful, boring even. I think it was perfect.

The Karate Kid

I was in limbo during the summer of 1984. My mom had taken a job in Green Bay, and as soon as our house in Appleton sold, we would be moving. It was only 30 miles, but at the time, it felt like we were moving to another continent.

There wasn't a lot of fanfare when The Karate Kid came out that June. I can still vividly remember the first time I heard about it. I was playing Dig Dug at Open Pantry. The kids next to me were playing Joust, and they were talking about this great movie they'd seen, The Karate Kid.

I'm not going to lie, I was obsessed with The Karate Kid that summer and fall. I'm not even sure how many times I saw it in the theater, but it was a lot. It got to the point where my friends started greeting me by asking when I was going to see it again. The Karate Kid wasn't just a movie for me, it was like a sign of things to come. I had no doubt in my mind that a bunch of thugs would routinely attack me upon my arrival in Green Bay. I wasn't very familiar with the demographics of Green Bay, but I was sure there had to be at least one old Japanese guy who could train me in martial arts. Thankfully, I fared a lot better than Daniel LaRusso when we finally moved. I know it sounds ridiculous, but The Karate Kid helped me make the transition, and for that, it remains one of my all-time favorites.

Last summer some friends gave me a box set of The Karate Kid movies for my 40th birthday. I've watched all the movies with the girls, well, the first three anyway, sorry Hilary Swank, and I'm proud to say they love The Karate Kid as much as Dad. Not much makes me happier than watching the girls do the crane. Sharing The Karate Kid with the girls is one of those things that makes being a Dad special.

We went to see the new Karate Kid on Sunday, with the same friends who gave me the box set actually, and I have to admit, it's good. A bit long, but definitely worth seeing. Jackie Chan is excellent, and surprisingly, Jaden Smith didn't irritate me. I still think he's too young for the part, but he did a nice job. The girls enjoyed it too, but this morning at breakfast they told me they like the original better. I had to smile, my thoughts exactly.

Thank You, Soccer

We've got World Cup fever at the Riley house. We watched South Africa play Mexico on Friday. We were cheering for Bafana Bafana in support of our old friend Mosuwenyana Mokoena. I know how proud he is to have his country hosting the World Cup, and we shared a lot of Mosuwenyana stories during the game.

On Saturday we watched the US tie England. Sorry about that one England. We didn't watch any games today, but I think we'll watch a lot this week. The girls aren't normally interested in watching sports with dear old Dad, so if they're willing to watch, I'm definitely in. Of course, "watching" is a relative term here. Scout is more interested in her book, and Quinn spends a lot of time with her dolls, but they're both IN THE ROOM, and that's progress. I'm hoping soccer will be a gateway sport, and before you know it, I'll have a couple of sports junkies on my hands.

My favorite part of the World Cup so far is the noise. I love those damn vuvuzelas. Who cares if the French players can't hear themselves on the field, they're brilliant.

Life Lessons

The girls competed in the Grand Canyon State Feis this past weekend in Phoenix. The Grand Canyon feis is sponsored by their dance school, Tir Conail, so the girls were very excited. Here they are with their excited little selves.

For the uninitiated, a feis (pronounced fesh) is an Irish step dancing competition. I would try to explain how one of these things works, but quite frankly, I think it might be easier to tie up the loose ends of Lost. All I know for sure is that the girls compete in a bunch of dances, and if they do well, they can win shiny medals. If the shiny medal is a first, or sometimes even a second, they move up to the next level of competition, and that's a good thing.

Scout started out strong in the morning, with two 1sts and two 2nds. I'm always happy when the girls place, but this was big. Scout was shut out at the last feis, and she took it pretty hard. The judges said she wasn't crossing her feet enough, so she worked on that in practice. I think this experience taught her a valuable lesson. When things don't go your way, you can pout, give up, or you can go back to work and try to get better. As parents, we preach this all the time, but this is concrete proof, and now Scout has something to draw on when things don't go as she hopes. Which, of course, happened a lot sooner than any of us expected.

Quinn danced in the afternoon, and she was wonderful. At the last feis, Quinn wasn't her usual energetic self; she just kind of shuffled her way through. We talked a lot about picking up her energy level, and this time around she was bouncing all over the place, big ol' smile on her face. She moved up to Novice in one of her dances, and placed in 4 others. Quinn has a good time no matter what happens with the judges, but again, it was good to have concrete results.

Scout had to wait all afternoon for her last dance, it was a very long day for her. It's the only dance she has left in Beginner II, and she's been stuck there for a while. She needs to place 1st or 2nd to move on to Novice, and it didn't happen. As a parent, I felt powerless. I want to be able to tell her what she can do to get over the hump, but the truth is, all I can tell her is to keep working, and sometimes that sounds hollow even to me. I know it stings when you fall short of a goal, and I was proud of how Scout handled her disappointment. It wasn't long before she was talking about moving up at the next feis in August.

The girls love Irish dancing, and they love competing. What I love is watching the girls improve from feis to feis, as dancers, and as people.

Gets Me Every Time

We're about a week into summer vacation here at the Riley house. Meg does summer school, so for the month of June, it's just me and the girls. We're having a blast, being lazy, going with the flow. It's nice to get off the conveyor belt of life for a while.

One of my favorite things about summer is the reading program sponsored by the public library. The girls get a little chart, they color in a shape for every 15 minutes they read: sea horses, seashells, you get the drift. Every 6 hours they get some sort of prize; I think the first one is a temporary tattoo. The girls are obsessed with filling in their charts, so the first week or two of summer vacation there's a lot of reading going on in the Riley house. I don't think they even care about the prizes, they just like filling in that chart, must be the sense of accomplishment. Intrinsic reward over extrinsic reward, does a parent proud.

In a departure, Scout is using a timer this year. She resets it every 15 minutes, it's pretty damn cute. Scout is a freakish reader, incredibly fast and way above grade level. She reads better than most of the 8th graders I taught this year. Quinn is coming along at a more normal pace, and I love listening to her read, helping her sound out tough words. It's really starting to click for her; I can hear the confidence growing in her voice with every chapter. Quinn has a bunch of books checked out from the library, but I doubt she'll ever get to them, we're reading The Magic Treehouse series. Quinny reads aloud to Meg and I, and we just ballpark 2 chapters=15 minutes.

Meg and I are both avid readers, so I'm not surprised the girls love to read. The thing is, I'm surprised every time I see Scout in one of her many reading spots around the house, completely lost in her own little world. I'm surprised every time I listen to Quinn sound out a polysyllabic word or use the perfect inflection with dialogue. I'm surprised how happy it makes me.

My First Tag

Last week I was tagged by Eric at Working My Muse. I told Eric I would use the tag for one of my posts, but I completely forgot until I visited his blog today. Eric posted a great poem honoring veterans, take a minute to check it out.

The point of the tag, as I understand it, is to answer 5 questions with five facts and then select 5 other people to do the same. It seems like a fun exercise, so here we go.

1. Where were you five years ago?

I was teaching, but at a different middle school. We were still living on Pima Street, a few months away from the decision to move. Meg had left teaching to stay home with the girls. Our dogs, Chili and Goldie, were alive and well, and I was still a huge Brett Favre fan.

2. Where would like to be in five years?

Despite all the negative publicity lately, I still love Tucson, so I plan on being right here 5 years from now. On the job front, maybe I'll try high school. Like many bloggers, I would love to be a published author. I can't imagine we won't have at least one dog running around, and last but not least, ARod will have more Super Bowl rings than ol' Brett.

3. What is on your to do list today?

Today's almost over, so let me think ahead to tomorrow. I want to get at least 2 pages of the book done. I need to get in the pool with the girls. I'd like to read at least 50 pages of the Jonathan Tropper novel I started today. Quinn's reading is really coming on, and I'll sit with her as she reads Magic Treehouse. The most important thing tomorrow is to get up to the hospital to hang out with my dad.

4. What snacks do you enjoy?

My favorite snack is Goldfish. To be honest, I eat so many Goldfish, they're more like one of the food groups for me. I don't really eat any other snacks with regularity, but I do enjoy Dots, Rolos, grapes, and cheese, preferably some kind of cheese spread, Merks or Pub Cheese, on pretzels.

5. What 5 things would you do if you were a billionaire?

This one is fun to think about. The basics come first, dream house for Meg, college for the girls, big checks for family and friends. I'm sure there would be a lot of travel. Meg and I would start a charitable organization, fund different projects, make that our life's work.

Thanks again to Eric for thinking of me with the tag. I don't have a lot of followers yet, but here are 5 bloggers I enjoy reading. Of course, I have no idea if I'm doing this process correctly, but what the hell:

Johanna

Teacher Mommy

Ed

Kate

Marquita

School's Out

I didn't go into teaching to have summers off, but it's certainly a nice perk, one of the few we have in the teaching profession. Today was our last day of school, so the teaching off-season is now officially under way. Much like athletes need the off-season to heal physically, teachers need the summer to heal mentally. Well, at least I do, and I've got a lot of healing to do this summer.

This was a particularly trying school year for me. Around this time last year I agreed to participate in a federal study. In exchange for switching to an underperforming school, I was given a bonus. The point of the study is to see if teachers who have had success in raising test scores can duplicate that success in underperforming schools. I was honored to be asked, and ultimately, the money was too much to resist.

I knew going in I would have my work cut out for me, but I have to admit, the experience has been more challenging than I expected. Getting 8th graders to do their work is always a battle, one I pride myself on winning. Let's just say my winning percentage took a severe beating this year. There were many days when I felt like Don Quixote charging those windmills.

I don't want it to sound like nothing good happened this year, because I had some amazing kids, and more than a few transcendent moments. That really hit home today at promotion. Every time a kid came up to say thanks, and it happened a lot more than I expected, some of the lingering negativity fell away. Every parent who thanked me for helping their child reminded me why I put up with all the bullshit.

Now I have the summer to recharge the battery. When it's time to report back I'll be ready. Like teachers everywhere, I'll walk in those doors ready for the best year of my career. For now though, play me some Alice Cooper.

Do The Right Thing

Tuesday night was a big night in the Riley house, and I'm not just talking about Lost. Voters in Arizona overwhelmingly passed a 1 cent sales tax increase to offset massive cuts to education, public safety and health services. With the current mood of the state, I was expecting the measure to be shot down rather handily. That's the great thing about this life, you never know. Not only did the sales tax pass, it passed by a nearly 2/3 margin. Not to be hyperbolic, but this was a bi-partisan victory for common sense and decency.

I don't want to get all political, I am a registered independent after all, but I do think there's a lesson here. What the results say to me, and I hope our state legislators, is that people don't want to destroy the education system to balance the budget. I know times are tough; the budget deficit is no joke, but schools have already shouldered their fair share of cuts in this state.

We can't just cut spending to vital programs to get ourselves out of trouble, there has to be some new revenue coming in. No one wants to pay more taxes, including me, but we're not going to get out of this mess without some sacrifice. I think we all realize this, but the definition of sacrifice has been very limited. Too many legislators in this state have decided that sacrifice can only mean cutting spending. I hope they see things a little differently after this vote. Arizonans showed they are willing to pay a little more to provide their children with the best education possible.

We're still way behind the curve down here in the desert. We need to be talking about spending more on education, not less. For one night though, Arizonans did the right thing. It's a start.

Leave It To The Bard

I'm reading Romeo and Juliet with my honors 8th grade English class. I see no reason to wait until high school to read Shakespeare with advanced readers.The kids are all very bright, but Shakespeare is tough, it really humbles them. We stop a lot to break down what's being said, what's happening. My questions are often met with averted eyes and the kind of silence that really should be accompanied by crickets. That's what I love about teaching Shakespeare to this age group, it's a challenge, they have to work at it.

Early on the kids really struggle, but by Act IV and V, the light goes on for more kids and more frequently. When I stop to ask questions, there are more hands, so many that certain kids can't take the chance they won't be called on and just shout the answers out. I can literally feel these kids learning how to read Shakespeare. It's the kind of feeling teachers crave, it's our drug.

Every year there are students who get it more than others, and this year is no exception. One student in particular is damn near bringing me to tears. His name is Rene, and two years ago he didn't speak a word of English. When I ask what things mean, Rene does this little half raise of the hand, almost daring me not to notice him. I do, and he's always spot-on. Rene volunteers every time I assign roles, but I notice he's become partial to Friar Laurence. His English is heavily accented, but his voice is firm and loud, I can hear the pride as he reads these ancient lines of English.

As a teacher, it's very easy to be cynical these days, especially in Arizona. Reading Shakespeare with a kid like Rene is what this whole teaching gig is about.

Mother's Day Weekend

We had a great weekend, the highlight being Mother's Day brunch at our house. It was a real treat to celebrate with three amazing Mothers: my mother-in-law, my mom, and my wife. I feel very blessed to have these exceptional women in my life.

Scout has become very interested in cooking, so she helped me make the spinach/egg dish for the brunch. We watch a lot of cooking shows as a family, and Scout couldn't resist providing narration: now I'm adding the spinach to the eggs and giving them a nice mix. It was pretty damn funny.

There are a lot of great Moms out there, but Meg is hard to beat. Friday night, after an exhausting week of work, she spent the night with a rowdy troop of Girl Scouts, camping in the other troop leader's backyard. Up at dawn, all day Saturday at a Girl Scout event, she finally got to relax Saturday night. She managed to stay awake long enough to watch The Informant! I normally love Damon and Soderbergh, but not this time. The music was distracting, and it just wasn't that funny.

I had a great time with Quinn while Meg and Scout were gone. It's so much fun to spend time one-on-one with the girls, it's a totally different dynamic. We had dinner at Whataburger Friday night, and did some Mother's Day shopping at Target afterwards. Quinn is so adorable, she missed her sister, so she slept in her bed. I spent a couple hours flipping between Pulp Fiction and Jerry Maguire, two movies I doubt I'll ever grow tired of. Saturday morning Quinn crawled into bed with me bright and early and we had a good long talk. We finished up the Mother's Day shopping and then hustled over to the bowling alley for a birthday party.

It was an action-packed weekend, and by Sunday night Meg and I were exhausted, but we couldn't go to bed without watching Betty White on SNL. It was great to see all the female alums show up to support Betty. We laughed a lot and called it a weekend.

I Crack Myself Up

Last summer I turned 40 and started working on a novel. I realize this sounds like typical mid-life crisis behavior, and maybe it is, but in a good way I think. I'm having a great time writing the book. The finish line is still a ways off, but I'm confident I'll get there; I'm having too much fun with the story to stop. I have no delusions about becoming a famous author. I know the odds of making any money as a novelist are slim, but that's beside the point. I'll know I did it, I wrote the book I set out to write, and that sense of accomplishment is what I'm chasing, not money or fame. I'll try to get an agent, go the traditional publishing route, but if that doesn't work, there's always the self-publishing option these days. My kids know I'm writing a book, and I want them to see me finish what I started. That will be more important than anything else.

I was reminded again last night of why I'm writing in the first place: having a good time. I wrote a couple lines that I thought were pretty funny. I actually laughed as I wrote them, and I laughed even harder rereading them later. I may be the only one who thinks they're funny, but for what it's worth, here they are, with a visual aid for those unfamiliar with the Gravedigger:

Vic never went on the road without a full trunk of liquor. On this particular occasion, he had a cooler of beer and enough Jagermeister to anesthetize Gilbert Brown.

Get it? Gilbert's a big man? There's a lot of Jagermeister? Well, I'm laughing right now, and I'm going to have a shot of Jager in Gilbert's honor.

Back to the 80s

Meg and I stumbled across Eddie and the Cruisers on cable Friday night. I don't think either one of us intended to watch the whole thing, but we did, and it was a lot of fun. Of course, after three Jack and Cokes I probably would have enjoyed any movie. For me, the best part of Eddie and the Cruisers was always the music. I forgot how much I loved those songs. When I was in high school my brother and I shared a room together. We would fall asleep to music every night. One of the albums in our rotation, and yes, they were albums, was the Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack. The other mainstays were Purple Rain, Born in the USA, and the Platoon soundtrack. Hearing all those songs took me back to that time, it was like I was back in my old room. Those were good times, it was fun to revisit those memories.

I had a similar experience Sunday night. We try to do Family Movie Night every Sunday, and this week the girls picked E.T. This is another movie that triggers a very specific set of memories, and I enjoyed rummaging through them as I watched with the girls. I was 13 when E.T. came out, and I was living in Appleton, Wisconsin. The highlight of any weekend at that age was taking the bus downtown to get a personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut, and then going to our rinky-dink mall to play video games in the arcade and see a movie. The freedom of those days was a highlight of my time in Appleton. I can still remember how I felt the day a bunch of us went to see E.T. Just enough of that feeling is still in my brain somewhere, and it felt good to let it out.

Sometimes You Gotta Vent

Arizona is taking a lot of heat over this new immigration law, and deservedly so, but as a teacher, I'm more concerned about what this state is doing to public education. Last year the education budget was cut 14%, and this year schools are being forced to cut another 10%, possibly more. On May 18, the state will vote on a sales tax measure to increase the sales tax by 1 cent, for a restricted three year period. It is estimated the increase would raise 1 billion dollars a year, which could be used for public education and other severely cut social service programs. If the measure doesn't pass, it will mean further dracoian cuts to education. Drastic steps, like eliminating high school sports, are seriously being considered if voters shoot down the sales tax increase. Quite frankly, I'm not expecting the measure to pass.

I'm a teacher, I don't need to tell anyone where I stand on crazy shit like this. It's disheartening to work in a state that already spends less money on education than any other state in the union, and wants to cure its budget woes by depriving children of a quality education. My daughters attend one of the top public elementary schools in Tucson, but budget cuts are sucking the life out of the place. The librarian was cut last year, but luckily parent volunteers stepped up to keep the library open. There's no band/orchestra this year, no PE, it's very bare bones, and now we have to cut more. Projections for next year are so bad, I was joking with the principal that he'll be answering phones next year.

Apparently, eliminating positions isn't enough. There's a very good chance those of us left standing are going to have our salaries cut, anywhere from 2% to 4.2%. Of course, with all the cuts, you can bet class size will go up, which means teacher workloads will increase. I know, I know, lots of people are working more for less these days, join the club. That doesn't mean I have to like it. Sometimes you gotta vent.

A little catch up.....

My only New Year's resolution for 2010 was to spend an hour every day writing. Most days I spend that hour working on a book I started last summer, but as a change of pace, I started this blog. I'm finding it a great way to practice writing. I watch a lot of movies and I read quite a few books, so the original idea for the blog was to write reviews. I'm still interested in writing reviews, but I've enjoyed writing about other topics as well, so I guess the blog will be about whatever is on my mind when I take a break from working on the book. Tonight, I have a bunch of movies and books to catch up on.

Meg and I watched Everybody's Fine a couple weekends ago. DeNiro plays a widower trying to reconnect with his kids. He hits the road to see his kids, and much enlightenment ensues. Pretty formulaic movie, but I'm a sucker for family dramas and road trip movies, so I actually liked this more than I thought I would. The next day I braved the mall and took the girls to see How To Train Your Dragon. I know this is a kid's movie, and my kids thoroughly enjoyed it, but I probably liked it more than they did. That night Meg and I watched An Education. I know this was nominated for Best Picture, but I wasn't impressed. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't really want to watch a 16 year old girl have a relationship with a creepy older guy, especially when he's played by Peter Skaarsgaard, not my favorite actor. I read a number of reviews comparing Carey Mulligan to Audrey Hepburn, but I was reminded of Katie Holmes circa Dawson's Creek, and that's not a good thing. This past Saturday, we watched The Blind Side. It's hard not to like this movie. I can't say it's Best Picture material, but it's a solid movie about a truly inspirational group of people. While I think Sandra Bullock did a nice job, I find it absolutely ridiculous that she won Best Actress for this performance. There is simply no way a sane human being can tell me her performance was better than Gabourey Sidibe's in Precious. That gets me caught up with movies.

On the book front, just a couple to write about, but they're both excellent. This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper is a great book. The main character, Judd Foxman, is going home to sit shiva for his dead father. His family has a hard time being in the same room, so the seven days of shiva are full of plenty of fireworks. Tropper has a great sense of humor and writes wonderful, fully-developed characters. This is the second Tropper book I've read in a month, and I have another ready to go. Big fan. The last book I finished was bird by bird by Anne Lamott. This is an excellent book about writing, full of sage advice and concrete suggestions for aspiring writers. Lamott recommends writing at least 300 words a day. I think this post fits the bill.

Minneapolis Doppelgangers

I received some crazy news from a friend in Minneapolis this week. Well, it's crazy to me anyway. Her son is taking swimming lessons, and a there's a girl named Quinn in his class. Awesome, my youngest daughter's name is Quinn. It's not a common name, but I've seen it out there, it's not all that surprising to come across other Quinns. We actually have a female reporter on the local news named Quinn. I'm sure this Quinn's parents wanted a beautiful Irish name like Meg and I did. I wouldn't be surprised if Quinn becomes a fairly common name. At this point we're talking minor coincidence, but this is where the crazy comes in.

My friend got to talking with Quinn's nanny at their last swimming lesson. Turns out little Quinn recently became a big sister. Her little sister's name? Scout. Hmmm, now that's weird. My oldest daughter's name is.....wait for it.....Scout! Other than her fictional namesake, and Bruce and Demi's kid of course, I am not aware of any other kids out there named Scout, and this is definitely the kind of thing friends and acquaintances would pass along. I've heard of people naming their dogs Scout, which is another topic altogether, but kids, no. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, this blew me away.

Meg grew up in Minneapolis, and I lived there for 8 years. We still have a lot of friends up there, and Meg thinks the other Scout and Quinn's parents heard the names from someone we know. It's definitely possible, but so what, right? We love the names, so why wouldn't other people? I think it's cool. We spend quite a bit of time in Minneapolis in the summer, who knows, maybe we should meet this family. Apparently we have a lot in common.

What Would Isaac Do?

A boy named Isaac has become a legend in the Riley family. In 2008 we had the misfortune of sitting behind Isaac on a flight from Tucson to Dallas. Isaac was the kid you never want to sit by on a plane. The only thing more irritating than Isaac's behavior was his parents' refusal to deal with the young man. Ever since that brief encounter my daughters have been obsessed with Isaac. They make up games in the backyard with Isaac as the villain. When they see kids acting up in public, they think of ways Isaac would be even worse. For the Riley girls, Isaac symbolizes misbehaving children everywhere.

It's actually been a while since I've heard the girls talking about Isaac, but his name popped up this weekend. Meg and I were in the kitchen talking about our summer trip. One of the perks of having a two teacher family is the time off. Every summer we get out of the desert for a while, spending time with family and friends in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The last few years we've flown, but this year we're going back to our roots, loading up the car for a good old-fashioned road trip. We've taken different routes over the years, so we were discussing places we might stop for the night. As we were talking, riotous laughter began spilling into the kitchen, so we went to investigate. When we asked the girls what was so funny, they said they were making up stories about Isaac. The stories all involved running into Isaac at hotels on our trip, with Isaac doing some ridiculous thing or other to get into trouble. I didn't find the stories particularly funny, but watching the girls lose their minds together was hilarious. Watching your kids laugh hysterically is one of the true pleasures of parenting. Thanks Isaac.

When Pride Still Mattered

I grew up in Wisconsin, so it goes without saying that I'm a huge Green Bay Packers fan. As a child of the 70s and 80s there wasn't much to cheer about, the Packers were consistently terrible. My generation had no idea what it felt like to cheer for a winner. All we could do was listen to stories of the glory days, passed down from Father to son, stories of the Lombardi era, when the Green Bay Packers were the epitome of success, right up there with the New York Yankees.

When I was 16, we moved to Green Bay, about a mile down the street from Lambeau Field. When you live in Green Bay, Lombardi and the Packers are everywhere. My old high school is on Packerland Drive. My brother and sister both attended Lombardi Middle School. We drove Lombardi Avenue nearly every day. Lombardi may have died in 1970, but his legacy is still very much alive in Titletown.

I read somewhere recently that Robert DeNiro is going to play Lombardi in a movie based on the biography When Pride Still Mattered by David Maraniss. I remembered giving the book to my dad as a gift at some point, but I'd never actually read it myself. I borrowed it from my dad to get a little football fix and brush up on my Packers history. When Pride Still Mattered is an excellent biography, very detailed, informative and entertaining. Sports fans, especially football fans, will definitely enjoy this book. If you're a Green Bay Packers fan this is a must-read.

All Part of the Job

As a teacher, I consider keeping up with pop culture part of my job. You can really connect with a kid if you're able to talk about music, movies, and yes, even books. The Twilight series is a perfect example. Like it or not, these books are huge in the world of middle school. I finally broke down in '08 and read Twilight when I noticed how many girls were toting the thing around. My reaction to the book was lukewarm, and I would have gladly stopped there, but I had some really great girls in class that year, and I let them talk me into giving New Moon a chance. I liked the addition of werewolves, but other than that, I still wasn't hooked. At that point, I felt like I'd done my duty, I would not be finishing the series.

When Twilight hit theaters in "09, I have to admit, I was interested to see it. Not enough to brave the mall, but I did watch it on DVD. I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan, but I actually quite enjoyed it. Some of the special effects were laughably bad, but overall, I thought the movie was an upgrade form the source material. I was done with the books, but I was open to more movies.

This weekend Meg and I watched New Moon. The special effects were better, no more ridiculous shots of RPatz running with Kristen Stewart on his back. We loved the music, great Killers song over the final credits. Citizen Kane it's not, but we had a good time. I still have no plans to read the other two books, but I will watch the movies. Just doing my job.

The Little Things

This is isn't the easiest time of year to be a teacher. With Spring break over, it's a straight shot until the end of the year. I only have so much patience for a given school year, and supplies are running dangerously low. You can only say the same things, to the same kids, so many times before it starts to take a psychic toll. We've all heard "there are no stupid questions." Uh, wrong. My 8th graders seem to have a neverending supply. My ability to fend these questions off without losing my mind is quickly waning. Luckily, the end is in sight, and I can start recharging the battery this summer. Not that I'm counting down the days or anything, 33, but yes, I'm counting down the days. In my experience, these are common feelings in the profession this time of year.

Having said all this, something happened this week that reminds me why I love this job, why I can put up with the nonsense. One of my students is obsessed with words. He scours the dictionary and thesaurus daily for new words, trying them out on his classmates and teachers. His attmepts to incorporate the new words into his everyday speech are often misguided, he's like a verbal Don Quixote, but I love the enthusiasm. The other day he asked if I knew what the word lachrymose means. He loves it when he can stump me, and I had to admit, I wasn't familiar with that one. He proudly informed me that lachrymose means "tearful," and mission accomplished, took his seat. That interaction alone made my day, but it got better. The next period was my planning period, and I was straightening up a bit when I noticed a piece of paper on my guy's desk. In large, neatly crafted letters he had written, "Ecstatic people are never lachrymose." I had to laugh. Maybe he left the paper behind intentionally, hoping to impress me, or maybe he just forgot to pick up after himself. Either way, it's a keeper, probably wind up on my fridge. For me, little things like this make teaching truly rewarding.

Spring Break '10

So it's back to the grind for the Rileys. We had a great Spring Break with the Krieghoffs. I'd call it a Seinfeld vacation, we didn't really do anything, but it was perfect. Each individual day felt strangely long, but the week as a whole felt like it went by in a flash.

It was sunny and warm for most of the Krieghoff's stay, and we spent a lot of our time lounging by the pool. I guess you could say that was the main activity of the week, afternoon naps a close second. Our big group outing was a hike in the Rincon Mountains near the house. The girls melted down on us a bit, so we cut it short, but it was still good to be out there in the desert. We ate whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, and it was never too early for a beer. On the one cloudy day we did have, we went to see Alice in Wonderland. Not bad, but I wanted to like it more than I did. We watched a bunch of movies at night. The kids would watch out in the guestroom, and the adults in the family room. We watched Hoosiers to get ourselves ready for the Final Four. We were all pulling for Butler, and it was a lot of fun watching them beat Michigan State. The Krieghoff's last night we had a Corey Haim memorial and watched The Lost Boys.

Getting back into the routine is never easy, especially as a parent. The girls were sad this morning, definitely not in the mood for school. I had to work harder than usual to pump them up for the day, but I got the job done. I wasn't exactly chomping at the bit myself, but one of the things I told the girls brought some solace. You know you had a great vacation if you're really bummed out that it's over. That's how we all felt this morning, and that's a good thing.

Two Great Reads

Our friends, the Krieghoffs, are visiting from Madison this week. They're out taking a morning walk, so I thought I'd quickly mention the other two books I've finished while my students work on their own books.

The first is Little Bee by Chris Cleave. This is an amazing book, I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a story of immigration, globalization, and the ties that bind us. Little Bee is a Nigerian refugee seeking asylum in England. The only two people she knows in England are Andrew and Sarah, a couple she met when they were vacationing in Nigeria. This brief encounter changes their lives forever. Cleaves has a very fluid writing style; once you get started, I bet you'll have a hard time putting this one down.

The other book is The Book of Joe by Jonathan Tropper. Joe is a writer whose first book is a huge success, even spawning a hit movie. The book and movie are scathing indictments of his hometown, Bush Falls, and many of its residents. When he returns after a long absence to be with his ailing father, the town doesn't exactly roll out the red carpet. High jinks ensue, and along the way, Joe comes to grips with some of his issues. Tropper is a great writer, his style striking me as a combination of Phillip Roth and Michael Chabon, very masculine.

These are both great books, you can't go wrong with either one. I look forward to reading more from both authors.