Which Sign to Follow...

jigzone

Everybody's got their own shit to deal with.  We've all got problems.  I think how we deal with our problems dictates how happy or not we are in our lives.  Me, I'm never satisfied with my life.  I'm always looking for something, anything, to change it from what it is right now to, well, I really can't say, but better.

Like anyone else, I have good days and I have bad days.  I find that the worst thing for me about summer time is that I have too much time on my hands.  There's no structure.  I don't eat regularly or even well. I'm up at all hours of the night, and I waste a lot of time on my phone or on the pc.  On those kinds of days, which usually only happen when I have nothing going on, I live with a cloud hovering in the background of my mind, reminding me that I should be doing this or I should be doing that instead of the nothing that I am doing.  But it never affects me enough for me to do anything about it.  Before you know it, it's like 5 or 6 in the evening and that's when I go about the one regularized habit that I keep over the summer.  I work out, take my daily walk, get some coffee and then lose myself in pc-land until I'm weary and ready for bed sleep.  As I drift off I always tell myself that tomorrow's going to be better.  Then tomorrow comes.  

On those types of days, which happen at least once or twice a week, I'm not dealing with any of my problems, paying a bill, making an appointment, taking care of things.  I'm just avoiding them, and being self-destructive at the same time.  I smoke too many cigarettes.  I'll skip two or even all three meals.  I keep phone calls short, sometimes avoiding them altogether.  I keep to myself, lost in a world of nothingness, really, and inside I beat myself up for just letting time, precious time, slip away for nothing.  For no damned reason but my own avoidance issues.  

But that's me.  Do I sound like any of you out there?  Perhaps, and though it's not a. good way to be, it's not terrible.  There are far worse ways I could deal with my issues.  I could be drinking or gambling or doing drugs.  That doesn't make my avoidance issues any better, it just tells me that maybe changing the way I deal with things is not such a hopeless task. I speak of this now because a recently a good friend of mine, and the way he's dealing with issues, has been causing me to look inwards.  

This friend is a good friend who I've known for about five years.  He and I have had our ups and downs, like any friends do, but lately we're on a down.  This friend is a very isolated soul.  He keeps a lot inside, and you can always see, even on his brightest days, that he's got demons he won't share with anyone. Over the course of the past two years, this friend has gone through a lot of changes. Events in his life have caused him to change his living situation and the potential for that being a positive change has all but vanished at this point.  I think he's close to bottoming out and I'm afraid for him. 

Traveling down, this road

Watching the signs as I go

I think I'll follow, the sun

Isn't everyone just

Traveling down, their own road

Watching the signs as they go

I think I'll follow, my heart

It's a very good place to start

Madonna

I'm currently teetering on the precipice of a dilemma when it comes to this friend.  I'm looking at signs on this particular road, and I don't know which one to follow.  I don't know if there is a sun to follow here, but I know my heart is telling me something I don't want to hear.  It's giving me a choice, either I dive as deep in as I can to help him, or to I just let him go.  The first choice would be the one I'd usually make.  It's part of my nature, to want to help people.  That's why I'm a teacher, and that's why I think I have a lot of people in my life who appreciate having me around.  

The second choice would be the hard one to make.  It goes against my nature and would be a difficult detour to take, but maybe it's the right one.  I've come to learn in this life that the only person who can really effect change is the the person who will be making the change.  No one else can do it for them.  There have been events in my friend's life these past couple of years that would have caused most people to wake up and do something about, but they didn't cause any positive change at all.  In fact, they've lead to a more gradual change in the other direction.

Through it all I've been there, or at least tried to be there, for him, to make things easier...lending an ear, offering advice, giving refuge when it was needed, and sometimes even just a little company.  I'd like to think I helped, but I was just putting little bandages on a bigger cut and not fixing anything at all.  

A couple of weeks ago, things came to a head between him and I.  He'd been distant the past few months in a way that I'd always known was an avoidance of facing me with something he had done, or not done, that affected me in many ways.  He lied to me, which really hurt.  I had been very patient to this point, but eventually I had no choice but to confront him with everything I'd been observing. The avoidance had run its course. 

I wrote him an email, detailing the many issues we'd been having, and avoiding, and how I thought his way of dealing with his own problems was the source of it.  His own demons had changed him in a way that he was indirectly punishing not only himself, but me and really all of the people around him. I shared the hurt I'd been feeling at the way he'd been acting.  I reminded him of the dreams and goals he'd always talked about, but never pursued.  It was a difficult email to write, a lot of painful stuff to dole out, and it was even more difficult to send.  After having the draft for a day, I finally hit the send button.  

I believed, or hoped, that this would be his real wake-up call.  I had told him in the email that the way he responded could affect our friendship, which I know was a major card I had to play.  He knows I am one of the best friends he's ever had and his life is better with me around.  I don't want to not be around either, but maybe this is the sign I need to follow.

At first, it seemed that the email had at least some sort of positive affect.  He acknowledged all that I said was true, and he made mention of change.  But it was something I'd heard before.  In the time since, he's messaged me here and there, albeit tentatively.  He understands that things are shaky between us, and I've kept our conversations to a minimum to remind him of that.  I have seen that his demons have not gone away, though, and I'm afraid that at this point there is nothing I can do.  He's made his way towards the abyss and right now only he can pull himself up from that.  All I can do is wait, and hope.  Ugh, these damned signs!  Well, I think I'd better get working on my own...

  

     

Friends

I know, I know, I promised way back in May that I was back again.  Well, of course I found myself without time and ever since I gained that time back at the end of the school year I haven't been inspired.  Well, I think maybe it's time I just delve back into writing.  I still have people complementing my writing, so well, maybe by just doing it I'll be inspired.

I'd like to talk about friends.  I've got a lot of people in my life who I call my friends, but are they really my friends?  I mean, that word is used so loosely.  Luckily for me, I do know what constitutes a true friend because I've got two of them in my life who, no matter what, are always there for me when I need them, good times or bad.  I've had a lot of negative experiences this year with 'friends,' and it's caused me to reevaluate how I deal with people in my life.

friend

noun

1. 1.

   a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.

Okay, so according to this definition of friends, I have a lot of them.  I do.  I'm a very social person.  I liken the difference between the two definitions, though, to loving someone and being in love with someone. Same term, two very different things.  The important thing to realize when you look at your friends is to know which type they are and treat the relationship as so.  That way you won't let any negative stuff get in your way.

Earlier in the year, I was completely cut off by a so called friend, someone I had known for a few years.  We'd shared many good times together and when it happened it was without explanation. That wasn't the first time this happened to me, but for a long time I was left wondering and now there's a person within my circle whose presence makes things uncomfortable.  I hate it, but you know what? He was never really a friend and so it's not my problem.

Then there are those so called friends who take and take and give nothing in return.  I've had several of those in my life as well.  One-sided friendships!  These types of friends are the toughest to deal with because it usually takes awhile to realize, and the best thing to do with them once you do realize is to keep yourself at a distance, eventually weening them away.  Sad, really!

I write this like I write a lot of my posts.  For one thing, it's something I live with everyday and so it's on my mind currently.  I learn for myself when I put it out there and so like I said, I need to reevaluate how I deal with people from here on out.  I certainly don't need to waste any precious time on those who aren't worth my time.  And maybe one of you out there can recognize these types of friends from your own life and realize that maybe you've been wasting your own time.  Life is way too short for that!  Simply open your eyes and evaluate whether or not certain people in your life are worthy of the term 'friend.'  

Circling the Wagons

Yesterday, we circled the wagons.  Not only my pals Blanche, Eddie and I, but neighbors, friends, cousins, nieces and nephews, brother in-laws, grandchildren, and virtually anyone else who was attached in some way to the family, all circled the wagons.  Most of us know the routine, someone passes, there's a wake and a funeral and all of the sympathies and condolences one could make.  It's one of those things in life you just have to go through, sadly, every once in awhile.

For the three of us, it was personal.  It was family.  Last Sunday Rich's dad, Francois, passed away suddenly after a long, long illness. For him it was an inevitable and somewhat merciful ending to a long bout of suffering.  For Rich and his family, it was the mournful loss of someone very special. And so we circled the wagons.

I've only gotten to know Francois, the nickname given to his dad by his son and my pal Dita (his real name was Francis) really well the past six or seven years or so, since the time of my breakup with Joe and the time Rich became a much bigger part of my life. I consider myself fortunate to have gotten to know both he and his wife, Flo, the way that I have.  A couple of years back I visited their house down in Virginia during a roller coaster trip and the experience was so moving to me that I blogged about it soon after I had gotten home (check out A Weekend of Memories at Flo and Francois').

Through them, it's easy to understand how Rich is such the good person, and friend, that he is.  He's developed in his own life the perfect combination of his parents' greatest attributes.  That is, he inherited his mother's kindness and caring and his father's impeccable sense of humor.  That being said, all three of us would have circled the wagons for him because he is our friend, our family, but Francois (and Flo) are special enough to us to warrant our presence all on their own.

This was something I'd already known, but it was nonetheless heartwarming to see the outpouring of love and admiration for Francis.  He was a lucky guy, but it was obvious to see that he got back just a tiny bit of what he gave.

Frank was the father of two sons, Kenny and Rich, and a daughter Cathy, the grandfather of four granddaughters, Erin,, Ellyse, Ashley and Laura, and the great-grandfather of little Jake and even littler Charlotte.  He had a large family of nieces and nephews, in-laws and friends, and everyone seemed to have the utmost admiration for him, and that was due to no only the kindness and devotion he showered upon his family, but his comedic wit, as well.  Some of the greatest laughs I've shared with Rich over the years have had to do with something his dad either said or did to elicit laughter. Even up until late in his life he was putting out his famously hysterical one-liners.

Francois was also a Navy man in his younger days and was given military honors at his service yesterday.  It was a fitting ending to a week-long mourning period and an honorable tribute to one of God's great works.  I only hope that my own legacy will be as heartwarming and loving as his.      

Really, circling the wagons is what you do when you lose one of your own, and through our friend Rich, his dad and his mom are one of our own.  Being there for them never warranted a second thought for any of us, and the three of us, and all the rest of those who came from far and wide to pay their respects to Francois, will circle the wagons even further in the days and weeks to come.  Rest in peace Francois...you will live on...

 

          

A Sobering Reminder from a Hot Sexy Goddess

It is with a troubled and heavy heart that I write this post.  It's one of the types of posts I hate to write, yet always seem to find therapeutic.  Early this morning, at school, my classroom phone rang.  It was my buddy Laura Kim...

Did you see the email about Rita?

I hadn't, but before I could even answer her, I was given the saddest of news.  Rita, a colleague and onetime friend of mine had passed away.  I'm not exactly sure how old she was, but she was young... several years younger than me, and way to young to die.

Since that phone call this morning, a myriad of memories have washed all over me.  Rita and I have a storied past.  At one time, I considered her one of my good friends. and we shared many good times together.  But then one day, just about three years ago, a rift opened up between us over nothing really, and our friendship evolved into awkward run-ins at first and then eventually total nothingness. Now that she's gone, I can't...I don't...regret anything that ever happened between us.  I just can't help but feel immense sorrow for her losing her life, especially at such a young age.  Her death is a shock, and serves as yet another reminder that life is such a precious thing and it need not be wasted on things that don't really matter.

I first met Rita, whom I eventually came to call 'Reet,' several years ago.  She was an elementary school speech pathologist and she'd been tasked with working with a student of mine in the 7th grade. She was looking for a space to work with him and none of the teachers in my school would allow her in their classrooms.  Then one day she knocked on my door, and of course I invited her in.

It was really nice having another adult in the room for a change.  Working as a teacher is like being on an island, and so having her there gave me someone to talk to.  Soon enough she and I became fast friends and for about three to four years Reet and I shared lots of good times together.  I remember when we first exchanged phone numbers, she put hers into my phone and called herself "Rita, the Hot Sexy Goddess,' lol.  That name and number is still on my phone.

Rita was one of those people I felt comfortable sharing all of myself with from the get-go.  I believe that the first time she and I went out together socially, I told her that I was gay.  As things turned out, perhaps that part of me was partially to blame for our eventual rift.  Over time I'd learned how she viewed homosexuality and felt that maybe I was more of a novelty to her and not looked upon as being 'normal.'

I have to give her credit, though.  During the times we spent together, she met all of my friends and she even went to Cherry Grove with us on Labor Day, as well as clubbing with me in the city.  I remember her being nervous about going to the Grove out of fear that she was going to get hit on, but she persevered and went and I'd like to think that day was one of the best days she ever had.  Every photo of her that day shows a great big genuine smile.

         

Three years ago, a misunderstanding between us lead us to drift apart, and eventually we just stopped speaking to one another.  We never had an argument, but we're both stubborn Italians and neither one of us made the effort to reconcile, sadly.  The following school year, she took a leave of absence and ended communication with most of us at school.  No one ever really knew what was going on with her...until this morning.  

So for what it's worth Rita, you Hot Sexy Goddess, you, I hope you have found peace.  I thank you for your friendship and I promise to hold on to the good times and let go of the bad from this day forward.  And I also want to say thanks for the reminder that life is so precious, and that we all need to make the most of the time we have here, for every day that we wake up we are lucky.

Thinking Aloud...The Need to Just Do It!

Today is Sunday, the second official day of Christmas vacation.  For whatever reason, this is the second year in a row that we've had a whole two weeks off even though Christmas isn't until next Thursday.  I am definitely not complaining, though.  Last year my two weeks was spent in Chile (and I wish I was going again!), but this time around I've got nothing but open space ahead of me and a mind full of optimism for the things I'm going to get done...that is, if I just do it...

mentalhealthy

So far, this vacation has been more of the same disappointing time I can remember from every other vacation I ever get, but it's only been a day and a little bit.  I often dread free time from work, even though I get to sleep late and I am free from the stresses of my job, and that's because of the loneliness I feel when I'm alone in the house.  I've mentioned before that I like solitude,, but don't really feel great about being that way and I don't like solitude all of the time.  Though I try, it's hard to not get a little down and a little complacent.  

When I'm feeling like this, it's hard to focus on things I should be doing, like getting things done around the house or calling some friends who I don't see often.  My best pal Rich is gone for the week and my pal Bobby is leaving on Tuesday.  My buddy Kyle is around, but he's only one person and his work hours make hanging out difficult.  The mindset that comes with the loneliness just makes me want to do nothing, and I waste a lot of time just browsing the Internet.  Not good!

lovethispic

So I've got to do something different...pick myself up from this and start moving.  My friend Ricardo reminded me a couple of weeks back that if you don't change anything, you'll always get the same results.  That is so true, but it's easier said than done.  I had made up my mind to go into the city last night, dancing, by myself like I used to so regularly just a year or so ago.  I know that getting out there again would pick me up, but when the time came to go, I didn't, and I'm not sure why.  So what to do?  I don't know really....maybe I just have to force myself and maybe it'll be better.  One of my favorite sayings is the motto of the Nike company...just do it!  I know that's the answer, but will I?

A Happy Birthday Song of the Day #3 - I'm Addicted - Madonna

Three days, three birthdays... 

Today is the birthday of yet another pal of mine, Sean, who is pictured above on stage with me and, um, Toni Braxton.  That's right, in case you haven't been following me long, you may not know about that Unforgettable Night at a Toni Braxton Show, where Sean and I were mistaken for lovers by the singer and brought onstage so she could serenade us.  That was one heck of a memorable experience and one which he and I will share for as long as we live.  

Sean is one of the first people I met at my bowling league, and I liked him immensely from the moment I met him, and about two and a half years later I can honestly say that he is one of the most easy-going and genuine people I know.  Not only have he and I shared many a great experience together (in addition to Toni), he's also brought me into his circle of friends, another great group of genuinely nice people whose company I always enjoy.

Like me, Sean is a big Madonna fan, only his devotion to the singer is much more intense than mine. Though I've followed Madge since her beginning, Sean discovered her later on in her career and has dedicated so much time and energy on learning and collecting everything he could on her that I'd consider him a superfan.  Here's one of Sean's favorite songs from Madonna's last album, MDNA, and it's one of mine, too!  Happy Birthday Buddy!  

A Happy Birthday Song of the Day #2 - Cry When You Get Older - Robyn

Young boy, by the traffic light
What your daddy never told you
Is love hurts when you do it right
You can cry when you get older

Not only is this Thanksgiving Week, but around these parts it's Birthday Week, as well.  Yesterday was my bestie Rich's birthday and today is the birthday of yet another bestie, Kyle.  Kyle is one of my friends that I know from bowling and we've become pretty close over the past two years or so.  In that short time...well...he and I have gotten to know each other pretty darned well to a point where we stand today.  He is probably the one friend who I spend the most time with and I want to wish him the best of birthdays.

Kyle is a youngin', 25 years old today, and a lot of times I feel like I'm not only his friend, but kinda sort of his mentor, as well.  From what I know of him, Kyle is one of those people who's always found a comfortable spot in hanging around people older and wiser than he, and he not only found myself as one to look up to, but a whole slew of us from bowling, too.  Al, Eric and Rick, Gary, J.C., Eric C., Bobby and Rich, and a whole host of fellow bowlers have all shared in helping to guide this genuine young man through these past few years, and though he doesn't always realize how much he is loved by all of us, he really is a special part of this extended group of friends.

  

Out of all of us, Kyle, myself and our pal Gary have been among the closest, and the trhee of us have shared plenty of good times together, as well, from our Monday night jaunt to Coney Island this summer, to catching up and teaching Kyle the great, great show, Six Feet Under, to gay nights at Great Adventure, P-Town, parties, bowling and more, the friendship that we share as three is a special one, too!

Anyway, last night Kyle was trying to guess which song I was going to post today for his b'day, and though he made some good guesses, he got it wrong.  I realized that although I've spoken about soundtracks of relationships in the past, it's not only romantic relationships that can have a soundtrack.  One of the things that bind he and I together is our love for music, and though we have some differences in our musical tastes, there are certain tunes that we both love, and today's song is one which I believe introduced him to Robyn (via me!) and one that fits this particular day and week for that matter.  I'm not too sure about him, maybe it's too early, but I am certainly crying cause I got older, lol.  Anyway, for what it's worth, Happy Birthday my friend!

A Happy Birthday Song of the Day - Unusual Way - Barbra Streisand

Only on a special day like today would I post a song such as this one.  Today is the birthday of my bestest pal, Rich, and so I am posting Barbra Streisand's Unusual Way, a song that I'd never heard before, but one I'm sure he has a myriad of times over, especially for him.  

Rich and I have known each other for years, but we only became close about seven years ago after Joe and I had split up, and I couldn't be more grateful for his presence in my life.  Rich has helped fill up my past seven years with lots of fun, lots of laughs, and plenty of chit chat about this, that and everything else.  He and I share a lot of mutual interests, such as roller coasters, The Amazing Race and Survivor, Madonna, and so much more, and we never ever run out of things to talk about.

In the next few days I'm going to be posting pieces about the people in my life I am thankful for and Rich is an very appropriate start.  He's not a big fan of attention, but I say too bad Mr. Dit!  I'm grateful to have you for a friend and I look forward to knowing you for the rest of my days.  Happy Birthday buddy!    

Auto-Correcting Humanity? - Yeah!

Do you know that the average person spends 

around four years of his life looking down at his cell phone?

washingtontimes

A friend of mine shared this video with me recently, telling me that she couldn't help but think of me when she watched it. You see, I instituted a new rule in my class this year concerning cell phones. As you can imagine, these devices have become a huge distraction in the process of teaching and learning and kids are not the only ones affected by it.

So many I's, so many selfies,

not enough us's and we's

You see, technology has made us 

more selfish and separate than ever! 

This year, my new rule aims to curb that huge distraction that comes with texting and Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram, and all of the other things that have become the new, sad norm to how we socialize with each other. When a student is caught using their cell phone in my classroom without permission, all of the students in the class must hand theirs in for the period, not just the student in question.  The end result is the students' anger is towards the one person who committed the offense and not me, thereby curbing the use of the tiny handheld computers that are so, well, everywhere!  I've been sharing some of my biggest takes on Facebook...

Cell phones and iPads and such have become a problem not only for our children learning in school, but for all of us.  That once faraway notion of virtual reality has slowly but surely creeped up into the very backbone of our collective psyches and I think it's all for the worst...

We sit at home on our computers

measuring self-worth by numbers of 

friends, followers and likes.

Back to the video...I watched the entirety of the three minutes and twenty seven seconds of truth that day, not once, but several times, every word attesting to the sad truth that has become our society and our world today.  Although I've attempted to curb the problem in my classroom, it doesn't stop with children. We're all guilty of much of what is said in the video, including myself.

The attention span of the average adult today

is 1 second lower than that of a goldfish.    

I believe that, unfortunately.  I see firsthand everyday, and I know you all do, too, how people are consistently distracted by the little electronic device in their hand.  At parties, during bowling night, and even at times when I'm spending time with just one other person, attention is never 100% on the here and now.  There's always one eye and one ear out for a ring or a chime or a flash on a screen to tell us that somebody poked us or another want to be our "friend."  It's pretty sad, no?

Anyway, I have already begun to try to do my part in making it better before it's too late.  My Facebook visits, and posts have decidedly become less, and so has my activity on Twitter and Instagram.  If it weren't for sharing these posts in those places, I'd probably be daring enough to say that that would be it for awhile, even if for a week.

So anyway, take a look and a listen to what this dude has to say.  That is, if you could keep your attention on it for that long.  He makes a lot of sense!  Perhaps all of this is part of what I said that I was beginning to get onto something here the other day.  Maybe part of what keeps my mind so occupied and so stressed all the time has to do with my own affliction for social media.  I should post a picture of this great dinner, or I gotta answer that notification.  Ugh!  Maybe making a conscious effort to curb my online habits will leave me time for more important, and real, things to do with my time.  Can it hurt that much?  We shall see...  

Happy Revisited

More than two years ago I wrote a poem during the A-Z Blogger's Challenge called H is for Happy. It was one of those days where I was pondering my own happiness and I came to a conclusion that I need to remind myself of every now and again...

  Happiness is a temporary thing

But it’s there

In one form or another

Just like sadness, and anger

And I found there’s an easy secret to being happy

Just savor those times when you live them

Enjoy whatever moments you get

Make em last as long as you can

Cause all of those blissful moments together

Make happy

I mentioned in this morning's Song of the Day post that I received a surprise phone call from my past yesterday.  The surprise of the call was a pleasant one that gave me a somewhat satisfying feeling of ...redemption, for lack of a better word.  You see, this person and I once shared a short-lived, but meaningful time together, and after a lot of inner struggles, I'd finally relegated him to the past, never expecting to hear from him again, 

The fact that he reached out to me yesterday validated, to me, my own self worth. The end of our time way back then was painful, and the rejection I felt afterwards left me uneasy inside and afraid to pursue other relationships out of the fear of more rejection.  So I persevered, moved on, living my life the way that I had been, and always trying to get back on the horse again after each and every fall. 

During the phone call there was a lot of catching up to do, and I felt like I just wanted to tell him everything that he's missed over the last few years in the short time we had to talk.  I told him about Chile and my students, Dylan and Diego, and so many other things in a sort of disjointed, one topic to another in rapid-fire succession way.  

Throughout our conversation, he kept mentioning how happy I seemed, and that was mostly because he'd been reading my blog.  I know that John's World is peppered with many of the fun things I do, and I don't often share my worries and problems like I once did.  That's not to say that I don't have my problems.  Everyone does.  I just never want it to seem like I feel sorry for myself, though admittedly I do sometimes.  

So I left the conversation in a good mood.  To hear from him was a nice surprise and it reminded me that yes, even though things didn't work out between us, I am still a special person in his eyes.  He hasn't forgotten me.  I was also reminded that I do have a good life, despite its many difficulties. Sure, I'm sad that I haven't found someone to share my life with, though I know that this is not any sort of validation for anyone's life, including mine.  My world is full of love, from my family to my friends, in all the good times and bad.  If I were to leave this world tomorrow, I know I can look back and say I lived my life to its fullest and I enjoyed my ride.  I am happy!  Now isn't that what life should be?

I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time

Know there was something that, and something that I left behind

When I leave this world, I'll leave no regrets

Leave something to remember, so they won't forget

I was here...

I lived, I loved

I was here...

I did, I've done, everything that I wanted

And it was more than I thought it would be

I will leave my mark so everyone will know

I was here...

I want to say I lived each day, until I died

I know that I had something in, somebody's life

The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I leave

That I made a difference, and this world will see

I was here...

Source:http://www.directlyrics.com/beyonce-i-was-here-lyrics.html

Song of the Day - Be Mine - Robyn

I received a surprise phone call yesterday from straight out of my past. It was from someone who I never thought I'd hear from again, and it turned out to be a really nice conversation and not as uncomfortable as I might've thought such a phone call would be.  Anyway, back in the day he and I shared a great fondness for Robyn.  In fact, that was the time in my life when I really was first discovering this very talented singer and songwriter, so needless to say I found myself listening to my Robyn playlist a couple of times yesterday.  

Here's one I discovered just recently.  It's another well-written tune, much in the same vein as her other breakup songs like With Every Heartbeat, Get Myself Together, and Time Machine.  She opened her Pier 97 show in August with it and it's one of my newest Robyn favorites.  Check out Be Mine...  

Washout at Six Flags

Fairgrounds:Outatthepark

Last night was the 12th Annual Fairgrounds Out at Night event at Great Adventure and probably the 8th or 9th time I've gone.  Unfortunately, after a week of sunshine and warm temperatures, a cold front was passing through and the night ended up being a washout.

I should've known the night wasn't going to be the same from the get go, as only four of us ended up making it as opposed to the group of six we had last year.  At one point, we'd had up to ten going, but our number was whittled down to just us as the others had to decline for one reason or another.  Of course, the night wasn't completely bad, Rich, Gary, Sean and I did enjoy our time together, but getting to take only three rides during the whole excursion was kind of a bummer!

      

When we first arrived at the park, around 6ish, things were looking alright.  One rainstorm had already passed and though the rides were still closed due to lightning in the area, it looked as if things were going to clear up, which they eventually did.  After waiting out the delay, we headed towards El Toro to get our first ride of the night, but it was only open to another private group until 8:30.  We did the next best thing and headed over to Bizarro.  

negative-g

Bizarro is a ride towards the back of the park that is very underrated.  It was once called Medusa, but after a paint makeover and some special effects done a few years back, this floorless coaster definitely packs a punch, with seven inversions and plenty of G's.  Surprisingly, they were running three trains and the line for the ride was virtually non-existent and we actually got to make two circuits continuously.  It appeared as if our night was going to be great after all.  

   

By the time we'd finished our rides on Bizarro, it was still only 8 o'clock, so we grabbed some food before heading towards El Toro once again. For anyone out there who's never been to Great Adventure, but always wanted to go, this is one great, great ride! Our wait for the wooden monster was short (which is why we visit the park on this particular night every year!) and off we went on one of the wildest one minute, forty-two seconds one could ever take. From the quick ascension up the 181 foot lift hill and the terrifying 176 foot drop almost straight down, this wild bull takes riders fast and furious through some major hills, twists and hairpin turns, and leaves you screaming all the way. Unfortunately, and unbeknownst to us, it would be the last ride of the evening.

We headed towards our next target, the king of all coasters, Kingda Ka.  For some strange reason, the park closed off the formerly easy passageway between the two coasters and a long trek had to be made to get from one to the other.  Upon our approach, we could see that the 456 foot tall metal monster wasn't running.  Not one human body stood upon the ride platform.  

The boys moved on while I took a cigarette break, expecting them to come back, but by the time I was finished, they were nowhere to be found.  They had headed beyond the line queue for Ka and on to the park's newest ride, Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, a 415 foot drop ride nestled within the structure of the record-breaking coaster.  I had already decided I was not doing that anyway, so I didn't mind, but Rich had set his sights on that from the moment we'd discussed this year's outing.  Turns out he was the only one to take the plunge as both Gary and Sean decided to decline the terrifying drop (I totally understand!).  

In the meantime, I had noticed ride operators sending test runs of Kingda Ka and a small line had begun to form.  I immediately texted my pals, who were still waiting on line, and got on this one...just in case.  It was all good as within five minutes of my pal's rejoining me, a park worker announced that the king was about to open.  Hoo-rah!  But that's where the night ended...

We were quickly ushered through the long queue for the ride and stood in line for the most terrifying of rides.  I was excited!  Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.  After sending just three coasters along the circuit, the sky lit up in a big flash.  Lightning!  We were just two trains away from riding.  An operator got on the speakers to say that the ride would be closing and that we could choose to stay if we wanted in case they were to open again. Right!

We decided that by the time lightning left the area, it'd be close to closing time, so we started to head out.  That's when the skies opened up.  We were soaked and freezing by the time we even got to the front of the queue line it was raining so hard.  We ended up staying under the locker area for almost a half an hour as the rain came pouring down.  Once it had slowed to a drizzle and eventually stopped altogether, we decided to not leave just yet (it was already past 11 o'clock) and try our luck riding Nitro, a personal favorite.  

We headed across the park towards the Gotham section where Batman and Nitro stood dark and silent.  A giant lake created by the rains separated all from the entrance to the coaster, which did not seem to have any life going on.  Now it was time to head home.  This was, I think, the first time ever that a visit to an amusement park was completely washed out in this way.  Though it was nice being with my friends, we had some great laughs during the evening, not to mention plenty of eye candy, it was a bummer to think that all we got to ride were two coasters.  Not a great way to end the riding season!

  

It Was an Awesome Summer!

It's that time, again, the precise time of the year when all teacher's are saying to themselves, "what happened to summer?"  Yes, it is Labor Day evening, the very last night before the start of school for many a teacher, including me.  No more sleeping late, no more lounging around, no more fun.  Life as I've known it for the past two months has ceased.  Poor me!  Lol...

Um, wait a second...

Haha, well that was last night.  I started a post, but then got interrupted and never got back to it.  Such is the life of a part time writer.  I thought it was a good intro, so I'm leaving it in here.  The feel of the post I want is that of sadness at summer's end, and since I already went into school today to prep for my year, I don't quite have that same feeling I did last night.  So there, pretend it is still Labor Day evening.

The summer of 2014 was a short one by school summer vacation standards.  Nine weeks...that's about a week shorter than normal.  I guess it's just the way the calendar fell, but I'm not complaining.  I tell my students all the time that they will never in their lives get as much vacation as they do now as students, so they need to appreciate it.  I certainly do.

A Big Weekend Starts Off a Big Summer

I had an awesome summer, and I think it went by so quickly not only because of the calendar, but because I spent about 22 days of it away from home, and that's not counting day trips. There were some great memories to be had, right from the start, too, as I began the summer fun on the Eve of the last day of school spending some quality time at Corey Creek Vineyards with two very special ladies, Heather and Terry.

The fun continued at Cherry Grove as me and one of my best besties, Laura Kim, celebrated the start of summer with an overnight stay in Cherry Grove.  My pal Rich joined us for dinner and great food and plenty of laughs were had. 

      Happy much?  Ah, good times! 

A Very Special Reunion

On Saturday night, I hosted a reunion of three other very special ladies with whom I worked a long, long time ago at Citibank.  My friend Linda, who now lives in South Carolina, was coming to Long Island for a visit, which prompted a get together at my house, with Joann and Caroline.  The four of us hadn't seen each other in a few years, but you would never have known it.  We picked up right where we left off and had a blast.  My summer got off to a great, great start!  

  

You're a tiiiiger!

                               Mr. Bill 

Spank me good baby!

Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014

On Sunday, July 6th, my pals Rich, Eddie and I set off on a nine-day trip that took us over 3,000 miles through nine states, riding too many roller coasters to count, zip-lining in a cave, bourbon tasting, sight-seeing, cave exploring and a whole lot more!  This Roller Coaster Road Trip 2014 was one full of laughs, surprises, and a whole lot of awesomeness.  Stay tuned for more posts on that trip, but for now take a look at some of what we saw...

P-Town and a Sailing Adventure

In August, I took a very different kind of trip, one that allowed me to revisit a place I had had so much fun in last summer along with a whole new type of adventure.  I've written extensively about my Sailing Adventure to Acadia National Park in Maine, but I hadn't written too much about P-Town.  Yes, that trip was still fun, but disappointing, not quite living up to last year, and being deathly ill didn't help.  But thankfully I was given the gift of this sail to Maine and it not only was one of the most thrilling things I did all summer, it matches up to almost anything I've done in my life.   

The look on my face sums up how 

I felt about P-Town the Sequel 

Everything In Between

The rest of the summer was interspersed with other fun stuff, like evening trips to Fire Island, wine tasting, drag shows, lots of dinners with friends, and of course, more roller coasters.  Yes, the summer of 2014 was probably one of the busiest and most leisurely one I've ever had, and I am grateful to have had it.  I always say, enjoy every moment of life, and appreciate all of the good things to the fullest!  I leave now with a few more photos of some of my other fun moments of summer.  I hope yours was as good as mine because you deserve it! For now it's time to jump back in the teaching saddle and get back to work!