Trying to Pin it Down

A bunch of my sixth graders are on the wrestling team, and their excitement was so present this morning as they were chattering about the first meet, which was at home, that I knew I had to go. It didn't hurt that their coach is one of my closest friends on staff. "At least their weight classes are at the beginning of the match-up," I told myself, but as the day wore on, I realized I was looking forward to going down to the gym.

Heidi also had a student on the roster, but he would be at the end; even so, at 3 o'clock we locked our doors and made our way to the enormous field house attached to our school. The mat was laid, the rows of chairs set, the scoreboard lit, and the bleachers not too empty when we arrived. Neither team was in the arena, but there was a handful of colleagues, kids, parents of students, former students, and even a former student who was the parent of a student.

Fortunately, we spent our time visiting with the many folks we knew, because the meet took a long time to get going. When it did, my face twisted into a grimace whenever kids were actually wrestling. To the uninitiated observer that I was, their activity looked so brutish that it seemed impossible to me that it was not only allowed but encouraged. When one of my homeroom students pinned his opponent, though, the look of pure exultation on his face made a convert of me, and I was in.

Then when the next student also won his match and ran over to shake my hand, the deal was sealed, and having his mom give me a quick hug was gravy. Hours later, our team won the match, and the sense of community I felt was so moving that I wondered how I could ever leave it behind.

I have a few decisions to wrestle with myself.

Snow Globe

Back at school today (but with a delayed opening!), the warm-up question was What did you do on your snow day?

The sixth graders spent yesterday sledding, making snowmen and snow angels, and having snowball fights. When it was time to come in, they napped, watched TV, and caught up on schoolwork. Not a single kid mentioned video games or social media, but a few had hot chocolate and popcorn.

We often say that kids today are growing up in a very different world than the one we knew when we were younger, but it's always nice to be reminded that some things haven't changed. 

I'll Take It

And as it turned out? We had a classic snow day today. The district called it early, so we turned off our alarms, threw another log on the fire, and watched a movie. Then we slept in this morning, baked bread, and started a jigsaw puzzle. Around noon, Heidi went to work out with a neighbor, and I headed out to clear off the cars. Those chores accomplished, we have been relaxing-- working on the puzzle, sitting by the fire, you know.

Not everyone was as impressed as we were with our good fortune, though. A mere dusting? Heidi's mom texted from Buffalo. And schools were closed. Wow.

Hopeful

How surprised were we to wake up to a dusting of snow this morning? Since we were already off for the MLK holiday, the tiny light and fluffy flakes seemed more conversational than anything else. It's been two years since we've had a snow day, though, and as the snow persists, it is becoming harder and harder to manage our expectations. 

Especially with a fire burning, bread rising, and a jigsaw puzzle ready to go. 

Because Why Not?

Our very nice hotel room overlooks a narrow alley and with the curtains closed it is as dark as night, no matter what time it is. Which is funny and ironic, considering Times Square is only steps away, and there it is always as light as day. 

For our taste, the two balance each other nicely, and our stay here has been both comfortable and fun. In fact, coming up to the city and seeing a couple of shows might just become a January tradition.

It's a Hell of a Town

Thirty-six hours, two shows, a dinner reservation at Burger and Lobster, and an overnight at the Chatwal. NYC here we come!

What Marvels the Future Must Hold

Traffic was heavy and it ended up taking me over 45 minutes to drive the 8 miles to the car dealer where I had made an after-school appointment for routine maintenance yesterday. I had just settled down into the waiting room when the service coordinator came to find me. "We're backed up in the shop," he reported, "so why don't we get you into a loaner and keep your car overnight? We can get to your vehicle first thing tomorrow."

"Sure," I agreed. Although I dreaded having to make the drive again the next day, the prospect of doing so in a new car took a lot of the sting away. A few minutes later I was in a 2024 Subaru Outback with 118 miles on the odometer and all the bells and whistles you can imagine.

Before I left the parking lot I had paired my phone and set up a driver profile that used facial recognition to adjust the seat and the radio presets to my personal specifications. And we were living large this morning as we rolled into the school parking garage in that new car. "We should buy it," Heidi sighed. But we agreed that our own car is very nice, as well as perfectly maintained by the dealer. It has low mileage and almost every feature that newer model offers. Plus? It's paid off. 

So it was without remorse this afternoon that I piloted the loaner back to its home to pick up our good ol' car. Just as before the traffic was terrible, but I still used cruise control to maintain 25 mph on a heavily policed lane. As I approached a stoplight, I was momentarily distracted by a flock of geese on the lawn of the private school campus on my right. Just then, the car beeped a warning I had never heard before. "Keep your eyes on the road" the dash display admonished. 

"How the hell?" I wondered until I realized that the profile recognition feature must have been watching my face all along. I wasn't sure if that was creepy or cool, but I was glad that I didn't have to decide, because a little while later I was driving my own car home.