Current Events
Recently this blog has become less about spiritual matters than about my life. With that in mind, here's how my day went yesterday.On the way to work, the indicator light that always comes on for 10 seconds and then goes off switched to a different one that came on and stayed on...alternator...rats. I pulled in the parking lot at school and switched off the engine, saying a little prayer that it would start up again.
In my box was a notice saying that since we have over 3000 students now, classes were being leveled. So they switched a student from a class that had 37 students to a class that had...wait for it...36.
During 3rd period, another non-English speaker added my class, making a total of 5. The irony is that yesterday we administered the mandatory writing sample. These poor kids can't understand a word I say and my knowledge of sign language is pretty much limited to the ol' "thumbs up." So, 39 kids, 3 bilingual aides concurrently translating, and 1 frustrated teacher made for a long 140 minutes.
I had to blow off my Calculus kids who wanted to study for today's quiz so that I could take the car to a shop, if it would even start. It did, praise be, and I drove to Sears. I got there at 2:30 and they started working on the car by 2:45. Not bad. It needed a new alternator (of course) and that would run about $280 (have I mentioned lately that money is in short supply around the Thurman homestead?), but there was room on a card and, well, I need my car. They said it would be around 2 hours, I figured I could wait out the 3 that it would REALLY take, so I grabbed my book and my iPod and headed inside the mall.
The mall. Oy vey, they mall.
The alternator had to come from somewhere else, the car was too hot to work on for a while, it's not at all easy to even GET to the alternator of a '93 Saturn, when they finally got it in it didn't work...long story short, Lisa came to pick me up at 8:30, the car still up on a lift.
I'm sure there are spiritual lessons to be learned from spending 6 hours in a mall, but even a day later I find myself sitting in stunned silence, in shock from spending 6 hours in a mall.
The capper: Lisa was good enough to tape the Angels/Red Sox game for me. But around hour 5 the Sunnyside baseball coach saw me sitting in...the mall...and told me what a bummer it was that the Angels lost again. Thanks, Jake.
Oh wait, I haven't gotten to the worst part of the day yet. I'll make it quick. Lisa had to take James to the doctor while I was at...the mall...because his cough was getting worse. It looks like he's going to be asthmatic like his dad. So I spent my last waking moments of the day trying to teach my precious 4-year-old how to use an inhaler. It brought all that childhood trauma and drama back fresh to me as I watched him try to wrap his lips around that thing and take a deep breath. I truly am grateful that medicine exists that will make his life easier, I'm just so bummed that he has to go through that and even more bummed to know I passed it on to him.
But enough misery. Today he feels better, I'm sure my car will be good as new, and the Angels will salvage a game from the series against Boston. The temperature is cooler and I get to teach the Calc kids in a while. I started a new book that is very good (read 200 pages while at...the mall...) and tomorrow is Friday. See? I can find silver linings when I put my head to it.
God is in His heaven.
Back to the Bible next time. In the meantime, scoot over to Randy's and Mike's blogs today. Good stuff.
By the way, did you get the pun? "Current" Events? Alternator? Get it? If not, don't worry. Lisa just told me a few weeks ago that she didn't realize that "intentional walk" referred to both my love for baseball and my walk with God. Lawdy, I loooooves the wordplay.
posted by Thurman8er @ 9:43 AM
4 Comments:
I feared we were heading down the same road with you. As luck would have it (and I rarely have it with auto repairs) the $54 battery from Costco did the trick.
I applaud your mastery of the pun - though you missed one. You should have said, "there was room on a CHARGE card."
Thanks for explaining the title of your blog and for the details about your time at the maul.
I was shocked that you were able to get through 200 pages. Normally, I run out of energy before about 100.
My fellow Math Teacher, don’t be too bummed out about passing on your asthma to your son. You will pass on something to him that will outlast the asthma that he now battles like his Dad. You will pass on your love for the Lord and His teachings and that is the greatest gift a father can give to his son.
By the way, I’m a “baseball guy” and I didn’t get the pun on the title! It’s either my old age creeping in on me or taking too many inside pitches for the team!
I'm so sorry...
As your big sister who would always like to make things good and easy for you, that's all I can say because I know it was a very tough day for you.
I'm so sorry...
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