Nice way to start the summer

With the summer league beginning last night, it was time to meet my new teammates at Roll-A-Way Lanes.  One of them, being the grandmother of a child in the bumper league, was familiar to me.  the other two, a father and son team, seemed to be nice folks.  As I usually do, I was wandering around the house last night, chatting with Fast Al, Shoe, Semi Fast Al and Jennie, not to mention others.  So, unfortunately, I didn't get to chat much with my team.  We took all 3 games, though...and I had a 326 night. 

 

The Candlepin Super Bowl show (from around 1982 or so) Al ran last night was very cool.  We never got that show in W. MA as we did with Don Gillis' show (channel 40 always showed it).  I love watching shows from "the old days," as "the old days" weren't that long ago...at least for me.  I'm not old...yet...nor do I feel it.  Those tapes bring back the days when I was very young, and my father and I would go bowling after the noon show was over.  Makes me wish Dad were still here. 

 

I'm not really sure when I'll hear the verdict on the job in Glastonbury.  The principal told me she wants to make a decision by the end of the school year, which is in the middle of June.  Meanwhile, I sit and wait.  Ugh.  However, recently, I contracted with Fairfield Teachers' Agency (a private job bank and recruiter for teachers) and they've turned up a couple of leads.  If you only knew just how much I want to return to the classroom!  So please, continue sending the good karma my way...I'm hoping that it'll work and I'll line up a job before the end of this school year.  Another summer of this and I just might go off the deep end (then again, maybe I already have?). 

 

There's days when I just want to pack it in and get a job doing something in the private sector.  Then there's days when something happens while I'm substituting that really gets my teaching juices flowing.  I'm just still so worried that I won't be able to get back into a full time gig in this climate.  Some districts are cutting jobs, budgets are getting voted down all over the state (making school boards sweat it out, unable to fill positions until the budgets are accepted by voters) and yet kids still, in many districts, show less than adequate progress according to all the new legislation and rules.  I've got so many ideas and techniques stored in my bag of tricks, and it seems that many interviewing teams like them, but I'm still waiting for something to pop.  Then again, I've had exactly two interviews this year (Hartford and Glastonbury).  I wonder, should I stand out in front of school buildings with a sign that reads, "will teach for a contract?"  Nah, didn't think so.  I might be creepier than normal, eh? 

 

Candlepin's favorite minor league baseball team, the Rock Cats, is riding a 4-game winning streak, beating Trenton (the dreaded Yankees affiliate) last night.  I was really hoping there'd be no fireworks like last week, and got rewarded with a nice win.  Thank goodness!  I hate to see benches clear like they did last week.

 

So, this weekend, take your mom out candlepin bowling.  I'm sure she'll love it!  And you'll get in a few strings, too.  Nothing like hanging with mom and improving your game, is there?  Happy Mothers' Day to all!