The Clacking of the Abacus never stops. Life as PE Teacher. Gratitude.
Ok. Get the counting out of the Way…Friday was 7 Weeks in the Books for the 2025/26 School Year; that is 20% complete. I have finished and submitted all the required Homework for the first Month of the 4 Months of the 9th class in the PEP, 25% completion of the 9th class. 2 Classes left in the PEP (8 Months). Mission 22; 2 Months in, 615 Days until Retirment Target Date; 336 of the 615 Days are Day at Work, 279 of the 615 are Days Off, Weekends, Holidaze, Spring, Summer and Winter Breaks. All financials are automated; money in money out with aggressive savings and conservitave but, high percentage investments strategies.
YARD831 is in a slight stall due to the Rain that has happened and is anticpated this Week. I have to take the long view and as much as I want to be in the Gym training, the ultimate value will kick in as Mission 22 comes to Fruition as the YARD831 is my intended side hustle in Retirement.
Boo is Home this Morning as I see His car in front of His Cottage; He traveles a lot for school; Monterey, SLO and more local, Cabrillo. He and Ben spend the Weekends going to Car Shows and Pool Parties with Friends.
I am waiting patiently to hear from Whit, encouraged that She responded to my simple text.
Cin and I are getting along splendidly hanging out with each other on the Weekends, Date Nites and what not. This Morning Feet in the Sand, rhen a Beach Walk, Lunch Date, Pleasure Point, Date Nite. Tomorrow a trip North and return Monday; I have scheduled the Day off for R&R and I actually have a Sub; unheard of as virtually no one subs Elementary PE.
Work went well Friday; my Morning Perp was spent logging Support Hours and wrapping up the September assignments for the PEP. Then Rocket Building; some of the fins on a few of the Rockets had broken off over the last Week as I have no real place to store the Rockets other than in the Tacoma but, the Kids took it in stride and repaired Their Crafts; good practice as the Ships get pretty beat up upon re-entry after Flights. All the finished Rockets now have engines, launch guide tubes (straws) and nose cones installed and are Launch Ready for next Week.
At 12:30 I joined the Drum Elective fetching my Djembe that I have lent to Teacher Bobby. I had asked Sammi if I could switch to Guitar that Morning as I brought my own Guitar and She told me that would be fine and since no drum was purchased for me, She also gave me a new Guitar. Drumming was at 12:30 and Guitar at 1:45 so what the hell, I did both. I kinda felt like I was taking advantage or getting more than my fair share but, at least one other Teacher took two electives and later in the Evening I texted Sammi regarding how fun Drumming was (She was in Guitar) She thanked me for attending both Guitar and Drums as She saw that as being very “supportive of the Music initiative” The Drumming was led by a dynamic, funny and friendly young Congolese Man whose name I cannot begin to spell but He lives a few miles from the Acre and invited me to come play drums with Him sometime. There were 11 of us in the Drum Circle and everyone had a blast. Bobby taught Guitar and we all learned 3 chords and played 3 Little Birds together; all of us stoked on the fact that in one session we learned to play a song together.
Home to check in with Cin and Lil Fat Bear then doubled back to the Farmers Market; got s jar of Honey and had a long chat with the Honey Guy who had just goten a clean bill of health afetr Chemo for Lymphoma. I had been thining of Coach Toomey on my Way to town as I knew there was a Game and that Dylan was now the Head Coach, Toomey not coaching for the first season in maybe 20 Yeras. Man Time flys but, as I was chatting with the Honey Guy, Toomey came walking up and said He hadn’t been to the Market in Years; Flow Moment. We caught up and I told Him I would see Him at the Game as well. Over to the Youth Center to chat with Jason; a stop at the Hole in the Wall for a Burrito; a stop at the Porch of the Love Family, no sign of anyone and I never knock as I don’t want to trouble Abuela. And then parked in front of Linscott in order to catch part of the Game at the Hi Skool. The Guys at the Gate knew me and welcomed me in; Toomey was on the sideline but not crowding the Coaches as His Time running The Show was now over but we hung out shooting the shit till Haf Time. As the Players and the Coaches came off the Field, Toomey and I unlocked the exit gate and as we had both taught so many of the Players over the Years, we got a zillion fist bumps, hand shakes and sweaty hugs. Life is a trip for Guys in our Gig. We walked off the Field both of us repeating the phrases that we have said to each other for decades, “We have the best Gigs in the World and we are the Luckiest Bastards we know”. I had mentioned to Toomey the Music PD that Sammi had implemented and He remarked “What an awesome Boss She must be to create and implement something like that for Staff”. I passed that compliment on to Sammi in a text later that Evening.
Home to Cin and Lil Fat Bear. I think I crawled into bed around 7:30pm. I Cuckoo clocked all Nite starting at about 10pm and got up at 4. I feel rested; happy it is a No Homework Weekend and looking forward to spending it with Cin and of course, seeing old and cherished Friends at the Gathering for Steve Tomorrow.
Grateful for Days Off. For Cin and my Kids, Lil Fat Bear. For Friends and Fellowship. For Sammi and the Gig. For a Plan that I have implemented in the form of Mission 22. For Homework Free Weekends. For Meetings, Farmers Markets, Celebrations, Routine, Rite and Ritual. For Coffee. For Serenity, For All Needs Met. For History, The Long Journey; still here and still trudging, left foot right foot able to participate in Life above ground. For Books paper and on audible. For Guitars and Drums. For The Acre, Santuary. For YAR831 and progress however glacially towards Fruition. For laughter and Young People. For this Day to Practice and to Continue.
