Today I:

- Arrived at school for a 7AM faculty meeting (that's EARLY). I left my apartment at 6:30 AM.
- Managed to have a really fun and interactive discussions on impressionist art (10th grade) and renaissance art (9th grade).
- Coached a league soccer game.  We won - 4-1.
- Ate Chinese food while sitting on the sidelines and watching the boys play soccer (they tied).
- Returned home at 7:45 PM - 13 + hours after when I left.
- Installed/activated/whatever high speed internet and set up a wireless network.
- Watched the Indians score 3 runs off of the Red Sox.  I'm too tired to watch the end, but I announced to my roommates that they should say their goodbyes to the Red Sox now...at least until spring.  If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. 

Soccer today, tomorrow, and in Rhode Island on Friday.  I've never been to Rhode Island. God is so good and I see His faithfulness in so many of the everyday provisions... I am very thankful that He brought me here.

Due to the state of Massachusetts's love for that great conqueror, Christopher Columbus, I have had a three day weekend.  I've spent my weekend dog-sitting for a chocolate lab named Molly, hanging out with my sister, and seeing some of the touristy sites of Boston.

Friday, my soccer team won again, bringing our record to 4-1-1.  After the game, I headed to Roslindale, an area in Boston, to house sit for the weekend. Being exhausted and in no mood to eat healthy food, I stopped at the grocery store and picked up the essentials: peach green tea, frozen pizza, Sun Chips, and ice cream.  I fell asleep at 9:30 PM, during the early innings of what turned out to be an exciting Red Sox game.

Saturday and Sunday, Jenny was here to visit, and we went to dinner at a Thai place, went to a movie (the Jane Austen Book Club, it was alright), went to Park Street Church for their 8:30 AM service (not Jen's preferred service time, I don't think), and wandered around Boston's North End.  I took the typical touristy pictures (to be posted later) and we ate lunch at a little Italian place (everything in the North End is Italian).  I ordered pizza with artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes (pizza #2). To our delight (well, my delight and Jenny's chagrin), there was also a Columbus Day Parade, of which we saw only a little (some Revolutionary War reenactors and a marching band, some clowns on various sorts of bikes, etc.).  Then, we headed to Lexington to watch the Red Sox game with our cousins the Strodels.  The Red Sox won (shrug) but so did the Yankees (fist pump) so the day was alright.  The Strodels ordered pizza and salads for dinner, forgot their leftovers, and so I brought home a few pieces of vegetarian pizza (pizza #3).

Now I have leftovers of all three pizzas which I'm sure I will consume throughout the day because I have progress reports to do and no groceries in my apartment.  Therefore, Columbus Day is for Pizza.

This week was exhausting but good.  I'm really starting to get to know my students as individuals and they are great. They have their not so great parts, and some of them are harder to get to know than others, but in general, I'm really starting to love who they are. 

Today my 10th grade boys were completely out of control.  They were in this, "it's Friday and I can't shut up or sit still no matter what" state that meant they ran into my room, chasing one another, break dancing on my floor, and laughing uncontrollably about anything and everything.  Thankfully, they're usually out of control in a very respectful and innocent way, and their energies can typically be focused (while briefly) on the academic endeavour at hand.  So, the break dancing was limited to our actual break time, and the chasing around the classroom and tickling one another stopped when I made the "No PDA at BTA" comment.  So often I have to hide my face in order to not show my amusement at their ridiculous antics.  Oh, I forgot to mention that when I asked for volunteers to pass out papers, I was literally rushed at by three guys at one time, and the two that did not get chosen seemed crushed. 

The 9th grade boys are struggling to get themselves in order, keep all of their belongings in one place, and to actually turn in their homework completed and on-time.  Hopefully soon they'll realize that they too can have the academic success that the 10th graders are experiencing while still being themselves and possibly enjoying class, even.  Today they were talking instead of doing their reading (I don't really blame them, it was the last period of the day and it was Friday) and I gave them the "do you realize that if you don't take this class seriously you will be repeating it.  You should be working so hard you don't even have the energy to talk to your neighbor."  It almost worked.

In soccer (we're 3-0 now), I had the girls play Ultimate, but with a nerf soccer ball instead of a frisbee.  It got them working on spacing and passing without getting caught up in ball handling.  I saw some lightbulbs come on in some of their heads for sure. Plus, I saw the competitive nature come out in them like never before.  One team just couldn't get it together and the captains called them together and let them have it.  It was nice to have the girls hold one another accountable for their work ethic, instead of me doing it all of the time.  I'm beginning to see the things we talk about put into action in the games, too, which is very cool.  Today one of the girls asked me which sport I like better, soccer or softball.  Haha, I loved it.  I love that sports are sports and a softball player like me can make it as a soccer coach (at least so far).

Boston is hard and it's sad sometimes to not have existing relationships with basically anyone, but it's good, and I'm definitely growing.

Today was what some may refer to as a bad day... I'm not going to call it bad... I'll just call it challenging.

It all started when I woke up this morning and our hot water heater wasn't working for the second morning in a row.  Unlike yesterday, when I just took a cold shower, I decided today that I didn't need one.  My ankle, which had been bothering me since I injured it two weeks ago, hurt especially bad today and was more swollen then ever, which did not help the getting ready for school process.  I proceeded to get ready for school incredibly slowly and then spent aproximately 10 minutes searching for my keys.  For some reason, I saw this as a sampling of things to come and I felt strangely sad, or maybe just reluctant to go through the day... my foreshadowing detector was correct.

At school, I forgot to make all of the important announcements to my advisory group and therefore spent a considerable amount of time chasing them down between classes to give them the info they needed.  The projector I requested wouldn't recognize my laptop as a source once again (the second day of trying), but thankfully Mike, the physics teacher, was walking by and I snagged him and he ended up hooking up his projector.  Thus, the Powerpoint was viewed, only delayed slightly.

Due to the increasing pain in my ankle I decided call my doctor (who I haven't actually ever visited) only to find out that they couldn't get me in at all until the 26th, but the receptionist recommended the walk-in clinic in the building that was open until 7.  In order to go there tonight I needed insurance info that I didn't have, but I retrieved from the incredible business director at the school.  In her office I actually began to cry.  I was just frustrated with the day, the ankle, etc. But, by this time I was late for soccer, so I put on my sunglasses and headed out. 

At practice the girls were not working hard, paying attention, etc. and so I threw down what was in my hands, stopped the drill, and gave them a pretty hefty lecture.  That kind of helped.

After practice I had 1 hour to make it from my school on the south-west side of Boston to the clinic on the north side.  I made it to the reception desk with 5 minutes to spare.

The verdict on the ankle - I fractured it... and I probably tore a tendon or ligament or two, but I won't find that out until I go see the orthopedic guy.  Sweet.

When leaving the clinic I of course realized I had dropped my wallet in the reception area, and it took about half an hour to retrieve it because the wing was locked, the cleaning lady had given it to her supervisor, and the supervisor took 15 minutes to bring it back to me.

At least tomorrow can only get easier, right?

Now that I am a well-seasoned teacher (I have successfully completed four full days of class) and coach (try-outs, first week of practice), I have this to say:
It's a really good thing that I very much enjoy my students and my coworkers, because I sure spend a lot of time with them.
I leave my apartment at 6:45AM and return to my apartment at 6:45 PM.... I then eat dinner, work on lessons and grading, and go to bed.

But really, I don't have anything else to be doing, so this schedule is perfectly fine with me... it's just a tiny bit tiring.  But hey, if it were camp I'd leave at 6:45 AM and return to my a-frame at around 11:00ish PM.  So, all things considered, this is kind of like vacation!

:)