Teef

Some of us have teeth while others of us have teefs. This woman, an important figure in the world of contemporary art, has the latter. I don't doubt she had the money to fix those things, but when you come into the world like that, live through the childhood teasing, tolerate the quiet, behind-your-back adulthood teasing, I suppose you might build up something of a strange pride around sticking with them for so long. Through thick and thin, out and about.

"Yeah, that's right. I've got teefs. And my picture is in MOMA next to the Matisses. Where you at?"

Los Especiales...an uncerimonious end

"If you need to sharpen any of the color pencils the sharpener is on my desk. Make sure you use it over the trash bin."

Yes, I say trash bin. But only to my students. It helps to make me even more other to them than I already am. I work with a Scottish guy, so I feel I can blame some kind of weak cultural osmosis to a degree. A very little, tiny, itsy-bitsy degree. So anyway, I said do it over the garbage thing and this one does it on the effing table. Who do you think cleans this stuff up?

"That's the custodians job!"

Did you just say that? Did you think it? For you and for any of my very most special kids, no. That is not the custodian's job. And no, special student X, custodian is not, in fact, an SAT word. It's kind of like janitor, but not exactly the same. Look it up.

"Why you always gotta say that! That's what my mentor always says."

Well God almighty bless that poor fool for sticking by your special side.

Things like that make me wish there was one of those trees you could send a kid out to go and pick a switch from. And that it was 70 years ago. In the South. I just think I could do that in the South. Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel it in my chicken fried soul.

So long, January; hello to the incomplete month of February. Do you say the first "r"? Tell me. I want to know.

Beaking it down, eSPECIALly for you

That's right, yes he does.

Lazylegs (no joke) showed our students that there are "No Excuses! No Limits!" when he came and gave a motivational talk and dance demo to our lazybrain student body this past fall. He brought his friend Kujo with him to break that shit down for you. Lazylegs has itty bitty legs but very muscular arms that help him break dance for you like it's 1983. Kujo is deaf (pronounced deef) and relies on sound waves bouncing back to him and you feeling the music and clapping along to keep him on rhythm.

You could really have fun with that.

Happy Special New Year

I've been away. I always had the wrong computer with me. Since we last met, I moved voices, about 100. I effectively structured arguments. I had a failed SI joint. I tried good coffee in bad places and mediocre coffee in nice places. I lost time while wearing a new sweater, Maker's in an espresso cup is what I heard. My resolve to find a new money maker for next year was further solidified. I started dreaming again, remembering them, really, I guess is what it is. I have one new nemesis.

And now I'm back, hookers.

The theme for this month is special-ness. The first picture speaks for itself. The second features a man speaking for his special kid who ruined graduation.

Oeste

There is a park over where all those cranes are on the waterfront in Oakland. There are a lot of signs along the sand telling you and showing you what is prohibited. Some examples include dogs, alcohol, bikes, cars, and swimming. Many of the garbage receptacles had flyers taped onto them informing citizens not to dispose of anything oily in there. ?????

The view is a beautiful one. I had a Floridian with me. He said you don't get this pink sky over there. It makes the water look sweet, like a candy factory pool. I know, I know - I want to make fun of me too. I'll take a picture of a bullfight or something next, to macho up.

On Tuesday, at our community meeting at school, I was last on the announcement list. I allowed my mild fury at the poor audience behavior to show through my stone cold gaze. The student working the lightboard shone a red light on me. And my audience came back. ("Look! They put her in red like the devil.")

The quarter's over at school. Grades are due. We have to show our grade reports to kids this week and have them assess themselves using these rubrics. They get mad and confused and defiant. They get upset. A few of them are okay. I am going to do this tomorrow.

Artist, Art, Hybrid

These are from Creativity Explored's Sci-fi opening. I met this one artist who led me around by the hand showing me her pieces and telling me to buy every single one of them because she wants a big check this year. There was a theramin player too, but I'm kind of over the theramin.

Tomorrow

I had too much wine to drink while grading yesterday so my head feels kind of tight right now. Or maybe it's because my head is so packed with the responsibilities I bear to make this job work that my brain is crying for me, feels dehydrated and that's the tight feeling.

Anyineedanewjobbeforeifallapartandget5150'd, this picture is for Dan. So was my opening confession. Tomorrow Dan's going back to Madrid, where he becomes, once again, a temporary ex-pat, teaching young Spanish people the subtleties of conversational English and trying to make a go of a business venture in the same vein with my summer host, Ana.

In less interesting news, when I took a break from working for a bit yesterday, I got on the private school jobs website and looked everywhere I could think of for a maternity leave position. I need someone at a privileged school to get knocked up or realize she's knocked up, now. That would mean there's a position at the end of spring and maybe into the fall! Or maybe someone will learn they are having multiples and need time off earlier rather than later for bed rest or something. Then I can save the day in January or something.

Please, encourage your private school teacher friends to do it. I'll make the Marvin Gaye cd to get everyone started. I'll make the dinner reservations too.