World's Worst Police Dog

I think this would be Roman if he had to go through police dog training, LOL! Poor Pluto.

Roman likes his new, purple leash...

A Moment of Freedom

I got lost today. In a bookstore. I lost all track of time as I sat on the floor, reading, with Tikka rolled on her back next to me. I don't wear a watch because I don't want to be a slave to time. With work, appointments, meetings, games, classes...I have precious little time to waste. I like to spend my free time doing not much of anything; which is exactly what I've been doing this week. A late lunch at a neighborhood cafe followed by a meander in a bookstore. Yesterday, I went to the beach and played ball with the dog (who insisted on continually dropping it in the surf so he could chase it among the waves). The sound of the waves, the feel of the sand between my toes, my dog running free, well. Life just doesn't get much better. I give thanks for this simple abundance life willingly offers me.

On Seeing Stars

With the arrival of Spring comes clear days and crisp evenings. I take the dogs out for the evening constitutional at 10:00 p.m. The stars were very bright last night and I could make out several constellations. Usually I don't see the stars; either due to the city lights, fog or my own frantic rush through life. But. Last night I did. It was a moment where I just felt...well, I didn't feel anything except, maybe, peace. Tranquility. It was just me. Walking with my dog. Something I've done a thousand or more times but don't stop to notice. I recalled a meditation I used to do during my dark nights of the soul. I imagined I could float. I slowly float up and up...over my house, over the city, the bay, the bridge...up and up...over the state, the country, the earth. Any problems are left down there and I just absorb the beauty of our world.

I picked up the leash and Roman playfully started biting it, tugging it...tugging me back to reality. I grab his ear, which he loves, so he gives me a big smile. "Let's go home, boy."

Ahhh, the Vernal Equinox...

Spring arrives amidst a turbulent cosmos...but, damn, it's here and I have ten days off.

Cosmic Calendar (applies to everyone) for March 21:

There are four main Sun-Pluto encounters in every 12-month time-period. The two strongest encounters are probably the conjunction and opposition. However, the two square patterns may also coincide with a lot of turbulence, upheavals, and internal distress. (Check. Turbulence, upheavals, and internal disress all in order!) One of these occurs at 1:37AM PDT when the Sun in Aries faces off against Pluto in Capricorn. Even though this may happen very early in the day for some earth-dwellers, it still has ramifications later on - especially because the Full Moon every month often brings many issues to a head. (Check. Lots of issues brought to a head...got it covered, broham). The Full Moon - energizing 2 degrees of Aries and Libra - happens at 11:41AM PDT. By the way, this is just about three hours after the Moon shifts allegiance from Virgo to Libra and ends its void cycle (8:46AM PDT). Therefore, with independent-minded Aries Sun on the opposite side of the Earth from relationship-oriented Libra Moon, you can have either a battle royal in primary partnerships or a surge in enlightening and sensitive inter-personal behavior. (Got the enlightening inter personal stuff going on. Erik told me today, "Wow, teachers have a lot of work." This was after spending the day in my class. Mind over matter is crucial around the time of a Full Moon. (Hah! What mind?) Individual and group meditations are recommended.(I meditated earlier...when I passed out from exhaustion...) Send out your healing thoughts and prayers to humanity in need of upliftment. (Waiting for the uplifting healing thoughts...the Cabernet is helping...)

Let the Hiking Begin

The only way I can truly decompress from stress is to embrace the healing arms of nature. Since Maui isn't an option right now, it will have to be my second favorite place, Marin.

WTF?

Right on the heels of thousands of layoff notices sent to California teachers, "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's blue-ribbon committee on education released a list of sweeping recommendations Friday to overhaul California's public school system at an additional annual cost of $10.5 billion."

The end of the article gives results of a statewide survey. One of the results I have real issue with is : 64 percent believe that increases in teacher pay should be based on merit, including student performance, rather than seniority.

These administrators and survey takers have obviously never spent time in an urban classroom. Some things I do that are not in my job description: social worker, crisis counselor, nutritionist, medical triage, mediator...Social and emotional needs of children need to be met before a child can actually learn. If a child is living with addicted parents, witnessing violence in his community, not eating breakfast ever, sent to school unclean and in dirty clothes, etc. how is that child going to perform on the standardized test? Then my salary will increase if the kids do well on a test? That means I'm doing a good job? What about all the other things I do that really can't be measured and are, imo, more important than test taking skills? I think we should have merit pay for some of the parents, so they will step up to their parenting responsibilities.

I've posted about this before, but I will do it again. If I was paid minimum wage to simply babysit each student for six hours a day, it would work out to over $172,000 for the 180 days I'm contracted to teach. God, I'd be happy with even half of that in this economically bloated city. I get less than 1/4 of that, and I'd like to think my students are actually learning something. Firemen start in the $80,000 range. We value our firemen and give them a nice salary. We don't lay them off. Same for police officers. I don't think this country's, let alone state's, education system will change for the better until we start valuing teachers, including paying them what they are worth.

**stepping off soapbox now**

I Do Like Those Roller Coasters...

I don't know what it is about roller coasters...The slow build up as you reach the summit only to go plummeting down the other side? The wicked fast loop-de-loops that leave your stomach in the dust? The sheer terror as you fly off your seat speeding around a turn? The relief that washes over you as the ride ends (only to get in line again)?

Well, I guess life would simply be too boring if things were always the same. On that note, one cannot say my life is boring. It's been feeling quite like a roller coaster ride. This week, Tikka was diagnosed with a spindle cell tumor (and had to have surgery) and the following day I got a layoff notice! LOL! Tikka is recovering well, and I should have biopsy results in a week to determine if she needs radiation. The good news is that this cancer is usually localized. Thanks to Arnold, who really should stick to his barbells instead of balancing state budgets, millions of dollars are being cut from California's education. Thus, layoffs are in order. They are based on seniority and I am low man...I'm going to fight it and, at least the teacher's union has my back.

First Hike

The storms have kept us from our usual hiking expeditions. The first hike of the year leads to a...



...waterfall!

On Being Humble

Never accept your dog's opinion of you as fact.



Roman says, "Here I am, what can I do for you? I look at you adoringly and hang on your every word..." more likely, "Please release me so I can chase that squirrel, but first I must mark that driveway, those trees, that bush back there..."




Tikka says, "I LOVE you mommy! So I'm going to give you my 'cute face' " or, more likely, "Gimme some meat now!"