Good. Now I will be forced to bury myself in DT prep all day. But first, a couple of Do Not Go Here sites (again, I disavow any responsibility for your wasted morning):

1. Letters of Note is a huge collection of actual correspondence from various famous people, photographed and submitted. Very interesting. Some are hilarious (make sure to read the “Tiger Oil” memos), others heartbreaking; they’re all quite revealing. Prepare to waste some time. It’s Angry Birds all over again.

2. I saw a link to this site on the Facebook page of one of my former students. I laughed. Surviving the World will spin some clock for you, Jimbo. Guaranteed. If you can get through all 855 “lessons,” you have my respect (I especially like Lesson #49, heh).

There. That ought to get you started on your Wednesday. Me? I’m off to the kitchen for some breakfast, then to the basement with my tap shoes. Maybe I should wait till the Thriller wakes up, though.

~

~

Nah.

I mean, I get up at 5 a.m. every day, fuh cripesake. You’d think I could get out of here on time. Truth is, there’s just too much I want to get done in the early mornings, and I end up trying to do it all, at the expense of my getting-ready time. So now I dodge the raindrops in the shower and schlep the makeup kit to school with me so I can finish getting ready — hopefully before anyone sees me without my warpaint on. It’s bad enough to be seen with it on, Lord knows.

The custodian who vacuums the carpet in the mornings has seen me without makeup — something I rarely allow humans to experience — and survived. Barely. But he’s old like me and likely understands.

And now, fiends, I must fly. Please leave an articulate and compendious greeting for my lunch break.

FO

So, six days in, how are your New Years Resolutions going? I must tell you I’m not altogether disappointed with my dissociation with the morning coffee routine. You should have seen the look of shock on Jake’s face (Jake my 18-year-old student, not my grandson) when I revealed to the high school choir in conversation yesterday that I had pretty much given up coffee. By the time my students are seniors, they’ve seen me with quite a few coffee mugs in my hand and sitting on the keyboard in my classroom.

And the cool thing about this rezzy is that it’s not prohibitive. I’m not “giving up” coffee. I’m just giving up having it be the first thought on my mind when I get up in the morning. I’ll still spend the lovely Starbucks gift card that BFF Kay and Bob got me for Christmas. I’ll still meet RD when he’s in town so we can solve the problems of the world over a latte. I’ll still have a cluck with Mavis over coffee while we’re cooking. When I meet Bando or Meg at Panera, I’ll drink a joe. And I will definitely tear into that bag of vanilla Dunkin’ Donuts brew that Justin and Jakey got Grammie for Christmas.

It’s just not the boss of me anymore.

Do you ever think about an item or activity and say, “I wish I didn’t have to do this.” It’s a slippery slope…the “having to” versus the “choosing to.” That’s what morning coffee was to me, and now I’m choosing to stop depending on it. My massive cut-down on eating stuff with processed flour & sugar is going pretty well, too. What’s up with this following-through business? Perhaps I have a fever…

Maybe I’ll go make some coffee.

One of my former students posted a video on Facebook last night. I usually don’t click on every vid link I see, but this one is unbelievable. Behold:

From what I understand, the video has gone completely viral, so you’ve probably already seen it. If Hollywood doesn’t come calling for this guy’s pipes, they’re nuttier than I thought. Apparently, Columbus may be helping him soon.

What I wouldn’t give for a vox like that!

What I wouldn’t give to have slept last night…yark.

Nineteen weeks of school down, twenty-one to go. Not quite to the “I can see the light at the end of the tunnel” phase yet, and shame on me for even thinking it, but I know it’s there.

I think it’s going to be a good semester. Not without its problems and uncertainties, but there is good music to be made out there, and I’m confident my students are up to the task.

True confession: I have not had a cup of coffee since New Years Eve. I don’t really miss it as much as I thought I would. It’s all part of my rock and roll fantasy; my dream of being dependent on zero substances, and thereby improving my overall health and outlook. Not that I won’t ever drink coffee, mind. I love the stuff. I just don’t think it needs to dictate my morning routine anymore, decaf or not. ‘Sides, I already have enough stuff in my life that makes me jittery.

I’m trying to break some ancient habits, like always having a mug of coffee at my keyboard during 1st period — though lately, it’s been tea. I don’t need that, either. So we’ll just see how this day goes, not having my liquid luck for 6th grade rehearsal. It’s insane how we (or at least I) come to look on ridiculous substances as ritualistic necessities (although the science is often in our corner). I seek to break those surly bonds in an effort to rid my life of destructive influences — and not just food-related ones, knowwhatimean?

All right, back to the school house we go. It’s been a fun and enlightening winter break, but I long to get back to educating young minds, one wrong note at a time.

FO