I woke up this morning feeling OK. Some lingering plague, but definitely better. No school today, but I did have work to do, so I figured I would run to school for a few hours then...I'm going to the gym. That's right, the gym. It's been 3 months and it's been driving me crazy. Yes, there are physical benefits to working out, but I find that it seriously affects my mood. Must be the roid rage.
So I got to school, and within 15 minutes I was coughing again. It's that freakin air conditioning. I packed everything up and left. Stopped home and...went to the gym. I had to sign more papers than I did for buying my car.
Now, I'm no snob...I'm not! But I do think it's a little funny to have the owners of a gym look like they should be running a diner. Don't get me wrong, they seem to be nice people, but I'm used to being able to go to the owner if I have a question about equipment or the best exercise or something like that. I mean, I'd feel comfortable asking these folks if they have any extra mayo for my BLT. One guy is big...like, has to use a cane- big. The other two ladies...they're just not people who seem to have any interest in physical fitness.
But I'm there to work out! I know what I'm doing! I don't need them!
So I fill out the reams of paperwork, leave blood and stool samples, take the standardized test and I'm ready to work out. First up....cardio. Hmmmm...some moderately current treadmills, old stairsteppers...ah, elliptical machines. Never seen this kind before. Oh, it's the same one I used to use back in Rochester at Flex only it's 15 years older. What the hell, cardio is cardio is cardio and a fractured hip. Holy crap, your legs aren't supposed to move like that! But 20 minutes, not bad for not working out and still being sick.
Let's hit the weights...still not feeling it for the machines, I'll go to the dumbells. Hit the chest, do the back, shoulders, etc. They don't seem to have any kind of adjustable cable pulley...uh...I thought that was kind of standard, but whatever, I adjusted (but I'm going to have to find a new rotator cuff exercise). Damn, forgot to do my legs.
I start looking around for a leg press machine. Can't seem to find...oh, there it is. Whoa...I'm not getting on THAT! It looks like it was donated by the Spanish Inquisition. OK...look around...what can we do...squats? Nah...I haven't done squats since high school and that was on a Universal machine. Hmmmm...well, not seeing anything else. OK, I can do some stupid squats. Throw a couple of 45's on the bar and let's have at it.
Hey, I'm doing squats! No problem. I can do this instead of some wimpy old leg press machine. OK, first set over. One more. Take a few seconds rest then we're ready to go. OK, let's get this last set over with. Bar on shoulders, hands on bar, lift and...
"Hey, hey, hey! What do you think you're doing?!!?!?"
Huh? Who was that?
"Yeah! What's your fucking problem, Man?"
It was my hamstrings. Say what you want, but when the hamstrings tell you you ain't doing any more squats, you ain't doing any more squats.
"Oh, sorry guys. I didn't know."
"Yeah, well now you know. Don't let me catch you doing stupid shit like that again. You got it?"
Yes. I'm sorry, hamstrings. Please don't hurt me too much.
I guess the leg press machine isn't all that bad after all. So I tried to do some ab work on the slickest rubber mats I've ever encountered, then called it a day. It was a good workout. I feel good (for now). I just have some adjusting to do.
Let's see if I can get out of bed tomorrow.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Hawaii - The Tropical Fargo
One of the annoying things about me (Hey! I said one.) is that I pick up on people's communication quirks. I guess I'm just in tune to it. Let me give you an example. Back in the Stone Age, when I was living with Dave, we were watching ESPN one night and the late Dick Schaap was on. I noticed - and it always drove me nuts - that at the end of every sentence he would jerk his head up about 3 inches. I don't know if it was conscious, but I noticed it and it drove me crazy. So I mentioned it to Dave. He told me that he couldn't watch the guy any more after that because it was all he would focus on. It's been the same with my students, et al.
So I'm not sure if it just struck me now or if it just started getting worse at school, but it seems that everyone around me has picked up this pidgin habit of saying "yee-ah?" at the end of every sentence. It's like I woke up and was in a Tropical version of Fargo. It's a Minnesota/Sweedish sounding yee-ah. And now everyone ends a sentence with it. For example:
"Mr. Atias, this goes to Mrs. Temple, yee-ah?"
"There's only 4 minutes before lunch, yee-ah?"
"If you say 'yee-ah' one more time I'm going to punch you in the head, yee-ah?"
I think I actually know when this started and I know who to blame. Stick with me on this.
Last week, we had a guest come into our class. Her name is Kathy Collins. I know her, because she runs the radio station I'm at. It's not connected as one of the other teachers had her come in. Kathy has this alter-ego called Auntie Tita (I may have that spelled wrong).
Kathy's on the right
Tita does PSA's for all the radio & TV stations about littering and other pro-Hawaii stuff, she also does shows for kids telling them Mo'olelos, old Hawaiian myths. Auntie Tita speaks pidgin. For a good example, see the post on my trip to Hana.
Since Tita visited our class, everyone's started the yee-ah thing. I may have to talk to Kathy about this. Maybe we need an exorcism or something.
And while you think this is just an isolated incident. Let's note that I was the first to come out against the dreaded "There you go" craze.
Twenty-four hours from now I'll be back on the air...hopefully I won't cough up too much phlegm on an open mic. Yes, I'm still sick.
So I'm not sure if it just struck me now or if it just started getting worse at school, but it seems that everyone around me has picked up this pidgin habit of saying "yee-ah?" at the end of every sentence. It's like I woke up and was in a Tropical version of Fargo. It's a Minnesota/Sweedish sounding yee-ah. And now everyone ends a sentence with it. For example:
"Mr. Atias, this goes to Mrs. Temple, yee-ah?"
"There's only 4 minutes before lunch, yee-ah?"
"If you say 'yee-ah' one more time I'm going to punch you in the head, yee-ah?"
I think I actually know when this started and I know who to blame. Stick with me on this.
Last week, we had a guest come into our class. Her name is Kathy Collins. I know her, because she runs the radio station I'm at. It's not connected as one of the other teachers had her come in. Kathy has this alter-ego called Auntie Tita (I may have that spelled wrong).
Tita does PSA's for all the radio & TV stations about littering and other pro-Hawaii stuff, she also does shows for kids telling them Mo'olelos, old Hawaiian myths. Auntie Tita speaks pidgin. For a good example, see the post on my trip to Hana.
Since Tita visited our class, everyone's started the yee-ah thing. I may have to talk to Kathy about this. Maybe we need an exorcism or something.
And while you think this is just an isolated incident. Let's note that I was the first to come out against the dreaded "There you go" craze.
Twenty-four hours from now I'll be back on the air...hopefully I won't cough up too much phlegm on an open mic. Yes, I'm still sick.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
The TV Show
I really don't have much new happening, but I thought I'd give everyone an update on how things are going with Dave's 3 Point Plan.
The school newspaper? Nothing. Podcast? No. Cable Access TV Show? Ahhhhh. A little movement. We have a dozen kids who are creating the first show. We have the roles assigned and we even have the stories settled on. The kids decided on Soldiers in Iraq from Maui, a controversial development program that's threatening wetlands and the endangered Sea Turtles.
Oh, I know what you're saying - Heeeeeeyyyy...those all have Dave's fingerprints on them. Wrong you are. The roles were settled and I left the kids alone in a room and told them to figure it out. I poked my head in a couple of times when it sounded like they were going to kill each other. A half-hour later, that's what they came up with.
A two-week vacation starts on Friday, so once we get back the kids start calling people to interview, doing research on the subjects and having training on filming and editing. I'm thinking of putting my own little touch on the whole thing (Whitee-style) but I haven't quite decided yet.
So...my break's coming up. I'm still trying to get over this plague I have. I have shifts at the radio station coming up. I plan on going to Haleakela to watch the sunrise, the Ocean Center, maybe to see the petroglyphs. So I should have some more pictures soon.
The school newspaper? Nothing. Podcast? No. Cable Access TV Show? Ahhhhh. A little movement. We have a dozen kids who are creating the first show. We have the roles assigned and we even have the stories settled on. The kids decided on Soldiers in Iraq from Maui, a controversial development program that's threatening wetlands and the endangered Sea Turtles.
Oh, I know what you're saying - Heeeeeeyyyy...those all have Dave's fingerprints on them. Wrong you are. The roles were settled and I left the kids alone in a room and told them to figure it out. I poked my head in a couple of times when it sounded like they were going to kill each other. A half-hour later, that's what they came up with.
A two-week vacation starts on Friday, so once we get back the kids start calling people to interview, doing research on the subjects and having training on filming and editing. I'm thinking of putting my own little touch on the whole thing (Whitee-style) but I haven't quite decided yet.
So...my break's coming up. I'm still trying to get over this plague I have. I have shifts at the radio station coming up. I plan on going to Haleakela to watch the sunrise, the Ocean Center, maybe to see the petroglyphs. So I should have some more pictures soon.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Tidbits
I saw my first firetruck in action today. We're surrounded by water, but there are few fire hydrants so a big-ass water truck has to follow the fire truck to the scene of any fire. In Hana, Oprah got the town to install this funky-looking fire hydrant system. Can't have Oprah's shit burning down.
As of right now, the cheapest place on Maui to buy booze is...K-Mart. Uh, OK.
As I was driving to K-Mart I made a wrong turn at Alburquerque. So as I'm trying to find a place to turn around on the only road on the island you can go 55, this douchebag is behind me, literally putting up all 10 of his grimy digits, telling me the speed limit is 55. I responded by telling him that I thought it was 11. F-ing gringo.
This weekend, I've already gotten 3 e-mails from kids/parents whining about their grades. I loves me some internets.
As of right now, the cheapest place on Maui to buy booze is...K-Mart. Uh, OK.
As I was driving to K-Mart I made a wrong turn at Alburquerque. So as I'm trying to find a place to turn around on the only road on the island you can go 55, this douchebag is behind me, literally putting up all 10 of his grimy digits, telling me the speed limit is 55. I responded by telling him that I thought it was 11. F-ing gringo.
This weekend, I've already gotten 3 e-mails from kids/parents whining about their grades. I loves me some internets.
Friday, September 21, 2007
The Reason I Came to Maui
I'm sorry I didn't get any pictures of this. Normally, I would have, but I wasn't supposed to be going out into the field today. I was supposed to be in the classroom, but due to a last minute...uh...situation, I ended up going on our Service Learning outing today.
We went to a National Wetland Park. They're clearing it out of all "invasive species", which means any vegetation that is not indigenous to Maui - which is most everything here. White folks brought most of what's here...trees, fruit, etc. It's a freakin rock, what do you expect?
Anyway, this wetland is right on the coast in the western part of the island. We ended up doing some beach clean up. Now when I say beach, it's not the beach you're thinking of. Oh sure, the ocean meets the island there, but instead of sand it's a 30 foot high and wide rock wall. And not mortared, these rocks are just stacked. So it was rough walking around it. But trash from all over the Pacific comes - other islands, China, Japan, cruise ships, etc. When the tide is high, Deborah Harry starts singing and the water (and junk) gets up to the top of that wall.
[Now comes a comment that shows why I had to make this blog private]
Generally, our kids are a bunch of whiners. They're pretty spoiled and don't have a clue how good they have it and how lucky they are to be in this school. They're not necessarily rich kids, but most have no idea what it's like to be educated anywhere but Hawaii. They don't understand that almost no other students get to do things like this - and they whined all the way there and back. It took everything I had not to turn this van around and go home, goddamnit.
But while I was there, walking to the cleanup site and looking around the wetland, it was one of those moments. Not too many teachers get to do stuff like this. It still hasn't sunk in yet, as you'll see by part 2 of this story.
It was our typical Friday - a half-day so we can plan the next week - because we're with the kids from start to finish the other days. We eat lunch with them, no plan periods, etc. So I'm on a computer setting up a research activity for next week (you can check it out here). I'm looking for websites about sea turtles and I come to a site for an organization that arranges trips for students to go to Costa Rica and protect sea turtles.
I literally had the thought: Wouldn't it be cool if we could take our kids to Costa Rica to do this...
I was just about to show this site to my fellow teachers when it hit me...hey, dumbass...you're in Hawaii. You already do this stuff. Your kids were checking out sea turtles last week. You already ARE a part of an organization like this. If I would have showed them this site they would have thought I was hitting my inhaler too hard.
I think part of the reason is that I don't get out of the classroom as much as the other teachers. They're trying to get me out more, but the truth is - and everyone agrees - that our kids are so deficient in reading and writing that I have to stay back more. I know it would be cool to go into the field more, but I'm here for the gig and that's what the kids need. I'm really not that disappointed, because I can go check out these things on my own without having to hear, "Mr. Atias, he's hitting me!"
These kids are driving me to a vasectomy.
So I guess my point is, today was pretty cool...except for the kids.
We went to a National Wetland Park. They're clearing it out of all "invasive species", which means any vegetation that is not indigenous to Maui - which is most everything here. White folks brought most of what's here...trees, fruit, etc. It's a freakin rock, what do you expect?
Anyway, this wetland is right on the coast in the western part of the island. We ended up doing some beach clean up. Now when I say beach, it's not the beach you're thinking of. Oh sure, the ocean meets the island there, but instead of sand it's a 30 foot high and wide rock wall. And not mortared, these rocks are just stacked. So it was rough walking around it. But trash from all over the Pacific comes - other islands, China, Japan, cruise ships, etc. When the tide is high, Deborah Harry starts singing and the water (and junk) gets up to the top of that wall.
[Now comes a comment that shows why I had to make this blog private]
Generally, our kids are a bunch of whiners. They're pretty spoiled and don't have a clue how good they have it and how lucky they are to be in this school. They're not necessarily rich kids, but most have no idea what it's like to be educated anywhere but Hawaii. They don't understand that almost no other students get to do things like this - and they whined all the way there and back. It took everything I had not to turn this van around and go home, goddamnit.
But while I was there, walking to the cleanup site and looking around the wetland, it was one of those moments. Not too many teachers get to do stuff like this. It still hasn't sunk in yet, as you'll see by part 2 of this story.
It was our typical Friday - a half-day so we can plan the next week - because we're with the kids from start to finish the other days. We eat lunch with them, no plan periods, etc. So I'm on a computer setting up a research activity for next week (you can check it out here). I'm looking for websites about sea turtles and I come to a site for an organization that arranges trips for students to go to Costa Rica and protect sea turtles.
I literally had the thought: Wouldn't it be cool if we could take our kids to Costa Rica to do this...
I was just about to show this site to my fellow teachers when it hit me...hey, dumbass...you're in Hawaii. You already do this stuff. Your kids were checking out sea turtles last week. You already ARE a part of an organization like this. If I would have showed them this site they would have thought I was hitting my inhaler too hard.
I think part of the reason is that I don't get out of the classroom as much as the other teachers. They're trying to get me out more, but the truth is - and everyone agrees - that our kids are so deficient in reading and writing that I have to stay back more. I know it would be cool to go into the field more, but I'm here for the gig and that's what the kids need. I'm really not that disappointed, because I can go check out these things on my own without having to hear, "Mr. Atias, he's hitting me!"
These kids are driving me to a vasectomy.
So I guess my point is, today was pretty cool...except for the kids.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Doctor...My Brain Hurts...
OK, bad Python quote for the post title.
So, maybe you've heard...I've been sick for a few weeks. I'm starting to have doubts about my doctor. Ummmm...let's call her, Dr. Chen. The first thing isn't really her fault (I hope). When I finally got in to see her, my blood pressure was through the roof. I brought her my prescriptions from back home and she had never heard of one of my meds. Not only that, it wasn't available through my HMO...I guess they weren't getting kickbacks from the right pharmacuetical company, but there was another ACE inhibitor that had pretty much the same side effects (that's what she said). Well, I wasn't really thinking about side effects, I just wanted my headache to go away. So we decided to go with the different med. So one of these possible side effects was a dry cough.
The day I saw her, I was starting to feel a bit funky. Some kind of bug had been going around the school - which is normal with a bunch of germ factories. I start taking the meds, my blood pressure goes down, my headache goes away, but this plague I have gets worse...a lot worse.
For the last 10 days I've been coughing, sneezing and finding other ways to expel mucus (I know, not pretty). So I needed to see Dr. Chen for a follow up anyway so I go and tell her about my symptoms. Now, she's not sure if it's side effects from the new meds or I'm really sick or both. I'm pretty sure I'm just freakin sick...others have it. So she wants me to stop with the one blood pressure med and start antibiotics and a steroid inhaler. Fine. One problem. I get paid in 2 days and I'm still waiting for a check from the mainland to go through (it's only been 5 days). So I tell her that I'll need to wait a couple of days to get the new meds. No problem, she says. Stop the blood pressure med & call her in a couple of days. If I still feel like doody (my word) we can start the antibiotics.
I called her this morning still feeling like hell. "Well, at least we know it wasn't my fault," was her reaction. Uh...Honey, you're not THAT cute. I need a doctor. So she said she'd put in the prescription for the other meds but to wait on starting the one blood pressure med again...she's really worried about this side effect thing. Now I'm starting to think she's given me the real world version of Pankratol or Boinkatol (you'll have to listen to the podcast to get the reference).
Of course when I go to the HMO pharmacy in the afternoon, their reaction is pretty much: Perscription? I don't know nothing 'bout no perscription. So I had to wait an hour while they "filled" it. I don't know...I've seen nurses at Hillside give out enough medication to chill out an entire county to 12 kids in 5 minutes. I don't know what the hour was for.
So now I have new pills, an inhaler that makes me look like my name is "Spaz" and my blood pressure is back up - oh, which Dr. Chen says won't kill me for a couple of days. I'm thinking about getting a new doctor and asking her out to dinner. I think I'll find out if she's trying to kill me first.
And yes, I know I spelled prescription wrong.
NEW RADIO SHIFTS!!! LOOK TO THE RIGHT!!! I'LL BE ON DURING THE AFTERNOONS EST!!!
So, maybe you've heard...I've been sick for a few weeks. I'm starting to have doubts about my doctor. Ummmm...let's call her, Dr. Chen. The first thing isn't really her fault (I hope). When I finally got in to see her, my blood pressure was through the roof. I brought her my prescriptions from back home and she had never heard of one of my meds. Not only that, it wasn't available through my HMO...I guess they weren't getting kickbacks from the right pharmacuetical company, but there was another ACE inhibitor that had pretty much the same side effects (that's what she said). Well, I wasn't really thinking about side effects, I just wanted my headache to go away. So we decided to go with the different med. So one of these possible side effects was a dry cough.
The day I saw her, I was starting to feel a bit funky. Some kind of bug had been going around the school - which is normal with a bunch of germ factories. I start taking the meds, my blood pressure goes down, my headache goes away, but this plague I have gets worse...a lot worse.
For the last 10 days I've been coughing, sneezing and finding other ways to expel mucus (I know, not pretty). So I needed to see Dr. Chen for a follow up anyway so I go and tell her about my symptoms. Now, she's not sure if it's side effects from the new meds or I'm really sick or both. I'm pretty sure I'm just freakin sick...others have it. So she wants me to stop with the one blood pressure med and start antibiotics and a steroid inhaler. Fine. One problem. I get paid in 2 days and I'm still waiting for a check from the mainland to go through (it's only been 5 days). So I tell her that I'll need to wait a couple of days to get the new meds. No problem, she says. Stop the blood pressure med & call her in a couple of days. If I still feel like doody (my word) we can start the antibiotics.
I called her this morning still feeling like hell. "Well, at least we know it wasn't my fault," was her reaction. Uh...Honey, you're not THAT cute. I need a doctor. So she said she'd put in the prescription for the other meds but to wait on starting the one blood pressure med again...she's really worried about this side effect thing. Now I'm starting to think she's given me the real world version of Pankratol or Boinkatol (you'll have to listen to the podcast to get the reference).
Of course when I go to the HMO pharmacy in the afternoon, their reaction is pretty much: Perscription? I don't know nothing 'bout no perscription. So I had to wait an hour while they "filled" it. I don't know...I've seen nurses at Hillside give out enough medication to chill out an entire county to 12 kids in 5 minutes. I don't know what the hour was for.
So now I have new pills, an inhaler that makes me look like my name is "Spaz" and my blood pressure is back up - oh, which Dr. Chen says won't kill me for a couple of days. I'm thinking about getting a new doctor and asking her out to dinner. I think I'll find out if she's trying to kill me first.
And yes, I know I spelled prescription wrong.
NEW RADIO SHIFTS!!! LOOK TO THE RIGHT!!! I'LL BE ON DURING THE AFTERNOONS EST!!!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Kumbaya?
This is gonna be a weird one. I'm not really sure how to put this in the right perspective.
The kids didn't have school today - our version of Superintendent's Day. So, we're in this training and we start off with this goofy team building exercise. If you've been an any kind of corporate structure you've done a million of these. This is Hawaii so it was a bit more...uh, interactive. It involved a jump rope and 18 people. Let's just say that I'm typing this with ice on my achilles tendon.
We finish our ice breaker and get to some stuff about portfolios. Everything's fine so far. We get to the idea that we don't celebrate our successes enough. I think most places of work (and homes for that matter) are in the same boat. We always focus on what can be improved and we don't recognize the good stuff we're doing. Christ, it sent me to therapy - which I really miss right now, but I digress.
So we're not celebrating our successes. This guy from the high school raises his hand and says something like:
This may seem kinda goofy, but I went to this seminar a few years ago. Has anyone heard of that Tony Robbins guy? (Uh, oh.) Well, there were like 40 or 50 thousand people and he had all of us celebrate for 60 seconds straight. (Oh, shit.) It seems silly, but we yelled and jumped up and down like our team just won the big game for a whole minute. (Lord, help me. I'll go to church. Anything, just save me from this.) Maybe we could do it for 30 seconds?
Well, then the negotiating started. "How about 5?" "10!"
We settled on 20 seconds of celebrating. It was really bizarre. I think I've talked about this on this blog...I know I have on the podcast, but I'm not a Woo-hoo kinda guy. You may get a "Yeah!" out of me, but I just can't seem to make that "Woo" sound. Any time I've won a game, I'll do a mild high five, a gentle knuckle bump and look for the beer. This is my nightmare. You may as well have said that we have to do it naked. It would have been the same for me either way.
So we celebrated. We celebrated so hard and loud that we went way past the 20 second mark because we couldn't hear the timekeeper. And yes, I lived through it. But it was so awkward for me...I tried to think of something to do that was over the top to make it silly-fun, but we all looked so ridiculous that I couldn't think of anything more weird than we were already doing. I really looked like I was one of those people with a brain lesion that effects affect.
But I will say this...
I actually let out a mini-woo. It was an accident, so I don't think I'll be able to make a habit of it.
The kids didn't have school today - our version of Superintendent's Day. So, we're in this training and we start off with this goofy team building exercise. If you've been an any kind of corporate structure you've done a million of these. This is Hawaii so it was a bit more...uh, interactive. It involved a jump rope and 18 people. Let's just say that I'm typing this with ice on my achilles tendon.
We finish our ice breaker and get to some stuff about portfolios. Everything's fine so far. We get to the idea that we don't celebrate our successes enough. I think most places of work (and homes for that matter) are in the same boat. We always focus on what can be improved and we don't recognize the good stuff we're doing. Christ, it sent me to therapy - which I really miss right now, but I digress.
So we're not celebrating our successes. This guy from the high school raises his hand and says something like:
This may seem kinda goofy, but I went to this seminar a few years ago. Has anyone heard of that Tony Robbins guy? (Uh, oh.) Well, there were like 40 or 50 thousand people and he had all of us celebrate for 60 seconds straight. (Oh, shit.) It seems silly, but we yelled and jumped up and down like our team just won the big game for a whole minute. (Lord, help me. I'll go to church. Anything, just save me from this.) Maybe we could do it for 30 seconds?
Well, then the negotiating started. "How about 5?" "10!"
We settled on 20 seconds of celebrating. It was really bizarre. I think I've talked about this on this blog...I know I have on the podcast, but I'm not a Woo-hoo kinda guy. You may get a "Yeah!" out of me, but I just can't seem to make that "Woo" sound. Any time I've won a game, I'll do a mild high five, a gentle knuckle bump and look for the beer. This is my nightmare. You may as well have said that we have to do it naked. It would have been the same for me either way.
So we celebrated. We celebrated so hard and loud that we went way past the 20 second mark because we couldn't hear the timekeeper. And yes, I lived through it. But it was so awkward for me...I tried to think of something to do that was over the top to make it silly-fun, but we all looked so ridiculous that I couldn't think of anything more weird than we were already doing. I really looked like I was one of those people with a brain lesion that effects affect.
But I will say this...
I actually let out a mini-woo. It was an accident, so I don't think I'll be able to make a habit of it.
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