Veteran's Day on the Top of the Rock

Jon and I had Veteran's Day off :) I had a very relaxing long weekend which again I managed to avoid doing anything work related. Only now, as Jon sits by me and plays Mario Galaxy, do I start looking at what needs to be in order for the kiddies tommorow. But you know, I think that's a positive difference from last year for me when I worried all the time about school. Stepping back and realizing that I can have two successful parts of life has been a relief for me.
Now for a bit of planning and then movie night :)

Thoughts on being a coach

I am a soccer coach for New York City Scores Program. I coach at an elementary school. My girls range from 8-12 years old. This is my second season at the school and many of the kids came back from last year. We had a double headed today. It was pretty chilly out today and a little rainy, enough to freeze my hands. Ouch. We lost the first game, tied the next one.
I want to be a good coach but I'm thinking I need a break at it. After a whole day of teaching all I want to do is go coach girls that want to play soccer and have fun doing it. Generally we do and it's great to see thhe girls really enjoying it all. But somedays...it is painful to be a coach.
Are there some kids that have a streak of maliciousness in them? Could it be they don't really know how truly mean they are to one another. Is it something they just need to grow out of? I know they are still really little girls but I am constantly taken aback at what they say and do to friends, and worse yet, non-friends.
Drives me nuts. But, enough for tonight. I'm still chilled to the bone and staying in under a blanket reading :) Best kind of night after a long week of hanging with the kiddies.

Marathon Day in the City

Last year I watched the ING Marathon run through Central Park, it was so cool. I saw Lance Armstrong and his posse as well as a bunch of Finnish runners which I cheared loudly for. This year I'm watching the lead runners on t.v., I'm going to check it out later on, probably in the park this year too. Watching these guys haul through the five buroughs is really inspiring. Running the half was so so exciting in Atlantic City, but not a whole lot of spectators watched and cheered us on. Here all points of the road have some fans on it. Although I don't think I'll do a marathon, if I ever ended up running one I think I'd try for it here.

Happy Halloween!

Staying in with Jonathan tonight. Ordering out sushi and eating chocolate :)

Thoughts on teaching

Tommorow is Halloween. In the Junior High school I teach at in Manhattan we can't dress up, we can however wear crazy hats. Yup. There is a crazy hat celebration and contest. I don't really mind, I don't have a crazy hat and I don't think I'd dress up anyway. I don't need to dress up strangely to get comments- today I was walking on the 8th grade floor and ran smack into my hell class from last year. These kids tortured me all year long, when I say torture I mean nightmares that still wake me up sweating. So, sweet little Brandon calls me out on my green coat over my yellow sweater. I feel bad about all the terrible thoughts that run through my head when I see him or any of the terrors, at least I don't say any of it outloud. Thank goodness I do not have to teach them anymore. What a first year I had....how did I come back? How am I still there? ...eh, I suppose I got a bit better.

No soccer tommorow. No afterschool program either. Awesome. Jon is off tommorow. I think we'll hit the town with the girls to ring in the Halloween season ;) I love fall, everything about it makes me smile. I chugged down coffee this morning and hiked to work in the crispy air, I love that chill in the air :)
I wish I got a pumpkin to carve!