Chance of Rain: 100%

When most people hear the warnings of an approaching natural disaster, a bit of fear for the oncoming desctruction enters their thoughts. They consider the power outages, the destroyed roads, the blown over trees, houses, and anything that once stood. They think of the fleeing refugees abandoning homes and those that choose not to leave at all. Both will suffer loss. If fact, it all seems like quite a disaster. Hence the name, natural disaster.

But then there is me. I love natural disasters. I love the excitement in the air and the adrenaline rush I get from all the news. I love how families are brought together and people make a point to renew connections with family and friends to make sure everyone is safe. I love how people are required to realize what is really important in life: family, friends, birth certificates, marriage certificates, and other important documents. Afterall, these are the things the refugees bring with them. Now, I'm not trying to prey on others' misfortune, I simply see the eye of the storm as an incredible catalyst for human relationships.

Hurricane Ike has been such a rush for me. We got out of school early on Friday in order to prepare the school and roads for the evacuees. I had a chance to volunteer to help the evacuees at the school, and even though later I received a call that my services were not needed yet, I was so excited to go watch a bunch of people sleep in a middle school gym. Plus, the expected rain is really great for my lawn! I just hope we get a decent enough rain storm to not have to water my lawn for a week or so. That would be icing on the cake.

In all the storm news, I have reflected on another hurricane many years ago in Georgia. Hurricane Opal, in my recollection, was a blast. We got let out of school for two whole days, and I got to sleep in the basement with my parents. Then some neighbors of ours were in a hotel, which isn't the safest, so they came to join us in our basement. They had a daughter roughly my age so for two whole days without school, I had a live in friend. I didn't think things could get much better!

Talking to my best friend from high school, and then my brother, their recollection of Hurricane Opal is very different. They remember trees everywhere, water everywhere, and spending those two days couped up away from windows. My brother and dad went down to Albany, GA to help the clean-up effort after the hurricane passed. I remember it as a time alone with mom while the boys were out for a few days. My brother, however, remembers the stench, the water, the sobbing families. He remembers the destruction beyond repair. Things I have not experienced, nor care to.

The bottom line: natural disasters are fun for me, and I intend to keep it that way. As long as I remain a teacher, I always have the thrill of the possibility of school closings. And as long as I stay far enough inland not to get hit too badly, then I will always have the possibility of helping evacuees. And as long as I remain near the path of natural disasters, I can expect phone calls from those I love every time an approaching storm is announced.

So why the title of this blog? Late last night, as Hurricane Ike was hitting Galveston, TX, I turned the TV to the storm watcher and was listening to the broadcast as I fell asleep. The broadcast for Saturday, "Chance of rain: 100%". I guess that's what is expected when you are being pummeled by a hurricane.

Return From Summer Break

Everyone thinks teachers have it best because we have so many holidays AND two months for summer break, but can I just say that going back to school really stinks. As a kid, you get new clothes, new stuff, and you were bored practically all summer anyway so going back to school is really just a time to go see your friends 8 hours a day again. But as a teacher, no one buys you new clothes or new stuff. You have to fund that out of your measly salary! And although you do get to see friends and colleagues again you also get all the lovely (sarcastic) things that come with teaching like educational politics, behavioral systems, whiney parents, and the occasional misbehaving child.

Don't get me wrong. Teaching is by far the best profession on the planet, in my opinion. I wouldn't trade it for the world. But the next time you meet a teacher and think, "dang he/she has it easy with all that time off", I just want you to remember that we earn the time off. Without that time, there would be no teachers, because we would all be locked in a padded room under surveillance. The time is necessary, but going back stinks.

The Beginning of my Blogging Adventures

So I have this friend who convinced me to give this a try. I am thoroughly unconvinced that anyone will ever read this, but oh well, at least it's entertaining to me.

I begin with my thoughts on the Olympics: may I just say I LOVE the Olympics! Every two years, for three weeks, I actually watch sports. And I don't just watch them, I obsess over them. I currently, thanks to AT&T U-verse, record all of the games on NBC. . . like I have the channel being recorded 20 hours a day, or something exteme like that.

Why, you ask, do I obsess over three weeks of sports? Three reasons: A) my mother, and B) national pride, and C) international interest.

First, my mother. You see, when the games came to Los Angeles (where we lived at the time) in 1984 my mother insisted that my family (except for me, the baby) attend an event. The only event they could afford was equestrian, so to the horses they went. Then came the Centennial games in Atlanta. Once again we lived in the host city (thanks to Lockheed) and this time attended several events including track and field and the gold medal games for handball. So in 2001 I head off to college in Utah, just in time for the 2002 Winter Games. Again, we attended several events which sparked my love for the game of ice hockey. My mom still has paraphernalia from all three Olympic Games we have attended through the years, and seeing this always spark memories of fun, family, cheering, and pride. (With the SLC games, I always think of cold feet and melting debit cards.)

So reasons B and C, national pride and international interest, are fairly self-explanatory. I love the U.S.A.! I also think it is incredible to see people from all over the world come together to bring out the best in each other. I find myself cheering for countries I've never heard of (as long as the US is already out or has already won), and wondering what it would be like to be a world class athlete from a third world country.

Plus, the commercials are really cool. . . I like the Coca-Cola bird's nest one. :)