February sweeps (Part 3 of 5?)
So if you watch a lot of network TV as I used to (at this point, almost all the TV I watch is sports), you may be familiar with "sweeps" periods. Specifically, in November, February, and May, extra attention is paid to ratings, so TV series have especially interesting episodes during those months. Well, one could say my February was kinda like that.
You see, the way Jen put it is, "Yeah, you're kind of mine that whole month." Three consecutive weeks, and by chance of calendar all weekends this year, are milestone dates: The 14th is obviously Valentine's Day, the 20th is the one-year anniversary of our first in-person meeting, and the 27th is her birthday. On the plus side, it's easy for me to remember all of them. On the other hand, aaaah gift ideas.
The second week of February, my second week at BCA, featured what's probably the single most important math competition of the year: AMC (formerly AHSME). For those who didn't do math competitions, it's a multiple-choice exam that forms the first step in the selection of the US team at the International Mathematics Olympiad. I actually wasn't needed to proctor, but was asked to be in the math team room during that time, to keep the parents who were making bagels for the students company. While talking with them a bit, I took the test for fun and got a 124.5 (out of 150), with 3 that I couldn't do and left blank, one that I guessed incorrectly on, and one that I just screwed up. My first reaction was that I had lost my skill at quick-pace math contests. Then everyone descended upon the math team room and I found out that only one student, Alex Z who has since garnered a reputation with me as "the kid who always sleeps in the room first hour", with a 126. It was a damn hard test, in other words. Michael later took it and got a 121.5. The first of the massive snowstorms hit Tuesday night, leaving school canceled Wednesday and Thursday, the former being declared "a day of boardgames, meatball, and drinking" by Ralph. We came back for Friday, and the always-hilarious Valentine's Day assembly. Oh, Romance Chronicles.
Meanwhile, Liz was asking for advice in balancing her third date with a guy over a long-awaited trip back to Cornell for Anti-Valentine's Day. I continue to remind her that under no circumstance should I be considered someone who knows what I'm doing or should be asked for relationship advice. She thus asked her roommates for advice on how to interpret the boy's response to her request to not get her anything. Roommate #1: "I would break up with him if he doesn't. Men are supposed to get women presents for Valentine's Day, everybody knows that". Roommate #2: "I would dump him if he does. I wouldn't go out with someone who doesn't take me seriously." Liz's verdict: "I decided to take both their comments under advisement... where by that I mean completely fucking ignore them."
I drive down to Jen's for that weekend, and as she had insisted all she wanted was "candy and a card", that was what I had, though I was briefly scared when she handed me a large bag containing my gifts. We spent the weekend introducing me to Arrested Development. [makes note to go about getting that to keep watching] February break came and went with me watching the Winter Olympics. Oh curling, how fun you are to watch, and how terribly the Americans did. The following weekend, Jen drove up here for our anniversary weekend, and we kicked it off with her triumphant return to Drew for a party. Good times were had, and continued on Saturday when we went to The Village Grille in Waldwick for dinner. She gave me a letter she'd written thanking me for being part of her life for the past year, but insisted I wait until she left before I read it. While that was happening, the Math Team was at Harvard/MIT. Despite a lack of individual success, the team did well enough on the cooperative rounds that they were named champions. One member of the team skipped and jumped down the aisle in celebration, and Mark V, the captain of the team, asked for a chance to say a few words to dedicate the win. "Mr. Holbrook wasn't the kind of guy that would get mad at you if you came home and you didn't win anything, but he didn't mind winning. So this victory is dedicated to him, so thank you for being here and losing to us." Some people on the internet thought that was in poor taste.
I then got called Monday morning to go back to BCA and told Michael, who's been in contact with administration for the past two months about math team, that while I wouldn't mind the "sitting in the math team room" job, I'd prefer not to get it a day or a week at a time. Spoiler alert: I'm still getting it a week at a time. Wednesday was the AMC-B, the second chance for everyone to do better. Almost no one did. I got a 121.5, Michael a 120, and the school winner 118.5. What the hell AMC. All told, though, we had 52 students move on to the second round. Another gigantic snowstorm occurred on Thursday, and by the time I got to school that day, the electronic message board said "EARLY DISMISSAL". I said I'd be willing to work Friday if the school was open, knowing there wasn't a chance in hell it would be. In fact, the Math Team's trip to Stanford was delayed until Saturday; luckily that competition was Sunday. With the snow continuing into Friday, I decided it'd be better to wait until Saturday morning to drive down to Toms River for Jen's birthday.
But that, and my preparation for it, will have to wait until next time.
You see, the way Jen put it is, "Yeah, you're kind of mine that whole month." Three consecutive weeks, and by chance of calendar all weekends this year, are milestone dates: The 14th is obviously Valentine's Day, the 20th is the one-year anniversary of our first in-person meeting, and the 27th is her birthday. On the plus side, it's easy for me to remember all of them. On the other hand, aaaah gift ideas.
The second week of February, my second week at BCA, featured what's probably the single most important math competition of the year: AMC (formerly AHSME). For those who didn't do math competitions, it's a multiple-choice exam that forms the first step in the selection of the US team at the International Mathematics Olympiad. I actually wasn't needed to proctor, but was asked to be in the math team room during that time, to keep the parents who were making bagels for the students company. While talking with them a bit, I took the test for fun and got a 124.5 (out of 150), with 3 that I couldn't do and left blank, one that I guessed incorrectly on, and one that I just screwed up. My first reaction was that I had lost my skill at quick-pace math contests. Then everyone descended upon the math team room and I found out that only one student, Alex Z who has since garnered a reputation with me as "the kid who always sleeps in the room first hour", with a 126. It was a damn hard test, in other words. Michael later took it and got a 121.5. The first of the massive snowstorms hit Tuesday night, leaving school canceled Wednesday and Thursday, the former being declared "a day of boardgames, meatball, and drinking" by Ralph. We came back for Friday, and the always-hilarious Valentine's Day assembly. Oh, Romance Chronicles.
Meanwhile, Liz was asking for advice in balancing her third date with a guy over a long-awaited trip back to Cornell for Anti-Valentine's Day. I continue to remind her that under no circumstance should I be considered someone who knows what I'm doing or should be asked for relationship advice. She thus asked her roommates for advice on how to interpret the boy's response to her request to not get her anything. Roommate #1: "I would break up with him if he doesn't. Men are supposed to get women presents for Valentine's Day, everybody knows that". Roommate #2: "I would dump him if he does. I wouldn't go out with someone who doesn't take me seriously." Liz's verdict: "I decided to take both their comments under advisement... where by that I mean completely fucking ignore them."
I drive down to Jen's for that weekend, and as she had insisted all she wanted was "candy and a card", that was what I had, though I was briefly scared when she handed me a large bag containing my gifts. We spent the weekend introducing me to Arrested Development. [makes note to go about getting that to keep watching] February break came and went with me watching the Winter Olympics. Oh curling, how fun you are to watch, and how terribly the Americans did. The following weekend, Jen drove up here for our anniversary weekend, and we kicked it off with her triumphant return to Drew for a party. Good times were had, and continued on Saturday when we went to The Village Grille in Waldwick for dinner. She gave me a letter she'd written thanking me for being part of her life for the past year, but insisted I wait until she left before I read it. While that was happening, the Math Team was at Harvard/MIT. Despite a lack of individual success, the team did well enough on the cooperative rounds that they were named champions. One member of the team skipped and jumped down the aisle in celebration, and Mark V, the captain of the team, asked for a chance to say a few words to dedicate the win. "Mr. Holbrook wasn't the kind of guy that would get mad at you if you came home and you didn't win anything, but he didn't mind winning. So this victory is dedicated to him, so thank you for being here and losing to us." Some people on the internet thought that was in poor taste.
I then got called Monday morning to go back to BCA and told Michael, who's been in contact with administration for the past two months about math team, that while I wouldn't mind the "sitting in the math team room" job, I'd prefer not to get it a day or a week at a time. Spoiler alert: I'm still getting it a week at a time. Wednesday was the AMC-B, the second chance for everyone to do better. Almost no one did. I got a 121.5, Michael a 120, and the school winner 118.5. What the hell AMC. All told, though, we had 52 students move on to the second round. Another gigantic snowstorm occurred on Thursday, and by the time I got to school that day, the electronic message board said "EARLY DISMISSAL". I said I'd be willing to work Friday if the school was open, knowing there wasn't a chance in hell it would be. In fact, the Math Team's trip to Stanford was delayed until Saturday; luckily that competition was Sunday. With the snow continuing into Friday, I decided it'd be better to wait until Saturday morning to drive down to Toms River for Jen's birthday.
But that, and my preparation for it, will have to wait until next time.