Baseball, Kit Kats, Raisinets, Brats, Hot Dogs, Old Style, Popcorn, Peanuts, Hershey's, and Movies
It is finally, AT LONG LAST almost the summer time. Historically, this has been the time of year when one of three things happens: I get into a play, I go to Colorado, or I run the Bix 7, and a multitude of other foot races.
In 2003, I at least got Denver in, even in as much as the whole summer was spent in Ecuador and Peru.
I need a summer more than ever now. My 2nd hour Spanish 2 students played a borderline mean prank. They dialed each other's numbers to deliberately make their phones go off. Hilarious if you're at home reading about this. Not so hilarious if you're trying to get through a Communicative Activity, a Grammar Practice and a textbook assignment. Not so hilarious if you're the butt of the joke.
So when we found out who it was, I confronted them. One apologized to the principal and me. One apologized to the principal and became furious with me. I wrote him a detention. He went over my head. He got it overturned based on the handbook. Well, that's fine, but now: A.) I got no apology whatsoever. B.) I'm still angry at him! He got away with it! C.) There's a trove of other students who got away with it scott free. They were accomplices, accessories, or masterminds. And they got on my last nerve. Today they were goofing off something awful. Scratching each other with pencils. Throwing water bottles in the garbage. I finally looked at them and said "I'm tired."
Having gotten that off of my chest, here's what I have to look forward to this summer:
Baseball. I have already been to two softball games, both against Havana, one home, one away. I have been to three baseball games, one of them JV home, the other two were varsity at home. Lost the two varsity, won the JV that I saw.
My nephew Mason has had his first weekend of tournament play. He beat some team from Maquoketa on Saturday morning by one run, 4-3, then lost one to a Southeast Iowa team.
Hoping to make it to a River Bandits game this year. Hoping to make it to a Cubs game this year. Hoping to make it to a Clinton Lumberkings game as well.
I gave up alcohol for the majority of lent. Then I got an ear infection right after Easter. Long story short, my alcohol budget has shrunk. So I don't anticipate spending much money on beers at the ballpark. I haven't had an Old Style at Wrigley since 2009. Mason's been with me to almost every game since then. Anyhow, I think Budweiser's the official sponsor. Do plan to have hot dogs, brats, popcorn, peanuts, nachos, candy bars, and souvenir sized lemonades though. At multiple ballparks.
I'm going to have an enormous amount of time spent doing Quad City Music Guild though! I got cast as Sheldrake in Sunset Boulevard. It opens Friday, August 4th.
As such, I only have one major trip planned this summer. Dad, Mason, Jen and I are going to Hibbing Minnesota to see the National Greyhound Museum on June 6th. They have a World War 2 exhibit, so it will be an appropriate way to spend D-Day. I was at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans in 2016 right before D-Day, so I think I may have a new tradition. Going to a museum around an important date for World War 2.
As for road races, my season starts tomorrow. I am registered to run in the Darth Dash here in Lewistown on April 29th (also, that's my niece Alaina's birthday.) I plan to run the Riverfront 5K in May, the Race for the Cure in June, the Firecracker Run in July, the Quad City Times Bix 7, also in July; Gabe's Gift 5k in August, and the Run With Carl in September.
Of course, my schedule may get less ambitious as I get ever more absorbed into Sunset Boulevard. I play a rude, condescending movie producer. Everything that I'm going through this year is funnelling into the role. All the anguish and humiliation (and this goes back more than just a year) will finally be projected into this character.
I will also attempt to resubmit my edTPA. Fingers crossed, I should get that out in a few weeks. I may tape some more lessons to be on the safe side.
Here are the movies coming out that I am looking forward to seeing:
1. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
2. Baywatch
3. Cars 3
4. Rough Night
5. Snatched
6. Dunkirk
7. A Ghost Story
8. Despicable Me 3
9. Wonder Woman
10. Spiderman Homecoming
I'm being a good sport about that last one. I never got around to seeing either of the Andrew Garfield Spidermans. Quite frankly, the franchise is rebooting too soon. I think they should know that. But it does fit neatly into the Marvel Universe.
From this Spring, I do want to see The Circle, CHiPs, Going in Style, How to Be a Latin Lover, The Promise, Wilson, and Their Finest. I'd even see A Quiet Passion, that Emily Dickenson movie.
Have seen:
Logan
Power Rangers: The Movie
Beauty and the Beast