The Race Starts, and Other Pix...

Ya gotta love summer vacation...

Fun In The Rain...

Monday found us involved in what is becoming an annual ritual: the Stide for Strive 5k. Lotsa folks running and walking to support the Strive program, which supports high school students n their academic endeavors. We got soaked with two downpours during the event, but it was sunny and beautiful when we arrived at the finish line at Veterans Stadium.

Afternoon saw us up on the bikes, with me taking a shakedown cruise on the new set of wheels. The verdict: pretty darn fine. I need to put the seat up about 1/4 inch higher, but it is perfect otherwise. Feels good, is light and stiff and quick, and just a joy to ride. More tomorrow? We'll see. We need to hit the health club and do a little cleaning around here.

Return (continued)

Our first week back has been busy. We got together with my delightful daughter-in-law and her wonderful husband on the first night back. The next night found us at Chelsea's parents, the following night at our friend Ann's house, sitting by the pool with friends and drinks. On Friday, we headed to my parents' house for the weekend. After helping my father with the family graves (it is Memorial Day, after all), we surprised my dad with a birthday party at a park in Lansing. He seemed both surprised and pleased. We spent the better part of the week seated in the vehicle pictured here. It will be home away from home for the summer.

Catching Up-Back to Michigan

It has proved to be a hectic travel week. Much has already been done to get us back to some semblance of normal back here in Michigan.

We left Bethel on last Sunday night, and got into Anchorage at about 9:30. Once we got to the hotel, I wandered over to a package store to get a six-pack of beer to go with our pizza. We left most of the six-pack behind, and it was only Budweiser, but it still tasted pretty good. Neither of us are big drinkers, but that first beer or glass of wine after the school year is a welcome change of pace.

Monday marked the long flight to Chicago, the return to very summery (90 degrees) temperatures, and the return to the Eastern time zone, and the local version of daytime and nighttime. It gets dark early around these parts. Although our arrival was later than expected, we were in the rental vehicle and on our way very quickly, arriving in Cadillac at about 1:15 Tuesday morning.

more to come...

Back In The Wolverine State....

I need to do some catching up...but it is late, and actually dark at this hour! More tomorrow...

I'M DONE!

It was the favorite battle cry of my students for much of the year, and now it is mine. I checked out officially about 1/2 hour ago, and I have been helping my sweetie get her classroom tidied up so that she can check out for the year. UPDATE: She is checked out. That much is done. The snogo still needs to be put away. FURTHER UPDATE: Father Victor has been assigned to a new parish in Dillingham. They will be leaving before we return in August, as I understand it. We will be sad to see them leave. They were very nice and welcoming people. Change is inevitable, and merciless. I think that this is a promotion. I certainly hope that it is.

Now it is time to clean the house a bit and pack for the trip back to Michigan, which will start in a little more than 24 hours. Further updates as they become available...

Almost Done...

First, an update...the little girl that was killed was apparently playing with a group of other children and wandered into a dog yard where a sled team was kept. These dogs are not necessarily cutesy cuddly dogs such as we are used to elsewhere. Many of them are also not the husky or malamute breeds that we associate with sled dogs. A friend of mine recently started swapping out some of his mixed breed dogs for huskies.

When the little girl did not return from play with her playmates, her uncle went out looking for her, ultimately finding her in the dog yard. Raw emotion led to the shooting of several of the dogs by another uncle. It is fortunate that no one else was hurt in the aftermath of the incident. More coverage can be found on the pages of the Anchorage Daily News, along with pages of comment by expert analysts who do not live here and know no more of the facts of the story than do I. There tend to be a lot of experts on the Bush living in Anchorage and elsewhere. Most of them do not live out here.

I am not going to try to be another "expert." Children out here tend to have much greater autonomy during play. It is more like it was when I was a kid, without the play dates and organized structures that are common elsewhere. There is generally less adult supervision. In the judgment of many of the experts that I have referenced, this is clear evidence of negligence on the part of the parents, who should be automatically jailed. Without a greater knowledge of what exactly happened, I would say that it is hard to know what to think. The ADN experts tend to be untroubled by that caveat. Perhaps they are clairvoyant.

We wrapped up our last day with the other kids yesterday. We had an awards assembly and some field games close to the school. We were originally going to head over closer to the airport, which was closer to the scene of the tragedy. Whether this dictated the decision to move or not, I don't know. The games were fun, and I had a water balloon fight with some of my kids. We all got wet to some degree or another. Lunch followed.

Today is a finish up and get checked out day. I need to go over and pull out some laundry that I switched at 12:30 this morning. There are a bunch of other school-related things that need to get done as well. We will be across the river in about thirty-six hours. The year is nearly over.

I don't think that I will know exactly what I think about it all for a little while. I know that I will be back. Let's leave it at that for now.

Tragedy...

We have been out walking...a little girl who was visiting here was mauled to death by a dog tonight. From what I know, she was playing with some other kids and wandered off in the wrong direction...she was apparently pretty young. We just saw one of the Troopers being dropped off at the clinic, which is behind our house. Tomorrow is scheduled as the last day of school. The plan was for staff and students to celebrate together. There will likely be a change of plans...

Someone Pulled The Plug On the Bathtub...

When I got up this morning, it was clear that something had happened on the slough. The water that was lapping at the edge of the end of the boardwalk had dropped dramatically overnight. The ice jam that had made it look like a lake instead of a moving body of water had apparently let loose overnight. Breakup 2010 was a relatively low-drama event, and that is mostly a good thing. However, there is apparently not a lot of water coming down from upstream, it having been a relatively snowless year both here and there. That means that the folks going out for logs are not meeting up with a whole lot of success. That is not good for those who heat in part with wood. It also means that the barge season may be cut short as fall approaches. A couple of years ago, some villages got caught short on fuel oil deliveries when the barges couldn't get up the river. I hope that this year will be different.

Four sleeps to go...

Fan Mail!

This kind of stuff gets me pumped up a little bit...

Ben,

Still an addicted reader of your fascinating blog. Congratulations on completing your first year of teaching. IMHO, your decision to pull up stakes and begin a new vocation thousands of miles from home was presented challenges and risks that most would not take due to the fear of failure and the personal costs that are a boon companion of failure.

I probably cannot comprehend the difficulties you encountered trying to relate to and teach teenagers growing up in an environment so dissimilar to the suburban culture we grew up in (actually, I am not sure if Hazel Park would be classified a suburban or Appalachian culture) although I am sure many pains and pleasures of adolescence are universally shared.

In reading the blog, it seems as if you are going to return to Alaska for year 2 so I look forward to reading the blog when the new school year begins. But, whatever choice you make, I hope that when you kick back and enjoy the Summer, you take the time to congratulate yourself.

A nice note from my friend, Bob Lipak. Thank you, and I hope to see you this summer...

Quick News Before the Dishes...

Not much exceptional to report. The slough looks more like a lake than a river. There is a respectable ice dam downstream, and the water is pretty high. It hasn't flooded exactly, although it kind of is flooding in the low-lying areas. Problem is that most areas around here are low-lying. There is a regular trek down to the river to check it out. There are folks down by the airport or elsewhere around town rubber-necking at the jam-up. I took my 7th and 8th grade out today. Yet another experience in herding cats. I figure it is good practice for me and for them. I need to learn the patience and technique, and they need to learn responsibility.

Chelsea is off at maqiq. The choice was grading and filing or steaming with the girls, two of whom happen to be on the advisory school board. Community support is a good thing to have. It sounds as if it may have had something to do with her being named Staff Person of The Year for our site. Nice.

It's late-we seem to be getting into the Yup'ik habit of staying up, especially with the light so long-lived every day. I need to do some dishes and get some sleep. Five days left here in Napas for right now. A few things to be done and people to visit before we leave...

The Last Monday...

Now we're down to it. Too much like other Mondays to be pleasant. My co-teacher had to get ready to go up to her dad, who is in the hospital. Kids were so crappy that they lost PE for bullying a bunch of 4th graders. Yech. A couple of them stopped by later on and wanted to wash their muddy hands, then wanted to stay and hang out and talk about all kinds of trivia. Tomorrow they may be calling me a fag, but tonight, we got along famously. They are funny that way. Of course, that kind of thing does tend to humanize one, I suppose.

Tonight's entertainment was a survey of the river. Twice. And it was very different. We went down at about 6 o'clock, as word had passed that the ice was on the move. So it was. A most impressive sight. Several people were down at the end of the runway watching, and one had binoculars. He thought that it looked as if a dam was building up downriver. It was hard to tell with the naked eye.

We went back out at about 11:00. The ice flow has definitely come to a screeching halt, and the water is rising on the slough. It is a very impressive sight in its own way, although the idea of flooding is not all that welcome. I haven't checked the tide charts to see whether we are currently (12:12 am) at high or low tide or somewhere in between. I can still hear basketballs bouncing and birds singing. Those are not sounds that I normally associate with midnight. It will be interesting to see what the morning brings.

It's The Last Waltz...

We begin the end tomorrow. I got to have an especially good maqiq tonight at Joe's with Eric and Adam and Greg. We went for a number of rounds, and had some good laughs in the process. I never would have guessed that hanging around with a bunch of naked guys in a little steamhouse could be so much fun. I will definitely miss it over the summer. I would like to figure out how to keep my edge during that time. I guess the closest thing will be the sauna at my gym. It's not the same, but it is the best that I can come up with.

Three and a half days of kid wrangling. Then some paperwork and it is over for two months and change. A break will be nice. I am looking forward to it.

Graduation

Very Nice, Very Sweet, and a Little Bit Emotional...

Graduation is over, and a new flock of chicks have flown...all of the things that are supposed to happen did, and everyone remembered their speeches, and no one slipped, tripped, or fell. Cake was cut and served, and a good time was had by all...We attended one open house afterward, which got us fed quite nicely for the evening, and now it is time to comtemplate the next eight days in Napaskiak. House cleaning is tomorrow, and I plan to spend some time cleaning up my classroom work area and shipping the books that I need to study this summer. I will write a few lesson plans and finish my grading on Sunday. I think that a trip to church is going to be in order, and a steam before we go would be nice. Wow, almost done...

Graduation!

Tonight! Live from Napaskiak! The unveiling of the 2010 graduating class!! Photos to come tonight! (Maybe tomorrow).

Decisions, Decisions...

Trying to make one now that has potentially long-range, life-changing implications...no, wait, I already did that one...something a little lower on the scale of significance...? Not so much, either-it could be significant for others in my life, maybe even important.

At any rate, I think that I know the answer, but I am not ready to put it out there just yet. I have been convinced that it is the right thing to do, so I am just waiting to see if it ends up coming my way. It might even be a fun thing to do in the long run, and a good thing for the school and my kids. More to come...

It's Fun, All Right...

Things are going better than I might have expected with such a short time left in the school year. My kids (dare I be so presumptious?) have been, on the whole, much more involved and cooperative than the stories that I hear ordinarily told about this time of the calendar. I have been pretty impressed with their behavior. Maybe I am just used to them, but I doubt that a little bit. I am having more fun than I thought I would, and I think that they are, too.

We went on another walkabout in the village. This time, they were supposed to make observations of the things that they saw or heard. The big focus was on birds and bird calls, but they were carefully noting the presence of everything from barking dogs to the guy hauling the anuk (sp?) wagon. It was a blast to watch them clustering to write on their index cards. Today we talked about sex and stuff in health class, and their questions were a lot less silly than one might have guessed at with a group of junior high kids. I promised some research assignments for them as the week goes on in those areas. Some of the information is probably good for them to have before summer comes. A lot of kids pick up a lot of dumb ideas from their peers. I know that I did.

I am going to teach science tomorrow, as the regular teacher is going to be out of the village. It might be a preview of next year, as we are going to potentially have a much bigger classroom, and the current science teacher may well be busy with high school. I wonder how we will cram more bodies into an already crowded room, and any of a number of other things, and I wonder when that question will be addressed. I think that it will be interesting...

One More Monday...

And there was a time that I was pretty sure that I would never be in a position to say that...during the dark days of despair and confusion that I am told that all teachers go through in their first year of teaching, I was just trying to hang on long enough to finish what I had started. I honestly had no intention of returning. Now, lo and behold, I am coming back. I wouldn't have it any other way.

The youngsters were kinda flaky today, as befits a Monday, but not up to their standards of last Monday. We are all kind of hanging on at this point, trying to get done, to get things wrapped up, just to get to the end of it all. Plans are already being made for the next school year, for all ot the new initiatives and imperatives that we will be asked to master and implement to some semblance of perfection. New math, new class management systems, new philosophies of addressing the test scores...even as we stagger on towards the end of this year.

We still await the onset of breakup down here on the river. There is a good deal of open water in the slough, but the main river is still iced over. There are flood warnings further up the river, but I haven't heard a lot more on the subject at this point. As they used to say on the TV, "Stay tuned for further information." Our departure is a week from this upcoming Sunday, and it looks increasingly that we will fly, not boat, to Bethel. There are a number of communities along the rivers of Alaska that hold contests to predict the date of breakup. Some of them are pretty lucrative. There is one in Bethel, and I believe that the prize is several thousand dollars. I might have to enter next year.

Life here has its variations, but on the whole is so endearingly goofy that I am not really sure how I would give it up. I recommend it to anyone with a serious sense of humor and a taste for variety.

On A Rainy Saturday Night...

It is a good thing to sit around and work on your blog...I have been making a few layout changes lately, and I hope that folks enoy them. Prom pictures are up, and if I feel especially brave, I may take a stab at captioning them, although that can really be a tricky process for a neophyte like me. I want to get a few more photos up to decorate the place, if that works for the overall design. Part of the problem is that I am not a huge photo guy, and the other part is that I son't have a real spiffy camera for some of the photos that I do attempt. Not to worry, it's all part of the evolution process as I see it.

Tonight is fun time, because tomorrow is going to be a busy work day. Lots to get done.

Prom!

Preparation and glamor...

The River Is Closed...

Or so I hear. The troopers usually put the word out that it is no longer safe to travel, and apparently they have done so today. We heard that it was open upstream at Aniak, and the temperatures have been warm. I am also told that the little bit of ice chatter that I have been hearing in recent days does not begin to compare to the sound that breakup makes. I keep looking and listening, but so far, nothing. I am waiting anxiously.

This does make travel tricky for the next two weeks. We will be kind of isolated until the river gets open enough to allow for boat travel. We can have food shipped in in a pinch, but we have a pretty good store of supplies for the moment, and I doubt that we will need to have anything flown over, unless it might be ice cream. Of course, we can always hit the store if it is absolutely "necessary," by which I mean an indulgence.

Time now to go and upoad some prom pix...

Prom Is Over, and Now It's On To Graduation...

Nice dinner (and apparently lunch for tomorrow). Fun with dancing. Plain old fun dancing. I have an idea for fundraising for my class of freshmen (who need some inspiration and some cash). Unfortunately, my sophmore class counterpart has already glommed onto the idea before I could talk to my group. I think that it is a great idea, especially if you make sure that the right parents are invited. The moms and the elementary students made up the bulk of the people dancing tonight. It seems like such a sadly neglected area of fun for the kids. I want to see what can be negotiated to provide that more in the future...

It's A Beautiful Day Here On The Kusko...

Fifty-two degrees, and I get to spend the next couple of hours working on a new set of eligibility guidelines. Oh, well, it kinda comes with the territory...I got my accepted contract back from the district office, and it is already time to start thinking about next year. And there's pizza, too!

The ice is getting very loud in the morning. Everyone is speculating about breakup. And there's always the amazing variety of bird calls that continue to crescendo every day.

We had a yummy feast for our kids and parents today. Strips...mmmmm. And, as I have suggested, there is still pizza on the way. And prom tonight. A lot going on in the little town of Napaskiak...

Sunset Out The Window

And ain't it glorious? Beautiful 10:52 PM sunset (or thereabouts). Just a few clouds hanging in the sky off to the northwest. It's almost Friday. This week has vaporized! I really don't know what has happened to this one. It's been busy and now it is almost gone.

The decorations are going up in the gym for prom, and I am kind of excited to have been invited. There is dinner, and dancing, and mostly big kids or adults. Of course, I do need to point out that I have been really enjoying my kids (for the most part) lately. I think that we have gotten used to each other a lot over the course of this second semester. We had one kind of testy day on Monday this week and the rest has been good. I can't wait to get back, even though I am looking forward to going back to Michigan for the summer. This is beginning to feel more and more like home. I'm glad...

The Birds Are Back

Lots of singing and calling, all around. It was so quiet all winter. Just the occasional crow. But now, there are all kinds of bird sounds. They are back in force, and singing for all they are worth. It is nice to hear-a welcome sound of spring.

We are over the hump, and things are rushing at ever-increasing speed towards the end of the school year. Final grades are due two weeks from tomorrow. It seemed so imterminable at one point, and it is nearly over now. I think that prom and graduation, which are coming up in the next couple of weeks, are going to be fun. I am looking forward to them.

Wednesday...

Time for our weekly staph meeting. I think that they are about that welcome. But ya gotta do it occasionally, and we actually haven't had that many of them this month. We don't have that many left to go, either.

I have my last data class tonight. We got out early last week. Maybe we'll get lucky this week. A few of my classmates have been kvetching because it didn't turn out to be what they expected. I can't disagree, but I have found it kind of interesting anyway.

Oh, yeah, and I need to get some damn exercise today...

The Seesaw Continues...

Today was a good one. I was kind of flying solo, and I kinda liked it. I did have a sub there, and he stopped the class to talk to the kids. He told them to respect their teachers, and that we cared about them and loved them, or we wouldn't be there. I kept quiet, both out of respect, and to hide the very real lump in my throat. It is hard to convey what those words mean to me.

We managed to get a lot done, which is hard at this time of year. The weather is getting better, and the birds are coming back, and more and more folks are thinking of hunting. I saw a crane this morning. It made me think of one of my steam buddies telling me about how yummy they are. I told my parents about it the other day. I don't think that they quite knew what to think about that. My dad was a pretty active hunter when he was younger. I can see it from both angles.

Ernie Harwell died today. He was probably the one voice that tied my childhood and adult life together. I listened to him on the radio for over 40 years. Just hearing him made me think of summer, which is a precious and short commodity in Michigan, too. I am sad that he is gone. I am happy for the life that he had, and for the memories that he gave to all of us who have been Tiger fans over the last half of the twentieth century. What a career.

Finally, Happy Birthday to Diego Kieliszewski, the best grandson in the world!!! See ya in a few weeks!!!

Is It Friday Yet?

Oof da. What a day. The kids were in rare form today. My co-teacher said that it was the worst that she had seen them since fall. I kind of had to agree. Spring is here, and distraction is in the air. Oh, well. Two more Mondays to go. Not bad, all things considered...

We went for a walk tonight, and the air was fresh and crisp. I like that about this place. It felt good to get out and stretch my legs. I got the second half of a movie called "Red Cliff," which I had watched down at the NYO tournament with one of my students, and he and I started watching it after school this afternoon. He had been bugging me for a couple of weeks wondering when it was going to get here. Not too many high school kids want to sit through a five-hour, two-part Chinese movie with subtitles about a battle that took place in 200 A.D. It was kinda fun to share it with someone.

Many intrigues and maneuverings at the school these days, and I won't say much except that it makes for very interesting conversation. Up to a point. Past that it becomes mostly idle speculation, which gets dull after a while, even if it is one of the main forms of entertainment around here. Prom is coming up on Friday night, which means that I need to get my shirt and tie out of cold storage. Graduation is the following Friday. Time to wrap it up.

The ice is apparently still good on the river, although how long it will last is the other main subject for speculation here. I feel a slight temptation for a Bethel run, although it isn't that strong. There will be plenty of time for socializing when we return to Cadillac. I am getting more comfortable with that as time goes on. It will be nice to see old friends and family.

Sleepy...

It's been a productive day. Lessons planned, reading for today done, met with my mentor, and even helped deliver some new math materials. Now for dinner, dishes, and bed. Sundays are fun when you finish your lesson planning early.

My next set of obligations will involve videotaping my classes, setting goals for next year, and getting signed up for my Alaska Studies course for the summer. I need to get signed up for a seminar in math, too. Summer is gonna be busy...

Enough Screwing Around

No time for indolence...it's Sunday, and there is work to be done! I need to read up for my Wednesday night class, as the last session is this week. We are going to work on packing up the bathroom in preparation for our exodus, which comes three weeks from this evening. And, of course, there is always lesson planning...

We have managed to actually accumulate some snow out here today, which might mean that it is time to put away the snowmachine while the conditions are favorable. It is all white and fluffy out this morning. Pretty. Now to get reading and get some stuff done...

A Kind of Lazy Saturday...

Although we did start some packing, and I did do the dishes, and Chelsea and Sara did go walk the dogs...still kinda lazy. Tomorrow will require greater focus, which may very well explain today's lack of same. It is also gray, and it has been snowing lightly but steadily for most of the day. Not exactly inspiring weather. I have been holed up with a horrific book about Mormon polygamists in Utah. We have packed up everything else on the bookshelves, and have made some donations to the school library. Most of our winter clothing is packed up, with a few limited exceptions. Tomorrow we tackle the bathroom.

My mentor will be here tomorrow night for her last visit of the year. It will be good to get together one more time before summer. It is the beginning of leave-taking, at least for a few months...