Summer Potpourri

Ah, my third potpourri blog:

* Yesterday I went for a ride. On my bike, that is. 2 hours and 45 minutes to go 35 miles. Why so long? Because eight of those miles were up Page Mill Road, the baddest hill in Palo Alto. Eight miles of almost never relenting steep and twisting climbs. Enough that, during one particularly long and grueling stretch, I wanted to quit. I haven't had that feeling in a long time. My motto when I bought my bike, as you may recall, was "Any hill." I stick to that. I'll take on any hill. I didn't quit.

* At the top of Page Mill Road, literally at the very top as I raised my fist in triumph for surviving the eight miles of torture it dished out to my legs, where it meets up with Skyline Blvd. and there's a stop sign at a four way intersection, I turn around and ask JLO "To the right?" because I wasn't sure which way to go. I had never been up there before. He calls out "No!" and in that brief lapse of concentration I had allowed my bike to slow to the cusp of a standstill. I turn back around, realizing that I've lost all forward momentum and that I am certainly, CERTAINLY, going to fall if I don't clip out of my pedals and fast. Panicking, I try my left foot. It won't come out. I try the right. It won't come out! And I fell. I guess Page Mill got the last laugh.

Something I didn't know when I first started cycling was that cyclists don't use normal shoes and pedals. They use these little tiny pedals that special, lightweight shoes clip onto. When I first got my shoes and pedals I was really worried about not being able to clip out when I needed to stop, but I never had a problem. Until yesterday.

* Once at the top, I then went through so many climate changes. The ride up was hot. Super hot. Hot and sunny enough that I've got obvious tan lines. Cruising back north, not too far from the coast now, we went through thick, thick fog (seriously thick - like "Oh my god I'm going to be hit by a car who can't see me ahead of them!" thick), a freezing cold strong wind, and even a brief bit of rain. Within a span of 30 minutes, my computer's thermometer reading went from 91 all the way down to 61 and then back again up to 83.

* I didn't get the principal position that I interviewed for. I was told I was their second choice, which ain't bad considering there were four candidates and they asked me to interview for the spot on short notice. They picked someone with two years experience as an assistant principal. I guess it's for the best - I think I could have handled the job, but I'll be much more prepared for it after a year or two as lead teacher. Aspire schools are looking to expand down there anyway, probably into Orange County and San Diego, so there are lots of opportunities in the future for me, which helps ameliorate the fact to a degree that I'm going to be taking a paycut compared to what I would have made if I had stayed at Garfield for another year.

* I only have 4 weeks left in the Bay Area. August 5th is exactly four weeks from today, and that's the day I've told my landlady I'll be gone by. Wow - only four weeks.

* Tomorrow is the first day of summer school and my first day playing the role of summer school principal. 11 teachers and about 185 students. This is going to be interesting.

* Been waiting for our vacation pics? Don't worry - they're not all as bad as the one above. I'm going to work on it right now!