2007: The Year That Was

Happy New Year, faithful prez2012 blog readers. I have returned from 17 hours into the future and, after stumbling around the last several days attempting to right my circadian rhythm (perhaps that is why I don't dance?), I am just 6 and a half hours away from hitting the road for another round of my glorious 2 hour a day commute, just one of the fabulous things I chose for myself in 2007.

2007 was a year of choices. I often tell my students that life is all about choices, and choices were made. Some of the choices were, unquestionably, positive ones, and others, well, let's just say the jury is still out.

So, 2007, the year in review:

* I rang in the new year in San Diego. It rained.
* I concluded my nine year Sheriff's Activities League coaching career by taking my girls team to the Final Four.
* Pam and I stayed at two of California's finest hotels: the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay and the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley.
* I opened up a savings account.
* I loved teaching.
* I saved approximately 27% on my monthly gas bill because I was too lazy to call my landlady to have my water heater fixed but not too lazy to relight the pilot every day for 405 days (?!?).
* I visited Sacramento on behalf of CABE (California Association for Bilingual Education) to help lobby for some bills.
* I bought a bike and rode it 100 miles in 5 hours, 57 minutes, and 30 seconds.
* My kids swept the 5th grade spelling bee championships.
* The first volume of GarfieldSpace concluded with the publication of its sixth issue in June. It has survived at Garfield without me - thank you Ms. Kious!
* Garfield's 5th graders, compared to 76 similar schools in California, were once again #1 in math and in the top 10 in English on the California Standards Test.
* Pam and I flew to Florida and took a cruise to the Bahamas.
* I was summer school principal with a staff of 11 teachers and 185 students.
* I left Garfield after 9 years and moved to a new city and a new school and a new grade level and new responsibilities.
* My car was vandalized, again.
* Pam and I went to Japan.
* Blogs written before the move in August: 36. Blogs written since the move: 11. Blogs since the move that were not about Japan: 6. Blogs since the move that were not about Japan that were positive or described generally happy feelings: 0.

2008, I welcome ye...