New Beginnings

Early August, schools are cranking up. A new beginning. I must admit, I miss the students and many of the faculty, but I don’t miss the meetings, the blood borne pathogen videos, CPR training and most especially the active shooter drills. I fought having them and it became apparent that we needed to do them so that everyone could be prepared. I don’t miss them at all.

To teachers, new, intermediate or seasoned, I hope you have a wonderful year. If I can do anything for you, I am here. Get in touch.

I currently am looking forward to a trip we have planned in October. We are going to the big 5 National Parks in UTAH, along with a two night stay on reservation in Monument Valley. As you know we love to drive, but because we love going west so much, it is getting more difficult to drive a different way and see different things. It’s all good. We will figure it out.

As the school year begins, please know I am here for you and I am more than willing to talk with you if you just need an accepting ear. Life became tough a while back and we need to understand we are all in this together. Don’t be afraid to contact me. No judgements. Please stay safe out there and truly love your students. You could very well be the best thing that happens to them each and every day.

So many questions and so little time. Prayers for you all.

Where Does the Time Go?

Sitting on the balcony of a condo in Lincoln City, OR., I took a break from watching the rhythm of the ocean and listening to the majesty of the waves. I started looking through places that I wrote and saw that it had been 2 years since I last wrote. 

On December 31, 2019, I retired from my position as the Director of Technology at Bishop Dunne Catholic School. I was also a student there from grades 7 - 12. So all total, I spent 50 years of my life at one facility. I retired because of that 50 years and feeling like it was time. I left at December because I started in January of 1976 as an assistant baseball coach. The next year I was full time as a teacher and a coach.

Then Coronavirus 19 became the word of the day. While there was some inkling about something on the horizon, I doubt anyone thought it would become that big a deal. When I wrote 2 years ago, I wondered about how we would handle the mental issues that so many people would have as a result of what we were seeing. Those issues are strong today still. I wish I could do more for so many people.

So where to now? I am one of the lucky ones. I have a wonderful, loving partner, who loves to travel. We have kept a close eye on the numbers of infections, hospitalizations, etc. We kept an eye on them because my 96 year old father lives with us and we didn’t want to bring it home to him. We are all vaccinated, double boosted and have stayed clear of the infection.

In the last 2 years we have snuck out to Myrtle Beach, Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and currently sit in Lincoln City, OR., on the coast. We drive to all of these places. We enjoy going West more than East. We drive because we want to see the country and not just fly over it. The hotel chain we frequent delivers an electronic key to my phone when we arrive in the town we are staying for the night. We are cautious about where we eat. While we aren’t scared of the virus, we do like to be cautious.

I realize this is kind of all over the place, but I hope to get more focused as I hope to progress this writing.

I hope you have stayed well, I hope you are enjoying where you are in life. Always know, I am here if you wish to talk with someone or need someone to support you.

As always, so many questions and so little time.