Spring Break

Two weeks of mostly obligation free time (as opposed to winter break when there is Christmas, News Years, etc.), here’s the list.

1. Spend quality time with my family
2. Grade world history tests
3. Plan U.S. History Civil Rights Unit
4. Actually develop lessons for Civil Rights Unit
5. Read a couple one books
6. Install sprinkler system for new veggie garden
7. Plant new garden
8. Make solid progress on massive project for masters class
9. Make solid progress on Holocaust Wiki project for masters special study and world history classes
10. Blog several just this one times
11. Bring the kids to Disneyland
12. Change my blog template to match my homepage
13. Attend U2 concert
14. Organize storage area
15. Sell all the stuff I’ve kept for all these years for some reason or another on eBay (Atari 2600, Super Nintendo, old camera equipment, 20 year old baseball cards, etc.).
16. Catch up on readings for grad class

Well with two days left I can say that my list is far from complete. However, there was one snag. Not really a snag, but just something that that needed to done. My youngest (22 months) needed his tonsils out. So instead of going to Disneyland or doing a lot of work around the house or working in my classroom, my wife and I comforted him any way we could. He had a rougher time then the doctor expected. We also tried to keep the four year old’s life as normal as possible. Most of the things that I did finish this break, I did in the last couple of days. All that other stuff could wait, my boys needed some attention. This last couple of weeks reminds me of John Lennon’s quote: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

A few hours after the procedure, once we left the hospital, there weren’t many smiles for the next week and a half.

The U2 concert was great. There are a few bands that I am a tad bit obsessive about, U2 happens to be one of them. They were my first concert back in 1987 on the Joshua Tree tour. Actung Baby came out at during a defining time in my life. All That You Can’t Leave Behind came out right before my first son was born. They have remained my favorite for close to 20 years. Many can’t stand Bono’s over the top, in your face preachiness, but that is one thing that I seem to love. Their causes always line up with my ideological viewpoints. Anyway, despite a few early tour glitches (I went to the second show on the tour), it was certainly an amazing performance.

Monday we start it up again. I think I have a pretty good handle on what I need to do without over doing it.