:::halloween

okay, this is not scary doodoo.


what can i say, mayra & tony were having a ball today, all decked out in their costumes.




mayra couldn't wait to go out trick-or-treating while tony wasn't quite aware of why we were out. he was, however, proud of his outfit.

:::nightmare in moscow

this is some scary shit, the reports that russian forces used some nerve gas to end that hostage crisis in moscow.


it opens up a pandora's box for other groups to use chemical agents for whatever idiotic forum they want to impose.

:::red fever

i'm not saying i got it, but red fever is sure overwhelming.






it' so contagious, i understand about 100, 000 of us were victims of it today!

:::world champions

forget the city of angels, the county of angels has temporarily put away the citrus.

:::hats off to The Cowboy

angels are soooo cal

giants, just no cal

the anaheim angels are world champions!


the crowds along state college must be wild right now! i wish i were there.

:::game 7

orale pues, the angels forced a seventh world series game tonight by defeating the northern california team 6 to 5! let's hope the fall classic doesn't turn into a classic fall for our angels.


let's not disappoint my little tony.

:::time

the past two months of school seem to have just sped by. already we're nearing halloween and my class is still on the first chapter of the math book. (but then again, so are the other sixth graders at our school!)


despite this, we had an almost 45 minute debate over just one word problem this afternoon. a few of them had the answer but they were unable to show their proof. i challenged them to come up with the algebraic expression and even got them started on it but to no avail. regardless, it was the mathematical discussion that gives me hope for this group.

:::t e a m

world series reports had one of the sf giants players hitting a homerun in each of the first three games, considered a record.


the angels hit around in two consecutive innings during the championship game which turns out to be another record they've put in the books.


there's a lesson to be learned about teamwork here . . .

:::world series

what a show! 21 runs! our socal angels win game 2!


we arrived early. got there about 3:30. this proud papa had to get a picture of my two oldest kids in front of the stadium. it was our first world series ever after all.




of course the game had to be nail-biting, especially when it was tied.




but then came the runs and the angels went ahead. thunder sticks roaring and banging made for an awesome sea of red.




and when that final out came, it made for a grand celebration! the angels win a world series game for the first time ever!

:::something stupid

this morning we went to down to buena park for the silverado parade. isadora had invited lucy so i tagged along. as we were getting ready to leave, she decided to take my brother's little daughter along.


background on that: he physically has custody of his two little ones but is in a battle with his ex-girlfriend (lupe) over who'll get them. worse, she's planning to use the little girls to defraud the wic program for her own benefit.


at the parade lupe happened to pass by and just took little viv from isadora. my brother blew it! he is extremely pissed. he's already thinking that the looper's familia will be dropping by to forciblt take his other daughter.


a while later i overheard him talking to one of his buddies about obtaining a firearm. i have a feeling he'll end up back in prison for good this time.

:::congrats

a great big orale goes to our school for improving our api by 56 points! simon que yes, we even went beyond our target!




our principal informed us during this afternoon's staff meeting. she even let us have the rest of the afternoon off. (a six-pack of anchor steam would've been appreciated here!)


before left school, i put a giant "56" on the board for my students to see tomorrow. i know they're gonna be curious. this friday i'll let them out for an extra recess as a reward.

:::i wish they all could be california w - o - r - l - d

series that is!


with the giants winning tonight, it'll be a golden state series!


san francisco, say halo to our anaheim angels!

:::7th heaven

it took more than forty years to say this but, THE ANGELS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!

:::hunt for red october

what a day for sports! the angels are one win away from being in their first ever world series. at the same time, the raiders will be trying to hold on to their undefeated record as they play those lambs from missouri. later this afternoon, the giants will continue on their trek to the big show as they go up against the other pro sports team from st. louis.


you know my remote is going to get a workout today! GO ANGELS!!!!!

:::credit

i can't seem to find our sparkletts bill. while looking for it the other day, and throwing out the junk mail, i stumbled onto a collection agency letter of lucy's. it was for a considerable amount and equally delinquent. on that same day i caught her trying to sneak out with a cigarette. then i realized, why am i getting offers of credit from the same credit card company? i hope she didn't include me on that one too.


this feels like a different lucy, one that's difficult to trust.

:::back2school night

after this evening's back-to-school night, i'm too tired to dwell on this, but, only about half the parents made an effort to show up. i wonder what lame excuse they used.


i was grateful for those that did visit our classroom though. they had good questions and concerns. a couple gave me compliments on being honest with them, on the influence i've had on past students, and on being there for the kids. that made me feel good.

:::giants up north

pretty cool that the giants beat atlanta today. sure shut the fuck out of those pinche tomahawk moves and chants.


and what's up with barry bighead bonds? in the field interview right after the game, he talked about how winning was good for him, how he finally gets to be that close to a world series. hey butthead, what about all the fans in san francisco? que gacho, he didn't even mention his teammates.


last time the giants were in the big show, the bay area shook like a m/f. let's hope it's halos vs. giants. (we'll have angels watching over socal.)

:::i see red people

angels finally win one for the cowboy!


almost makes me want to move back to orange county.

:::angels

about time the idiots won!


hey, now i'm back in form. back when the angels still had guys like rod carew, bob boone, brian downing, and nolan ryan, my compadre and i were rude-with-tude fans out in the cheap seats! we'd heckle our own team yet we were loyal.


tonight at edison field, reminiscing about those days, i thought about why i felt i fit in so well in chicago. cub fans, bleacher bums. we loved to hate our california angels.


tonight's game had me going. by the time they finally went on to stay ahead of the yanks, i was yelling up a storm of obscenities- at anaheim!

gotta love those california/anaheim angels!





oh, and what's with those pinche monkeys?

:::hormiguero

this morning i found an infestation of ants in my classroom. a line of little soldiers trekked from one of the trash cans, up a corner wall, and along the ceiling edge.


as my students settled into their desks, they found sticky fluids on their tabletops and trash in their desks.


the only possible culprits could be the students that occupy my room in the afterschool adult class. can you imagine? adults!


and they wonder why our youth show the same disrespect towards property.

:::on the right track?

today we were directed to group homogenously for reading instruction.

:::a house divided

lately, at work, i've been hearing too many complaints being voiced regarding everything from work overload to lack of comraderie. it seems a cancer has made itself a home at our school. there are voicings of underapreciation. we are told to respect each other yet it doesn't happen.


just today i heard this from a colleague. last week i heard it from several teachers. i just take it all in. obviously, i'm in agreement with what they say but who am i? im just a grunt here, no élitist attitude here.


to those that cause my colleagues to feel this way i say: power is fleeting.