The new Samsung Brightside phone has made life even more grand (as if the name didn't fit me already). Clear display, cool font, and most importantly... clear sound. Yesterday afternoon while riding the 2.5 hours of white plains to a game at Moline I was able to have a phone call with Mom that didn't include me yelling, straining my ears or coping with static or dropouts. Then had a text conversation with Jack which included my first-ever picture being sent over my phone. It was a pen-drawn tattoo of a dog (in the primitive style only Jack can draw) barking "Jesus." It's his inspiration from San Francisco Colin Kapernick's Bible-themed tattoos.
I also spent part of the ride reviewing the script of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I'd like to explore the role of Vice Principal Doug Panch. If I'm not the best, I'll at least be the best prepared. In life, that's all you can ask for. I'm a lucky man to have the time and ability to do this. And actually, this is one of the reasons I'm glad that I don't live in California (an otherwise insane thought on a 20 degree Illinois day), where supremely talented actors are a dime a dozen and the chance to entertain hundreds of people might be only a pipe dream.
While I'm thankful for the cool Ironmen-orange duffel bag that I tote around on road trips, and thankful for the complimentary bottles of water that come with massages, and thankful for the time and ability and health of regular massages, I am not so fortunate that when the bag is left in my car during winter, I find myself carrying bottles of ice which do little to appease the thirst of a long bus ride.
Two tutoring sessions today. The volume's been down and I don't mind it, I always seem to have as many sessions as I'd like. Just enough impetus to get out of the house and do something fun on a snowy day. The student I met last week showed some good fundamental abilities and I think she'll be a promising one. Meanwhile Dena just ordered my business cards. So the seeds are continuing to grow.
We continue to be blessed with our basketball teams. The varsity's won 14 in a row, our sophomores are 16-3. They share the ball, hustle, listen, joke around, play good defense, rebound. And lately, to our delight, they shoot the ball well. And in the case of Friday night, do just enough to win... on a steal-and-layup-in-traffic with 10 seconds left to overcome a 1-point deficit. When life's waves are riding high, you just smile from on top of your board and enjoy the view.
Work was manageable, even good, this week. I got several opportunities to help people with nowhere else to turn. Several of my teammates got special projects to develop themselves. I got a few compliments. Screwed nothing up. Made an executive or two happy. My best week as an actuary will never approach my best as a teacher or performer, but this one held its own.
We continued to plan our three vacations for the year, including to look at rental car rates. Our trusty carriages are no match for the Appalachians, and airfare is looking silly en route to North Carolina. I am giving some consideration to renting a convertible for driving up the California coast... never drove one, don't plan to buy one, and what better than Pacific breezes to tussle your hair?
This morning while brushing my teeth I decided to play charades to ask Dena a question, and two hundred laughs later we succeeded. It was so much fun that later I decided to suggest that she go shopping for vitamins via pantomime also. We have so much fun together, still, after 15 years of marriage. Way more than I deserve.
And of course tonight is the big night. Four hours will determine the answer to the question... which is the best? Thank goodness for DVR. That way I can skip all the football and get right to the commercials to see who wins.
May this week be at least as good as the last!
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