…but: I. Love. New. York.

So bad!

I’ll do the usual, “Tell you more later!”

…but know that everything has been nothing short of amazing. Every detail from timing, to people, to sites, to it all has been perfect.

My Australian BFF has been here, and it has been too long since I’ve heard him laugh. My first show, Mary Poppins, had me from the very first line. The hotel is close to everything and is beautiful.

If my thoughts drift, they just drift to how happy I am to be in my graduate program… and how I’m all caught up on work/report cards/conferences.

Being here in New York has been smile after smile after smile.

I will be back.

(to both the blog and the city!!)

Well this St. Patrick’s Day week will go down in my own personal little history books.

I was having a little post-work nap because Oprah wasn’t quite holding my attention like she sometimes can and I get a phone call.  I can’t recognize the number and answer while trying to disguise any groginess.  It’s the University of Lethbridge and even my post-nap consciousness isn’t enough to make the world not stand still while she identifies herself and there’s a gap between the identification and the next sentence.

That next sentence: I’ve been accepted and registration documents will be in the mail within the next ten days!

Travis John Robertson is now a Graduate Student with the University of Lethbridge pursuing a Masters of Education in Information Technology!!  Yeehaw!

It’s surreal.

I’ve phoned the family.  I’ve e-mailed the references.  …and now I blog!

Am I a tad nervous at how the next three summers and school years in between have just been transformed?  Yes, absolutely!  That said, I am READY for this adventure full-on.

This news comes on the heels of finding out I’ve broken my arm snowboarding last weekend (got the x-rays last night) and on the dawn of a trip to New York City (in three sleeps).  Now I can’t feel too sorry for myself for having to wear a sling for a long anticipated vacation; life is good!  Very, very, very good!

Second yeehaw!

These beginnings are very cool places to be.   With or without a fractured radial head, undisplaced.  With or without a vacation with amazing friends on the horizon.

Third yeehaw!

1)  I’m not used to not being good at things.  Last night, a snowboarding adventure was good for me because it put me in a position where I had to start right at Step One.  I fluctuated from total confidence to fear-of-falling over and over again.  I also walked away pretty bruised and battered, but really eager to try one more time before the season’s out.  Can I squeeze some ‘boarding into my second week off?

2)  Because of the bruised and battered snowboard body, I certainly wasn’t at my personal best this African Monday… which, again, wasn’t something I was used to experiencing.  It’s not that I’m ever best-in-class, but I’m not usually as down-and-out as I was today; I’m not usually worst-in-class.  Yet again, it was probably good for me to experience some ego deflation here, too.

3)  I’m trying to finish off two online courses for a work certificate.  One I’m really enjoying, the other is less down my alley.  This is the only point that doesn’t have to do with my physical body, because we don’t even ever see each others’ physical bodies; the whole thing is online.  In the class I’m enjoying there are two rude-y poo colleagues.  Can I say that?  Am I misinterpreting what they type because there’s no means of inflection?  Hmmmm…. It’s so strange to me that live and in person, or not live and virtually people can be such a, well, drag.  Energy killers are everywhere.  Maybe my sore body is just making me cranky.  Heck, maybe I’m just cranky.  =P

It’s that week folks, where I finish off this reporting term at school(/work) with one eye on Spring Break’s departure.

Last year that travelling eye was on Las Vegas, Nevada.  The year before it was on Orlando, Florida.  (You can flip back in the blog if you don’t believe me!    Both have FAQ’s posted afterwards, too).

This year the sights are set on New York City, New York State!!!!

As always, right before I go… I meet with each and every parent to discuss their student’s progress (whoa, hard apostrophe there, I had to think about that one).  I wouldn’t say the conferences make me nervous, but I am always aware that I need to be on my A-Game.  I’m also aware that our conferences are about peoples’ lives.  (apostrophe mission complete!… and this apostrophe I’m even less sure of, in fact, even doubting).

Also as always, it seems, right as I go I have my thoughts on some major purchases and decisions.  Last year it was Condo fever.  This year my car is making my loony, so as I type this I figure out my finances to see if I can scrape enough together after the trip to make some kind of car work.  Too add to the figuring-out column, I also find out about my graduate program (April 1st?!?!!??!!!) right away, and then not too long after go in (finally!) for my ear/throat MRI (to see why it’s ached for the last three years).  Oh, the adult life!  No wonder people need to travel to make it through, too bad it’s also so hard on the pocket book.

Oh well… I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So.  That’s pretty much my life story.  (and it’s the same life story, it seems, year after year after year!).

If you even barely know me you know that I was just sick.

Flu sick.

When I’m sick, even if you just barely even know me, you get to hear all of my symptoms and the more I share that list of symptoms the more refined and humourous that list gets.

I was almost-sick* Wednesday morning before my field trip (*Am I sick?  My throat feels dry?  Maybe I’m just thirsty?  Am I sick).  I was full-on sick Wednesday during the field trip.  I was deathly sick as the field trip and the adrenaline of the day (knowing at any moment a child could go missing or get swallowed whole by an escalator) wore down.

Deathly sick was the theme the following four days.  Deathly sick and sleep and crankiness and Neocitran.

Which brings us to today… today (and I know I should be touching wood here) I walked into work TOTALLY recharged and refreshed and crystal clear.  When the door opened upon my arrival there was a whoosh of fresh air and me standing with non-tired eyes and enthusiasm and a smirk.  I barely noticed the -30 degree weather.  I barely needed that morning coffee.

I hadn’t felt that way for a good long while.

…which holds true to my theory: when one’s mind and body try to go too far past one’s ability or threshold, one will subconsciously find a way to slow things down to an appropriate level.

I knew I was busy… but it took four days near-coma to see how impossible it all was to sustain.

Lesson learned?

Hopefully.

For now, at least.  I know it’s only Monday, but I’m ready to take on the world [at an appropriate pace] this week!

please summarize everything you’ve done this term with your twenty-nine students, all your aspirations for them, their successes, challenges, strategies… as best you can.

For those ahead of society’s expectations, where are you/they headed?  For those behind, why?  What are you and each of these individuals going to be doing about that?

…and you have until today at 3:00pm to do it.  Give or take.”

Drowning.

Weekends seen new ways
Friends all laughing together
Bringing out the best

…and worst.

[   A Report Card time haiku]