The Daily News

1   Woke up, outta creamer so I did the 7-11 run.

2   Got home and Helene alerted me that there was a cockroach on the loose.

3   Running a little late because of the creamer run, I waited to see if the little fellow would emerge.

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5   Chasing a cockroach around at 6:30 in the morning wasn't my idea of fun. We have had the entire house turned upside down for a few weeks now, so I found it no surprise to learn that in all that moving and shifting a cockroach was liable to cut across the room. 

6   Jeff said it was a blonde. He named it "Betty."

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8   Happy Frideeeeeee!!!!!!!

9   The fellow had the audacity to come out of hiding.

10  Fortunately Jeff jumped in and said, "NO!"

11

12   "This cockroach has done no wrong. Let's shoo him into a jar and set him free."

13  <Heavenly music>

14   If you know Jeff you know that's exactly how it went down.

15

16  Betty.

17  Moving On, Part One: Testing went heroically yesterday. One teacher called me early and asked if he could come over with a VHS recording of a U2 concert from 1987.

18   Same guy who brought me the classic  Springsteen and I, the one where it rained, and McCartney and Bruce encored, and were ready to encore into the eve when they were stopped by the city. Classic, see above.

19   My students were scheduled to watch the Balcony Scene from Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. 

20  "The Ghetto Version."

22   That has almost become a proper noun.

23   AnywayZ...

24   The teacher came in, and I introduced him as my son. One guy said, "For reals?"

25   The guy is in his fifties. 

26   "Yup," I replied.

27   He took over and was a rock star. Great B and W footage of them doing Ruby Tuesday, Sympathy, and Streets. It was loud and my room totally rocked. A lot of the kids enjoyed it, and he said that he hoped that maybe they would meet again. The concert proper inspired or celebrated the christening of Martin Luther King's birthday as a national holiday.

28  It even featured a helicopter shot reminiscent of the I Have a Dream speech.

29   He tore it up, and the room was left with a lot of magic. 

30   The student then turned to the screen to see Leonardo di Caprio and Claire Danes doing the poolside Balcony Scene. 

31   Good times, good times. 

32   The rest of the day flowed from there. Sometimes the classroom takes on a life of its own, and gets into the sway and rhythm that flows.

33   If you've taught, or even if you've had a great day, you get this.

34   I left I think a minute early, because the bell rang a minute early. I was that fast outta there. 

35   Why stay and let someone louse it up?

36    So a week that I thought was going to be hectic became a mini vacay. Jeff and I sat outside and watched the ball game through the screen door. Gorgeous night and a laugher. 

37   Well, have a GREAT weekend. I got company AND a roach, so I must needs tend to those things.

38   See you again.

39   Short and sweet.

40   Peace.

~H~