The Daily News

1  I set my foot down and now I am officially retired, and loving it. My students showered me with cards and gifts, and my last class gave me a card signed by nearly everyone in the room. It stopped me. All the love and wonder caught me up. Thanks to every person around for all the support over the years. I'm finely free, and all I could think about was the love. It really is all you need. Oh, and chocolate. 

2  This is the last DN of the year, even though I really haven't even turned in my keys yet. Thursday was about emotion and my students being classy; yesterday was saying good-bye to colleagues and putting my grade book together.

3  For whatever reason it was immensely stressful. At one point my mouse broke down and I had to rely on right-clicking on my MacPro. The deadline was 4 p.m. OR ELSE.

4  I'm not sure as to OR ELSE what. 

5  Fortunately my good friend Gwen straightened me out and I was merrily on my way. 

6  Got it done with twenty minz to spare!

7  Boxing stuff up was just as unemotional except when I'd find another "Thank You" card, or when someone would come in. 

8  It was an endless display of love and support from everyone. 

9   I couldn't leave. I cleared out every cabinet in the room and STILL had a mess. At around 6 I locked the door, packed a bunch of crap in my car and forced myself to get home and to return Monday. 

10  That's how it usually happens, and right now, usually is a comfortable word.

11  Moving On, Part One: The other day I was in Save Mart (I think!) and saw a baseball cap, brown and tan that said, "San Jose CA" on it.

12  Sight unseen.

13  I bought it because I'm not going to forget San Jose, or my home. 

14  I'm probably going to wear it Monday, when I go back to my classroom for the last time, clean up, and do what I always do, which is to write Hamlet's last words on the board.

15  Here are Hamlet's last words:

The Rest is Silence

16  Every year I have written those words on my day of departure.

17  I will give a look around the room, sigh, and do a last-episode-of-Friends look, and lights out.

18  Curtain.

19  

20  So dramatic.

21   As for the DN, it shall resume on August 10 or 11, when school starts. The only difference is it might be a noon delivery!

22  And it will probably have items like this:

______________________________________________

1  Started to take out the lawn mower but put my Batman comic book over my face and dozed off. 

2  Went into the yard and watched a couple of party birds, which my daughter Caitlin assures me chirp all night long.

3  Nightingales. 

4  Go well with Batman.

5   Thinking of walking the path to the gym and reading the paper. 

6   Nah. I can do that two times later today...

_________________________________________________________________________________

23  And on and on. Anon anon.

24  So fear not. 

25

26   I know you were worried sick.

27   I be back.

The REAL Capn' Jack Sparrow

28  Moving On, Part Two: My fellow Truckee River Capn' Jeff and I are meeting at the new house Tuesday. 

25  He is the REAL Jack Sparrow. 

26  I be Capn' Numb Skully, and we plunder the Truckee looking for doubloons and and parrrrrrrrrtyin,' and usin' soakers to knock tuna sandwiches out of the hands of babes. 

27  And then usin' words like 'tis.

28

29  So I ain't goin' out in style. I be comin' in in style.

30  'Tis the only way tuh parrrrrrrty!

31   With that I be off. I'll hang all sorts of nonsense up on Facebook, so watch for me. And I'll travel the high seas, 'til me doubloons run out. 

32  So see you again. 

33  This ship has launched, but I be back.

34   Have a GREAT summer, and I'll stay in close touch online. 

35  So long.

36  Don't really gottago, but I will end this year's DN with one word: 

37  Peace, maties. Oh wait. That's two words. Now four words. Now ten words...

38   Oh bother. See you again.

39    Peace.

~H~

The Daily News

1   Wow.

2   Today is it.

3   I've been SO busy I haven't thought about it much. 

4   Too much stuff to do and still to do.

5   I do have time to grade things today, but yesterday almost caught me, especially with my sixth-period class. 

6   They always were special because at the beginning of the school year they didn't exist. I had a 6th period prep period that got changed. 

7   So my final year was also my first year ever to have a first-class-of-the day prep.

8   

9   I was upset. The only thing that would have made it all right would be if it was traded for an awesome class.

10

11  I got my wish.

12  This class was a perfect blend of characters, goof-balls, REALLY fun kids, and mixed-baggers. 

13   From the start our meeting one another was shocking, a couple of weeks into the school year and BAM! All our schedules shifted right as we were settling in.

14  That's probably why we hit it off. I had to assure them that I would be fine, and I had to trust they would be a fun bunch.

15   They were, and always will be a large part of my last year. 

16   They came in each day right after lunch, energized, laughing and relaxed. 

17   Gonna miss them. 

18   Gonna miss all my classes. 

19   I told them I'd come back and visit. I think I sort of have to. I left YB and you didn't see me too much after a few years. 

20  I got too busy. I also was at odds with principal who shall remain nameless.

21  I hope I won't be too busy to come back once in a while and say "howdy" at EV.

22  Right now I don't know what the future holds. 

23  Right now I'm just trying to pack all my stuff and get out. I've already got a house filling up in Sac, a room all toe up at the school, and a home in San Jose that is vanishing before my tired eyes .

24  That's a lot to drink in, but know how to handle it after I drunk it all in, believe you me.

25

26   What. 

27   Ah, it's all good.

28   The world is my oyster, whatever that means. 

29   I'm not even that crazy about oysters; oh, I'll eat them and all, but...

30   

31   Aw shucks. 

32   Was I rambling?

33   Moving On, Part One: I forgot to leave space for the Warriors. 

34

35

36   I feel like a crumb-bum.

37   It's like this: the better team won. 

38   Don't look at me like that, Steph. 

39   I could totally out-shoot you if it was just you, me, and school trash cans.

40   Great job, Warriors. Great games.

41  You are starting to look like you know what you're doing.

42   I wish I did.

43   Moving On, Part Two: I can't roll out of here without giving my readers some direction as to where all of this is headed.

44   Traditionally, I write one DN on the last school day, and one Friday edition to follow up the last day. When I depart my classroom I write Hamlet's last words on my board: The Rest is Silence. 

45  I  don't return until the first day of the next school year.

46

47   There won't be a next year, but if there were, it would be my 20th. 

48  

49   Nobody stops at 19.

50   So I will try to do this for one more year, since I should have the time.

51   I also hope to build a website that shall become a grammar book for the new age. 

53   I shall steal swimmingly from Warriner's English Grammar and Composition, which was traditionally THE grammar book for decades. 

54  I hope to make it fun and easy for the next generation of writers. 

55  I also intend to write poetry, travel, hang with family, and avoid work if possible. 

56   How can you miss me when I refuse to go away?

57   I'll be back tomorrow. I gottago in and say my fare thee wells. 

58  

59   Yes, it is emotional, not gonna lie.

60  Yesterday we had some rock band playing after school, and my class wanted to leave fifteen minutes early. 

61  That was out of the question. We had directives telling us NOT to let students out early.

62  That class I adore lined up at the door to see this band. The last thing on their minds was that it was the last few minutes of them together as a class.

64  They were together all right. 

65   I put my feet up and smiled, pretending to work on things while they eagerly bounced up and down.

66  As the clock got down to one minute, I looked up over the top of my glasses, smiled and said simply, "Scram."

67  And they were gone.

68  The bell rang within seconds, but I thought it much better than waxing sentimental.

69  A couple of guys stayed and finished their finals, and my handshakes with them when they left were handshakes and hugs to all of them. 

70  Quite a day. It took me a couple of hours to clean the closets in my room and throw everything I've ever done away. I donated lots to the English Office, but I didn't want to use it as a dump. My best practices, DVD's, and Warriner's books are now a part of the the English Office, my masks a part of the Theater, which I shall now capitalize as I did the YB Theatre, and my spirit always smiling down on both schools. 

71  With that, I bow out today. More to come.

72   Gottago.

73   See you again.

74   Peace.

~H~