March 07, 2025
We are almost there. We have narrowed down the trip to a 10-3-10. Ten days in Italy, three in Croatia and ten in Greece. Jess is currently getting our flight from Rome to Split. Looks like we will be taking the train from Venice, to Florence and then to Rome. A flight to Split and then another flight from Split to Athens, then then home. Replace the big long blue line with the two arrows and you get the idea. Should be about 3,000 fucking degrees for three weeks. And dry too. Jess sent a picture today of one of the places we might stay and I said to myself, "Holy shit - that looks fucking dry!"
Currently the plan in Greece may be going to the Peloponnese peninsula and skipping all of the big islands because it is the summer and they are going to be packed. Jess is currently working on where we will stay in Croatia - we will be somewhere between Split and Trogir.
When I started this post last weekend, Malcolm was sick, fever and throwing up. He was actually ok with that since it got him out of SCMEA (Suffolk Country Music Educators Association) - basically both he and Neil were chosen to represnt their school's for this concert. It is an honor. Malcolm on the other hand was happy that he was sick, because he missed practice and if you miss one practice, you can't be in the program (which also has another practice this Friday and Saturday). Neil and Duncan are now sick. Poor Neil has a really bad stomach virus and has been throwing up pretty consistently since Thursday am - through about 6 pm. When I checked on him this morning he was at 103.7 - so I had to make him take medicine - since he thought he was going to power his way through.
Duncan is sleeping on the couch and somewhere around 5 am, I see the light on and the tv blaring. So while I made my rounds I made him turn it off. I checked on Isla, who may be getting sick or has her periodic fever thing (of course at the exact same time) - she was cool but awake because "Who was stomping down there and talking so loudly?" In her most animated and agitated voice. I explained that it was Duncan and the TV and she countered with, "When is it going to be bring your kids to work day?" and I told her that she should get back to bed.
She did, but little did I know that when I got out of the shower, it was my bed and my spot that she got back to. Chatting away to Jess, who was trying to sleep because she took the 1 am round - though that was closer to 3:30.
It's been a fun few days - especially at work, where the geniuses who run the DoE have decided that now is the time to implement something for certain groups of kids based on their test scores - when, they could have done it at the start of the year. So now, as usual, we are expected to drop what we are doing and get it organized by Monday. These people got jokes. It will be finished when it is finished and in order of importance with the 800 other things we are doing.
It's the evening now and for the most part the work stuff is resolved and amazingly someone came through and ensured that the program will be available for the remainder of the year at no cost. Now we just have to notify parents - because it is political and not really about kids and then meet with teachers and plan for when this stuff will get done. Unfortunately, Neil missed his practice and now will have to miss the concert as well. It's pretty shitty - especially since this was the first two days he has missed this year - he really tries not to miss school.
On a side note, our school works with a place called the Hendrick I. Lott House. It is an amazing piece of history and located about four blocks away. It was the first house in that section of Brooklyn and it has seen everything - colonization, the Revolution, slavery, a stop on the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, the expansion of NYC and the development of the suburbs....etc. We will be having a piece of their land to start our own farm, complete with a greenhouse. We will also work with them on a number of other projects, including the 100 year celebration of the neighborhood and our school. I was lucky enough to be asked to speak about our partnership on CBS News and the piece will hopefully air next week. The learning opportunities that it will present for our kids is way more important than any program to "sprint" to the ELA exams.
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