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Entry date: 9-27-2023 – Random Wednesday Stuff and Stuff – Letters to My Friends

phnart

Dear Friends,


H.R. Pufnstuf was a weird way to sell cereal and toys. This is where our Wednesday begins: thinking about Sid and Marty Kroft’s weird show about, hmmm, I don’t even know. What was it about? Good vs. Evil, I suppose. I bet Friday Vermillion watched it a lot. She would have been about 10 when it came out.


The Bet will be coming back soon. Between feeling like crap and being busy, the creative spark has been running low. I know where I want it to go and how all the characters will eventually link up. Ol’ Siri has been taking a lot of notes for me.


But H.R. Pufnstuf was something I really enjoyed as a little dude. I just don’t think I actually understood what was happening at any given moment in the show. I doubt, having watched other shows by the Kroft boys, that they cared about that. They wanted a psychedelic spectacle, and, truth be told, who doesn’t?


*****


Yesterday was a good day. The kids and I had a nice ride to school and then I had a nice ride to work. Way better than the evil shit that was Monday’s ride. Fucking trains on Grand Ave were mucking things up and then somebody died at the weird, porno hotel over by the Costco Business Center, so there was a bunch of fire trucks slowing Grand down to a crawl. I ended up being slightly late for work for the first time.


I hate that feeling. It made me feel like I was letting my students down, even though I got there literally two minutes late. What a perfect example of truly sweating the small stuff.


That was Monday, though. Tuesday was way better. Got to work at a time I am very comfortable with and got to get the classroom going, including listening to some good music. I have one little guy who is a budding punk rock fan. Last week I was playing some of The Father Figures instrumental stuff in the morning and he was rocking out. I called him over and said, “Can I tell you a secret about those songs you’re enjoying?”


He looked at me warily and said, “Okay.” He’s a quiet kid who says very little. In fact, when I met him and his mom at “Meet the Teacher Day,” she told me that he doesn’t talk very much at all.


Anyway, I told him that those songs were ones that I had done with my band, and he got a big smile on his face and seemed very excited. I played them again yesterday and got a similar reaction. I also played “Nellie the Elephant” by Toy Dolls and he was digging on that. He even told me as much. I’m going to play more school-safe punk rock for him.


My observation went well, I think, and even though she will have some constructive criticism for me, I think my admin was pretty happy with what she saw in the classroom. I also got to be of help to one of my little gals who is having a hard time with another one of the gals in class get some things off her chest and feel better, I think, about being in the same room with her frenemy.


The cocaine baby had a rough day, but I think there were some small break throughs. He has learned that he has the power to drive people away from him by forcing them to be super frustrated with his shenanigans. He was pushing button after button today. Even though the devil on my shoulder was telling me to give up on him and put him in the back of the room by himself, I didn’t listen.


I’m going to keep working with him and let him know every day that he matters. I did tell one of the other kids at the end of the day that if the cocaine baby ends up giving me a heart attack, I must be avenged. The student I was talking to promised that he would avenge me, so I felt better.


I certainly hope your day was just as good. Here’s to an awesome Wednesday.


See you tomorrow.



Look! He's holding a magic flute.

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