Wake Me When it's August
by John Pearson
Last week, I wrote about what my (former) students’ plans were for summer vacation. Six Flags over Texas and Cici’s Pizza, prepare to be hit often and hit hard.
This week, I thought I'd share some of my own plans for the break period. I can't guarantee that all of these items will be accomplished, but they are at least on the list of goals.
Number one is an easy one, and by the time you are reading this column, it will have been accomplished already. My first action of summer vacation will be to sleep for 108 continuous hours. After that, I should be able to shake the feeling of sleep-deprivation that I've had since late August of last year.
I won't be joining my kids at Six Flags or Cici’s, or even Disney World, but I do have a few trips scheduled. First up is a trip to Destin, Florida with my family. We discovered this site several years ago and have returned frequently. The combination of sparkling white sand and crystal-clear blue water keeps us coming back, and so far we've only put two of the many all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant out of business by taking them literally. Good times, good times.
This year, while we're at the beach, I hope to teach my one-year-old nephew how to water ski and my three-year-old nephew how to catch a jellyfish with his bare hands. (These goals are of course dependent upon approval from their mother, my sister-in-law.)
After we get back from Florida, I have about three days to spend at home (sleeping, probably) before a buddy and I drive out to San Diego for this year's Comic-Con. I have never been to a Comic-Con before, so I'm really looking forward to it.
No, I will not be dressing up as an Ewok or Hawkman (unless someone gives me five dollars to do it) – I'm not quite that fanatical. More than just the comic book aspect, though, I am looking forward to seeing sneak peaks of upcoming sci-fi movies and spotting the stars of shows like Heroes, Battlestar Galactica, and Lost (please be there, Kate... please be there, Kate...).
Before and after these two trips, I'll fill my time with more mundane pursuits. My humble abode could certainly use a thorough cleaning. I anticipate that taking about three weeks. Also, I hope to get a lot of writing done towards completing a sequel to my first novel, Learn Me Good. The working title is Learn Me Gooder: The Wrath of John, but hopefully something better will occur to me in the next few months.
Of course, once August rolls around, it will be time to be getting my mind back into focus for another school year. mentally preparing myself for the first day and the first week, and trying to remember where I put all of my supplies. Oh, and getting my Hawkman costume ready, of course.
Next week, the trilogy is concluded – what other teachers are doing over the summer!
John Pearson is a third-grade math and science teacher in Dallas, Texas. He has degrees in mechanical engineering from Duke University and Texas A&M, so most consider his math abilities adequate enough to teach nine-year olds. He is also the author of Learn Me Good (Lulu, 2006), a funny, fictionalized account of his first year in education. Read more at www.learnmegood.com
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Other readers' comments on this article:
Me and jellyfish don't get along to put it mildly.
Posted by Phin on Jun 11, 2008 2:53 pm
Thanks
Posted by francis on Jun 12, 2008 4:51 am
Posted by Theresa Garcia on Jun 13, 2008 9:56 am
Posted by cathy on Jun 15, 2008 11:28 am
Posted by cathy on Jun 15, 2008 11:31 am
Posted by John Pearson on Jun 16, 2008 6:30 pm