February: Aggressive hockey is back in town! Friends Jeff Falcon and Mark Mosesso fly in from Detroit for the NHL All-Star Game weekend (hosted by the Florida Panthers). Completing the quartet was David Traill. Highlights: Partied at Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor, raced go-carts at midnight, posed with Stanley (the Cup … duh!), bought bobbleheads, saw some awesome action on ice.
March: Celebrated my 39th birthday with a final hospital visit over month-long issues stemming from my unexplained (and still unexplainable) ability to have my trachea stop working for a few seconds on Valentine’s Day. Things I learned: (a) school district medical insurance policy needs better deductibles as part of the plan; (b) pulmonary function tests are worse than grading Kafkaesque essays; and (c) not breathing is a bad thing.
April: Kept breathing.
May: Professional month from hell, which in retrospect indicates to me that April’s lack of action was the calm before the hurricane. Due to major budget cuts and a new Class Size Reduction law, I was told on May 16 that my job was in jeopardy. (I wasn’t alone.) Made for a frustrating drive to cousin Kayla’s bat mitzvah in Tampa. Frustration was complicated on May 27 when, upon returning to Wellington from the Debate National Championships in Washington, DC over Memorial Day Weekend, I was told I wouldn’t be back at Wellington. That was followed the next day with news I would be retained after all, but wouldn’t have a debate program … then, that the program would be after-school only … then, that I could keep one debate class if I wanted to give up my planning period … which I did.
June: Traveled to Tampa again for cousin Ron’s (Kayla’s dad) b’nai mitzvah at the start of month. Analysis: use of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, etc. as reception music is very cool. Closed out the month with a drive to Lexington, Kentucky, for the three-week-long Lincoln Douglas Debate Coaches Institute. Found out that sister Miriam and bro-in-law Brian are expecting in February 2004. Also very cool.
July: Followed up my Kentucky stay with a drive north to Detroit for a stint as best man in my brother Charles’ marriage to Elisabeth. With (lots of) guidance from Miriam and Brian, I made sure not to screw up the toast. Spent time prior to the wedding visiting family and friends; spent time after the wedding starting (and continuing on) the Atkins Diet. Visited Ohio friends Chris and Ketra; helped Chris learn editing skills on his radio station’s audio production system.
August: After all the May education problems, the new school year started out OK. Teaching three senior English British Literature courses and three mixed varsity/novice debate courses. Yay!
September: Earned nickname “Wrong Way Gaba” (one of several nicknames, I might add) while driving debate students around Winston-Salem, NC during the Wake Forest “Earlybird” Tournament. Will not comment further, other than to say the van only went one direction down the road ...
October: Celebrated the anniversary of my move to an overly expensive apartment complex a year earlier (in wake of dual break-ins) with yet another move, this time because I wanted to. Now living in a 2/2 1300 square foot condo only two miles away from work.
November: Traveled to Philly for my cousin Lisa’s wedding. I have decided that Philly is the nation’s Most Patriotic City, due to a plethora of red, white and blue all over the place. I have also decided the Philly Ritz-Carlton is home of the nation’s Best Hot Chocolate with Butterscotch Schnapps.
December: Still in amazement over antics in my English classroom from the past few weeks, where a review of exams revealed that (a) Samuel Becket was named Archbishop of Canterbury by King Henry II, (b) all six of King Henry VIII’s wives were names Catherine, and (c) “Mr. Gaba Is Cool” was the name of one of Shakespeare’s plays. Correct answers: (a) Thomas a’Becket; (b) three named Catherine, two named Anne, and a Jane; (c) technically true, but not inked by the Bard.
