~:[CH11 - Day 120]:~ Back-to-Back

 
~:[CH11 - Day 120]:~ Back-to-Back

I ended up getting a little time last night to organize myself for a busy Saturday. I needed it more than I realized. After heading off to Huntington Beach fairly seamlessly (not missing a single delegate), we rolled through the day and ended on a great note. We had four students earn best delegates and about a third of the students won awards. While I still had to poke and prod some students to be more assertive, they did fairly well and were impressive. Of course, my day itself was not over. We headed home, I grabbed a boba for energy, then headed out the door for prom. I forgot to eat so luckily there was some food at the dance. I always enjoy capture the moment as when they look back, some of these moments they will look back on and just wonder where all the time went. I was exhausted as I headed home and got on working on the photos. I finished late, but when I was, my body was already telling me to get to bed. As exhausted as I was, it definitely was time well spent even if it meant I had to do a back-to-back.

~:[CH11 - Day 119]:~ Letting the Frustrations Go

 
~:[CH11 - Day 119]:~ Letting the Frustrations Go

I felt a little like Jordan today. In about five minutes, I carried him, put him with my dad and then carried him again, before he knocked out. I just wanted to curl up and go to sleep like him. It was the end of the week and right from the start, I got off on the wrong foot. While I thought I had my camera, I had left it on the track and Pioneer. Luckily, I was able to retrieve it, but had to trek there and back to get it. The long mass of emails also was quite frustrating. Reading one of the headers in the slide that said a revote is warranted when a significant amount of information was not available made me laugh. Why? Somehow we ended up pushing for a vote on the day we had our "information meeting." Our questions were left unanswered and when we asked for more time to vote because we didn't have the information, it was pretty much brushed aside. Strangely, there wasn't enough information conveniently when things didn't work out in their favor. Honestly, I could work with any schedule that we're provided, but at the very least, we need to plan, be prepared and think things through to ensure we can transition smoothly, but also, actually know what we're getting ourselves into. After feeling forced and rushed into this change without a clear plan, I decided to just let my frustrations go. I didn't respond and just stopped reading because they are determined to do what they want to do and I didn't want to waste my energy, because obviously it's not change anything. Instead, I enjoyed the improvement I saw from my freshman who presented their speeches without any notes. I enjoyed seeing my friends who work along me on campus. I watched my sophomores chat as they completed their Apartheid assignments including a few who chose the lyric options as they rhymed their way through the period. At lunch, we had a fun flag naming contest after hearing about a student who could name almost every flag in the world. I challenged him to do it and he finished about 150 of them in a span of ten minutes. I spend the rest of the night prepping for the conference tomorrow, I cleaned a little and relaxed a little as well, things I've not been able to do the past few months. Yes, there will be moments in life that are frustrating, but sometimes you just have to let it go. When I first started writing, I would just write about my day, but as my writing changed, it became an opportunity to reflect and in some cases vent. In all cases, it left me renewed and refreshed and not weighed down. Be reasonable, but also be real. I'll say what's on my mind, but at the end of the day, I'll turn my attention to things that I can control and change. Time, energy and emotions are investable resources so be sure that you invest them in a place that will get you the most returns. At the end of the day, I did take a short nap and curled up just like Jordan and it truly felt wonderful. 

~:[CH11 - Day 118]:~ Never Give Up

 
~:[CH11 - Day 118]:~ Never Give Up

League finals had arrived. It's felt like a long season, yet at the same time, it flew by so quickly. Today's league finals was definitely a reminder of never giving up. Sometimes it works out in your favor and sometimes it doesn't, but regardless, the satisfaction of pushing towards the end is truly priceless. I had an athlete who tried to learn to high jump in just a few weeks as he soared over 5' 10" while another who has been working hard year after year reach 4'10" which was almost taller than her, both of these athletes won a league title. I had an athlete give his all and fall just before the line. I was sad knowing what it would have cost him, but overjoyed at his push to get back up and nearly qualify even with the fall. Another athlete volunteered to do an event, spending a week training and also sticking with his original event he got added into on the last day of registration. He tumbled time after time, but I couldn't have been more proud as he looked determined to get to that finish line and help his team out. Bloodied, I asked if he wanted to scratch the 3200m and he shook his head, no. It wasn't his best race, but one that I was the most proud of. With one of our top legs out in the girls 4x400m, it looked like a tall order to win the race, our first three legs ran consistent, but Pioneer opened up a lead. With a huge gap, our last leg got the baton and closed the gap. She looked gassed on the final 100m, but she pushed and closed in. It looked like she might just fall just short as she pulled back with about five meters to go, but that was to get her final burst, which put our team 0.07 ahead. It was actually the second time that has happened to our 4x400m team this season. No, it won't always work out in your favor, but never give up. Do something, not only when you know you'll succeed, but even more so, when you know it will be a challenge to succeed. Even when things are difficult, keep pushing forward and see what you're capable of. Sure, it's important to know when to move on, but at the same time, move forward with some conviction and give it your best effort before you move on. When you get in the habit of giving your all and not quitting, you'll find yourself in a much better place. We had a lot of athletes give up through this season and I understand how difficult it was to stay motivated, but I am so proud of these athletes for not only sticking it out, but also finding a way to find some of their best races on this important day. In the end, we won all four divisions as a team and felt like we had more qualifiers than we expected. Much of this is due to these athletes pushing through, giving their all and never giving up. It's been one of the toughest and busiest years so far, but tonight definitely reminded me that just like my athletes, I have it in me to push forward and push through to the finish. Congratulations to all!

~:[CH11 - Day 117]:~ The Importance of Timing

 
~:[CH11 - Day 117]:~ The Importance of Timing

I've been trying to coordinate this game for awhile now and it looked liked it might happen, but at the last minute, it didn't work out. Regardless, we still made use of the tickets and had a wonderful time enjoying the game. Our timing was even better as we got to see Ohtani pitch. It didn't look good at the start as the two run shot looked like it would be another long night. Yes, it did end up being a long night, but the runs were piling up on our end of the scoreboard, which I didn't mind at all. Life tends to be like this. The timing of when people meet or when you apply for a job matters. If you got delayed a minute or two, you may not have ever met the person of your dreams or your best friend. If you applied a year earlier, maybe you wouldn't have gotten the job that has become your lifelong career and more. For me, my life has had a lot of moments of great timing, one of which landed me where I am today. While there are many moments where I know the timing just wasn't right, I just keep looking forward and hope that the timing will work out on all the things ahead. Of course, it's not something I worry about as I just go with the flow. Regardless, every now and again, I do think about the ups and downs my timing has had on my life. The "what if" game is sometimes fun to play, but instead of worrying just enjoy the game like we did and make the most of your days even if timing got in the way of your original plans.

~:[CH11 - Day 116]:~ Ease the Pain

 
~:[CH11 - Day 116]:~ Ease the Pain

Today is one of my most dreaded days of the year, picture day. I always tend to talk about my disdain for this day, as while I love the memories we capture on this day, there is normally disorder and disarray. Magically, today was not that way. Not a single athlete asked me for a jersey or shirt, they listened when I asked them to quiet down and we finished everything so quickly. Whether it was this year's group, the constant email reminders or simply the planets aligning, I will treasure today because the pain of the day was definitely eased. I know this year was definitely a bit of a rollercoaster, but although we got off to a rough start, it started to get better as the season went on. We finished the day with a stop at Bopomofo and there was no line! Score! It's amazing how things fell into place today and no matter the reason, I'll just accept it and be grateful. I hope that your day ended up as amazing as mine! 

~:[CH11 - Day 115]:~ Business as Usual

 
~:[CH11 - Day 115]:~ Business as Usual

Originally, I had planned to be at this meet all day. An early departure and a late return. However, with the numbers in the league down a bit, it was a small meet where we had to just take care of business as usual. This meet was a little strange as with the 100s and 200s back-to-back, we rearranged the order of events to 100-400-1600-200. The schedule got off to a rough start, however, we got it back on track and took care of business. We ended up with a good percentage of athletes advancing to finals and a solid group taking first in their event today. We still got work to do on Thursday, however, for today, it was business as usual.

~:[CH11 - Day 114]:~ The Source of Life

 
~:[CH11 - Day 114]:~ The Source of Life

My friend was in a bit of a bind and with my schedule opening up on a day I had blocked, I ended up volunteering to help him out. The task? A lot of driving, sadly through traffic. Although it was a trek, it actually was nice to catch up. I think one of the sources of life for me is to step to the plate in situations like these. It's out of the blue, but offering up the help, not only helped him out of the bind, but ended up being a good time. Just because you don't hang out with someone all the time doesn't mean you can't step up and help them out when they're in need. Just before break, I covered the character lesson with one of my classes. We discussed "paying it forward" and I guess today was a little like that. One day, I'll find myself in a similar bind and I know someone will step up and help me when I'm in a bind. For now, however, these acts of service are something that rejuvenate me and really keep me going and truly are my source of life. What is your source of life?

~:[CH11 - Day 113]:~ Pho Life

 
~:[CH11 - Day 113]:~ Pho Life

Break is heading into the finish line as we wrapped up our last practice before prelims. After finishing up the performance lists last night, I realized that our league didn't have a lot of entries this year, which meant that most of our events went to finals only. I guess it's a good thing for our teachers as most of our athletes will not be out of class on Monday. While I wanted to be playing, I knew there was a pile of work I needed to get done and so I started to chip away at the pile. It was easier to do after filling up on a bowl of pho as we had a team breakfast after our workout. I was able to get a short nap before the deadline approached and then woke up to seed the meet. I had to stop by school to help with some AV issues and then also had a last minute language class online. It was great to wrap up seeding early which gave me time to do a little more editing on a few photos I needed to edit. As I checked it out as I got the news that our final application is in for our project in Japan and I am hoping that it gets approved. If not, I'll definitely be sad as in talking to my friends there tonight, it made me miss them even more. Only time will tell, but for now, I'll enjoy my last few moments of freedom in my schedule before gong back to the confines of the schedule controlled by the bell. 

~:[CH11 - Day 112]:~ Not to Be ...

 

~:[CH11 - Day 112]:~ Not to Be ...

This game wasn't originally in my plans, but I got an email saying we could get $5 tickets and I was all over it. It was my first game of the year and sadly we brought the jinx and they ended up breaking their winning streak. Of course, while the win was not to be, it was definitely a fun time as we enjoyed the game together and even got to know the people who ended up sitting next to us when the game started. They were so generous and welcoming and it was nice to be around people who were like that. After a morning of slaving away, even thought a win was not to be, it was still great to be out and about and at the ballpark again.

~:[CH11 - Day 111]:~ Putting in the Work

 
~:[CH11 - Day 111]:~ Putting in the Work

I was proud that a good portion of my league finals group showed up for practice the past few days at 7:30am. The school was pretty much empty, but we were there putting in the work. It was going to be a busy day for me, as after practice, I wrapped up the entries, then headed out to LA to do a photoshoot collab I've been working on for a few months. I was glad it worked out and the shoot worked out better than I could have imagined. After the shoot, we hung out in Koreatown. It's great to get to know the people you work with even better and it always ends up making it more likely to work together in the future. I was pretty exhausted when I got home as I dragged my equipment back into the house, but knew that the work I had done was worth it all. I hope that my students and athletes feel the same way as while the work can sometimes be arduous, when you look back, you can be proud of the effort you put in.

~:[CH11 - Day 110]:~ Passion for Plating

 
~:[CH11 - Day 110]:~ Passion for Plating

I always enjoyed plating my food and while I never really take my time resulting it not turning out as I had imagined, I still end up with some dishes I enjoy looking at. During the pandemic I cooked so much and so it's felt weird not cooking as often lately. After a quick nap, I ended up back in the kitchen cooking up a few things I purchased the other day. it was fun to play around and make this yuzu buttered scallop dish and was perfect with the octopus and brisket. I hope that my schedule allows me to keep cooking as I realized even more today how much I missed being in the kitchen. With the season winding down and most of my big events completed, I think there will be some time in the future. For now, I'll just enjoy this piece knowing how much I enjoyed making it and how good it felt to be back designing as I returned to my passion for plating. 

~:[CH11 - Day 109]:~ At First Glance

 
~:[CH11 - Day 109]:~ At First Glance

As I looked up, I got caught up in the beauty of the wall. The design was captivating and soon I would be captivated by the delicious food of Bopomofo. I've been meaning to go, but the first time I went it was a Monday (they're closed) and the next time, the line was too long. Luckily, I was able to be the first in line on the third try as I caught up with an old friend. It's strange how well things flow with old friends as it's easy to just chat about all the things you've missed out on while feeling as if you never skipped at a beat. Still, at first glance, it may seem like all is the same, yet so many things also could have changed over time. I haven't been the best at staying in contact with people recently, thus, while I assume that at first glance everything is as it was before, as I start to reinsert myself into this world around me, I begin to see how much things have changed. Even at school, the students have changed so much, reminding me that while at first glance things look the same, there are a lot of things that have changed. I'm sure I have changed as well. As I move forward, I guess I will start avoiding assuming things at first glance and start to take the time to be captivated once again by the amazing people around me, to hear and listen to them and to see what's changed. For some, the struggle of the past two years may be weighing them down while for others, they may have found great success along the way. Regardless, I just hope to reconnect and to do so, I must do much more than simply scratch the surface.

~:[CH11 - Day 108]:~ The Upgrade

 

~:[CH11 - Day 108]:~ The Upgrade

I had extravagant plans for the day, but I had to come back home in order to finish up my taxes. I normally do my taxes in January, however, with all that's been going on plus the addition of so much trading this year, it took me awhile to finish up. Instead of staying in the desert, I came back home and wrapped up just past midnight. Regardless, I didn't need to spend today working on my taxes since I wrapped up last night (technically today), so I ended up treating myself to a celebratory meal while running and errand in the process. I enjoy going to this spot and really like how you can keep it simple or spice it up a bit and add something a little fancier. A mix between a simple ramen restaurant with a fancier sushi restaurant feel. While we didn't splurged, we still added a few extras that made it nice. On top of it, they gave us the wrong desert, so we ended up with two. Score! I stopped off at Madang and then headed back through the traffic. I was able to get a little bit of work done when I got home, although I just wanted to lounge. In the end though, a day that was supposed to be spent wrapping up my taxes, was upgraded to a short venture out to the city. Definitely a wonderful upgrade.

~:[CH11 - Day 107]:~ Slowing Down

 
~:[CH11 - Day 107]:~ Slowing Down

I originally had planned to jet home had something been going on at home, but nothing scheduled, I was able to take my time in the morning, play a little catch up and just peruse around. It was nice not having to rush around, not worrying about the time. The last few months have been a constant cycle of that and today felt so awkward since it was anything but. I hopped in the car to head on home, however, the traffic was backed up and seemed like it was so for no reason in particular which is normally the most upsetting. Regardless, there was no pressure to be back by a certain time, so there was no level of stress. It felt nice. I enjoyed the views around and allowed myself some peace on this very special day. We may not have had a gathering today, but it gave me some time to really think, reflect, and re-evaluate how I want to change moving forward. Life is a constant cycle of molding one's self and today was one where I had the opportunity to remold how I wanted to be. 

~:[CH11 - Day 106]:~ Permission to Dance

~:[CH11 - Day 106]:~ Permission to Dance

There was no song that people needed more to hear than this one. As we've struggled through the pandemic, people needed a song to life their spirits and help them break free from those shackles that have kept us locked down. I used the song for our 50th anniversary video and it was the perfect song to pair with the video and tonight, for the last time (at least for now), I got to hear it live. I had sold my original tickets for the day to upgrade to the seat I had yesterday. I had a live play ticket as a backup so I planned to go there. I ended up getting a last minute message and ended up filling a seat at the actual concert. After sound check, I power walked from MGM to Allegiant and met my friend. It was definitely a night to enjoy as it felt so good just to just soak it all in and dance the night away. The timing was perfect and we enjoyed ourselves as the final concert wrapped up. I was teeter tottering about staying at live play versus jetting over to Allegiant, but looking back, I am so glad I went. Life gives you opportunities you aren't expecting and when you take them, so many great things can happen. Don't be afraid to take those chances as in life, you don't need permission to dance. By tomorrow, the stage will be broken down, the confetti collected and the city will probably be a little more empty, but these precious moments will never go away. Life may be tough, but go out and dance like nobody is watching as you find those things that bring YOU joy. 
 

~:[CH11 - Day 105]:~ Fire

~:[CH11 - Day 105]:~ Fire

I made a trek early in the morning and it was smooth sailing all the way in, so much so that I had to make a pit stop to stall before lunch. I made my traditional ramen stop before dropping off my stuff and hanging out before the concert. I had done a lot of bartering and was able to turn four of my tickets into one great seat and if I tried to do it all over again, I don't think I would have been able to. At first, I thought I would be too far from the stage, but it was perfect and with nobody "behind" me when facing the stage, I didn't have to worry about blocking anybody. I got a front row moment for the carts, which probably was the best moment of the night. Regardless, as always, the concert was fire and I all the energy it took to make this work was definitely worth it. To end the night, I hit the tables and ended the night green and while I was sad as I heard the news about the Clippers lost, I could at least enjoy the fact that everything else today went as expected and was truly fire.
 

~:[CH11 - Day 104]:~ Into the Night

~:[CH11 - Day 104]:~ Into the Night

It was the last day of school before spring break and also our last cluster meet. We had to leave at 11:30am, so I had to scramble to get my period covered. Not being able to get most of the day covered leaves a ridiculous amount of stress when you're in charge of the meet as I was running around campus to try to get to the bus on time and do all the things I had to do. I ended up forgetting a few things here and there (including my lunch/dinner), but I survived, barely. When arriving, I knew it would be a long day as our starter was one we've always had problems with and sadly we had issues with him again. In the end, he ran the slowest meet I could have ever imagined, as we wrapped up as we closed in on 8pm. It was sad because the last race was almost running in the dark. Regardless, it was a good day. We had some great races, amazing effort and moments like this which I saw these athletes find these moments they will treasure years down the line. About a month ago, they were driving me a little crazy, but they found a way to turn it around and head in the right direction. In the end, we swept all four divisions convincingly. I had a busy night ahead, but I still decided to eat with the team before getting everything gathered at home late into the night.

~:[CH11 - Day 103]:~ Warmth in the Eye of the Storm

 
~:[CH11 - Day 103]:~ Warmth in the Eye of the Storm

It was too chaotic today. With this being my last full day of work as we have a meet tomorrow, I was scrambling around to make sure everything was in line. Of course, there were too many things that weren't. At the last minute, the timer for Thursday said he didn't supply hip numbers, so I had to drive to Torrance to get them. I had a lot of running around to do today to get things in order, but in the middle of the storm, I found some warmth. Instead of just picking up the hip numbers and jamming back, we decided to stop and grab some ramen on the way. It was the best decision. It was a nice moment of warmth in the eye of this crazy storm. As I jetted back making it back in time (with time to spare) for practice, it was a little weird to have our final practice with the entire team, as it came up on us so quickly. The craziness of the week was incredible, but there are those moments that find a way to keep you warm in the middle of it all.

~:[CH11 - Day 102]:~ Closing In

 
~:[CH11 - Day 102]:~ Closing In

It's weird. Today was the final weight room day. For a season that sometimes seems so long, this year it went by so quickly. I've never felt as busy as I have this year, as I've pushed everything back as far as I could, just so I could finish what came before it. Regardless, there are moments where time slowed down and you could simply enjoy it. Today, I was putting the hats given back to me from a Mammoth awhile ago and the athletes kept asking for them. It was a fun little moment for us all and something that was so simple. As we close in on the end of this season, I'll appreciate these moments and truly just soak them all in. It's strange how quickly the time is closing in on this school year and instead of trying to rush forward, I'll try to appreciate all these days and moments we have left. When you close in on the end, you either are excited to reach the end or sometimes, you wish you had more time, this time, it's a little bit of both. Today, I'll start that march toward the finish line knowing the moment when I reach it will be bittersweet.

~:[CH11 - Day 101]:~ Reconnecting

 
~:[CH11 - Day 101]:~ Reconnecting 

It's weird how isolated from most of the world we knew we've become. As while life as we knew it will slowly become more normal, what I look forward to more is to reconnect with everyone to the scale we once knew. Not going to lie, it's going to be strange to see the changes that have happened over the past few years, however, just like in most things, it may just seem like yesterday after we reconnect. Life in 2022 so far has been quite hectic, but as I start to look forward, things will begin to slow down and I hope that means the reconnecting will begin. For now, I'll enjoy these moments one by one, these precious moments not to be taken for granted. 

~:[CH11 - Day 100]:~ Building & Earning

 

~:[CH11 - Day 100]:~ Building & Earning

We survived. Three days later, we wrapped up the over 25 hours of virtual committee. We had not been online in quite some time, yet we hosted a virtual conference with students from around the world. It was incredible to see all the delegates interact and was happy to see so many of my students step up to help make this work. A few students who appear twice, stayed for the entire 25 hours of the conference, the others still spent about 12 hours in committee. It made me think of students who may not truly understand what gives them opportunities. Opportunities are not handed to people, you need to earn them. The students who helped this weekend earned my trust and respect and built my trust in them. It's not easy to build & earn, as it takes time and dedication, but what is strange is how quickly that work can all be destroyed. Today, however, was a day of building and earning as these students impressed me by how well they did this weekend. A few advisors complimented them on their work and the conference itself, aside from a few technical snafus (including a short power outage), everything ran smoothly. I was happy at all those who stuck it out and sacrificed their weekend to be apart of this whether as a chair or even as a delegate, as we had a good number of students within every committee. I definitely was exhausted after all this and even more so after uploading almost a 1,000 photos from the musical, however, this weekend was apart of that grind as similar to my students, I also must keep building and earning. As I do, I try my best to focus on the quality of work that I do, as when you build something and don't do it well, it's only a matter of time before it collapse. On the other hand, when you meticulously go through the process of building, you'll find yourself with a much better situation even if it takes a bit longer. Amazing job MUNers!

~:[CH11 - Day 99]:~ Celebrate

 
~:[CH11 - Day 99]:~ Celebrate

On Friday, we worked for about eight hours hosting the first day of The International. We were thoroughly impressed especially by the middle schoolers from Jeju and the students from Pakistan. We've worked for awhile prepping for this conference and even with Nationals and the 50th, we were able to do a good job piecing this together. As we rolled into our second day, we saw the students from Europe including France and Greece, as we had our marathon day which lasted about 14 hours with a short break in the middle. During the break, it worked out that I could go and see Jordan and celebrate his birthday (a day early). It was fun to see them, even if it was just for a bit and a nice break from the screen after a tiring morning. I ventured back to my "cave" and for the remainder of the evening, we focused on wrapping up the Asia section of the conference, finished up awards, and looked towards the final half day ahead. It was great to celebrate the birthday, but also great to start the countdown towards the final few responsibilities I have for this school year. It's been arduous, but it's much easier when you see a light at the end of the tunnel. I was happy how the Asia session of the conference wrapped up and was able to relax knowing that things seemed under control. 

~:[CH11 - Day 98]:~ The Journey

 
~:[CH11 - Day 98]:~ The Journey

I was at the musical when the music video released. I've tried my best to promote the song without overdoing it, but words can express how proud I am. Someone online wrote an analysis of the video as it showed Jae in the desert. He was lost, then got on his feet and then ran until he arrived at a road where he was left behind. That journey could truly be the journey he has faced the last few years. I know it was a rough few years, but there were people who stood by him all along through the ups and the downs. Sometimes in life there are things you cannot control and at other times you make mistakes that you hope you can atone for. Jae faced both and through those ups and downs, there were many who continued to provide the support that he needed. I think the one thing the video doesn't portray are those who were there all along. I think in life sometimes we feel that we are alone in a desert when things are going back, when in fact, we don't see all those who are rooting us on and are there for us if we ever need help. Life is a journey and I just know that along the way, we hope that we can find our way through those difficult times and not get left behind when we arrive to a place where we've felts we've escaped those challenges. In the video, he gets left behind, but in reality, there are so many Jars who are there cheering him on and for that I am so proud. I am excited for what the future holds for Jae and will always be there promoting him and supporting him through those ups and those downs, much like I hope those close to me will do for me. At times those around us may struggle and even hurt us (or us to them), however, I just hope we can all see it in ourselves to reach out and lending a helping hand to those who truly need it. The journey is not always easy and thus, it is only together that we will navigate this road and survive any crashes we may encounter along the way. Congratulations Jae!

~:[CH11 - Day 97]:~ Mamma Mia!

 

~:[CH11 - Day 97]:~ Mamma Mia!

I heard good reviews early in the day about the show, but it definitely left me saying, "mamma mia!" The show was an electrifying one and I was left amazed at just how spectacular of a performance they put on tonight. I've always loved this musical, but to see our students do it and to do it so well left me in awe. It was amazing to see the talent we have on campus and even more impressive when they are students that I have in my classes. The heat made us all struggle through the day, but the musical made me forget about the day's struggles as I could focus on just soaking in all the amazingness of the musical. From the acting to the singing to the dancing, I was thoroughly impressed and left the theater knowing that this was one of my favorite productions I've seen. I'm sure most who left the theater felt the same way. Kudos to all those apart of this amazing production. I know how much time, effort and sacrifice this took, but I hope you know that the end results is something spectacular. 

~:[CH11 - Day 96]:~ Losing When You Win

~:[CH11 - Day 96]:~ Losing When You Win

I needed this end to the night. I was so frustrated through the entire day that being here helped heal some of that frustration. After a day where we were suppose to discuss our schedule, we were blindsided by being pushed into a "straw poll" vote when we didn't even have the information we needed. Normally a "straw poll" wouldn't be such a big deal as they emphasized on the form it wasn't a vote, but the vote essentially determined if we were doing block or a traditional schedule. Honestly, I had not actually decided which way to go. My program probably would benefit from a block, but being thrown into this situation with SO MANY questions left unanswered, left me feeling a bit betrayed by our admin and those apart of this process. Voting started on the day of the meeting, but at the meeting, they couldn't clarify the questions we asked or maybe they just wouldn't. It was clear that 0 period wouldn't count for apportionment, but they didn't answer what was required to get the apportionment. Zero periods are offered at other schools (including next year), but there was little concern that our own district and union was directing us that it would be allowable, yet they wouldn't delay this "straw poll." In a previous email to coaches, we were told 7th period wouldn't count as it has in the past, yet that was debunked. I even asked if we could get an extension for this vote and was told yes, but that was followed up with an email that the poll would end at the same time as schedule. As I said, honestly, I didn't have my mind made up, but the fact that they went about this process in this way was disheartening. No matter what schedule wins, I am going to walk out this much less enthusiastic about doing extra to help and it's sad. A fair and transparent process is always what we hope for, yet this was rushed, unorganized and skewed. There will be those who disagree with me, but if you look at this process, can you honestly say we had all the most important points clarified before this voting process started? In sports, there are a lot of situations where the winning team or person loses. The Houston Astros are still getting booed at stadiums across the US. Why? The use means that were not acceptable to get what they wanted. I am not sure if that's the case here, but regardless, this process was disappointing. We will adapt to whatever schedule we end up, we will figure out how to make it work, but it will be hard to rebuild this bridge that they broke as it really made me lose trust in a place I've given so much to. Personally, I didn't care about this last raise we went through. I never really felt underpaid, but this process left me feeling undervalued and that is much, much worse. 

 

~:[CH11 - Day 95]:~ Scrapped Together

 
~:[CH11 - Day 95]:~ Scrapped Together

Over the weekend, I was asked if I had a senior picture for our MUN class. We hadn't done that in all the madness of this school year. I knew Monday would be impossible (although I had quite a solid number in class), but we aimed for Tuesday. Everyone was in class, but not everyone brought their sweater and I, yes, I not only left my camera at home, but my phone. I was able to get them both to shoot the photo and gathered enough sweaters to clothe my class. We scrapped the photo together just in time and now, we have our memory to last for the many days ahead. Nobody will remember that I called for the photo two days before or how people forgot their sweaters, but they will peek back into their yearbook and remember different memories about the class and their classmates. From New York to the delegate that was their rival to the ups and downs of conferences, these memories will be spurred up by this image. It could have been easy to submit a photo we took in New York without the whole class, but when it comes down to it, getting this shot was worth all the effort even if it was scrapped together at the last minute. To my seniors, make the most of these final two months, even if some of those plans are just scrapped together.

~:[CH11 - Day 94]:~ The Joy of People

 
~:[CH11 - Day 94]:~ The Joy of People

I often get the question, is Tapioca Express truly your favorite boba place? I can't say no to that question. Yes, there are places where I enjoy drinks more than Tapioca Express. From my special combo at Tpumps to certain drinks at other spots around the world, there are drinks I can get that will top something I can get here. However, there are certain drinks that hit the spot and even more so, the joy of the people who work there that make it an appealing place to go. The owner is definitely one of those as she always greets me with a smile and even when times are tough, still makes time to talk to me. She is so kind-hearted and always so appreciative. I'll give my list of recs below and maybe you can give one of them a shot. 

Tapioca Milk Tea (Traditional), Hot Ginger Milk Tea (Cold Days), Mango Peach Black Tea

Avocado Snow, Honeydew Snow, Triple Berry Snow, Lychee Icy 

Favorite Special - Rose Vanilla Milk Tea (Not Available Now)

Chichi Fries, Elote Fries, Taiwanese Sausage over Rice with Chichi Sauce, Calamari

~:[CH11 - Day 93]:~ Sunday (Funday) Workday

 
~:[CH11 - Day 93]:~ Sunday Funday Workday

It was a full work day. As I mapped out my day, I knew it would be filled with posting photos, entering times, and prepping for the International next weekend. This is my final "big" event, as the remainder of the events this year Yes, I have a few track meets to host, but definitely not to the scale of the past month and a half. Regardless, I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I couldn't be happier. While work can sometimes be a drag, I get a sense of accomplishment when I check something off the list. One by one, I was able to file through my list of things to do and by day's end, I was exactly where I needed to be. Sadly, a few new things popped up on my radar,  however, it won't be long before I can say that I wrapped up most of the work, FOR NOW. Sunday was not a fun day, but at least I could smile after all the work that I finished up. Hooray!

~:[CH11 - Day 92]:~ The Long Haul

 
~:[CH11 - Day 92]:~ The Long Haul

The one thing you don't really miss about track are the marathon meets. Today, we were out for about 12 hours as we departed, had heats and flights galore, and then headed home. It's always tough, but we had a big group of athletes who actually waited out the entire day and I'm sure they glad they did. It felt a little more like old times as we screamed for each other, had our fun and competed well. In the 4x400ms we finished well with two seconds and a come from behind win, however, it wasn't as much about the placement as it was about athletes stepping up. This year's been a little bit tougher trying to get athletes back in the groove of things. Helping them understand that this sport is a team sport and the weight it carries when you bail on your team. Today's story was the opposite though as we highlighted athletes who stepped into the role. Our boys frosh-soph team had just downed a drink, eaten a burger, already in sandals and one had just finished the 200m; somehow they managed a second place finish. I had a frosh-soph girls team who had two athletes who had to clue what to do, step into spots. Our boys varsity team was fairly close to our original team, however had two tweak it just a bit, yet still managed a time relative close to where we've been. Finally, it was our scrapped together team as we had our distance athlete, hurdler, jumper and another distance athlete who came straight from her soccer game just to run the 4x400m. That team ended up winning the race. It was fun to see the athlete enjoying the competition and in the process PRing and medaling. Not everyone had a chance to place, however, all those who came had a chance to compete. It was great to see athletes who wanted to compete, which always make this long haul much more bearable. There have definitely been tough moments during the season, but to see all that these athletes can learn and the memories they create in the process make these long haul days worth it. I'm exhausted, but regardless, today was worth all those ounces of effort it took to survive the day. Congrats to all the athletes.

~:[CH11 - Day 91]:~ It's Friday

 
~:[CH11 - Day 91]:~ It's Friday

It was my first Friday that felt like one in awhile. My classes worked through the day, i spent a little time with the little ones and practice was a quick workout as we were sandwiched in between races. Sure, I had a decent amount to prep for the race, but regardless, it was a day that was absent of the stress that I've had the past few months. It was truly a Friday. Yes, I probably could have completed it by going out tonight, but instead, I rested. It was nice. I took a short nap and then ate a great dinner before getting back to doing this and that. The only downer for the day was the fact that I got April Fooled by Tastea as I really thought they had a blue thai tea. I was about to order it on the app to try it and realized it was a joke. I still went there anyway and got the new green milk tea, so I guess their marketing ploy worked. Simplicity is sometimes to the key to happiness and today, I was definitely a great Friday. I hope you all had a wonderful week, let's make the most of the wonderful weekend ahead!