Just Got Back Doing Only 90 Miles of the John Muir Trail

so i challenged myself this past week trying to do 90 miles of the John Muir Trail in the Sierras for 6 days! guess what hapened? yup...there it is! i completed my goal but my feet took the brunt of the punishment. there were many reasons why this gruesome sight occurred. one...i had relatively new shoes. two...my feet aren't used to a 45 pound weight on my back. three...this is my first time ever backpacking and i burst off the trail doing a 15 mile first day hike over one of the more difficult pass in the sierras. four...the terrain is unforgiving with an array of loose rocks, sand, uneven boulders, inclines, and declines. five...finally, i'm just a big wuss! i can't believe i allowed my feet to get in such a sickening and painfl predicament. there were times when i was trying to pace myself with my partner, rosenburg, ie. captain noodles. but i soon realized he is the grizzly adams of the sierras and i'm a first timer! consequently, i was given the monicker: "cityfoot."

anyways, i incurred the first of many of these badboys on the second day of a grueling downhill hike. i should have stopped quickly and taped myself off. unfortunately, we ran out of duct tape. i dragged on knowing there are hot spots slowly sending pain up my leg. but i kept on going because everyone kept on going. and this is the result. this is just one of a lot of interesting stories i have being out in the sierras for six days. pictures and wonderful vistas and people and everything else to come.

Yosemite Field Trip

I was invited to go to a yosemite field trip this past week because a group of sixth graders in my last year in pala middle school are now 8th graders and they are attending the trip. i thought it was an amazing trip! twelve students got to experience the beautiful outdoors....and not just the outdoors but yosemite. they volunteered to cook and clean. they worked as a team. they had the courage to always allow everyone to be part of the activities. they didn't complain at all and they wanted to experience everything. it was as if they have never really been out camping before. and more importantly, they appreciated the natural outdoors. they were amazed by the immensity of the natural features that yosemite offered.

personally, it was nice to catch up with some of the students i have had contact with a couple of years past. it felt good to see that they are doing so well. one of them was a student in my newcomer two years ago. it was very difficult for him to find friends because he is from vietnam and there weren't many students from vietnam. i couldn't translate things for him but, with the help of a dictionary, he was driven to learn english.

now he speaks academic english fluently. the students still make fun of his accent but he is comfortable with himself. as most newcomers know, trying to fit in is most paramount, and i am so proud of everyone trying to include him in all the activities. kudos to a special teacher joe bieleki, who made this all happen.

Ode To Ocala

when my wife asked me to come to the ocala end of the year dinner...i didn't hesitate. ocala is so important to our lives. heck....that is where we met and that is where we are always welcome. there are just so many good people there! in more ways than one...that is our home.

we arrived late at the graduation but a student of mine four years ago still recognized me. he was one of my problem children but what are you going to do....he was a 12 year old?!?!? now he is 18 and much taller than me. well...he came up to greet me. he told me that he still has pictures of me wearing my britney spears outfit! and i told him that i still use his Never-Eat-Soggy-Waffles to help my students remember north-east-south-west. he also told me that he still has my little trinket that i gave to everyone after my trip to thailand. i had my sunglasses on and i was glad because i was choked up. we talked about all the students in that class. most are all going to graduate on time from mt. pleasant. he is not going to graduate this year but he is staying for another year. and i wasn't surprised but he has a good heart. when we had to leave, i gave him a hug just like i gave him many years past.

uhhhhh....i really don't like to see people suffer but i really like this picture! i don't know how long she will be in county this time around but its all worth it after seeing this pic.

5 Reasons Why I Can't Stand Paris Hilton!!!

1. She is freaking stupid......i mean incredibly dense!

2. She has no originality. everything about her are cheesy imitations of cheap replicas from a crappy santa monica store.

3. cosmetic surgery, botox, pop music....fake fake and if its not kelly clarkson, justin t., hillary d. then its really fake!

4. She is a pretentious BRAT! in her tv show, she plays a rich brat.....she is good at it! but if that is the only thing redeeming about you....do you really deserve the credit?

5. She is out of jail in five days even though she is supposed to serve 45 days. drving with a suspended license, caught for drunk driving for the second time, endangering innocent lives on the streets of los angeles should not be allowed to leave incarceration after five days. its just not fair! ooooh she had a medical condition but its mental.....who doesn't have a condition when you are in prison!

i get it....most stars get special treatment! but she doesn't deserve "star" status. can someone please tell me why she is a "star"? what did she do? she sings? no she doesn't...she crawled around a beach and lip synched her way to noteriety! i hope she hasn't been punked yet.....cuz that is one of the stages in the development of a star. imagine if paris hilton disappears in the face of the earth. i don't think there would be any genuine and compelling response because no one really cares...because she hasn't inspired anyone to care! i can't stand this!!! ok wait....maybe there would be ribbons with her face on it in all her parents hotel rooms......but i think that's as far as it well get......really!