Walking around with my fly open

(8:42) Something I seem to be doing a lot lately. Maybe it has something to do with the lack of sleep, or the abundance of hydration.

(9:40) One listless 2nd year class down, 3 more (1 2nd year plus 2 1st year) to go. There's another class in 3rd period, a 道徳 (morality) class for 1B, which I along with all the teachers have to stand in and observe for some reason.

(10:38) A slightly more energetic 2nd year class finished. I wonder what Simona is doing with her visiting ex-boyfriend Jacob today?

(11:40) Finally a break. The morality class was about aiding and treating handicapped people. Students read an essay about a Japanese man visiting England, saw a boy in wheelchair fell off the curb, offered to help but was stopped by the boy and all the surrounding Brits. The boy helped himself back onto the curb with everybody watching and cheering. Essay was followed by students discussion. Didn't think there was anything special about the lesson, at least not enough for it to be observed by basically the entire school staff, and for there to be a celebatory enkai after school today. I'm guessing it's probably because there is a handicapped boy (渡辺遼, Ryo Watanabe has a visitably weak and frail right leg and hobbles rather than walk--who belongs to the baseball team) in 1A.

(11:49) Just another 5 classes on a supposedly 3-class day. I guess it's kind of flattering in a way that they want me in the classrooms more often than I'm scheduled for, even though (or, precisely because) I'm basically a \300,000 per month tape recorder to them.

(11:54) Did I mention Simona's ex-boyfriend Jacob is in town? Did I mention that she had a crush on this guy since high school? He came in last night and I should've invited him to basketball so I can give him a proper introduction to Jeff.

(11:57) Speaking of Jacob and basketball, whatever happend to Casey Jacobson? Is he still in the league?

(12:09) From Chris Sheridan's NBA trade review, on last August's largest trade of NBA history sending Walker, JWill, Posey to the Heat and a bunch of spare players and draft picks to 4 other teams: "Winner: Hornets....which surrendered only the rights to Duenas (the hairiest player on the planet; if he ever makes it to the NBA, he'll be Wookie of the Year)." Nice, I can't wait.

(12:17) Darko is loose! So blogging live for once finally caught a historic moment.

(12:20) Out to lunch.

(13:28) Back from lunch.

(15:34) Whew. Done for the day after 2 more afternoon 1st year classes. I like my 1st year classes where the students are not as jaded as the 2nd years and not as stressed (about entrance exams) as the 3rd years. Snuck into the gym and napped on the gymastic mats during the cleaning time. I figure it can't be any worse than other teachers sneaking behind the martial arts gym (yes we have one of those, pretty much exclusively for the kendo team) to smoke fags.

(16:13) Just finished filming a couple of 2nd year students for their video letter to Temecula. 野波祐太(Nonami Yuuta) introduced about the computer room and 藤川英憲(Fujikawa Hidenori) introduced the martial arts gym. Fujikawa-kun failed to mention about it being the teachers' favorite smoking spot. I'm now alone in the staff room as all the teachers are in a conference talking about this morning's morality class.

(16:25) Uh oh, Noguchi-san just showed up in the staff room.

(16:40) Noguchi just left. She's a lady in Shio part of Nakayama who's got a few loose screws in her head (I have met, or heard of, quite a few nuts of varying degrees in Nakayama, must be in the water) who comes into the staff room every once in a while. This is the first time I've seen her this year. She usually says "Hi" timidly while putting her hand on my shoulder and putting her mug right next to my face and smile dumbly. I would have to force myself to stare at the computer screen so that I wouldn't rub her nose accidently if I turned my head. She would keep asking me if I speak Japanese or know about her son, Kinya Noguchi, who's in high school and is 17 (Honda-sensei didn't tell me much about her son, but from her reaction when I asked her I'm guessing he's either a much bigger nut, much older than 17, dead, or all of the above; btw Noguchi-san kept visitng Amy last year too and kept trying to fix her up with her "son"). I wish Kanada-san would give me a warning when she comes to the staff room so I can pop into the bathroom.

(17:05) I'm outta here.

(23:54) Time to crash. Ate a smallish dinner of soup dumplings and finished watching Paranoia Agent without Simona, who's with her ex-boyfriend crashing at her apartment for the night. he fact that I didn't go to the gym or do my dishes or laundry or showered have nothing to do with it.