It feels like this month has been two months long. Certainly, the personality of the month changed between the time prior to school starting and after it started. Here are some of the highlights:

The month started with Katrina, Peter, Irene, and Alistair visiting us. We took advantage of the nice weather on the first day and visited Whittier for most people's first times (it was my second, but only recently so) as well as hiked up to Byron Glacier. We followed that up with a trip to Seward, fascinating the my grandchildren with the Sea Life Center. Unfortunately, their trip was over quickly (although Peter did take the time to finish our bathroom's backsplash). Once again, the moose waited until the day after guests left to visit our yard.

There was barely breathing room after their visit and before I started my 25th year of teaching. I rearranged my classroom as a part of shaking things up and am still (after two and a half weeks) largely happy with that decision--especially in my larger classes.

We then brought two new members into our family: Grizz and Sockeye. A good amount of my time at home has been spent entertaining, being entertained by, or just snuggling with these adorable kittens. Months of begging from Connor paid off to all of our benefit when we picked up these friendly felines on Connor's fifteenth birthday.

There has been a LOT of football (even if just practices). The first "game" of Connor's football experience was morphed into a short, but exceptionally wet scrimmage. That downpour seemed to signal the beginning of the wettest August that we've had since we came up here.

Rowen began his first school year at Skyview Middle School while Connor entered SoHi as a freshman. While I miss the staff at Sterling Elementary, I am glad that I no longer have to hurry over there after my school day ends. 

Rowen started running cross country. He continually looks flushed when he gets in the car, but he almost always has a huge smile and something about that day's practice which he can't wait to tell me. 

Connor's first true football game was in Anchorage and was against a massive (but undisciplined) team. Related to this, Connor has been insisting on driving much more this month, and we let him drive from the pass to our house on the way back from the game. 

Janelle introduced Rowen to The Little Mermaid. We may be doing a 90s Disney musical marathon in the near future. 

We also completed a puzzle without losing a piece for the first time (that I can remember) since we moved up here.
​
At this point, we are halfway through Homecoming Week with the busiest parts of it still to come. September will be starting out at full tilt.

When I stop to think of it, it's really strange how we are stuck with certain concepts, even though better ones exist, just because it's how things "always" have been. In the U.S., the classic example is the imperial system of measurement, particularly in the case of distance. Why are we one of the only nations in the world to still measure in difficult-to-divide units of inches, feet, yards, miles, and acres when there is a much more practical base-ten system to be had? Do people realize how much this affects our educational system in math and science just due to wasted time on conversions alone? This is an "easily" fixed problem with a short-term cost and a long-term benefit.

In a similar vein is the QWERTY keyboard configuration which I am even using to type this post. It was literally DESIGNED to be cumbersome to use and to slow down typing. There are significantly better keyboard formats out there that are faster and much more ergonomically friendly, yet we continue to use this monstrosity. 

Progress just for the sake of progress is not a worthy goal. However, these are innovations that would have immediate, tangible benefits that would build gains into the future. Instead, we are stuck with the inefficiencies and difficulties simply because we do not wish to look towards the future.

Even without Homecoming this week, we would be busier than we are used to due to having boys at two different schools, each involved in a different sport. With Homecoming added in, there is also the dance to chaperone. This year, in addition to the relatively traditional bonfire which I just as traditionally have not attended, our school is keeping the after-game "tailgate party" from last year. At that time, it had been a replacement to the official dance; however, it was popular enough that it is part of the new Homecoming tradition.

That would seem to be enough--except that we now have a son in high school who wants to do everything. Thus, on top of the upcoming football games, dance, tailgate, and possibly the bonfire later this week, he was at the school this evening practicing for the "Peach Fuzz" volleyball which is held tomorrow evening. To reciprocate for their female fans, those boys are expected to cheer on the girls on Wednesday's "Powder Puff" football games.

There's also something about an educator's food truck rally tomorrow ...

I'm not in the right mindset to write a post that reflects on today's readings. Everything in my mind regarding the message from either the reading or today's homily is on the attack. I'm so frustrated with people using Christianity as a weapon, but here I am only thinking of ways to do the same myself.

The truth is that I still have a long way to go in my own journey as a Christian. It's entirely too easy for me to point out the faults in others without truly acknowledging how far short I am from what Jesus wants me to be. Just the fact that I want to go on the attack to prove that my views are somehow better than others shows how far I am from the teachings of Jesus.

I need to remember that Jesus was there for anyone willing to listen to His word. Jesus shows mercy greater than any judgement that I might have about someone's lifestyle, from the poorest prostitute to those who have made their fortunes through the manipulation of taxes. It is not my place to deny mercy where Jesus has given it.

We have a stack of unopened puzzles from a couple of years ago. Most of them are of Thomas Kinkade paintings. Every once and a while, we will go on a puzzle rampage, tackling one puzzle after another, but we haven't done so for a while. We even have a full table dedicated to these efforts. Usually, Katrina completes a puzzle while she is up here. Unfortunately, her trip was too short for her to finish it this time, so Janelle and I have been picking away at it for the past couple of weeks.

Today, we finished it. By far, the biggest surprise was that we were able to finish the whole thing. This is the first puzzle that I can remember since we've moved up here where we haven't lost a piece (or more) during its construction. Even using puzzle mats, we always seemed to lose a piece to oblivion (we suspect that our dogs might think they are treats). That was not the case this time as we finally got to see the whole picture. This was particularly surprising as Sockeye had jumped and slid into the loose puzzle pieces at least twice.

It was fun to put together a puzzle again after not doing so for a while. I haven't decided if I want to start another one anytime soon. I feel like leaving it on a high note for a little while.

I came home from D&D to find Janelle and Rowen watching The Little Mermaid. I happened to arrive just in time for the "Kiss the Girl" song, which I immediately started to sing, and was just as immediately hushed. I was a bit surprised to find that I had nearly every line from there to the end of the movie memorized (also, I was hushed a couple more times). 

The Little Mermaid came out right when I was in high school choir and taking voice lessons. We were singing those songs nearly every chance that we got. As a baritone/bass, I particularly loved getting to sing along with Sebastian in a vocal register that didn't break me (unlike most popular songs from that time). Disney really had something special going in the 90s. 

​It was nice to feel that bit of my youth again today.

Yesterday, I talked about vaccine requirements keeping families from signing up from my Rome and Athens trip. Today, I discovered that EF Tours (the tour company running my trip) has dropped the requirement of proof of a vaccine to enroll in their trips, but will follow the laws of the countries where there trips take place. Apparently, Greece stopped requiring proof of a vaccine in May, and Italy dropped requiring proof of a vaccine in June. When I asked for clarification from our tour consultant, I was told that the vaccine is still recommended and that the situation is still "fluid," but it looks like more and more restrictions are easing. 

​I sent out this information this evening. We will see if it makes a difference. I do wish that I had been told this even a day sooner.

Here are some brief words on standardized testing, COVID requirements that affect travel, and college debt forgiveness.

Many of my students are not taking the MAPS testing that we are doing seriously. I'm seeing scores that would put their reading levels at those of an average third grader. While there are students with severe reading disorders, there are a large number of students who are just blowing off the test--even thinking it's funny. I despise high stakes testing, but no-stakes testing is almost meaningless as data.

I'm fairly certain that I could have filled two tour buses for my Rome and Athens trip if it wasn't for COVID and the number of vaccine deniers in our community. I've had numerous students come to me upset (more than one in tears), asking if there was any way for them to go without the vaccine because one of their parents refuses to let them get it. At present, the our tour company is requiring them as travel requirements in Italy and Greece are in flux. I'm irritated that parents are holding back their children from such opportunities due to petty politics.

Today's announcement of $10,000 ($20,000 for Pell Grant recipients) of student loan forgiveness is a step in the right direction even if it falls well short of what needs to be done regarding the costs of higher education. 

Since June, I've been the DM of a classic campaign based on an old SSI game: Pool of Radiance. I've run this game as a DM twice before (once all the way through), but I did so using my home-brewed 3.6 edition rules. This time, we are playing with 5th edition rules--with which I am not as familiar.

It had been in my plans from the start to introduce some home-brew concepts (usually in the form of items) as the game continues. However, talk about the upcoming One D&D (essentially 6th edition) had me thinking about one aspect from 3.6 that I wanted to bring in: better critical hits. While 5th edition simplified the rules on critical hits from 3.5, they still don't seem that effective. Even though the player gets to roll two of the damage dice, it is still quite possible (likely even) that a "critical" can do less damage than a normal one.

For this reason, I'm bringing back my max damage rules for 19s and 20s on a d20. Basically, if the player rolls a 19 on an attack roll (as long as it indicates a hit), they do not need to roll the damage die as they automatically do the maximum damage allowed by that attack. If the player rolls a 20 (which is always a hit), they only need to roll the damage die (or dice) once as they add that value to the maximum damage allowed by that attack. Any additional damage (such as with sneak attack) is rolled as normal. This way, all critical attacks do more damage than a normal attack AND players get to celebrate when rolling a 19 as well as a 20. Note: I'm not aware of 5th edition rules that expand the die rolls that allow for a critical attack, but if there are some, I would expand the home-brew for those instances. Also, I only do this for player characters and NPC party members; monsters would have too great of an advantage (since there are more of them) if I used this rule for them, so they would follow the standard damage rules. 

I'm hopeful that my players will like this change.

We are just walking jungle gyms for Grizz. He has taken to climbing up us while we are standing and perching on our shoulders. Today, he managed to fall asleep on Janelle's shoulder while she was preparing dinner. Most likely, he will grow too large to be able to do this much longer, but I'm enjoying the feel of being like a pirate while it lasts.

Sockeye has not been able to climb all the way up on us. Instead, she has taken to assaulting the tablecloth, books, Grizz, and our feet. Usually, she preforms hit-and-runs, pouncing from out of nowhere and then taking off at full speed down the hall. Sometimes, she is more determined. This caused a bit of a problem at breakfast today as Grizz was perched on my lap while I was trying to eat; however, his tail was hanging down enough to make a temping target for Sockeye who kept latching onto my leg to give herself the leverage to attack the offending tail.

Still, my favorite moments are when they collapse in kitten exhaustion and just purr in my lap.

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells a parable that has disturbed me for as long as I can remember. After first telling people that they should strive for the narrow gate and warning that most will not be strong enough, He then tells of a master who has locked his door and will not admit those who are knocking at his door. The master goes so far to say that he does not even know them despite them having eaten and drank in his company and listened to his teachings.

Jesus' description eerily presages the Catholic mass. In it, we listen to His teachings and we eat and drink with Him (consuming Him directly). Yet, in this Gospel, Christ is saying that the mass is not enough. Jesus was telling the people that there was no secret knock that lets people into the clubhouse of heaven. There's no formula or magic words that unlock salvation for us. Instead, He tells us that we need to give up ourselves for others.

I like my life, my family, my friends, my house, my job, and the many other things that God has given me in this life too much to let them go. Sure, I go to church regularly, pray regularly, and try to live a moral life, but this Gospel seems to say that those things are not enough. In today's homily, we were told that we cannot presume our way to heaven, but that we need to strive for it. We can place our hope in the Lord, but we should not rely on the presumption of salvation without working towards it in our lives.

I've expressed this concern before--that what I do is not enough, that I do not have the strength for the narrow door. In response, some people have said that I shouldn't have any worries in that matter--that if I couldn't get in, most people wouldn't. While that seems like a nice thing to say, I feel that it's also exactly what Jesus was saying, "... many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough."

My hope has been that God will lift us all up despite our failures. Now my hope includes hoping that such a hope is not presumptuous. 

C-team (freshmen and first time sophomores) have their games on Saturday mornings. This weekend, they headed up to Anchorage after lunch on Friday for the JV and Varsity to play Service High School. The C-team watched those games and then stayed the night so they could play Bartlett High School's C-team (composed entirely of freshmen according to one of the other parents) this morning.

Janelle and I woke up early and drove up, picking up our friend Rob and arriving just minutes before the game began. We brought rain gear and a change of clothes due to the rainy weather forecast. More experienced parents brought a canopy which they were willing to share. Thankfully, there was not much rain during the game.

 The Bartlett team was big, but undisciplined. They intimidated our team for much of the first quarter (especially after an early injury), but once our guys got their feet under them (so to speak) and realized that the big guys were not unstoppable, they pushed forward and got ahead by making fewer mistakes, getting fewer penalties, making fewer turnovers, and keeping up their energy. By the second half, the Bartlett team was almost completely worn out--a testament to the benefits of the summer conditioning most of our guys completed. Best of all, our team was considerably more sportsmanlike. 

Connor got in more play time than he thought he would. He got in a few tackles on defense, blocked when he needed to block, got railroaded over twice, and was completely open in the end zone on the final play of the game even if the quarterback was under too much pressure to see him. He hurt a bit and was tired by the end, but not so tired that he wasn't willing to drive most of the way back home (after we had lunch, met with friends, and did a short Costco run). He also had fun.

I had a blast! Rob and the surrounding parents provided me with insight and commentary. I yelled my voice hoarse--sometimes to comic effect (singing might be a bit interesting tomorrow). I am certainly glad that we decided to go.

As you may have noticed, I had some initial hesitancy about bringing cats into our family again, but I have clearly been entirely won over. This is not a surprise to me as I have loved (most) cats for as long as I can remember. There was a solid portion of my youth when a cat was my confidant and best friend. I love watching cat (and dog) videos and pictures on social media (some of the best parts of social media).

Sure, Grizz and Sockeye have left kitty surprises a couple of times already. I also now have tiny scratches on my legs, arms, and chest ... not out of any maliciousness on their part, but from when they are using me as a jungle gym, or just trying to climb into my lap or onto my shoulder or onto the table as they are quite "food aggressive." That, and I really need to watch my step, especially in the morning, since they love to be literally underfoot. 

However, these kittens have been a tremendous joy. I've found myself spending more time just sitting back in one of our comfortable chairs as one or the other (or both) purr while lying on or next to me. Similarly, I've been taking time to sit on the floor and animate their cat toys so I can watch them preform their amazing acrobatic feats. It's particularly precious that Grizz will follow me around, meowing, until I pick him up--at which point, he nuzzles and purrs, occasionally giving me "kisses" with his nose. Sockeye, being a month older we now know, tries to act much more dignified, so her decisions to snuggle up are even more special.

We had waited to get cats due to the trauma and difficulties involved when our previous cats passed away. It was the right decision at the time. Now, we appreciate these little treasures all the more.

This week, I've told my classes one of my core beliefs: the world is better now than it was in the past. In fact, I expand on that to say that the world is on a positive projection to an even better future. Now, I know that many of you are wondering how I could believe anything so outlandish. I had a recent conversation with an well-educated younger man (not a student) who was concerned that the world was reaching a breaking point: that our politics are more divided than ever, that our environment is speeding to disaster, that our nation's democracy is in serious question (as are democracies around the world). No doubt many other people would agree with him. 

I don't deny that events in our present day can look pretty grim. However, they did in the past too. Yesterday, one of my "artifacts" that I shared with my world history class was a bust of Abraham Lincoln--my all-time favorite president. As much as our nation might seem divided, during his presidency, it literally was, yet he brought us through it, even paying the ultimate price in the end. We worry about the conflict in Ukraine and the military posturing of Russia and China, but 40 years ago we not only had a similar concern, but also the continual threat of nuclear annihilation. The devastation of COVID-19 is nothing compared to the effects of the Black Death in Europe or smallpox on Native Americans.

There are plenty of statistics to back up these core beliefs of mine. One of my absolute favorites is from the now-deceased Hans Rosling called "200 Countries, 200 Years, 4 Minutes." I highly recommend that you look it up. It's a bit dated as it was made in 2010 (Rosling passed away in 2017), but it not only does a fantastic job of visualizing data that supports my point (and his), but it demonstrates how progress is continually made that has raised both health and wealth throughout the world. 

Certainly, we need to watch out for the pitfalls. Certainly, the world will never be perfect. Yet, it is in striving to be better as well as confronting and overcoming our faults that we can build our world to be better for everyone.