Spring Break Roundup

I never did get around to posting more photos from our strike days, so they will be part of this post. I’m freaked out that Spring Break is drawing to a close, but the non-work might last even longer. There has been no news about negotiations this week at all, which is very surprising to me; I assumed the union and the school district would get this hammered out during this no-student window. A two-day strike doesn’t really affect anybody, but any longer is just bad. Will it magically get solved tomorrow? No magic needed, just effort, common sense and a calculator.

Holy shit, is that my Mom in the other room playing Massive Attack?? It couldn’t be. Unless she’s hipper than I ever imagined! Why do I still live here? Mika said that teacher salaries in Portland were similar to the ones down here but that the cost of living was much lower. But…it’s Portland. Hayward isn’t exactly a cultural mecca, but at least it is near stuff. I imagine Portland to be drabness surrounded by hiking and fishing. Ah, can’t make assumptions. If my goal is to live in Seattle and, eventually, Vancouver, then perhaps Portland is a natural first step.

So, today, I drove over to Stanford University to work on some writing. I love college. One of the first people I noticed when I got out of the car was some girl wearing blue jeans with a white blazer and riding a longboard. Fifty million other students riding bikes. Announcements written in chalk on the ground. The dude in White Plaza with “Follow Jesus” printed on his sandwich board. Part of me was hoping I would run into Sebnem Kimyacioglu but she’s gotta be long gone from that campus (although I should be, too). A real comfortable place to be. So I finished my letter to Naomi in the Peace Corps and wrote some song lyrics, too (A productive day!). For all of my issues talking with people face-to-face I think my written words can really deliver my messages elegantly (based on THIS blog, you say?? Keep dreaming). So, I will continue writing even tonight.

Last, I fixed my bike today. Couple of problems, though. I couldn’t get the brakes working properly, so…I gotta perform the Fred Flintstone braking. Second, it must have been some time since I rode the bike because I totally ripped my nylon basketball shorts while getting on. Right down the crotch. That’s a good thing, actually, because it wasn’t noticeable. But when I felt that cold metal bicycle frame down below I realized it was a double hull breach. Point is, I need to go shopping.

Okay, so now I can’t get any other photos up. But here’s KRON VJ Will Tran interviewing some students. Note how the school behind them is empty!