the core

I have a goal. I am going to do one chin-up next wednesday. Pepe is convinced that if I do 3 slow let-downs from the chin-up position everyday, plus three sets of ten bench-presses each day, I'll be able to do a chin-up in a week. I confess that I am mildly skeptical. He overestimates my muscles sometimes, I like to go a little bit slower. So I think I will do two days, skip a day, repeat, and try for the chin-up a week from sunday.

I cooked a real meal today, too. It's been a very healthy day, overall. I feel very pure and saintly. There's a word for it, this feeling of mine, but I can't remember it right now. you know what I mean.

I'm encouraged a little bit, too, about my math 10 class. I've been having a hell of a time with a handful of girls in that class. They've been spewing a lot of attitude at me, interrupting my lessons, talking back, yada yada. And when I contacted the parents, I got a lot of support - for the kids! So I had been feeling really isolated and a bit persecuted. Their behaviour was really damaging the teaching I was doing to the rest of the class. So I called parents again, explained again, and basically said that these girls don't have the right to stop others from learning... and it seemed like today went better. I talked to the girls myself, and was able to make them understand why they can't just argue with me while I'm teaching - and yes, I do know how to solve a balanced equation. we shall see.

but what's encouraging me most is that the students are finally starting to take me up on my extra help sessions after school. today I had the art room buzzing with grade 12s finishing their prints, and the math room buzzing more quietly with studious ones solving equations with one variable.

of course, all this activity and extra help and badminton and chinning-up leads to this: getting home at 10pm, exhausted.