I awoke at 4:00 this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep. I kept thinking about Sally and her student who showed up with bullets and probably a gun. The day before she’d sent Jose to the office and Jose was none too pleased about that. What if Jose brought that gun in yesterday to get back at Sally, is what I kept wondering. And what if he sneaks it in today to finish the job?
Our schools are broken, broken. They’re underfunded and overcrowded. No child left behind is a failure, and increasingly we can’t even keep our kids and teachers safe. We have to at least do that. We can’t let bullies like Jose beat up other students and call the principal a “fucking pussy” and saunter into school with weapons and get away with it. There are children who really, truly do need to be left behind, and Jose is one of them.
Otherwise:
1. I couldn’t resist the siren call of a McDonald’s breakfast again today. I feel dirty for admiting that.
b. We’re off to a movie again tonight. This go around is Rango. If you’re counting at home, that’ll be three movies in the last week. I’m pretty sure that’s some kind of personal record.
d. My parents are visiting (read: spoiling the children) till Saturday. Slade and Eli will be mighty blue when Grammy and Papoo roll away. I’ll miss them, too.
XVI. Want to read a story about an old woman and a tooth that grows arms and legs and dances to circus music? It’s a lot better than I’m making it sound: http://martianqueen.wordpress.com/. While you’re there, be sure to also check out the piece called Samantha.
300. My 40th birthday looms.
Until tomorrow, dudes.
Bad Chemicals 
Awww. You’re so kind to link to my writing.
That’s whack about the student with the ammo. And, you know what? You’re so right. Some kids just aren’t going to make it. We have to leave some behind. Behind bars, likely. Sad, but true. I feel like Paul wastes a lot of time on the students who only bring the others down when he could invest in the ones that are on the edge but who might be saved.