Fare thee well, Blackberry

Friday night I did a stupid thing. I got pickpocketed in the most classic and preventable situation ever.

It was the day of the long awaited Dave Matthews Band concert at Nationals Park. One of my best friends in TFA lives in a high rise right next to the stadium. He invited all of us over for a pre-concert bbq on his roof. Beer and burgers flowed freely, and my friends and I spent most of the afternoon in the pool tossing a nerf football and working on our tans. Multiple points in the afternoon I announced that this was the best day of my life. Perhaps melodramatic (is anyone surprised?) but it was a truly carefree, wonderful day, and I felt lucky to be in the sun in a beautiful city surrounded by people I love. Before we knew it, it was 7 pm and time to cross the street to the concert. I changed and grabbed my phone, shoving it into the outside pocket of my purse. I had to meet a random person who bought an extra pair of tickets, and we were texting as I left the house to coordinate where to meet to make the trade.

Getting to the stadium was a cow herd. We've all been in that human sea, every time we enter a concert or sporting event. I didn't think much of it and was more concerned about finding this kid so I could get into the show. I got my tickets from will call and reached into my purse to text him and let him know I had tickets in hand, but alas! No phone.

You've got to be f------ kidding me!" I yelled. I'm not proud of my language, but I knew in that instant the phone was gone. Could it be back at the apartment? Did someone else take it by accident? Eh... maybe. But the sinking feeling I had in my stomach told me that I was sure it was in that side pocket. The scene was too easy for a crook- a huge crowd of people, hot and sweaty, pushing their way into the concert, everyone a few beers deep. Easy prey, child's play even! In any event, I knew I had to find a way to meet the person whose tickets I had, lest I be called a crook. I raced back to the apartment of my friend and borrowed a computer. Thankfully, emails go to phones these days and I was able to email him a meeting location and hand off the tickets.

I watched the concert rather glumly. Dave is a never-fail, but our seats were in no man's land, it was 100 degrees out even after the sun set, and all I could think about was my phone. I called mom to turn it off right away. Even though I knew it would make calling it to search for it impossible, better that than have all kinds of charges come up. You can do a lot of damage in 24 hours.

Life worked out well for me in the end- I was due for an upgrade and went the next morning. I got an iPhone, and so far I'm not sure how I feel about it. There's no doubt it's awesome. It's literally a computer, in your hands. But it's a tricky adjustment- the touch screen is hard for me to type on and I feel like I'm dropping calls left and right. Plus, I do miss my bbm. But I'm optimistic that I'll love it. It just feels like I did wrong by a nerdy, reliable boyfriend of two years. I ditched him at a concert and started dating DJ Pauly D the next day.

Peace and Love!

Ticker Tape Update

WHEW! What a way to kick off the month. The ticker tape update:

- We moved and are loving our "New Life." Living by Lincoln park in DC is so pleasant, quiet and pretty. Our home, a 1918 row house, is a gem and we're most of the way set up. I have a lovely room, backyard fit for a secret garden, and even a garage!

- Party on! 4th of July weekend was quite the show. Even though we moved on Thursday, the following Sunday we threw a birthday/housewarming/4th of July bbq that saw 25+ people in our new home and backyard. The capitol building is walking distance from our new place, so we meandered down to the steps to watch a glorious fireworks display. Best moment: Waving sparklers while singing loud rounds of the national anthem with dozens of total strangers en route to the capitol.

- Cousin Danny brought me to a Nats game. Not just any nats game. Since Dan is an Ivy grad, we got to meet Nats president Stan Kasten along with journalist Adam Rubin at a pregame meet and greet. I love baseball. I love Strasburg. I love baseball. Wait, did I say that already?

- Stacey Foster was here! I got to play hostess and tour guide with my darling college roommate and her friend from work. We did a night tour of the monuments, a day time trek around the city, and hit up 3 Smithsonians. We were dogged by day's end but very happy.

- And now, the beach. Yes, that's right- I'm in Rehoboth nannying for one of the Capitol Hill families I've been working for this summer and I'm not sure how I landed such a sweet gig. I'm in an enormous house with my own master suite, enjoying building sand castles with well-disciplined creative kids. So far I've already invented a high-five using feet and taught my little charges about rolly-polly bugs. It's going to be a great week!

peace and love.

The Time I sat in the Owner's Box at Fenway

Me and Dr. Charles, who now works for the Commissioner.

Mom and Dad- and our view from the Owner's Box.

Yep, John Henry in the background- PROOF!

When my mom asked me on a whim if I could get us Red Sox/Dodgers tickets, I had no idea what a day I was in for...

To pick up my tickets, I had to go to player will-call at Fenway park, which is not accessible to the general public. I found out from the main ticket window that I needed an escort to pick up my player tickets. The girl that arrived had a shirt on that said "Fenway Ambassador." Ah, the all-too-familiar polo.

"Hi, I'm Tori," I said to her. "Great shirt. I was actually an Ambassador at the Dodgers under Dr. Charles Steinberg."

"Wow, that's wonderful," She replied. "As a matter of fact, he's here today. Are you seeing him?"

"What!?" I exclaimed. "I had no idea. I'm gonna call him!"

I knew it was a long shot, but standing in line (behind Jon Lester's family) I dialed his cell. I was thrilled when he answered. "I hear you and I are both within the walls of Fenway Park today," I said. "You're kidding!" He replied. "Stay right where you are. I'm sending someone to bring you where I am."

Turns out "Where he was" was L1- the owner's private suite at Fenway Park! My family stared at the luxury suite fixings in awe- leather couches, gourmet food, and a functional office space for working during the games. My stomach did a flip as I realized just WHO I was surrounded by and WHO I was shaking hands with! Tom Werner, John Henry, even Heidi Watney stopped through. Then I heard a familiar voice...

"TOMMY! Colin! This is CRAZY!" Yep, Tommy Lasorda and my friend, his assistant, Colin were in the room.

"Tori! You're no better than that guy in the Revolution- what's his name- BENEDICT ARNOLD! For leaving us at the Dodgers!" Tommy joked with me. Apparently finishing my college degree wasn't a good enough excuse for my wavering Dodger loyalty.

Ghosts from my Dodgers past continued to come through the door, along with Boston front office stars. My head was spinning. It was a new level of professional elbow-rubbing for me. I doubt Tom Werner will remember me, but when I'm working in MLB someday I'll be able to say "Actually yes, we met at the Dodgers series in 2010."

Sadly, I didn't get to see too much of the game with all the people to meet, but I'd say it was a fair trade. My family reported that even though any day at the ballgame is a great day, they'd like to get used to those kind of seats! The day served to reinvigorate my love for working in baseball and give a little fuel to the thought that maybe-just maybe- I'll be in a front office again. After the last three years, I know God constantly laughs at my plans, so I don't bother making them anymore. But it sure would be nice...

We're moving this week. Stories to come. Peace, Love and Baseball!

BEST WEEK EVER

An odd thing happens when you turn 23, move away, and start working in the real world.
YOU MISS HOME!

You think you'd be ready for it after all your hot shot years at college, but such is not the case.

I don't know why this trip home in particular was so special. Maybe it's because I haven't seen my house since Christmas. Maybe it's because it's been such a chaotic year. Maybe it's because this trip was just packed with so many wonderful things. In any event, I can't remember being so relaxed or enjoying myself so much in a long, long time.

I got home very early Friday morning. Mom and I went out for breakfast at Cracker Barrel (I dare you to judge) and caught up on all sorts of gossip. We got back to Pittsfield, cleaned up, then headed to the local TV station to film Dad's show. This month's topic was lung disease. Each month he does a different topic with a different guest doctor. I'm proud of his excellent PR skills!

From the studio, we went to Berkshire County's Relay For Life, where Dad was the night's keynote speaker. Relay continues to inspire me in a way no other non-profit work does. It is simply so powerful. I choked on my own tears all night, and Dad gave a beautiful speech. Especially amazing was the applause for the Berkshire Health Systems Hematology/Oncology unit who took such good care of him.

Saturday, I got to see my sister and go to a Red Sox/Dodgers game that deserves its own blog entry. When I get the pictures from her, I'll tell the tale. Spoiler alert: The title of the next entry will be "The day I sat in the owner's box at Fenway!"

Sunday was Father's Day. Dad recently splurged on silver Mazda MX-5 and we went for a Sunday drive through the countryside with the top down. The Berkshires are as beautiful as ever and we got lost on purpose. Have you ever done that? It's wonderful. You never really can get lost, but you can discover roads you'd never think to drive! Some of the viewpoints we discovered were extraordinary. We ended the drive fittingly with ice cream sundaes, and the work week began.

I spent a lot of time with mom doing girly things: shopping, getting our nails done, and most thrillingly: making polish pierogies from scratch! You've never seen me cuss so much over a counter top. Those things are difficult! Smashing potato filling into thin gooey dough, pinching it all together without any potato escaping, boiling it before it dries out. Whew! It takes a real woman to handle these things! We made potato and sauerkraut stuffed ones, and they came out delicious...maybe F-bombs are the secret ingredient!

Dad and I wrapped up our time together going trout fishing in our canoe on the Housatonic river. And- we decided to let Barley test his sea legs. Let's just say this: A song was invented about the D-O-G that wanted O-U-T of the B-O-A-T ! He settled down eventually but there were a few canoe tips that were a little too close for comfort. It was a blast.

This entry could go on and on about lobster dinners, seeing neighbors and friends, home brewed beer, fireflies in the woods and all other delights of home, but I'll stop here.
Pics soon.
Peace and Love!

Ants in my pants

That’s what mom used to say when we were fidgety, cranky and rude and wanted to be anywhere but where we were. My kids have ants in their pants right now and so do I. Why bother coming to school in June? We haven’t been able to do anything since HSA testing started, and any sense of discipline or routine has dissolved into the wind. Getting kids to listen to me and try to force them to prepare for their final in my class has been like teeth on a chalkboard. (Yeah, teeth.) I can’t count how many kids I’ve kicked out of class and how many phones I’ve abducted. Let me out!!

Today really is my last day of teaching this year and I’m celebrating by going to the Nats game tonight. Our much-hyped phenom pitcher, Strasburg, is making his major league debut and for once, the stadium is sold out. I am stoked to be going and feel like a major rebel for going out on a weeknight.

In other news, I’ve started running again every other day. My body is furious since the last time I held any kind of exercise routine was oh, about a year ago. I can hardly take in a breath I am so sore. It’s my goal to have a better routine in my life next year and get a sense of normalcy back to my days. I don’t think that’s so much to ask! Maybe I’ll even get back into cooking and away from my microwavable prepackaged diet. Baby steps.

Finally, I will officially be home June 18-24 to rest, see my dad give his speech at the Relay For Life, and to hit up a Red Sox game, my first home game in years! If you’re going to be in the general New England area in that time slot, give me a shout.

Peace and Love.

Drama at Prom

You've got to read last week's post to understand this week's...

After the mayhem of the senior pranks, Ms. Marrow went easy on the students, all things considered. Her original threat of canceling all the senior week activities subsided, and instead she punished just the pranksters themselves. She was able to catch them all from the security cameras and despite raging parent protests, no one involved in the crime was allowed at prom.

Fast forward to last Thursday. Prom night at a local country club! To my delight, the students were beautifully dressed and everyone was looking great. When I was in high school, some girls pulled some skanky stunts on prom- and others just looked all out terrible in dress styles they should have never worn. These students, however, all looked fabulous, and it was clear that the girls were the boss- every boy matched his date to a T. There were corsages and boutonnieres, and everyone showed up in a limo. Everyone, that is, but one couple...

I was outside with my roommates when a straight-up Cinderella style horse and carriage pulled up the driveway to the prom. The couple inside was dressed to the nines. Yet something was amiss- the crowd outside started buzzing and I saw our administrators rush to the front of the crowd. At first I thought that maybe the issue was the horse. Do you have to get permission to have a horse trot up to the front of a country club mansion? Security approached the carriage: "You've got to move along, get out, get out now!"

The boy in the carriage stood up and addressed the gaping crowd. "Yeah ya'll! This how I bring my boo boo to prom!" The girl shouted "Yeaaah we won't be here long, don't worry!" Then it dawned on me: These were party crashers, the banned senior pranksters! I couldn't believe the gonads these kids had. But worst of all were the parents backing them up. They brought an entourage and made a scene. Our principal had to leave the beautiful celebration of the night to deal with a wildly inappropriate parents who were still furious that their kids were being punished. It was sad to see adults reinforcing such flagrantly disrespectful behavior. Well, as they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

I wish I had taken pictures at the event. It's hard not to feel like a kid at a dance! I felt like it would have been weird for me to have kids pose- we are, after all, the lame-o chaperons. All in all, it was a joyful evening. I'm always so happy to see my students in a positive light.

Memorial day weekend was delightful. Summer is SO HERE. I'll write again soon.
Peace and Love.

Lock down

"Adios chicos! Have a safe and fun weekend! Ciao! Hasta!" I called out to my students over the blare of the bell. Three periods down, one to go before I was free for the weekend. I took up my duty post outside my door to monitor the halls in between class. It was the Seniors' last day, and there were tears, hugs and pictures as students realized this was really it. Last period of the last day!

Suddenly, screams erupted. The hallways flooded with kids. "ALL STUDENTS MUST ENTER A CLASSROOM NOW!" The secretary yelled over the PA. "ALL TEACHERS PLEASE ADMIT STUDENTS, ANY STUDENTS NEAR YOUR DOOR INTO YOUR CLASSROOM. THIS IS A LOCKDOWN SITUATION I REPEAT A LOCKDOWN SITUATION, ALL STUDENTS YOU MUST GET TO A CLASSROOM IN THE NEXT 30 SECONDS."

Lockdown?
Lockdown?
My heart leaped to my throat. Why a lockdown? A gun in school? A trespasser? It really could be anything. We've never had an actual lockdown before.

"Come in, all you all down there, come in!" I yelled, suddenly militant. I herded at least 20 kids into my room and shut my door.

"What's going on?" I asked them.

"Rats!" A girl screamed.

"Rats! And snakes! And CRICKETS!" Another boy said, waving the news-bearing text message in the air.

"AND STINK BOMBS! TWO STINK BOMBS!" another one reported.

Nope, not a gun. Not a trespasser. But instead, a carefully plotted and rather impressive Senior Prank on the last day of high school. An entire menagerie released in the school's main hallways. And best of all? Every administrator distracted by an enormous food fight in the cafeteria- a purposely planned diversion.

As a survivor of the Wahconah Regional High School smoke bomb/cricket invasion of '05, I couldn't help but laugh. But just like the idiots in my day, the students were about to see some punishment. As they'd say, our principal "don't play." Last I knew, she was on her way to PetCo to check out the security cameras and find the perpetrators.

What a way to kick off a weekend!
It's been an equally exciting week. Updates soon.
Peace and love!