Autumn is Here!

 The official start of the Autumn season is upon us. Temperatures are finally dropping below 90'. The air feels cooler at night. School is almost a quarter over. Football season is in full swing.

Our Moss Point Tigers are 3-2 as of last Friday, and it is a rabid crowd indeed! I went to the first three games. The first game, it was so hot, and the air was so humid. The combined smell of B.O. and nachos was enough to send my allergies into a tail spin, but that game, we won. We've got football. So, if the school with the higher state test scores beats us... we "ain't got nothing."

My classes are good. I have some really great above average kids, some punks, some footballers, some diva dancers, and some white kids. My classroom smells like Fabreeze, cinnamon apple, and urine. I can't get rid of the latter smell, and everyone in my room for more than an hour (myself included) complains of headaches. The maintenance guys came in to check for mold, and they said all they smelled was air freshener. I was hoping they would have a more systematic method for detecting mold in the walls or A.C. unit besides sniffing around.

I saw Smokey Robinson live last weekend... amazing... purple suit for the first act... red leather pants for the second act... oooooooEeeOOOOOHHHH... Baaaby...Babyeeeeeee.....

This past weekend was opening night of a show I'm in, written by Horton Foote, called "Dividing the Estate." The show takes place in Texas and is at the Center Stage Theatre, which is the "biggest pond" on the Gulf Coast. It's directed by the only paid director on the MS Coast (which is really sad, since the director is your classic prototype of the starving actor). Even though my part is smaller than minor, I'm enjoying working with a great cast of local "celebrities" and just having adult conversations that aren't about the dismal state of education... it's all very refreshing.

The moon has been full. The sunsets have been gorgeous. Talk of oil spill seems to be but an echo, even though the economic and environmental effects still linger, just not on the front page of the paper. Sometimes, driving home, it all makes perfect sense to me. There's no sense of urgency here. There's not much determined enterprise. If you can't make it better, make art. What else is there to do, but sing the blues, hip-hug dance, make babies, sweat, rinse, and repeat.

Meanwhile, Rachel is loving college as a biology major. She started at Mississippi State University on August 11, and since then has been living large and loving life. I took the day off to help her move in, and it was every minute worth it. She was the first of the Bergeron daughters to spread her wings. Mom was a wreck when we left. I drove with Rachel and Brian followed, so that Rachel could keep her car on campus. We talked about life, school, friends, and music. The next day, we helped Rachel get set up with her room, her printer, and her books for class, with a little time on the side for lunch with her and her roommate, Evelyn, and Evelyn's folks. We took a trip to the grocery store together to make sure the fridge was fully stocked (their room has a full size fridge and microwave! I know!!). I remember all too well moving in to college, and heping Rachel set up was one of the most fulfilling experiences I've had as a step-parent. It's ok to be excited and sad at the same time. But let your kids be the ones to push away first. Brian sends postcards and carepackages on a weekly basis. Why not let your sons and daughters know how much you love them!? I've sent a few trinkets and cookies.

MSU recently defeated the GA Bull Dogs (who hasn't at this point), and Rachel has found herself to be a bigger than expected football fan. The MSU mascot happens to also be the bull dog. She has discovered her school's theatre scene. I'm looking forward to hearing back on upcoming productions. And more football. We'll catch the MSU game against KY at the end of the month.

I have 5 more performances of "Dividing the Estate." My lesson plans on Area and Polygons are done for the week. Students will share their paper quilt blocks at the end of the week. I don't feel like I'm preparing any of them for real college work, but if they're learning while in my class, that's all that matters.