I’ve spent the better part of the last week stuffing myself with tamales(1) and teeth-ruining candies(2).  This is the proper time to reflect on the holiday season.

I got to play with my school’s band during their holiday concert!  It was the first time in 10 years I had picked up a euphonium and boy did it SHOW.  I used to be all-area, and now the old man can barely keep his embouchure tight. I managed to practice enough to knock the rust off and basically sight-read a holiday medley in front of current and former students(3) and families (and fellow band nerds!)  The next day, a handful of my students were like I SAW YOU LAST NIGHT and I’m like I KNOW, DUDE!  It was a blast and definitely an experience I would seek to duplicate in the coming years(4).

Before I know it, I’m going to blink and we will be thrust into competition season for UIL in January.  I need more time with my CX Debate kids, but I’m only going to get two weeks.  Thankfully we have until March for everything else.

Oh, I can’t forget: my son is going to decide when he wants to be born any day now.  It’s all I’m thinking about.  This break is not long enough.

NOTES

(1) Close to a dozen black bean, a dozen cream cheese and spinach or cream cheese and jalapeño, a few pumpkin spice.  Still lots more in the fridge.  Louis CK is right: you don’t eat until you’re full, you eat until you hate yourself.

(2) About enough Twizzlers to go the distance of my intestinal tract laid end-to-end, a half-pound of dark chocolate of various flavors, a whole bag of ginger candies, and a sleeve of these.

(3) This was such a trip!  One of my debate teamers was back in town from Alaska and his first semester sounded pretty cool (apparently Alaska is a lot like Texas, go figure).  Another alum I worked with in UIL was down from Texas A&M and got hit pretty rough by a really rigorous-sounding first semester.  By his admission, he came in kind of arrogantly and not prepared for the intensity of the courses he was taking.  For me, this was  a reminder that even those best-suited for college from any background may not always be 100% emotionally prepared for it!  I know he’s making the adjustments he needs to do well, though.

(4) Fun fact: I went to high school with the assistant band director at my school.