The Story of Therapy Dog Tails 601
The Story of Therapy Dog Tails 601
Where Everyone Gets a Dose of Puppy Love
BACKGROUND 266: JLHS Part Two 39
Sat., Oct. 27, 2007
… Anyway, that was a good thing that happened this week - the kids concerned about me. And Amanda showing up. But she was gone by the time I got out of 5th period. I didn’t even get a chance to introduce her to Keely and maybe that was a good thing. But she said that Raul was going to call and that he was definitely not coming to the school so if he called, she’d leave. He called and she left so when I called her between the teacher’s cafeteria, where I’d seen Borenstein briefly, and the auditorium, she told me that Ben’s mother had just died and that’s how I found out about that - from Amanda. I got my picture taken with the sweater and then went to Ben to offer condolences. He said that the funeral was going to be here on Friday and that it was more of a relief than a surprise since she had been suffering from Alzheimer's for a long time. She’d been moved from Florida, where they had retired, to Ben’s sister’s place near Las Vegas for the past few years but the funeral was going to be here.
At the end of the day, Keely and I went up to medical to check on the room for tutoring that I’d been promised by Quintana (principal) and Pichardo (no. 2 guy up there). We found Quintana, who acted like he had never heard of it before and made an appointment with Pichardo for the following day. Now that is scheduled for Monday so maybe we can get that going. finally next week. I didn’t even recognize the guy when I saw him getting off the elevator. I mean, I’d only seen the guy once.
Unfortunately, at 8:48 Luz just walked in so that puts an end to my Dave Clark Five night.
Nine twenty. I just got a message from Amanda asking what I’m listening to. She had just sent me something about enough is enough and telling me that they found an apartment near where Lizzie is. Lizzie is on 146th St. near 6th Ave., which is an up and coming place. In fact, her brother, who was in NY before she came, just moved into a brand new building on 145th St. at about 6th or 7th Ave., very close to where Lizzie and Karl are. And they are throwing a Halloween party right now. We were invited but I declined., saying it was too much for us to come in on a Saturday. But really I figured it was going to be for the young people - and I think most of the new young teachers are going to this. Lizzie had sent an e-invitation and I had not responded so she asked if Luz was coming. I told her to call Luz herself but I think in the end that Lizzie preferred to keep it young so when I told her yesterday that I didn’t think we’d make it, she was probably happy about that. She didn’t call Luz and I was not about to invite Luz, given our situation. Lizzie must have some awareness of how things are between Luz and me. She must know that things are not perfect and she probably has more sympathy for Luz than she would for me if it came to that.
I have not talked to anyone about Luz and me, by the way, friend. I mean, there are only a few people to whom I might speak. First is Andy and I have said nothing to him. He, of course, is going through his own very bizarre situation with Toni. I’ve thought that they were finished and have even at times encouraged him to look around because he is young enough to start over. I thought he was going to do that but then Toni shows up and he acts like nothing is happening. So I don’t know what’s going on with him and Toni but he doesn’t seem to be looking for anything. If I were in his place, I’d have invited Yael a long time ago. The difference is that he doesn’t have any kids and doesn’t have a house. Those are the things that are making me feel trapped.
Then there is Amanda. She knows more about what is going on between Luz and me than anyone but she is under the misconception that she is the root of the problem. She is part of the problem. She might even be the root of the problem since it was her friendship that initially kept me away from home. But she is not the most significant part of the problem which is still Yael. I’m still thinking of her every day and every night even though I have had not contact with her recently. I’m going to write her this letter and maybe that will be tomorrow and given the state of things right now between Luz and me, there is no telling what I might say in that. I just can’t imagine spending what is left of my life with someone who treats me the way Luz does, as though I am some sort of servant and she is the only thing that exists in the universe. I think I’m the one who deserves something like that.
It’s now 9:40 and all 12 DC5 LPs have played through. I think I’m on my 10th beer and I’m going to keep going even though the volume is now vastly reduced because of the presence of Luz. I won’t listen to it loud with her around.
I was talking about Wednesday, Oct. 24th. Freij came to me at the end of the day to talk things over. I told him that Hoxha had told me the day before that he didn’t like what he was seeing from Freij and that he was very upset that Freij had blown off the post-ob meeting with Vieira. Freij had no excuse for that so I told him that he had to go in there on Monday and try to reverse this idea that Hoxha had got that he (Freij) was some sort of renegade. Hoxha has the idea that Freij cannot take advice or criticism and would only do things his own way, which is what he thought of Barnhart. So I told Freij that he ought to go in there on Monday and apologize for everything, especially missing the post-ob on Friday morning, and say that he was going to make every attempt to put into effect every recommendation that they had for him. He said that he’d do that and that was when Keely walked in with Daniel [name] to say that Daniel, who has been a pain in the ass in 9th grade B50, had been promoted to 10th grade. That was good news for all concerned. A bit later Keely and I went upstairs to look for Quintana / Pichardo as described a little while ago.
It’s about 10:15 now. Luz and Geoff walked in more than an hour ago. I turned the volume down and kept at what I was doing. Now I am on beer number 12 although we’ve gone around the entire DC5 catalogue and have come back to American Tour again right now while I’m on beer number 12 with burgers frying on the oven. I don’t know where Luz and Geoff went and don’t care but they came back with a bit of Cottage food but it wasn’t what I like and they know what I like. I always order the same thing there - hot & sour soup, sesame noodles, seafood dumplings and fried rice of one kind or another. They came back with none of this, which was deliberate, of course. Luz offered me some food that she knew I would not be interested in and so it was just to say that she and Geoff had gone to the Cottage without me. This is how she reacts to my disappointment and disillusionment and disgust with what she does to me. There will never be acknowledgment and apology and any attempt to make up for how she has treated me for the past 15 years. She will only attempt to get me to get into step with her and forget everything that she’s done to me. I can’t do that.
In any case, I’m still typing and drinking my 12th beer since about four o’clock, which was when I walked up to Stiles. I just sent Amanda what will probably be the last text of the night saying that I was listening to the Dave Clark Five and that I thought that Link was getting over her now. I thought that might prompt her to respond but maybe it won’t and maybe it’s better if she doesn’t. I like Ron a lot and so I don’t want anything at his expense, even something as personal as an interchange between me and Amanda, which to me is very personal. I know that Ron had the hots for her and he told me straight out last night that it’s over between him and Valerie and that she is just draining him financially so it’s not surprising, with Amanda gone and engaged,. tat he might fall for someone else and that someone else is Kate Lupson. I don’t blame him. She is very appealing in every way. So I suggested in that last message to Amanda that Ron is over her but she hasn’t responded. That’s good. It’s about 10:30 now.
The Olds was not here all day. I’m assuming that they drove it to the train station and left it there although where Geoff was going is still a mystery to me. He said nothing to me when he came back into the house. That meant that I had to walk out for beer, which I did around 4 o’clock. Now at 10:30 I’m drinking the last of those 12 Stellas. I had to walk all the way up to Stiles for the beer. I thought i could get it right here round the corner on St. Georges but that place was locked up. I don’t know why. It’s a bar but I’d bought Becks there on at least one occasion. They’re not open right now.
Where was I? Let’s send a text message right now to Lizzie telling her to have a good time at her party. Wait a minute . . .
Well, friend or fiend, I actually just sent a couple of messages to Amanda. I guess she’s at her grandparents’ place up there in New Jersey but I don’t know for sure. I hope she’s there and that Raul is down with his uncle in Staten Island because I’ve been texting her more than I intended to. Now, on my 12th beer, I’m talking about the “essence of life” and demanding that she help me with that. I’m not that drunk. In fact, I just turned on the World Series but it isn’t too interesting. Boston, who is up in the series 2 to zero, is leading this game in the 5th inning by 6 to nothing. I’d rather be listening to music but Luz and Geoff are around now so I can’t listen the way I’d like to listen - i.e., with some volume. It’s almost eleven o’clock now ….
