Students were sick and slightly depressed this week from the after-effects of Homecoming.  Now that it’s over the kids are realizing that the grind is real from now until Thanksgiving, with report cards heading out in a couple of weeks.  Absences were up as well as the weeks of eating crap and staying up late caught up with the teenage physiology. 

*****

Here is the Homecoming scorecard!  There are over 9,000 potential points to be had in a variety of categories.  Now look at the one that actually matters to one’s education:

Attendance:  200

At least we have our priorities straight.  A paltry 2% of a School related event counts actually showing up for class.  And hey look; the Seniors won Homecoming, and they only had the second worst attendance. 

*slow clap

*****

Oh, and for those that say that Homecoming is about school spirit, there’s another 2% category.  What’s more the classes chose class colors to be worn on Friday instead of school colors.  Senior class color?  Black.  Junior class color?  Orange.

Colors of the Santa Rosa High School football team that we played Friday evening?  Black and Orange. 

You got to love the school spirit that is kind enough to have half the home bleachers actually wear the colors of the opposing team.

*slower clap

*****

Monday was Professional Development Day.  The afternoon meeting involved an ER doctor, a sheriff, and a former gang member.  What did we learn?

-Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease in Ukiah. 

-Ukiah is four times the state average for alcohol related crimes. 

-Parents are knowingly allowing kids to party at their homes.  Not just their own kids, all their friends as well.

-Parents think that current marijuana strains are just like the strains they smoked long ago.  Some current strains are 25-30 THC.

-Remember pot brownies?  I don’t.  I do know that honeyoil is about 80% THC and people are now putting honeyoil into brownie mix and taking it to school. 

-Meth is terrible.

-Molly is around and kids seem to insist that it is a safe form of ecstasy.

-Bath salts are not only in Ukiah but are being sold at smoke shops over-the-counter.

Happy Day!

*****

It’s fascinating to see where all your old high school friends are in life in comparison to you.  My best friend from high school was in town on a work issue so my wife and I had dinner with her while we reminisced about “the old days.”   The number one difference between me and my high school compadres is kids.  I have none.  My old friends have many.  Kids have dictated much of their existence since high school while I’ve dictated much of my existence until I got married.  Kids aren’t a bad thing, just not my thing.  I have kids every day and I enjoy them immensely, just like I enjoy my own time alone.