The Thursday Teacher

Date:                                  Thursday August 19th, 2010
Word of the Day:                 ruction; a disturbance, quarrel or row
Weight:                               228 pounds
Goal:                                   lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:                    96 pounds
Rowing Duration:                 111 minutes, 20 seconds

                                                                         

My weigh-in day is fast approaching and I am hoping that FOUR will continue to be my lucky number.

There is nothing like knowing that you are doing yourself a favour by exercising, even if it is difficult to do at times.  I choose to row, very early in the am.  I'm talking about getting up at 2:30 am, getting dressed, brushing my teeth, selecting the music to exercise by, and then, finally getting on Cruella by three o'clock.  I choose this time because nobody else, even Winter,  is up at this time.  I get easily distracted,  and if I see anyone sitting on a lounge chair, watching television or eating a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips, well, it throws my entire concentration, and that will be it for my exercise that day.  It is also alot cooler at three o'clock am., and I build up quite a bit of perspiration so I  appreciate the cool air,  and the occasional breezes that flow my way.   The final benefit to exercising, and getting up before the rooster is that you get it over with,  and you don't have to think about it all day!

I really gave myself a work-out today but I still never managed to get that rush of endorphins that people say you get after you have been working out for a long period of time.  C'est la vie.

I just love to slurp that first gulp of cold ice-water after I have completed my 111 minutes and twenty seconds on Cruella, even if I don't have the strength to hold the glass.

Yesterday, I paid homage to nurses, today I would like to honour all the teachers that I have had the priveledge of learning from, in particular, two of my English (which just happened to be my favourite subject,) instructors,  Miss Carol Collett and Miss Carla Silver.

I had the best teachers in the world,  and I am so grateful to them for never giving up on me, nor the other thousands of students that they taught yearly.

There is something really wrong with our value system and our allocation of remuneration to teachers.  They work so hard, and get so little appreciation, it boggles the mind.  If you think of the millions of dollars that we give our sports people, I don't understand why we can't fork over a few more dollars to the teachers, after all, they are the ones that are educating the people that will govern our future.  Okay, sure there are the handful of people that decided to teach because they thought it would be easy to do, not to mention the plum holidays they get on a regular basis, however, most people who teach devote their lives to education,  and do it only because they really enjoy it.  Believe me, teaching is one of the harder jobs to do,  if you do it well.   At my workplace, I teach a course in understanding, using, and building classification systems four times a year.  I always look forward to this time I teach,  and I say it is "doing my gig.", but trust me, it is work!

The case for my new computer arrived by mail yesterday, I hope this is indicative that the computer will arrive soon.  I chose the colour purple for my new computer, because I not only loved that movie, but it is my niece Jessie's favourite colour.  One day, if she wants it, my niece Jessie will be President of the United States!!!

All of my nieces and nephews are pretty terrific and I am so fortunate to be their Uncle.  Sometimes, I wish I had experienced being a father, but since this didn't happen, I try to be the best uncle that I possibly can be, and you know, being an uncle is enough work for me,  so maybe it is just as well that I never became a father.  God knows what he is doing but he really does work in mysterious ways.

For the life of me, I can't understand why the subject of God gets people so upset.  It is my decision to be a Christian,  and as God has been so good to me, I really am a very blessed man, I like to honour him.  If you don't like it, tough!!!!

Late last night, I watched the movie, 'Nobody's Fool' starring Paul Newman.  I first saw this movie at the Plaza Cinema which was located at Yonge and Bloor Streets in the concourse of the Hudson's Bay building.  I told you about my condition wherein I remember the name of every cinema for all the movies I have seen.
Anyway, 'Nobody's Fool' is a movie that I quite like, and I always enjoy seeing Jessica Tandy, who is a co-star in the movie, but it is a movie that was clearly written for Paul Newman.

I think Paul Newman was one of the last, what I call, real movie star.  I don't think there is a Paul Newman movie that I don't enjoy seeing,  and I think Mr. Newman certainly deserved winning more than one oscar.  The Academy of motion pictures and sciences,  or whatever else they are called, the people who bestow honorary oscars, could have, and should have, awarded Paul Newman the Irving Thalberg memorial award for all of his contributions,  and the tremendous charity work he did with all of those salad dressings money going towards the poor.

I met Jessica Tandy one evening when Zac and I were in New York attending the theatre.  We were going to see a play entitled 'Lettice and Lovage' which starred Maggie Smith, whom I adore and worship.  Lettice and Lovage was a great vehicle for Miss Maggie,  and she was awarded a Tony for her performance.  It was richly deserved,  and ironically,  Jessica Tandy presented it to her.  Anyway, while going into the theatre,  I was standing in the lobby beside Miss Tandy and her husband.  Now,  I am not one to shy away from celebrities,  and as Miss Tandy had just won the academy award for best actress, I congratulated her on her win.   Jessica Tandy was very gracious,  and thanked me,  then told me she was so glad I liked the movie, 'Driving Miss Daisy.'  I don't know what makes me say the things I say, but I told the recent oscar winner that I actually hated the movie but I liked and appreciated her performance.  Jessica,  looking a little stunned and startled at my bluntness, collected herself,  and then asked me where I was from, to which I promptly and proudly responded, Canada!  Miss Tandy then gave a wink and smile to her husband, Hume Cronyn who is also Canadian.  The story is not quite over yet, inside the theatre, who should be sitting in our row,  and beside me,  but the lucky Miss Jessica Tandy!!!!!  How about that?

I love going to the theatre, especially when I get to see the latest musical.  I prefer to see theatre in Times Square, ala New York City (NYC) but Canada is no slouch in that department, but I do feel Diahann Carroll was miscast in Sunset Boulevard.

Andrea McArdle, on the other hand, was not miscast as the little girl with a fast hook in Annie.  I fell in love with Andrea when I first heard her sing the song 'Maybe' and then I became a life-long fan when she belted out 'Tomorrow!'  I believe Rex Reed, the NYC critic referred to her as a pint-sized Ethel Merman.  Andrea McArdle has such a clear and memorable voice,  and once you hear it, you will never forget it,  and you too will want to purchase her album.  I am reminded of apple pie when I hear Andrea sing, isn't that bizarre?  I will go see Andrea in any musical and I try to record all of her appearances on television for posterity.  One of Andrea's move when she sings is that, at the last note, she raises her right arm that extends from her side all the way to over her head.  This is an Andrea McArdle move and all of those other Annies have copied her.  Andrea should have put a patent on this move.  I just love her!

I can name all of the little girls that played Annie during its first Broadway run.  They are:  Miss Andrea McArdle, proceeded by Shelley Bruce, Sarah Jessica Parker (yes the one on Sex and the City,) Allison Smith from Kate N Allie fame, and finally,  Allyson Kirk.

 This past summer Andrea went full circle and played Miss Hannigan in Annie.  It was at some theatre in South Carolina and I wish I could have seen her in it.  I am devoted to Andrea, but I do wish Andrew Lloyd Webber had had the good sense to give her a bigger part in Starlight Express.  Andrea played Ashley, the smoking car, which was not the female lead,  and I don't know why she chose to play this part.  Maybe she just wanted to learn how to roller skate, which she did beautifully.  I went to see this show with my brother Harvey and he really loved it, alas,  I was disappointed just because Andrea did not have the female lead and she should have.

Okay, we are in the midst of another thunderstorm, truthfully it is a lightning storm, and I don't like to use my computer while it is raining, so I am logging off to protect my computer from getting damaged.    Therefore, here is what topics are coming soon:  Oprah, Maureen Beckett, also known as (aka) The Walmart Woman, and The last of the red hot meat eaters.