FYI

As the transit strike drags on and people are telling their children to get into cars with strangers, I am having a little bit of a problem reconciling going to my 2-hour private tutoring appointments when there is a 5-hour round trip commute that involves, in no particular order, cabs, frozen feet, jet skis, homeless piggyback rides, and miniature horses. What's hilarious, though, is that before I can even consider cancelling on my students, they beat me to the punch. My phone today:

CALL ONE

student A: Hey Lang...listennnnnn, theeere's a traaaansit strike happening...aaaaaaaaand I am like reeeeeaaaallly far away...aaaaaaand I have no way of returning home...ever...soooo I don't know how I'm gonna make it home for our appointment.

me: Oh okay. That's fine. Give me a call sometime when you want to reschedule.

CALL TWO

student B: Hi Lang! Did we have an appointment today?

me: yes.

student B: Oops. I totally forgot and I'm on Christmas vacation...in the Galapagos.

me: your cell phone works in the Galapagos?

student B: (dial tone)

CALL THREE

student C: Lang, listen...it's over between us...it was good when it was good, but those times are gone...all we do is fight now.

me: That's not true. What are you saying?

student C: I can't do this anymore. I love you but it hurts too bad to go on. I'm leaving you.

me: Damn you! Damn you Tommy and your games!!!


Anyway, so I got to stay in all day and watch the first season of the Sopranos and man, was it violent!

FYI, one thing that you never knew as a student: when there is a snow day or practice is cancelled or you have a field trip, your teachers are just (if not more) excited to get the day off.