So… at dinner this evening, the headmaster caught wind of a plan by several graduating seniors to beat up a couple of particularly annoying underclassmen on their last night on campus. The head decided to do something different — call it break the cycle of violence. Rather than let on that he knew this beat-down was going to occur, he drafted a couple of other faculty and me, and we took the whole ninth grade off-campus right after dinner, to play lazer-tag in Newington and watch a movie in Manchester (not Troy, … that’s for us to see together, as I promised). No, we saw Man on Fire, with Denzel Washington. It wasn’t bad, but I must ask why a black assassin-turned-bodyguard must risk his life for the sake of an angelic blonde half-American girl in Mexico City? I’d spoil more if I could, but I’ll save that for the morning when I care. Assuming that I care then. (You want a review of the movie, I’ll give one if you leave a comment.)
So the kids got enough time to get back to dorm. I didn’t get that much. The headmaster handed me cash from his slush fund — I mean, emergency discretionary petty cash — and then it was off to lazer tag. I didn’t even have a chance to change, and I was still in jacket and tie from driving to the museum (see previous entry).
I wound up ditching the tie, jacket and dress shirt (so glad that for whatever reason, I had the irrational impulse to wear an undershirt today since it started so cold this morning), and played lazer tag with the kids. I wound up scoring in the top ten shooters in a field of 37, with a 9% success rate relative to the number of shots fired. We played a 15-minute free for all, and a 30 minute free-for-all that turned into team-against-team. With the teachers left as singletons against all of the students, and each other. Guess who got creamed? Oh, well, we had fun. And more importantly, they had fun.
Then to the movies, with its attendant character and plot difficulties. Oh well. Then home. It’s now twenty to two, and I’m beat-tired, and there’s an insistent beeping coming from somewhere under this mess of papers from my cell phone. I made it home safe, , and I was thinking you were probably worried, but this wasn’t much of a choice, I’m afraid — and I earned more frequent-flyer miles towards our August vacation! I hope.
OK. Time to find and listen to the cellphone message, and then to bed.
