Larry tells Bernie a Secret

Don't just stand there, listen!

It was a pleasant lunch of rubbery spaghetti and lightly bruised steamed vegetables. "I can't believe the educational system has gone down so much. I see kids coming to school and they don't look like they want to go." I chewed steadily. "Where is the money going?" I nodded. "And how can you be paying for materials?" "What do you mean you have no books?" My eyes widen. "I know you're telling the truth. What do the other teachers do?" I make a rolling motion with my hands. "You all do this?" I cough. "I thought you were going to the doctor." I cross my eyebrows. "I know it's been a busy week." "Did you take a cab here, by the way?" My face doesn't move. "Why can't you walk?" My eyebrows lower and my skin feels yellow. "I know you're in pain. I know you're out of shape. You're letting yourself fall apart." "For what? I mean you collect a salary, but you spend most of it on the job." I drink my water. "It never changes. But, it's got to change if you're going to go on with your life. Can't you just explain your situation: it's too far, they need too much..." I press my hand down lightly on the table. "You're telling me they don't care. Doesn't the UFT care?" I shrug my shoulders and put my palms up. "It's not their decision, I know." (Pause)
"Let's get the check."
I thanked him for lunch.

Larry Wondering

In the middle of his birthday catnip feast, Larry takes a moment to wonder. What's he thinking about?

Larry turns seven tomorrow.

Here he is dreaming of all the catnip...a lot of which he got tonight....

The only comfort I take in more school closings

There really is no comfort to be taken in school closings. All I can think, however, is that will leave so many, many more ATR's that it will be impossible for them to be fired -- the sheer number of people and the tactic would make the union busting of the Bloomberg administration obvious. Why they think they will get away with displacing all these people and then trying to fire them is beyond me. It's not good politics. It would show off too obviously how bad off the middle class of the city is. I don't think he can even open new schools fast enough to absorb all the kids who are going to need them -- at some point this ponzi scheme has to fall in on him. There will be no place for the kids to go. He doesn't get that this isn't like a re-org in business. The fall-out is much greater per school and per person. Eventually, there have to be whole sectors in which kids are not being served at all. I'm sure it's happening already. Someone has to find a good hard luck story -- a family with no place to send their kids in the fall which can service their kids properly. When Tilden closes, for example, there probably won't be enough high schools in the area to absorb the ELL population. This has to be happening in more places across the city.

Time

Time is a funny thing. She was. But it IS still her birthday. My love for her is still very much alive. He IS. It will soon be his birthday. My love for him is dead because it can never be realized. Yet, I dream about him constantly of late. And her, too.