Once everyone knew I was there, I had the chance to say hello to a host of my former entourage. Once the team came up from the field after the game, I also had opportunity to console a few of them after their defeat. Most touching, not surprisingly, was Matt. We wrapped our arms about each other and gave each other a huge hug. Although he was very upset about losing, he was also very happy to see me. It was a Kodak moment... proven by the fact that after Matt was on his way back to join his teammates, a gentleman came up to me and identified himself as being with the Post-Crescent, asking my name. He'd had a camera around his neck and I realized then that he'd taken our picture, though it didn't make it into today's paper.

My god, it was good to see those kids, and to know that to a number of them, our time together still mattered.

After that I was on my way to The Academy's staff dinner, celebrating a year well-done. We all had a wonderful night together, and supper lasted for four hours. We'd met for a nightcap afterward in downtown Appleton and the night was going so well... until we discovered news that Erin's brother had died in a car accident that evening. The entire staff was heartbroken, and the mood for our last drink of the night was a somber one. Sheldon, Amelia, and I closed the joint at 2am, but our drinks were left unfinished on the bar.

This morning I found myself at school with the last of the cleaning to be done (Beth, Jody, and I took down The Academy sign from the front of the building, ready to be transported to our new facility next month) and work on transferring teachers' recorded grades from the database to the report card forms. Only a couple teachers have yet to complete the work, and I'll be heading in for a bit tomorrow to finish the rest, then again on Friday to see what help Beth may need in getting them sorted and mailed.

All in all, it's been quite the roller-coaster ride the last few days. Tomorrow I'm going to pop out to see what kind of temp gig I can find for the summer... undoubtedly second-shift so as to not interfere with my tutoring schedule.

Meanwhile, after yesterday's meeting with my former students, I felt the need to succeed to a high degree so that I would have the ability to throw it in the face of those left in power at HHS to show them what they gave up. Now after this evening's phone call, I still feel the need to succeed, to also show Sarah what she'll miss out on as well.

I-told-you-so's are not necessarily nice, but they feel oh-so-good when you can do them after being slighted. Hey, at least the nine-month drought is over, and for the first time since the Dear Reader started reading this journal, He or She cannot say,