A day in the life

Little did I know that people do occasionally read this blog, and even request certain types of entries. I have my first request, and will fulfill it dutifully.
On a typical weekly morning, i wake up between 5:45 - 6 and walk Winston in not much more then my pajamas and a coat. After hurrying back into the house I hope that 1. winston didn't take too long (because my morning has very little time cushion) and 2. hope my roommate hasn't gotten into the shower before me. If this happens then I eat cereal while I wait for him to drain all the hot water in a 20 minute shower of power. Then I get it in for 5 minutes of lukewarm horror. If he's not beat me, then I still only take 5 minutes, I just get heat with it.
After getting clothed I then eat my cereal in a major rush, and mentally go through everything I might possibly need for the day so I don't forget anything. Chances are if I do, I'll have to either miss the train and be late, or get sent home and be late.
Everything gathered, I powerwalk my ass off to the train 3 blocks away, because more then likely I'm playing it too close and have the strong possibility of missing my train. Which sucks. At 6:34 a.m. the sun is still down, and the wind is usually unkind to those outside their homes. By the time I reach the train my nose is running and my cheeks (both facial and glutal) are freezing. The ride from Conshohocken to the North Broad stop is about 35 minutes in duration, and good for either half sleeping, or listening to some soothing music. By the time I get to north philly I have more then likely changed my tunes up to something that will either give me swagger and confidence, or something a little bit tougher. Even though at 7 a.m. there isn't a whole hell of a lot to be worried about but kids waiting for the bus, there are always a few sheisters hanging out on North Broad and Lehigh, so I try not to fuck around on my walk from the train to the braod street subway, which thankfully is only 2 blocks. For the 10 minute ride on the subway to the Olney transportation center I'm usually just closing my eyes, but trying to wake up a littie bit. The beats usually change to something that make me smile a little bit, usually inspirational, more often then not either Brother Ali, Lupe, or P.O.S., because once I'm off the subway it gets pretty rough, and I try to stay positive as I'm daily reminded of how hard it can get for people that are born either the wrong color or into the wrong social/economic class. My bus ride from Olney to Thomas Creighton Elementary in Lawncrest is completely dedicated to mentally preparing for another worst day ever, as far as school goes. Every day I'm reminded of how badly the Philadelphia school system, as well as America's has failed those who do not have money or privilege.
After a long and mostly ridiculous 2 weeks of waiting to see where my permanent placement would be, I was positioned with the 7th grade math teacher, who happens to be brand new, and happens to to have no idea how to handle middle school students, who also happens to be a University of Michigan alumni. Dickhead. Since math and literacy are the only scores that matter in philly, they are each given 2 periods while almost nothing of other importance, (science, social studies, etc.) are merely given 1-3 periods a week tops. 3rd and 4th periods are occupied by the 306 home room class. They are by far the worst behaved, and underdeveloped academically of any other class I've seen. But they are absolutely my favorite. I generally work with 4 or 5 of the rowdiest boys in a corner, while the math teacher struggles to captivate more then 1 or 2 students in the rest of the class. My usual suspects are Jose (from puerto rico who's brother is a drug dealer but he wants to join the army) Steven (one of maybe 10 white kids in the school, probably the least advanced) Kordell (a good kid but doesn't try because his friends don't) Matt ( a transfer student who was expelled from Feltonville, who lives with his grandparents and seems to be spiraling) and Marquis (who only talks about either pimping hoes, doubtful, and selling drugs, which he seems to have an extreme amount of knowledge in.) Attempting to settle them in for the first 20 minutes is an exercise in futility, and will only even consider doing work after I talk to them about bullshit first. Like who's the best football player in the NFL, who could win in a fight, and what brands are the coolest. Once math work begins its glaringly obvious that they have memorized almost nothing, and have to usually count on their fingers, or count in their head simple problems. They have a willingness to learn if you can captivate them for even 10 minutes, but you have to almost trick them into working, until finally when they are done, they discover a tiny sense of pride in their accomplishments. Its a rare but wonderful thing when we can actually finish a worksheet in the appropriate amount of class given time.
The rest of my classes are about the same, with different faces, similar stories of poverty, drugs or violence, or unfortunate circumstances, just trying to make due and hold a smile. Recess is usually occupied with full contact wall ball, or 4/5 contact football. Its fun, but these kids go hard when it comes to sports.
Afters chool programs are just starting so I don't have much to say about them yet, except that some kids have some amazing hidden talents that only come out only during our art club on mondays.
By the time 4:30 rolls around and our last students walk out of our programs, we are usually filed back into our office to do bullshit menial tasks to try and fill the rest of our hour and fifteen minutes mandatory work hours are done. This is usually the hardest part of the day, because the extra time wasted could be spent valuably in commute and at home.
The final commute is an even bigger pain in the ass, because the bus i really want is never on time, and the bus I usually get takes me to the El train, which is slow, and far away. But if I do catch the 26 bus back to Olney and then the Broad St line back to north broad, I have to be a bit more delicate with where I go. Its usually dark by 4:30- 5ish, and people definitely start patrollin the streets at this point. So I hurry my ass the 2 blocks, get on my train home, and finally start to relax aka fall asleep for half an hour.
By the time I get home its usually 6 or 7, and I just wanna go to sleep already. But I have to walk Winston for a solid amount so he can get rid of all his poo, and some of his energy. Then its dinner, and then, if I'm lucky and have been moving quickly, I will have anywhere from 1 to 3 hours of personal time, to be spent either playing video games, listening to music, watching tv or a movie, but usually working on my siblings christmas presents. Never later then 11 p.m. will I lay my head down to rest, and be ready to start the whole cycle over again.
With mostly nothing to show for it.