Yes! It shall be the year of CLEM!

Fay! Hi!

And now I'm off to the crap class. See you on the flip side, Bitches.

(I don't know why I was suddenly compelled to say that. The spirit of Johnny Fever seems to have possessed me.)

dashes through thread waving glittery bats and singing a Danny Elfman medley

Was that distracting enough for you?

Again! Again!

I just got an email back from Tim, the manager of Emmett's Little League team. I'm the official assistant coach and I had tentatively queried on the notion of balancing development with competition. In brief, as the season has worn on we have consistently faced teams who run out their best pitcher for the first two innings. Unlike most other teams we're about 3-4 deep with Best Pitchers, and can effectively shut down the competition even just by having our top pitchers each pitch one inning. He answered back:

We know that we can win games, and we know how. Those critical issues like kid pitchers actually throwing strikes is where it is at. As long as we cruise along at .500 or so, I'm willing to keep giving opportunities to kids who may not get them in the future. Many teams are starting to use just a few kids to pitch, and that's ok. I'd still prefer to give more opportunities (realistically, Emma has no business pitching or catching, but she really enjoys stepping up to the challenge).

Isn't that cool? I just have so much respect for him, and really feel lucky that Emmett's had him for a coach for his first two years. I mean, I like winning. But really it's not much to ask to take one more year with the focus more on development than competition even in a year where those two elements are balanced.

swoops past on a broomstick, trailing brilliantly coloured fish in her wake and scattering oddments of shiny Victoriana

See you on the flip side

This is also a quote from Boondock Saints (good movie!).

taps mic

This afternoon I signed a contract with the Other School, and we told them our situation, and spoke with their lawyer. They said that Evil Boss can't hold up our work permits, but they also weren't very willing to shell out the Moving Allowance up front, which is a pisser, because I don't know how the hell we're going to cover our rent over the summer. I can't afford to pay for Flatmate as well as me, and I know that she doesn't have the money.

Argh.

Anyway, I don't know that I'm going to hand this in, but oh, I had fun writing it:

Dear (evil boss),

Thank you for your memo of 16th May.

I understand that you have decided against ratifying the contract that I signed last year, and that thus there is presently no contract of employment between (evil school) and myself. I was very surprised and sorry to hear that you preferred to disregard the contract, but I accept your decision that there is presently no legal relationship between us.

Thank you for your offer of a new ‘standard’ contract to cover the remainder of this year, and the offer of a renewal of said contract to cover next year. I appreciate this vote of confidence in my teaching, but unfortunately I find myself unable to sign any new contract with (evil school).

Since you have been at pains to inform me that we currently have no contractual obligations to one another, I would like to clarify your wishes regarding our present situation.

Believing that I was entitled one return flight per annum and to the salary of £950 per month for the duration of the contract that I signed (August 2003 – August 2005), in addition to rent money of 900LE per month, I have been faithfully performing all the teaching duties that I believed were my legal obligation. (Evil school) has been paying me my salary and rent money as promised, and I have received one of the two return tickets that were promised in the contract. This appeared to be a satisfactory arrangement for all concerned.

Subsequent to receiving your memo, it appears that you no longer have any legal obligation to continue paying my salary. Nor do you have any legal obligation to pay the money for the initial two months of my work for (Evil School), which was held back on the understanding that it would be paid at the end of the contract. Nor do you have any legal obligation to pay for the return ticket.

By the same token, I have no legal obligation to continue to teach the Year 3 class I have been working with for the past year. I have no legal obligation to continue carrying out assessments of their ability, no legal obligation to level their work, no legal obligation to put in time after hours writing the reports or attending parents’ meetings.

It was my full intention to do all of the above. However, having received your memo I now see that if I continue to honour the contract, I have absolutely no guarantee that I will receive the moneys owed to me over the course of the next four months. I have financial commitments to meet and no confidence that I shall be able to meet them. Naturally, this is a source of concern.

If I can have some guarantee that I shall receive the moneys to which I am entitled, I should be very happy to continue with the daily business of teaching and the process of generating reports.

If, however, you would prefer not to pay me for the work I have already done and continue to do, then I shall be forced to withdraw my labour and find an alternative source of income.

I should be sorry to have to leave precipitously, but I cannot afford to work for free.

I look forward to hearing your response.

That is a very good letter, Fay.

Sounds like an excellent letter to me.

(I'm sad that this year there will be no Hurricane Fay. Think how shiny Florida would be if hit by such a hurricane.)

eek, thunder and lightning, all of a sudden! no rain, which only makes the thunder and lightning creepier.