Day Fourteen: Friday, June 20, 2008

Day Fourteen: Friday, June 20, 2008
Final New York Preparations. So much to do so little time while trying to keep the preworkshop angst at bay.
Went to the store early to buy toiletry supplies and thought I lost the truck keys. Pretty cool though driving the truck. Ahhhh airconditioning.
Next stop was school as I was trying to see if Patty was there and when she was leaving. She said she would be there until 3:30. As usual there was much to do so I stayed almost until 11. Did a walk through with Kim and Vera in the library. Got the camp stuff finished and gathered all my workshop stuff.
No matter how hard you try to get ready early there is always so much to do that you just let it go and concentrate on the traveling part.

Once I'm there it will be fine but it such a pain getting there.

After I left school I went to Costco and bought pens, post-its, and flowers for patty. Next stop was Dollar Tree and found a bunch more stuff and found the same retirement card I had given everyone on the last day of school.

I went home and packed and gathered stuff and thn at about 2 Robert and I went back to school to look for his 2 gig card that has all the Dempsey family photos. 14 days have passed and he never dumped the card. The pictures might actually be lost. Interesting though I got a great note from Aaron Dempsey's grand parents about how impressed they were with the book and how much they appreciated that Aaron had been a member of the staff.

Dear Jim Jordan --

I'm writing you at the suggestion of my grandson, Aaron Dempsey, who was one of the 2008 Del Campo yearbook writers. Hearing my enthusiastic views about the yearbook, Aaron urged me to communicate them to you.

When my husband Joe and I (with Aaron's Aunt Laura and cousin Sasha) arrived in Orangevale for Aaron's graduation, he gave Joe and me a copy of the yearbook. I could only glance through it during our visit, but on returning home took time to explore this remarkable student production, and I'm sending you my -- and my husband's -- sincere thanks for your oversight of it.

My first inclination, thinking about this 'thank-you', was to try to list some especially appealing features -- as, say, intriguing titles, vivid photographs (examples: Pearl Kim cheerleading, Sarah Jackson pitching, the great football photo on page 2), appealing page layouts, and centrally the consistent theme of humane, respectful concern for each student individually presented. I'm thinking of the sensitive stories of the unwed pregnant girl, the gay students' organization, the celebration of various ethnic backgrounds, etc. So refreshing -- inspiring, actually -- to see this celebratory theme throughout the yearbook (Oklahoma a fiercely red state -- not so prone generally to such compassionate views).

However, on second thought, it occurred to me that, as yearbook faculty adviser for over 25 years (so Aaron told us), you have been devotedly cultivating, in the students you've 'advised', the ability to marshall their creative energies in service to their school communities -- both to the yearbook team and to the school as a whole.. Further, as these teammates have, in fact, produced a large, beautifully done book, they all have unarguable proof that their abilities have together sufficed. What a way for all of them to set out from high school into their futures!

This comparison came to me as I reflected on my own teaching days -- some years in the ' 80's on the English faculty at California State University, Los Angeles, along with poetry workshops over the years...always the hope to enable students to discover their unique powers of expression. Given the yearbook advisory commitment you've made for so long, I've no doubt but that, overseeing each new yearbook, you have the joy of seeing students 'find' and delight in themselves in this way. As for Aaron, Joe and I agree that the "yearbook experience" has benefited him greatly, surely serving to orient him positively for his college work as a journalism major.

And, lastly, I must add that for Aaron's grandparents to read -- in the editorial page overview of the contributions each yearbook student team member has made -- that Aaron would 'always be in his team-mates' hearts' has afforded us a special pleasure.

With sincere regard --

Ivy Dempsey

P.S. We engaged your son Robert to make photographs of our family during our California visit -- courteous and confident, he has to be a credit to you and his mother. He had to put up with a pretty rambunctious crew of Dempseys, which he managed to do with considerable grace -- no doubt his long experience photographing high school students served him here, though to see "older" folks so frolicking might have been something of a surprise ...

What a thrill when someone really gets what yearbook is really all about.

Apparently Robert had figured how to text Michelle in Finland. He got very upset when I insinuated that it was too bad that he wouldn't be able to cut the ties. He stormed out and only came back when he realized he wouldn't see me for a week.

I went back to school and gave Patty her flowers and the card and she was really touched. I am really going to missed her. What a blessing to have a mature Christian to talk to.

When I got back Zoe and I headed out to the Folsom outlets to get her some running shoes which we did at the Nike store. Then we saw Hannah Davidson at Volcom, got a Jamba, then stopped at the Orangevale credit union wher I got $300 for the trip. Robert and I had a few texts and I thik we got it ironed out. the bottomline is never speak negatively of Michelle in any way.

We had a great dinner of Christine's new mushroom pasta.

The plan is to head out to the airport at about ten for the grueling all night red eye. Why am I doing this again?

Left at 10. Jet Blue let me chck my two bags at no extra charge. For some reason I got the full security shake down. Felt pads over all my stuff and everything. Apparently Crystal has made it through security and is ready to go from Ontario too.