Well, AcDec is over for me this year, sort of. Out of 146 competing schools in the state, my school, Berkner, got 12th overall at the state competition in Corpus Christi this past weekend. I am totally sleep-deprived and exhausted from the trip and yet, I teach on... and I have to attend an open house tomorrow night from 6-9, so forget this being a restful week until Friday rolls along on, well, *Friday*, when I get to start my Spring Break experience.

Back to Academic Decathlon... the team got 6 medals at state, two each of gold, silver, and bronze. They did an AWESOME job, especially since we didn't even qualify for the state cutoff last year. The goal for next year? Win it all. Sure, 40 other teams will have the same goal and desire, but we intend to be pre-eminent among them. The team intends to work harder than it ever has in the past, and we'll find out if it was enough work *next* February, I guess.

Why do we do it? Because it is there, I guess. It's the biggest competition I've ever been part of, and I love it. It's hard to describe what one does, exactly, in it, but once you know, you want to come back for more and more of it. It's meaningful in a deeply personal sense, to make all these expenditures of personal energy with one's coaches and team-mates, and emerge from the experience a changed - and better - person.

Would I do it again? That's not my desire. That's my dream.

Why no entries of late? Academic Decathlon, that's why. I coach the event at Berkner High School, and my team has done a GREAT JOB, advancing to the State competition at the end of February. Unfortunately, that means I have very little time to do other work... except for a few drawings here and there... like this:

and then a few recruitment posters for my classes... here's a sample:

More fun in the future, of course, but first we have to do our best at State! See you later!