Best laid plans...big changes in store!

[Rami]

Good evening,

I just wanted to let all of you know why I have been quiet in here lately. After graduating from BSU in early May, I went through an interview blitz of about twenty-five interviews in three weeks, mostly over remote mediums like Zoom. I have landed a full-time job in Western Massachusetts teaching Special Education, and will be relocating there for the start of the 2021-2022 school year, which will begin on August 30th, 2021.

I will also be flying down to visit Greg (Shadow Wolf 07) in Virginia next week, leaving next Wednesday evening, the 23rd, and coming back on Tuesday, the 29th.

Beyond that, July will be focused on moving, meetings, dinners, and drinks with friends we'll not see nearly as much, buying a house, finding employment for Erica, hiring movers, and squeezing in time to plan lessons, set up a new classroom, read a few new texts, and put together my behavioral and class policy plans.

My cousin and dear friend Karen will be out here from July 27th to August 5th for my graduate commencement, and we're going to take her to Salem, Cape Cod, Plymouth, Martha's Vineyard, and Newport, RI. After she flies home on the 5th, i am flying out to Minnesota on August 9th to stay with her and to have another round of surgery at the Mayo on the 11th and 12th of August, then returning home on August 16th. At that point, the focus will be on finishing up the move that week so I, my wife, and children have a full week to acclimate to this new area. We plan on being settled there for a while.

In short, I don't think unfortunately I will be doing much in the way of CFS2 over the summer, so I wanted to be up front with all of you.

I will post some pics of Greg and myself for all of you to enjoy.

[Ravenna]

Andrew,
Congratulations on your new teaching position. Special Ed can such a rewarding area.

[SPman]

Well done sir. Life takes precedence over games, no matter how enthralling the games may be....sounds like you have busy times ahead. Go easy.

[highpockets]

Congratulations Andrew!
I have a great respect for teachers. My daughter-in-law is one.
And especially those who are special education teachers!

[p14u2nv]

Huge congratulations to you Andrew and I wish you and your family the very best in all of your future endeavors.

God Bless and Good Luck!

[Cody Coyote]

Congratulations Rami, well deserved. You will do well.

[Captain Kurt]

You've worked hard for this. Congratulations Andrew.

[Mick]

Hey Rami,

Welcome to Western Mass.!

Where will you be in Western Mass?

I'm in Western Mass., Easthampton, in the pioneer Valley (i.e., Connecticut River valley.)

Will we be neighbors, or near neighbors??

[Rami]

Hey Rami,

Welcome to Western Mass.!

Where will you be in Western Mass?

I'm in Western Mass., Easthampton, in the pioneer Valley (i.e., Connecticut River valley.)

Will we be neighbors, or near neighbors??

Mick,

My new teaching job is in Southwick, so we’ll be settling somewhere in the Southwick-Westfield-Agawam-Feeding Hills area.

[Mick]

Well, not exactly neighbors, but close.

I lived in Southwick for a few years back in the early 1970s. It's more developed now and somewhat gentrified, but it's still a nice town. Maybe more suburban and less rural than it was in those days. I think you'll like it.

My nephew and his family live in Feeding Hills. I haven't been visiting them during the plague because he's an EMT and his wife is an ER nurse, both repeatedly exposed, so it wasn't really safe for an old man like me to be around them. But now that we're mostly through with the plague and we're all fully vaccinated, we can hang out again safely.

I'm in Easthampton, about fifteen miles up the river on Interstate 91 or US 5, just north of where the river cuts between the Mt. Tom and Mt. Holyoke ranges that separate the northern and southern parts of the Pioneer Valley. I use those roads as a simple measure of distance, but actually, there are back roads that make the trip even more direct as both Southwick and Easthampton are a little west of the river.

Maybe when you've gotten settled in I can show you some of the nice places here in "Happy Valley."

[arfyhun]

Congratulations Rami. Well done. You are a credit to your family and yourself. It's not true what people are saying about you!...


Very best wishes to you, Graham.