1998

1998
Stroudsburg, PA

My age: 42-43

Work - I was the Principal- Stroudsburg High School.  There were 1350 students and 120 staff.

Home- I was renting a 3 bedroom house in the Borough of Stroudsburg. I had a small hot tub in my kitchen.

Music- for years, I would spend Sunday mornings in bed, listening to Kasey Casum and his top 40 hits.  I knew every song on the radio.  But around this time, I stopped listing to the Top 40 Hits.  Instead, I spent time at Border's Book store and spent hours in the music section, listening to all types of music.  I bought a CD or two every week.

Here are some albums I bought this year from artists that I've seen a few times:

• Taming the Tiger- Joni Mitchell.  I bought every Joni Mitchell album released on the market.
• Fundamental- Bonnie Raitt
• The Philosopher's Stone- Van Morrison
• Sonnny Come Home- Shawn Colvin
• Hits- Joan Armatrading

Movies

• The Truman Show- I thought this was a very clever movie.
• Pleasantville- I wanted to show this movie to all of my high school students because  I tough it had a great message that high school kids struggle with.
• Shakespeare in Love- I loved this movie.  I bought the screen script.  I bought the movie on iTunes and I've watched it a few times.
• Mulan- I liked the strong female character.
• The Parent Trap II- I took my niece to this movie and I liked my 1960s Parent Trap movie better.
• You've Got Mail- I'm not sure I had yet received an email when this movie was in the theatre.
• Great Expectations- good movie.
• Wag the Dog- this movie was awful.. I went to see it with my father and less than an hour in to the movie, he just turned to me and asked, "you want to go?" And awe left.
• City of Angels- life can really be a drag for some people.
• The Odd Couple II- a mindless movie.
• Sliding Doors- I liked the premise of the movie.
• Dr. Dolittle- mindless entertainment.
• Smoke Signals- this movie didn't get much coverage but I thought it was great.
• Madeline- She was sweet.
• How Stella Got Her Groove Back- I didn't like this movie.
• Beloved- OMG, i hated this movie.  I read the book and couldn't understand it.  So I thought I would go to the movie to see if some of my questions could be answered.  OMG, thank god i read  the book first because the movie was so confusing.
• Life is Beautiful- this movie was just too damn hard to watch.
• Rushmore- I didn't watch this movie when it was in the theatre but I have since become a Wes Anderson fan and have watched everything he has directed.
• Saving Private Ryan- I didn't see this movie and am not sure I could watch it now as my nephew is deployed to Iraq.  I think the theme of the movie could hit too close to home.
• The Big Lebowski- I didn't see this movie.  I think I am one of two people who have never seen this movie.

Books

A Walk in The Woods by Bill Bryson- OMG, I loved this book.  I’ve read it several times and I listen to it on audio CDs and it is funny every damn time I go back to the story. I can pop in any CD at any point in the story and pick up the storyline.  I can and will listen to this great tale again and again and again.

Travels-

• In June I went to Spain and Portugal to visit my sister and her family. I took three nephews and a niece with me and we had lots of fun.
• In October, I went to Branson, Missouri with my dad and sister.

News events

• Bill Clinton is impeached for lying to a grand jury about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.  Why couldn't he just be honest?
• The Belfast Agreement was signed and years of killing and rioting and anger began to subside in Northern Ireland.
• The Truth and Reconciliation Commission worked to heal all of the injustices committed against black people in South Africa.  The fact that this country didn't have a civil war is a miracle.

Family 

• o   After a four-year battle with cancer, my mother died on May 9, Mother’s Day weekend. Coincidentally, my brother, Jim was born on May 9^th so this is a bittersweet day. She fought a good fight.
• o   Sharon, my sister, and her family were living in Spain.
• o   I took three nephews and a niece with me to Spain and Portugal to visit Sharon and her family.
• o   Jameson McGirr Kelly, my nephew, my brother Brian’s first child is born in July. And within a month, Brian and his new family moved to Raphine, VA to be with Cindy's family  They lived in a trailer on her parents' property.  They moved from South Street, a busy street in in Philly to a rural spot in central VA.  As Brian told me, "I am not taking my son in s stroller down that decadent street."