5 Week Update. :/

Alright...I know its been forever and a day since I have updated this blog, but after reading all that has been happening, you will understand where I have had no time to update. With the days getting longer and longer (because of sunlight, or lack there of...), I have been getting more and more tired when the work day is complete. It was told to me when I arrived that you are not a true New Yorker, until you are able to fall asleep on the subway, and wake-up either before or just as the train is pulling into your stop. Thankfully, it has taken me many train rides and countless times sleeping through my stops to finally be able to call myself a true New Yorker, and wake myself up the stop before I have to get off the train!! In my book, that is a huge accomplishment!! :D.

Now, onto all the exciting things that have held me back from updating (please bear with the short novel you are about to enjoy):

When we last left off, I had just completed running a half-marathon! It is still hard for me to believe some days that I actually still completed it, and sometimes wonder if I just dreamt it, but then see my medal and race number, and realize I didn't. With the fun had that weekend, I wasn't sure how it could get any better, but the following weekend proved it would! I made a surprise return trip to good ol' Romeoville, IL to visit some friends and share in some wonderful experiences shared by others. ;). I was so excited to be able to pull off such a huge surprise, and I am pretty sure I can vouch for my friends, that it was just as exciting. I never imagined how much I would miss people until I moved away, and was able to return! Though the weekend was extremely short, I loved and soaked in every minute of it!

It was then back to New York to begin another week at work, but one that proved to be nothing less than exciting. I received a text on Monday morning from my boss alerting me she would be staying home with her daughter who was sick. I immediately became nervous and anxious for work that day because I would be in the office, by myself, hoping nothing would go wrong. One day turned to two, and then three. I can honestly say, I learned that I am an extreme people person from this experience; I began to turn on music in the office, look at pictures of friends on facebook, just to remember what it was like to be around people! It's sad to admit, but honestly, there's no surprise in knowing I need to be around people and their high energy! :)

Though it was different being in the office by myself, I was also able to learn a lot about my responsibility and ability to create tasks for myself when someone is not present. I also got the experience of running one of our freshman retreats all by myself (with the teacher and 2 guidance counselors in the room...). Needless to say, that retreat will forever live in my mind, as a good (and bad) experience!

The week was short, having Friday off for Veteran's Day, yet I went into work late morning for our Lasallian Youth day retreat! This retreat was planned by our Exec. Board Senior students on Lasallian Youth, for the rest of the LY students. This year's theme focused around the idea of cyber-bullying. As all participants learned, cyber-bulling is an up-and-coming force that is destroying the lives of so many young middle and high school students. I believe the students did a fantastic job planning and executing the retreat, and for once, it was nice to be a participant vs. leader.

As the days were growing closer and closer to Thanksgiving, Bishop Loughlin's Canned Food Drive was getting closer and closer to ending. As you well know by now, the house system at Loughlin is central to all activities/competitions we partake in throughout the school day. I believe the canned food drive is one of the two largest competitions (aside from the Penny Drive). This year, we set a goal, hoping to beat last year's total of 4,000-ish non-perishable food items. Now, if you are asking yourself why it's called a CANNED food drive, yet other food was donated, that's a good question. After last year's drive, the food pantry we donated to got an infestation of pantry moths, and had to close down. All of the food found in boxes/bags had to be thrown away, and thus causing the pantry to no longer accept ANY food donations. The thought of not providing meals to needy families during the holidays was heart-breaking, and the pantry began to accept donations again from us, under one condition; ONLY CANNED ITEMS WOULD BE ACCEPTED! This put a lot of pressure onto the school for breaking last year's record, but the students rose to the challenge.

The total number of cans brought in this year was 3,126. Though knowing this is less than last year's, we took into consideration the fact that almost 25% of last year's donated items were Ramon and packages of boxed noodle meals. For my first year running a canned food drive, and such, I was very please with the students full participation! :)

As a part of the food display above, we had a giant revealing to the school at our Thanksgiving Assembly. Now, the week before Melissa (my boss) was out sick :(, and the week of the assembly she was at an educational conference (no worries, she truly is the best, and hasn't left me in the office since ;) ), I had to run the assembly by myself. With a large student body like we have, it can sometimes be a nightmare getting everyone calmed down and attentive. This day, that was the least of my concerns. I had received an email the night before telling me that our speaker was not going to be able to show up, and I immediately panicked. Though, had I read the rest of the email I would've learned 2 others were coming to speak on her behalf. These 2 young men showed up at school the next day at 10:27, when the assembly was set to start at 10:30. Again, as you can imagine, I was a mess, pacing the hallways, waiting (and praying)  for them to arrive! The assembly went off well, and another lesson was learned that day; ALWAYS call your speaker a week in advance to remind them about assemblies! 

That weekend was a very special weekend for the Loughlin community. As I mentioned, Melissa was at an educational conference, and I got the opportunity to go down to Washington, D.C. where it was being held, and be a part of a surprise for one of our fellow Loughlin faculty. Mr. Mike Foley, one of the Guidance Counselors and Moderator for Lasallian Youth, was receiving an award as the Distinguished Lasallian Educator of the Year (as a representative of the District of Eastern North America). I drove a group of 4 students down that morning as part of the surprise, and man was it a great time seeing his reaction to the whole thing! :). Though it was a short first time in D.C., I hope to make it back soon, since I also have family that lives down there, and would be able to provide tours! 

At this point in the short novel (if you have been keeping track), we are at the week of Thanksgiving. The week began with Loughlin Spirit Week, allowing for themed dressed days! The theme this year was "Dressing" to Impress. The word dressing is in " " because our themes revolved around salad dressings! On Monday we had Thousand Island Day, dressing like we were ready to go out to the warm climates, and take a tropical vacation! Tuesday brought us Ranch Day, and I was able to bust out my favorite plaid shirt I used to wear out to Saddle Up! all the time! :). We had a Sadie Hawkins Dance after school, and brought in a dance instructor who taught the students all they needed to know in square/line dancing, and then some! Wednesday was Spirit Day, and I finally received my first piece of Loughlin apparel!! I can say that I have worn my shirt proudly ever since! 

Just some of the seniors from the Class of 2012 on Spirit Day;
we display our Loughlin "L" quite proudly!! :D

This year, Thanksgiving was much different being away from family, yet it was so enjoyable because I was able to do something that I have always dreamt about; Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!! Br. Bill's family has an annual tradition of attending, and I figured there was no better group to go with, then them, and so I followed. We were located at 58th and Columbus Circle (the corner where the groups/floats/balloons make their first turn, before heading down Broadway). It was so surreal to see the balloons up close and personal, versus sitting in the comfort of my home on the couch! 

Happy Thanksgiving

My favorite balloon of the whole parade!

SANTA!!

Being in NYC for the holdiays, the next holiday event to look like a tourist was the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree!! I met up with Stephanie right after work, and we headed downtown to try and get as close to the tree as possible! Arriving at 4:15, and knowing that we would have to wait until 7 for the night to start, we thought we had pretty good spots standing about a block away! Once the program started, a very nice NYPD allowed us to get even closer, thus putting us about 500 feet away from the tree! It was an awesome experience, plus all of the performers, and seeing that tree never gets old to me, it is so beautiful!

Cee-Lo Green

Neil Diamond (this one's for you mom!)

The Biebs

Michael Buble

Radio City Music Hall Rockettes!! 

THE TREE!! :D :D :D 

 That weekend, I participated in one of the most exciting weekends I've had since moving out to New York; Kairos 6 with the Loughlin community of students. Kairos is a spiritual retreat that helps students further find their relationship with God, themselves, and classmates (sounds like another retreat that I have participated on...). The weekend was filled with laughter, tears, moments of happiness, and moments of sadness, but all focusing around the same theme of "Discovering who you were, who you are, and who you want to be!" Though a giant lack of sleep, I can honestly say the students went into the retreat with an open-mind, and came out with so much more!

This past week, I had Thursday off because of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and man was it needed. I was able to sleep-in until almost noon, and then was able to get the day "started" by going down to the Upper East Side, and walking down 5th Avenue, looking at all of the beautiful Christmas windows on display outside the big name stores (Tiffany & Co., Armani Exchange, Chanel, Burberry, etc.). Stephanie and I walked all the way down, until we made it to 34th Street, and we went inside the ever so famous Macy's department store, and experienced our own "Miracle on 34th Street". While inside, we browsed for a bit, then went on an excursion to find Santa. After reaching Santaland, we waited patiently with all the children to get our picture taken, and then headed back downstairs to drop off our letters to Santa in his special "Macy's Believe" mailbox!! Reliving the younger years was definitely an added excitement to the beginning of this holiday season!

This past weekend brought lots more holiday activities, including picking out our Christmas tree, and hanging up other decorations! I look forward to being home in just a mere 10 days, and spending time with my family and friends!

The stockings all hung at Bedford Park Community with care...

I thank you for being patient with such a long absence from posting, but with the holiday break ahead, I hope to be able to look back, and reflect on the exciting moments that 2011 has brought me, and what more is left to come! 

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. FOREVER!

It seems every time I blog...

...I am baking cookies. Ha.

Sorry that it has been FOREVER since I have blogged. I seriously thought that I was going to get better at this; some things never change.

A LOT has happened since I last blogged, and of course, I am going to do my best to fill you in! I have been very consistent with my daily wake-up, prayer, breakfast, school, home, bed, repeat, but I have also had some exciting events thrown in between.

A few weeks ago, I got to help proctor my first PSAT's with the 9, 10, and 11th grade students. Though it is only meant for 11th grade, Loughlin uses it s as a way to prepare the students for upcoming standardized tests, etc. I always remember what the teachers had to say (scripted directions) was extremely boring, but when you are the teacher, it is even more boring! Lol. I was able to get through the day without too much of a problem. A funnier moment from the day was as school was beginning, the students were assigned to their homerooms for the test, and a girl came up to me asking where her homeroom was. Now, I know it seems rude of me to make jokes, but it's been at least a month and half since starting school, and I know that she was not new to the school. I guess when you throw "All School Test Day" in front of the title of the school day, it confuses kids.

That weekend, I had my first FREE weekend since starting the Lasallian Volunteers, and moving to New York. You can say that I definitely took advantage, and celebrated!! I went out with the roomies to see the new Footloose, and to my surprise, it wasn't half bad. I truly enjoyed the first movie, and wasn't going into the movie with any great expectations, but was pleasantly surprised. Afterwards, we walked around Times Square for a little bit, until we found ourselves in the middle of Occupy Times Square. You can guarantee that we found our way out of there quicker than whatever analogy you want to place here. Not wanting to get involved, we took ourselves to what has become my newest, favorite hang-out location, Off the Wagon, a bar found in Greenwich Village. We arrived before 9 pm, with tons of drink specials going on, and definitely took full advantage! :D. After a very enjoyable evening, we began to head home on the train, which was a whole new experience. I have to say, it is a whole different audience riding the train home at 1:30 in the morning, that is for sure.

Bedford Park first years, celebrating a weekend at Off the Wagon. 

That next week was a short week at school, but yet very busy. Though the student were only in class Monday through Thursday, the teachers worked on Friday for our Public Relations Concert. This concert invited in local middle school students to tour Loughlin, and see all the different activities we have for our students. Some of the activities included our small bands, Junior Senior band, African Dance, House Dance, Contemporary Modern Dance, and our Step Team. In Campus Ministry, we invited students to come down, learn about the different service projects and such we do for the school and surrounding community, and then play an ice breaker with them. Very exhausting, yet very fun to see all the prospective Loughlin-ites. It was then on Sunday that we had our official Open House, and it was back to work again for the afternoon. Again, it was very successful, and I do believe that we are going to have an exceptional incoming freshman class next year at Bishop Loughlin. 

Over the weekend, we also celebrated many different Halloween activities in the house; watching movies (Paranormal Activity 2, Sweeny Todd, scary episode of Boardwalk Empire, etc.), carving pumpkins, and baking cookies with Halloween sprinkles!! 

Bedford Park Pumpkins 2011; Autobots and Pumpkin Pi

After such a busy week before, I looked forward to the coming week, which proved to be a "short" week for me, only having to be in the office until Thursday. The normal events happened such as retreat and family day, but it was also an exciting week of activities for our students. The first of which was a personal fundraiser that I was doing. As you know, I was participating in the Lv Races Monster Dash 2011, and we were looking for donations and sponsorships. As a community, we came up with an idea to sell cookies to our students, and thus, the Bedford Park Bakery was born! 

Bedford Park Bakery, and just some of it's products

In total, I believe we baked almost 22 dozen cookies, and were able to raise almost $150 dollars to sponsor us in running this past weekend's event (that story is coming soon!!)

After such a successful beginning-of-the-week fundraising, it was onto Halloween Dress-up Day for the Seniors and Faculty/Staff!! This is a very exciting day at Loughlin, and this year, we made it even more exciting for the students, as the faculty/staff kept their costume a secret!! Getting all of the faculty together to dress-up was not going to happen, but we had a solid group of 15 participate. The theme this year; "Sweatin' to the Oldies with Richard Simmons"!! We had a lot of fun, and it was definitely a day that ALL of the students will remember from this year!! 

WE LOVE RICHARD SIMMONS!! :D 

Now...onto the big exciting story you've been waiting for these past few months; LV Races Monster Dash 2011!! This past weekend, I flew out to Minneapolis with some of my community and participated in this big weekend!! There was lots of talk, preparation, and fundraising done, and it all was made worth it!! I am proud to announce that I completed the half-marathon in an official time of 2:42:14!! I was so proud of myself, and still cannot believe I did it!! 

Some of the community with our costumes; Bro. Ed as "Bugsy", Kenny, myself, and Stephanie as Bugsy's carrots!! 

The awesome sign Grams and Gramps made me as I ran by every time I saw them!! :). Definitely a motivation booster and something to help me continue running 

Amy, myself, Kimberly, and Charlie at mile 3.5-ish.

My running group around mile 5.5 (+ Charlie!!)

Mile 9.25 (this is around the time I needed some motivation to keep going,
 and I definitely received it!!)

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE!! (the time shown is total time elapsed over the course of the race
from the first gun shot)

BROMANCE REUNITED!! 

I also want to send a shout out of thanks to all those who helped sponsor me on this race. I raised over $2,500!! Though the race is complete, there is still time to also donate!

It continues to be busy out here in NYC, but it is getting close to Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I am  so freakin' excited, it isn't even funny. For sure there will be posts about that to come!! 

Until next time...

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever!

Fall has fallen...

...and even in NYC, it is beautiful!!

Being in the city, and passing through  busy areas, I never imagined the fall colors would be as beautiful as they are! When I get off the train every day in Brooklyn, and begin my walk to school, I pass a park on my right, along with trees down my particular sidewalk, and thank God for the beauty around!! It definitely makes me feel at home with all the trees surrounding. :).

The past few weeks have definitely been exciting, to say the least. Since last writing, I have planned a special mass for the bishop of Brooklyn to attend, a prayer service for our seniors, led 2 seniors retreats, volunteered with the students at our first service project, and attended a teacher conference!!

To begin, bishop's mass: at the beginning of the school year, my boss and I found out the bishop was coming to school. Needless to say, it was a big deal, and the first month of school was dedicated to creating the special mass. All in all, it went very well, and the students' behavior far exceeded my expectation. We also had a special assembly for the juniors/seniors, as well then another special group of 30 young men who met with the bishop to talk about vocations. Completing that mass and assembly lifted a huge weight off the shoulders of our office, and allowed us to continue planning for the year.

Next on the list was a prayer service: every year, it is a tradition for the seniors to receive a special "Senior Pin." With this pin comes a short assembly and prayer service, and you guessed it, Campus Ministry helped to plan it. Being in the same week as the Bishop's Mass, it came down to crunch time for planning this prayer service, but we heard nothing but positive feedback from all the faculty/staff/administration, plus students how nice the service was; definitely a spirit booster!! As a faculty member, I also received a pin from the seniors, saying "thank you for being here!" (or something along those lines).

After the prayer service comes Senior Retreats: as part of Campus Ministry, like I've mentioned before, we are responsible for planning the numerous day retreats for all our grade levels. We are beginning the year with our Senior class (Class of 2012). The theme revolves around looking towards the future, and all that comes with it. It is definitely at emotional, but the students have been receptive to the activities, without causing too many problems. My favorite part of the retreat is at the end of the day when we watch a movie; not because I enjoy not having to talk with students, but because the movie is awesome. We watch Pay It Forward. Though I have now seen the movie probably about 7-8 times, I still get choked up and shed a tear at the end. The theme, the characters, the whole movie is awesome, and definitely a recommendation towards anyone who has not seen it.

Second to last, service projects are very important to Loughlinites. For our first service project, we volunteered across the street at Queen of All Saints Health Fair. Our students helped set-up the health fair booths, and then got to spend the day walking around, scrounging up all the free stuff they could find. A quick math break; 12 high school students + a bunch of free stuff = lots of empty tables once the high school kids pass through. Lol. At the end of the day, the students were awesome, the church staff was appreciative, and I went home to relax and nap! :)

Lastly, I got to attend my first teacher conference; Brother Luke Salm, FSC Religious Education Workshop. The 2 day workshop brought together campus ministers and theology teachers from mainly the East Coast district, but also some others from across the country. A time to begin networking, as well as learn some valuable information for the coming service year, as well as years down the road for when I become a real "big boy" with my job! :).

It has definitely been busy with school and such, but I seriously would not ask for anything else. I love it!!

I wish I had an update for you on the girl who I helped with her homework, and the result of her quiz in class; she has not come back to find me yet and report, so I now begin the outreach towards her, to let her know that I do really care about how she is doing.

Also, an update on my fundraising...I REACHED MY GOAL AND AM STILL GOING!! There are just under three weeks left until I run in my half-marathon, so definitely time to still donate towards the awesome cause!! Any bit counts towards the larger goal of $52,000!! Thanks to all who helped support so far!! Check it out here!!

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever.

Let's Review...

...the past three weeks, because they have been such a blur!

I know in my last post I had commented about how I was hoping to update more regularly once school started, because I thought I was going to have more time, etc. For all of you laughing right now, you win! The last three weeks have been amazing, and have thrown me right into the school atmosphere of working with students, but man am I exhausted when 3:30/4 o'clock hits, and I begin my walk home.

Week 1: This week was basically focused around Orientation for the new students at Bishop Loughlin, and me too! My theater degree definitely came in handy when telling the students about where to go in school, and saying it with confidence. Its not to say that I lied to the students, but more, if I was unsure, it sounded better if I said it with confidence, and then told them who to ask next if I was wrong! :). Also during this week, I was introduced to my family, inside my particular house. I have been mentioning this House System for the past few weeks, and can explain it a little more now too: our school is set-up like Hogwarts from Harry Potter. We have 8 separate houses that represent 8 important people in the history of the high school or Lasallian world. My particular house is Cordero, named after San Miguel Cordero, the saint whom the San Miguel schools are named after! I have a group of 24 students who I meet with every Wednesday morning for a half-hour, doing different activities that revolve around of theme for the year - building a community of leaders! At the end of the weekend, it was Sept. 11, it was a very different (in a way) feeling being in NYC for the 10th Anniversary. As part of the community, we watched the beautifully done name reading and dedication of the memorial, and then went about our day. To think I am living so close to where the attacks happened truly put it into perspective, and made me do a little extra reflecting that day.



Week 2: FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!! As any student is on their first day of classes, I got the same feeling. I awoke with plenty of time to shower, pick out the shirt and tie I would look spiffy in, and then headed downstairs for morning prayer, breakfast with the roomies, and packing of lunches, before having to be out the door by 6:20-25 am. The students and faculty were so warm and inviting that I couldn't help but love going into work every day, and doing the ministry that I do! As if the first week wasn't exhausting enough, I spent the weekend on retreat with a group of 15 student leaders from our Campus Ministry/Lasallian Youth Group, planning out the different events they wanted to do for the year! Though definitely exhausting, it was a great opportunity to get to know my students, and they get to know me. I felt much more confident going into school the next week, knowing many more students names, and saying "hi" to them in the hallway.

Week 3: As was the anticipation for the first day/week of school, it quickly wore off, and I slipped into waking up with just enough time to shower and get dressed before rushing downstairs in time for prayer, rushing the lunch, and grabbing breakfast for the walk to the train! Its amazing how much can change in just a week! This morning-rush aside, it was yet another successful week at school, building and developing relationships with the students! No matter how tired I may be from the train ride, or not enough sleep the night before, I find energy from the group of students who are waiting outside my office every morning. To already have a group of students who are "regulars" is awesome! Lunch time is definitely my favorite time of the day (and its not just because I get to eat my awesome lunch), but, like myself in high school, the students come into our office, and eat and gossip all period long! Its amazing how much you can learn about the latest happenings of BLMHS during the short lunch period with a group of Juniors of Seniors.

One particular story that stuck out to me this week, happened after school, when a group of students were working on their homework in our office, and the motivation and energy was flowing, I didn't want to kill it, though I was ready to go home! For these students to not have to bring home homework is the best thing ever! One girl asked me if I liked math, telling her it depended on the subject, and she informed me it was geometry; my response was, "To be honest, I hate it, but I would love to sit down with you, and we can try to work on it together!" Her face lit up, like no one had ever said something like that to her before. So, we began to work on the homework, and it was more basic algebra than geometry, and that I was good at. The first few problems I was speaking out most of the steps, and she would just write them down, but she slowly became comfortable with the procedure and wanted to work them out on her own. Following the examples I had written, she began to understand, and I could see her face begin to lighten up! After completing the assignment, and getting all of the answers right (from what I could tell), she informed me she had a quiz the next day, and with that I made her do a few more problems to make sure she really understood it. Getting those equations right as well, she proceeded to give me a huge hug, and tell me she thinks she might actually pass her first math test or quiz since being in high school. I encouraged her she would get more than just the 65% she was expecting, and land among the 90-100% range. To see the excitement in her face was indescribable! I wait in anticipation to see the grade she got on her quiz!!

Also, as a more humorous section, I would like to provide you with some experiences I have had in these first few weeks:

1. I was talking with my Cordero family about how I am training for a run, and I think running is the most pointless physical activity ever. A student then proceeds to tell me that he really enjoys running, and from the other side of the room, I hear one of my students say loudly, "Maybe you can bring the sumo wrestler out with you, and teach him your tricks!" Being that I crack jokes myself about me running, I couldn't help but think this student was inside my brain, making the joke for me. 
2. If anyone has had best luck on their first day of school, it can't beat the luck I had: I grab an apple for the walk to the train, but find when eating, there is a bug crawling through my apple. My roommates asked if there was a hole on the outside of the apple, and I proceeded to tell them, "Yes, but I just ate it."And then, I continued to eat my apple, but on the walk to the train, I dropped my apple on the sidewalk before really being able to finish it. And then, once at the train station, I swiped my card, not listening for the noise to say it cleared, rather running right into the turn style, causing pain to areas that need not be mentioned. And then, the train arrives, but it has no air conditioning, thus feeling like a sauna. And then, I transfer trains at my stop, and the next train doesn't have air conditioning. AND THEN, on my way home from work, I stepped in the biggest piece of gum, my foot slipped out its shoe. With my luck that day, I should've entered the lottery. :/. 
3. Falling asleep on the train after work is never a fun experience. During my second week of school, I feel asleep 4 out of 5 days home. I knew that I fell asleep because every time I woke up, there was always new group of people sitting around me, from the time when I first got on the train. Needless to say, there are probably pictures of me floating around the internet, sleeping on train, sprawled out, catching flies with my mouth open. Ha. 

Update on the Monster Dash Fundraising: I am almost at my goal of $1,000, but I don't want to stop there! Thanks so much to all those who have sponsored me thus far, and thanks to all those still hoping to donate! Your generosity is greatly appreciated!

Look how official I am in the Main Office of BLMHS!! :)

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever. 

"Hurricane Irene" + Labor Day Weekend...

...equals my last week of freedom before work starts!

As I mentioned in the last post, Hurricane Irene was making her way towards the Tri-State area, thus leaving us here in the NYC Metro area to a panic. The city went crazy about trying to get everything prepared to weather the storm, and survive. Here at Bedford Park, we took necessary precautions towards getting all of the important food items in the house; milk, bread, eggs, and beer! The last three seem to be no problem, but it seemed with the first one, milk, every time someone would leave the house, they would return with a gallon of milk. Let's take a quick math break: 7 gallons of milk + 1 predicted hurricane + 1 possibility of power outage = 1 big problem. As a community, we made it our responsibility to drink as much of that milk before the storm hit, so as to not have spoiled milk, in case of a power outage. Luckily, Irene didn't stay long in our neighborhood, if at all. We had a light sprinkling of rain one night, waking up to a small bit of wind the following morning. Being that the hurricane was amped up to be so much stronger, I would say it was somewhat of a letdown! :/.

With that excitement aside, I had to figure out what I was going to do with my last week of freedom before all the fun of work began up, and my sense of a social life dwindled away. On Monday morning, Kenny, Stephanie and I set out for the Ground Zero area again, as well as making a stop to visit Battery Park. While walking around Battery Park, Kenny and Stephanie suggested we take the Staten Island Ferry, and seeing that none of us had actually used this fun mode of transportation, we made our way towards the loading station. The large boat is used primarily by tourists, but its true purpose is to transport residents from Manhattan to Staten Island, and vice versa. Along our beautifully short boat ride, we were able to pass a very well-known monument...

...LADY LIBERTY! Seeing this gorgeous babe will be receiving cosmetic surgery next month, I wanted to be sure to see her before that all happened. Hoping the surgery goes well for her, I am hoping in my coming years of service to go inside the statue, and climb to the top! :).

Irony?! This is where I was standing when I was traveling across the water onto Staten Island!

After taking the ferry back to Manhattan, we began a day of historical sight-seeing (my mother was very proud!) It began at Fraunces Tavern, the sight where George Washington said goodbye to his troops. After walking around the museum, and seeing it was close to lunch time, the three of us decided to stop by the bar, and enjoy a brewski with George Washington, as well as share in a small "mini" meal (all the names of the dishes for lunch began with the word MINI). After lunch, Kenny and I parted ways with Stephanie, and continued to explore the lower part of Manhattan, seeing parts of Wall Street Stock Exchange, JP Morgan Chase's original house, Trinity Church, as well as making a stop again at St. Paul's Chapel, across the street from Ground Zero. 

After revisiting some of the already seen sites, the "find historical buildings as you go" walking tour brought us into China Town, leading us to Five Points (the location/neighborhood from Gangs of New York), completing out our day at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum! The museum allowed for Kenny and I to go back in time, and understand what it was like for families to live the way did during the times of immigration, and segregation of the mid-1800's in New York City! After having such an awesome tour guide, we decided to become members so as to be able to enjoy the other awesome stories and visits provided through the museum! 

Being that this day of sight-seeing was very exhausting, I took the next 2 days to relax before having to head into work, and finally be able to begin my year of service! My first official day of work was Sept. 1! The day began quite nice, making it into the neighborhood early, allowing for the chance to find a local coffee shop, with awesome bagels! :). Being the first day, as with an educational field-ish, it was a basic overview of the school year, and what to expect from my job. I was also able to meet some of the students who were considered leaders of the school through Campus Ministry and Student Council! Though it was only a short, 5 hour day, I came home exhausted, wondering what a full-length school day might be like! 

Seeing that school was closed the next day for holiday weekend, the community and I traveled to the A-Frame house, about an hour north-ish of Albany, to meet up with the other LV's who are serving along the East Coast (minus the Rhode Island girls who were not able to attend). It was a weekend of relaxation, kayaking, swimming, and different yard games! Kenny, being the awesome outdoorsy man that he is, convinced me to go out on the Hudson River with him and try kayaking. I had sat in a kayak before and maybe completed 2 swift motions with the paddles, before feeling that I was not able to do it. This time was different, and Kenny was convinced that I was able to make it upstream to go and see the beautiful waterfalls! The first minute seemed to look promising, until my kayak began to fight back, and not want to cooperate (notice how I put the blame on the inanimate object versus myself, knowing that I am far more competent than it). In the end, my kayak was not working with me, specifically not wanting to turn left, thus resulting in naming him Zoolander! Ha. 

Besides Zoolander and I not being able to agree, the weekend was very enjoyable, and provided for a nice ending celebration before the commotion of the school year kicks in! 

Today, Tuesday, felt to me as my first official day going to work, and serving the Loughlin community!

Being on the other side of the education table, it felt kind of surreal to be a part of the important, motivational teacher meetings, providing encouragement for the coming school year, and with our students! To think I was tired on Thursday, after a short 5 hour day, seemed to be an understatement, after coming closer to a typical work day! The feeling was sheer exhaustion when I left work, and to add onto it, the rain outside made me feeling like Eeyore walking to my Subway station (which in the rain, seemed forever and a day away!)

Looking back on the last week and a half, it has been enjoyable and rewarding, and has provided a sense of reflection going into the new school year! I will forever cherish the awesome sights I was able to see, and the memories I was able to share with my housemates! I know that as the year goes on, the draining nature of the job will ware off, and my social life will come back into existence. For now though, it is beginning it hibernation early! 

Lastly, I wanted to remind everyone about the LV Races; LV's Running Scared Monster Dash 2011! Just 52 days before I embark on 13.1 mile journey, I never dreamt of doing! Don't forget the incentive of a personalized, autographed photo with every donation received. More incentives/prizes to come!

Wanting to send a special thanks to all of my family and friends who have been praying for me, as well, as creating a strong support system! Without you, I would not be enjoying myself as much as I am so early in this year of service! I love you all! :).

One last last thing before signing out: for all of you Lewis folk who remember Bartholomew Josiah from last year, I believe this comic, found in the New York Daily Post last week, sums up our relationship for the 20 days we were together...

Sorry this turned into such a long post, I promise to make the coming month's ones shorter! 

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever. 

"Operation Paint My Room" and Natural Disasters...

...has consumed my life for the past week!! :).

Let's start with the fun that was had last weekend, on a mini vacation; Narragansett, Rhode Island! Bro. Ed was on a retreat out in that area, and invited us to come along, and stay with the Brothers for the weekend, and while they were in retreat, we could go hang out at the beach...

...and we did! The beach was beautiful, and the weather was spectacular! Only complaint is cold water, but that's the ocean so there's not much I can do about that, right?!

While in Rhode Island with community, we called up the girls who were volunteering IN RI, and met up with them, sharing stories of the first few weeks of service. Needless to say, it was an enjoyable weekend, and much needed relaxation from all the hard-work I've been doing at school (sarcasm... :/ )

It was then back to the community, where I presented to Bro. Ed the idea of painting my room. When I first suggested this, it sounded like a brilliant plan, and was all excited to no longer be staying in the back, attic room, with all white walls. I looked at the inventory in the basement, of what we had, and compiled a group of paint cans of what I thought would work. The final color choices (as described through my eyes) are: salmon-y orange-ish, and battleship grey-ish blue.

Salmon-y Orange-ish, and final posters hung on the wall...

Battleship Grey-ish Blue, and more wall hanging goodness...

Aside from painting my room, my week up until tonight, was somewhat dull unless we talk about natural disasters hitting the East Coast!

1. Earthquake: while Kenny and I played stay-at-home volunteers (kind of like stay-at-home mom's) and baked cookies all afternoon, an earthquake shook parts of NYC and beyond. I personally, did not feel any of the shakes or after shocks, but saw it explore all over facebook, and became curious. The best part of this whole earthquake drama was reading the papers the following day, and seeing all the panic on people's face! The best story: an 18 year old bride rushed out of City Hall on the Lower East Side, waiting to get married, because her soon-to-be husband wasn't answering her calls, and the phone was "dead". It came to be discussed later, that the bride knew her fiance´ was on the local subway train headed to City Hall, but its all she could think to do when she felt the shaking. Society is falling apart right in front of my eyes out here...
2. Hurricane Irene: big talk has been flying about the upcoming Hurricane Irene, set to hit the East Coast/Tri-State Area within the next day or two...people are going nuts out here! Evacuations have been planned, and stores are being bought out of all the products people are told to get. Yes, I am glad people are stocking up and playing it safe, but if you listen to the news, we are at a now Category 1, which results in heavy rains (8-10") and mighty winds (60-80 mph). If you ask me, that sounds like a great activity for a Saturday afternoon; document the storm as it passes by (be sure to stay tuned to find out my discoveries...). All in all, I will be safe in the storm in our awesome house, on top of a hill, documenting every moment! :)

Turning the tables completely, I want to send a reminder about the LV Races 2011, which will be taking place Oct. 29, 2011 in the Twin Cities! :). As a dedicated rookie runner, and the support of my housemate Kenny, at this present time, I will be running the half-marathon (yes, fat kid running is enough entertainment to last a lifetime...). I appreciate all forms of prayer and support as I continue on the path to success. Currently, there are 62 days until the race, and Kenny and I are feeling good about completing training properly, as well as beasting the half-marathon! If looking for the site to sponsor me, follow here! As an incentive to donate, with every donation I receive, I will be sure to send you a personalized, autographed photo of myself at the completion of the race, IN FULL COSTUME, proving that I completed the race, and loved all the support you provided for me! :)

To turn the tables one last time, today began the beginning of a long journey towards breaking one of my fears: bicycles! After learning I didn't know how to bike because of fear I had, Kenny made it his responsibility to teach me how to ride, seeing as he just finished being awesome and biking a quarter of the country! After the many attempts on the sidewalk outside our house, there was one successful, full rotation of the pedals before I freaked out, squeezed the brakes, and threw my feet down. It is a nice thought knowing I enjoy people watching, but really it is now the neighborhood who is watching me make a fool of myself. I am determined to master this skill before Kenny's second year of service ends, no matter how foolish I look! 

This is the first battle wound from riding the bike: the pedal came around and knicked the back of leg/ankle area. However, after evaluating the injury, it kind of looks like a smily face, providing positive encouragement to continue riding! :)

ONE LAST THING (I promise...): I have been receiving questions about my address, and where people might be able to send awesome letters and such (for every letter I receive, I will send a response!)

Christopher Hueg

Lasallian Community

2850 Marion Ave

Bronx, NY 10458

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever.

Everyone needs a little R & R!!

This last week provided for a bit of relaxation and less running around than what has been happening the past 2 weeks. I did, however, still get out and tour around parts of the city I hadn't seen yet! :).

Sunday, after the LV Riders arrived, a delicious meal was shared, and we decided to watch a movie as an extended community. The choice: 500 Days of Summer. For those that have seen it, you can testify to how awesome the movie is. For those that haven't, I suggest renting it, and enjoying.

I have 2 favorite parts to that movie:

1. "Day 34: Darling, I don't know how to tell you this, but there is a Chinese family watching us from our bathroom." (if you have seen the movie, you understand. if not, i don't want to spoil the awesomeness of the quote, so i'll let you discover for yourself!!)
2. Who wouldn't enjoy being this happy and in love?! (click me)

On Monday, seeing that we had first timer's from the ride in NYC, Kenny and I decided to go out into the city with them, and show them some awesome locations! We first let them experience the Subway system, and then headed towards Central Park. I was able to experience the actual park part this time of Central Park, unlike last time. Ha. While walking around, we saw some famous parts of the park that are easily recognizable when walking through them. For example, the line of oak trees that create a canopy has been used in several films, and actually while walking through, they were filming a segment for a film that was in French. To say I was "on-set" makes me think my theatre degree is being used for something. ;). Also, the giant fountain in Central Park used for the final shot in Enchanted's "That's How You Know" as well as Home Alone 2, and Step-Mom. After venturing through Central Park, it began to rain, and we headed towards F.A.O. Schwarz Toy Store. To be a kid, running through there is a dream come true. Plus, the big attraction: giant keyboard used in the movie "Big"!!

Monday night, we decided to stick with watching a movie as extended community, but settled upon a scary movie. The ghost stories from Philadelphia came back up, and thus landing a choice of scary movie. Many of you who know me understand that I do not like scary movies at all!! My roommates during senior year wanted to watch a scary movie with me, but it never happened. Needless to say, I suffered through it, and surprisingly found myself screaming only in the last scene of the movie. Oh yes, the movie we chose was Paranormal Activity. That night, it was funny to walk upstairs and see all of the lights on in the rooms where people were sleeping, because of fear of turning out the lights. I, however, did not join their club, and was able to fall asleep without the lights on! :). 

Tuesday was extremely relaxing, sleeping in and bumming around the house. It was also my night to cook dinner, and man was it delicious. How can you go wrong with steak on the grill, grilled corn and asparagus, and cheesy, garlic mashed potatoes! Mmmmmm. The meal ended with delicious carrot cake cupcakes and cream cheese frosting, courtesy of Kelly Towns, one of the National Riders for LV's Ride! 

Wednesday provided for another Broadway show! Waking up early morning, Glenna and Kelly (National Riders) wanted to rush a show. We headed out of the house, and went for the Gershwin Theatre where Wicked would be playing an afternoon matinee. We entered our names into the lottery for front row seats, but unfortunately came out empty handed. Looking at the schedule, we found Phantom of the Opera was also showing an afternoon matinee that day, and headed towards that theatre. It was this moment I was able to see how comfortable I am in the city, being able to navigate the streets, and get to our next theatre without wasting too much time! We purchased our tickets, enjoyed a quick lunch at John's Pizzeria across the street before the show, and then the curtain rose. WHAT A SHOW! I have enjoyed listening to the music for several years, and now being able to see it live, painted so much more of a picture for me! I still look in awe at all of the technical elements of the show, and how ahead of it's time it was when it first opened! I catch myself looking around the theatre while watching sometimes more for tech elements than the actual actors. I guess that is another thing I can credit towards my awesome theatre education! 

Being the riders last night in our community, we decided for a little laughter that evening. What better way to come together and laugh, then WII SPORTS!! Everyone got involved playing bowling, golf, and tennis. That evening, I learned how competitive the community gets over the games, especially Brother Bill! I am definitely going to have to take lessons from him in tennis and golf. I don't think he has lost a game since he started. (Dad, he will give you a run for your money when you come to visit...)

Finally, Thursday, Kenny and Stephanie were heading into their school, LaSalle Academy, located in the village of Manhattan, and invited me along to join. After stopping in to show Stephanie the school, we walked around the neighborhood, and got to see things a normal tourist wouldn't venture to find. Kenny introduced us to his favorite Thai restaurant, not far from the school offering amazing lunch specials! We also then walked back towards the Subway, first stopping in his favorite independent bookstore, and spent some time exploring! 

Here you can see just part of my favorite area of the bookstore: a section dedicated just to scripts! :). The shelves for this portion extended quite a ways, and I can't wait to go back and explore more of the store! 

We ended the night with a community viewing of Memphis: A New Musical on our Netflix account! (Yes, this is the musical I saw my first weekend here, but we wanted to enjoy it again, so we watched it!). The whole community life is totally coming together, and I am really enjoying my time here, looking forward to all the new things that I am going learn over the next year!

For the weekend, we are heading to Narragansett, RI to spend some time at beach resort as a community, and enjoy a relaxing weekend with the Rhode Island volunteers as well! 

Until next time...

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever.  

LV's Ride

This weekend, I had the pleasure of sharing in the excitement of the completion of LV's Ride Across America: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty! On June 16, 2011, a group of 14 dedicated cyclists met on the shores of the Pacific Ocean and began their adventure, planning to bike 3400-ish miles to the Atlantic Ocean in support of the Lasallian Volunteers, and the ministries served. Along the way, the group also volunteered at local agencies that were helping to also break the cycle of poverty. On average, the bikers traveled 75-80 miles a day, with their longest day being from Minneapolis to Winona, MN! A day totaling 127 miles, as well as one of the hottest days they would experience, was completed as I began my LV journey at Orientation. 

When Orientation was completed, my roommate, and housemate Kenny (Kennwii) here in New York participated on the last third of the trip, biking 981 miles. Bro. Ed Phalen, community director here at the house, also participated on 9/10 of the bike ride as well, missing the days when he was at Orientation with us. To be able to share in the excitement with fellow community members, as well as others who share the same passion for St. John Baptist de LaSalle was a great feeling yesterday in Lincroft, NJ! The bikers completed their ride at the Atlantic Ocean around 4:45 pm, and then made their way towards us at the "second" finish line to join in celebration and excitement!! 

For more information about the "LV's Ride" visit www.lvsride.com

Along with the LV's Ride, which works towards raising money for the Lasallian Volunteers program, we the volunteers also do our part every year to help raise money! The opportunity to donate is a yearly project, but the special way we raise funds is through a race every year, located in one of the cities where we have volunteers serving. This year's race is called the "Monster Dash" and will be in MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA!! I could not be more excited to be a participant in the race in my home state, allowing for time to see family, and have their support!! There are 2 options for the race: half marathon or 5K. I have yet to decide which of these I am going to participate in, but I am going to make my final decision on August 30, before the price begins to go up on registration for both of these events! 

With that excitement, now comes business...it would mean the world to me for a sponsorship from you! My personal goal for the race is $1,000, adding to the total goal of $52,000 for all of Lasallian Volunteers (there are currently 52 volunteers across the United States this academic year). Whether a donation comes in $5, $20, or $100, any bit helps towards the final goal!! There are two options for donating...

1. Visit the below website. Follow the instructions after clicking on the link "Sponsor Me"below my fundraising thermometer. 

https://lasallianvolunteers.myetap.org/fundraiser/lvsrunningscared/individual.do?participationRef=3889.0.155557945

     2.   Send a check directly to the main office for Lasallian Volunteers at:

Hecker Center, Suite 300

3025 Fourth Street, NE

Washington, DC 20017 

**please make all checks payable to 

Christian Brothers Conference c/o Lasallian Volunteers,

along with LV Races 2011 and my name (Christopher Hueg) 

in the memo line**

Thank you so much in advance for your generous support towards the Lasallian Volunteers program, and the several ministries that we serve! 

Another week of tourist-y activities, while hanging out with the last remaining LV Riders staying here in our community! I will be sure to keep you posted on training for the races, as well as any possible fun stories that I experience... 

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever. 

Attempts at blending in & NOT looking like a tourist...

...is very difficult when you are constantly walking around holding a camera. :)

Being my first full week in New York, I wanted to get to know the train system a little better, and decided to explore different parts of the Downtown area. Public transportation, for me, has never really been a difficult idea to get the hang of. When moving to college, and going into Chicago, hearing different colors lines, versus bus numbers seemed confusing, but I eventually got the hang of it! Now that I am in New York, all of these lessons learned have provided a much easier and smoother transition. I live my life based off the alphabet, colors, and simple numbers! Thank goodness for an awesome kindergarten education. :).

Now, lets take some time for the weekly review:

MONDAY

Lazy Day!! After a busy week of service in Philly, and a busy first weekend in the city, I decided that I wanted to take a day that would involve just about nothing. Being that I am now in community, I woke for Morning Prayer, and then decided to go back and take a short nap :/. Also being in community provides cooking responsibilities, so my roommate Stephanie and I walked up to the local grocery store, and got to experience that while buying food for our respective days of cooking. To say the grocery store was an experience is an understatement; the aisles could barely fit 2 people standing back-to-back, let alone trying to push a cart down it to find what you needed. We eventually played tag-team, and one person would go down the aisle and get whatever we needed, while the other one would stay with the cart! It worked out rather well...

What I learned from the grocery store/food experience: Florida Avocados taste nothing like Haas Avocados, or any other type. I decided for my meal, I was going to start simple, and make tacos with chips, salsa, and guacamole. Needless to say, the guacamole was extremely sweet, and there was no helping it. 

TUESDAY

Central Park...well, part of it. I believe I found the non-park part of Central Park, but still was able to walk around, and see some of the beautiful sites! I can't wait to go back and explore more of the park! 

What I learned about walking around all day, and forgetting to check the weather: BRING AN UMBRELLA WITH YOU EVERYWHERE! The first step towards being able to bring an umbrella with though, is to purchase and own one. That is the one item I have been holding out on, and now have given in to purchase ASAP! Seeing as my time in the morning is spent on the Subway, and afternoon home, the weather can change during my hour and 15 minute ride to work, so having one with me is always handy. I've also got to find one that will last me through at least the first year, so I don't create a scene from Mary Poppins in the Bronx or Brooklyn area. Ha. 

WEDNESDAY

Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center & NBC Studios!! What an awesome place. We began our day walking around the area these buildings were located, and then going inside and checking them out as well. I hope to get back and see some fun shows at Radio City. Currently, Cirque de Solei is performing a show there, but once Christmas time arrives, I can only imagine the fun shows! Rockefeller is almost the same. I was slightly disappointed not to see a large Christmas Tree or Skating Rink, but then reminded myself it was the beginning of August, and still 90 degrees outside (I promise, I graduated college, and have some common sense).

Seeing the NBC Studios area was also pretty cool! I now know where to go when I want to get on the "Today" show...before school starts I am determined to make my way down there, and see it!! Across the street is the Observation Deck for Rockefeller Center, as well as a large store, filled with all NBC show merchandise. My favorite section included the tv show F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (yes, the dots are necessary) with all of the different t-shirts and quotes, as well as coffee mugs, notebooks, etc. 

As a treat to ourselves, Stephanie and I walked back down to where we were last weekend (Shubert Theatre). Across the street from where we saw our awesome show, there was a sign outside for the Harry Potter Traveling Exhibit! New York City was its last stop on the tour, and we figured why not check it out! It was well worth the price of admission! :). We began our tour of the exhibit with a demonstration of the Sorting Hat, moving on to a room that highlighted Harry and his friend's life over the past "7 years". It was then time to free-walk throughout the exhibit and see all the different displays. They included the costumes seen in the movies, as well as props, set pieces, and decorations. It is crazy to think I grew up with the characters, yet, their clothing is so small! It must be nice to always purchase clothes from the children's section. Ha. After exiting the exhibit, we couldn't say no to what we saw outside the gift shop...

...that's right, CAKE BOSS!! Though it is not the actual store, it is one of only 5 or 6 smaller cafe's that he distributes to! I ordered myself a Red Velvet Cake with an awesome cream cheese frosting, as well as one of his famous Cannolis! Man what a treat that was! :). After enjoying such awesome desserts, I put it on my list to now go, and visit the actual store where he does all his delicious treats in New Jersey!

THURSDAY

Today was a day filled with tourist-y activities, but also it was a day, that was much calmer than the rest. I began my day finally going into Brooklyn, and seeing for myself my working area for the coming school year! We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhatten, and got just part of our daily exercise for the day! (The new picture background for my blog is of the Brooklyn Bridge that I took myself...maybe I should become a photographer. Ha) It was then on to Pier 17, filled with little boutiques and shops, and after enjoying lunch, we made our way towards Ground Zero. 

A local artist created the New York Skyline out of melted rubble and steel after the attacks on the World Trade Centers 

Before making it to the site of Ground Zero, we stopped at St. Paul's Chapel, which is across the street from the World Trade Centers. The moment we stepped inside the chapel, there was a somber silence that filled the building, that I had never felt before. When the towers fell, St. Paul's was the location for volunteer firefighters, police officers, and rescue teams to come and recover for just a few hours, before going back into the rubble to find people. To see the signs posted around the Chapel, and pictures of people who are still missing to this day was very emotional. I didn't want to feel like I was rushing through, but to be standing in there too long started to get to me, and I felt no other emotion but to cry. It was then onto the site of where they are building the Memorial Park, as well as the new World Trade Center. Still an eeriness to how quiet it was, but yet, respectful. It was then onto an adventure to find Battery Park. I had heard about Battery Park, and the sphere that was placed in the park, with the eternal flame, to represent the World Trade Centers, and never forgetting. We found this park, and to see the sphere was magnificent.

FRIDAY

Another Lazy Day!! :). After such a busy and draining week, Stephanie and I decided to take another lazy day, and just sit around the house preparing for the busy year we have ahead of us! Tonight, we went out to Greenwich Village for dinner at John's Pizzeria, a famous, local pizza joint, and then headed home to prepare for yet another busy weekend!!

Stay tuned to find out what I am going to enjoy this weekend, as well as many more adventures throughout New York City!

Live Jesus In Our Hearts. Forever.