I never used to like Valentine’s Day, but now I love it. Then again, it’s probably because I had a date, and have had one for some time now. I haven’t always had the best of luck, especially as a child, but now, things have never looked brighter. I’m not just in love, but I love, and it’s cool.

So in the spirit of that love, I’d love to tell you about some of the things I love:

I love having my lessons ready for school.

I love my independence.

I love writing, and I love it so much, I schedule the topics in my mind, unless something else comes up that’s a little cooler than that … like a date with a hot girlfriend.

I love my kids. Despite how annoying, frustrating, self-centered, destructive, insane, off-kilter, entitled, sloppy, and often insulting some of them are, the majority of my kids are just that: kids, and you can’t do anything except love them for who they are. They have this energy that makes you want to vicariously live through them almost … I said almost. After all, I like this grown-up version of me.

I love teaching. That’s a whole ‘nother post.

I love orange soda, but it’s a long-lost love since I haven’t been drinking it that much. I’ve maybe that my kind on that citrus divinity once over the last year, and that’s serious.

I love seeing good writers, good bloggers, and good comments, ones that make me brim with ideas and responses throughout the day and keep me writing at night.

I love good sex, and when a quickie is considered 45 minutes.

I love my family and friends for all their support.

I love my creativity and empathy, as they are probably my strongest qualities, even greater than my humility (and sometimes lack thereof).

I love performing poems though I rarely get a chance due to lack of preparation or scheduling conflicts.

I love the Lower East Side, even if it’s become the bastion of gentrification.

I love Freecell, like geezus kristo! I play it during my free periods, on the train home, on the way back, on a trip, and at home when I’m bored.

I love travelling, and it looks like I’ll be doing a lot of that. I’m on an award tour, and I got Muhammad my man, going each and every place with a cam in my hand. Miami, DC, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and maybe Montreal, here I come.

I love getting angry over educational politics, and just talking as much crap as possible until I become professional again.

I love being an underdog, because it just makes me want to get revenge on the naysayers. I would actually prefer to be the perpetual underdog.

On that line, I love when my team wins championships. My homeroom lost to my advanced class in the first game of the tourney. After that first horrendous loss, and their only loss of the tournament, they acted like sore losers, and I dug into them a little, especially the leader of my team. He’s already got a bad temper, but then he was selfish, shooting something 1 for 8 with no assists. After that game, I practiced after school with them, and taught them a little bit of everything. I attended a couple of their games, coaching them on the sidelines, and they won game after game. Today, fatefully, they went and played the same team that beat them, not once but twice in the same day, so I was excited. I was more pleased that they, for the most part, played with class, and worked hard. They shared the ball and passed like I’ve begged them to.

I love teaching them more than just math.

I love seeing how they overcame the odds.

I would love to see them grow after everything they’ve learned …

jose, who’s got a million things to share, but frankly, i need a nap …