Hot Dog

(Little Hot Dog with his proud grandparents)
(Hot Dog Family lighting a candle)

One of the best things that has happened to me at Packemin HS was becoming friends with Hot Dog. I met Hot Dog in the teachers' cafeteria when I was in one of my foul moods, determined not to become friends with anyone new. Hot Dog however had already become friends with someone I liked so we began conversing and surprisingly enough, we hit it off right away. I found a soul mate in Hot Dog. She shared my cynicism and my distrust of the administration and she shared my love of teaching and my love of the children we both taught.

Hot Dog and I have been teaching together for a very long time. We've gone through some bad but mostly good times together. Today was the epitome of our relationship. Her son was Bar Mitzvahed.

I had tears in my eyes as I saw this little boy standing on the Bimah with his proud parents and grandparents. I remembered the difficult time she had conceiving and carrying. And, even before this, I remembered the difficult time she had convincing her now husband that he should follow his heart to be with her.

Little Hot Dog was did a fantastic job. He made everyone feel good. He led the service, he read from the Torah and did a mean Haftorah. He finished off with a sensational speech.

After the service, Little Hot Dog got to celebrate his achievements at a fantastic party. Surrounded by friends and family, he danced and ate and enjoyed himself tremendously. Everyone enjoyed themselves. Hot Dog has a ton of friends with personalities similar to her own and although some of us only met for the first time today we felt a bond.

I know I bitch and moan plenty about school but without Packemin, I would never have met the Dog family and I would not have been part of their lives. My life would be much poorer with them.