My finger is swelling again. I put that cream on it that I got as a prescription. That used to work but it doesn't seem to. I put it on a few days ago as soon as it seemed like it was starting to swell and have applied it liberally ever since but it's still swelling.

I thought it was gout or arthritis or an allergy. But now I think it's just from the cold. I bet if I took a hot bath, it would help.

I've been looking up former teachers on Facebook. Here's my art teacher. Well, I couldn't find her on Facebook, actually. She used to have a page, maybe still does, but I can't find it. I found a news article from 10 years ago, though. And her Linkedin.

She used to flirt with me in class. I wasn't a sex machine in those days so it was really awkward. And let's see...this article gives her age...so she must have been 45. That's too old for that stuff. A hot teacher just out of university, maybe I'd be into that. Even up to about 30, I guess. But 45? No.

There were students who suggested that they'd have sex with her but maybe my standards were just higher.

But yeah, she'd make creepy comments. We were colouring some paper pins for some stupid fundraiser or something. It was a drawing of a cartoon bull and he was wearing little pants. She sat next to me and was drawing and then looked over and saw that I had coloured in the pants. And she says, "I didn't even notice the pants. I thought he was naked."

"Well, that's hardly a salaciious comment." But it's just an example. There was a bad vibe.

There was a time where she handed out class evaluation forms. You were able to write suggestions to improve the class. So I wrote, "More pornographic magazines, please." It was a reference to art books. It was a reference to art books where they'd have naked women in them. I don't think that we even had such books in the class.

So I turned it in and there were no names on these things but she must have figured out it was me from the handwriting. So later, in the hallway, she was talking to some girl and the girl suddenly yelled, "Oh hell no! Porno?!?" This teacher must have been telling this story to this girl. "There's Baron of Culture. You know, he suggested more pornographic magazines for my class."

She'd always say hello to me in the hall when she'd see me, even when I stopped taking her class. I only took her class for half a year and then quit because I didn't like it. Not because of the comments but because she gave me like a "D" grade so to hell with that. I'm not taking an art class to get a "D". That's supposed to be a blow off class.

But after I cut my hair, she stopped talking to me. The long hair must have reminded her of her hippie school days when she had a crush on David Cassidy or whoever.

My high school English teacher, who was really good, maybe the only good teacher I've ever had, is a sport administrator at some nearby rich school now. Good for him, I guess, but he was hardly an athlete. He might have done wrestling as a student.

Seems a bit weird is all. Athletes don't tend to become teachers so you get just average (or below average) dudes as the coach. I remember EVERY male teacher was called "coach" when I was a student because they were all coaching some team. Even the 400 pound business teacher was "coach" because he coached the golf team.

It really annoyed me but nobody said anything. Until one day. Some new kid to the school said, "Man, everyone is called 'coach' here". I suddenly sprang to attention. "Man, I know. It's ridiculous." But then a third kid said, "Shut up. He's a coach so we call him 'coach'. Big deal."

No way would I do that crap. Nor should it be required. Are they getting paid extra to coach these gay ass teams? And...you know...you're hired to teach. Teach a particular academic subject. Not coach some homo kids how to play tennis. I'd be organising strikes and shit over this crap.