It's been forever.
Mostly because overnight, my job went from part-time to full-time, and partly because there's been some major and minor household upheavals recently.
The Man got read the riot act regarding playing World of Warcraft. He has agreed to only play on Saturdays now, and I feel that this is fair, although the caveat is that if he plays it on a day that is NOT Saturday and I catch him, he has to kiss it goodbye.
In other news, The Man started up his truck about a week ago, and it made a funny noise, so he pulled back into his parking spot and opened the hood and saw....fur.
Evidently two black kittens had crawled up into the fan shroud of his engine compartment, and when he turned the car on....
They actually turned out to be very lucky. One of them had a broken foreleg, and the other was completely unharmed. The one with the broken leg ended up being accepted by a vet who specializes in this kind of stuff (she's getting a bolt in her leg) and the other one...
Well, we now have two cats. Lady Luck is about 8 weeks old, and has already had her first shots, a deworming pill, and a flea bath, none of which she appreciated much. She's black with big eyes that are turning gold, and a really long body and tail- the vet says she's going to be a big cat. She's totally cheeky and intrepid, has zero regard for the well-being of our furniture and is a little TOO fascinated with the parrot, so she's got to be supervised at all times until her hot pink Soft Paws arrive. (They match her hot pink collar.)
Our big boy cat was initially terrified of her, but has now figured out since he weighs at least 18 lbs. more than she does, he probably doesn't have a lot to worry about. They are definitely not best friends, but they are fascinated by one another.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
Freaky Beeyotches
OK- I hate to do this, because guys- sometimes there are genuine ladies in distress. But a few distinctly shady things have been happening lately, and I do know a lot of nice guys who could fall prey to this kind of garbage.
My dad was raised by a single mom- it's his policy to help out when he sees a woman in any kind of automotive distress. On his way to my house last week, he spots a woman with her emergency flashers on, side of the road, standing next to her (really pricey) white SUV.
She tells dad that the car just died, and that "the last time this happened, the guy who helped me said the car just needed more gas."
Dad asked her if it was out of gas, and she said no, but it worked last time. She started pressuring him to give her a life to the gas station. He then started to realize that there was something weird about this situation. He said "That doesn't make any sense...." and she got all belligerent, which made him even more convinced that there was something wrong with the situation.
Then he tried the car, it started right up. The lady gets even more insistant that she needs to add more gas, it worked last time, and she wants him to give her a ride to the station in his car. He realizes that once this woman gets in his car, she could say all kinds of things about him, and/or be impossible to get rid of. He refuses.
Then she says she has no cash on her, and will he please give her some $ for gas? And Dad knows he's been conned, but he figures it's worth the $5 to get rid of her. As soon as he coughs up the dough, she ROARS off in her supposedly defective SUV.
Then a week or so ago, I went out to the Dirty Olive with two guy friends, and a woman approached us. I had noticed her talking to different guys throughout the evening. My two guy friends were drinking martinis, and I was having a Diet Coke.
She was cute in a girl-next-door kinda way, and she explained that she was with a service to keep people from driving drunk. She made eye contact with my two male friends, and didn't even acknowledge me (even though I was sitting in the middle, and even when I said, "Uh, I'm the designated driver!") and handed them both her card.
The card said smething like "Mother Mary's Driving Service- we drive you home, in your own car!"
The most ironic thing? She was totally off track with both of my guy friends, who just happen to be gay.
We all discussed it, and the whole situation just seemed fishy. All I could think from her behavior was that she was a hooker on the side, or that even if she was supposedly legit, once someone is in your car and has the keys, they know the location of your house, and that you're wasted....and that presumably, someone is followng the driver back to your house...
That just seems like a stupid situation to get yourselves into in this day and age, gentlemen. Just call an old fashioned taxicab and save yourself the potential psychotic episodes.
My dad was raised by a single mom- it's his policy to help out when he sees a woman in any kind of automotive distress. On his way to my house last week, he spots a woman with her emergency flashers on, side of the road, standing next to her (really pricey) white SUV.
She tells dad that the car just died, and that "the last time this happened, the guy who helped me said the car just needed more gas."
Dad asked her if it was out of gas, and she said no, but it worked last time. She started pressuring him to give her a life to the gas station. He then started to realize that there was something weird about this situation. He said "That doesn't make any sense...." and she got all belligerent, which made him even more convinced that there was something wrong with the situation.
Then he tried the car, it started right up. The lady gets even more insistant that she needs to add more gas, it worked last time, and she wants him to give her a ride to the station in his car. He realizes that once this woman gets in his car, she could say all kinds of things about him, and/or be impossible to get rid of. He refuses.
Then she says she has no cash on her, and will he please give her some $ for gas? And Dad knows he's been conned, but he figures it's worth the $5 to get rid of her. As soon as he coughs up the dough, she ROARS off in her supposedly defective SUV.
Then a week or so ago, I went out to the Dirty Olive with two guy friends, and a woman approached us. I had noticed her talking to different guys throughout the evening. My two guy friends were drinking martinis, and I was having a Diet Coke.
She was cute in a girl-next-door kinda way, and she explained that she was with a service to keep people from driving drunk. She made eye contact with my two male friends, and didn't even acknowledge me (even though I was sitting in the middle, and even when I said, "Uh, I'm the designated driver!") and handed them both her card.
The card said smething like "Mother Mary's Driving Service- we drive you home, in your own car!"
The most ironic thing? She was totally off track with both of my guy friends, who just happen to be gay.
We all discussed it, and the whole situation just seemed fishy. All I could think from her behavior was that she was a hooker on the side, or that even if she was supposedly legit, once someone is in your car and has the keys, they know the location of your house, and that you're wasted....and that presumably, someone is followng the driver back to your house...
That just seems like a stupid situation to get yourselves into in this day and age, gentlemen. Just call an old fashioned taxicab and save yourself the potential psychotic episodes.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Worst. Date. EVER. (Part 2)
So of course, the guy calls me. The phone starts ringing off the hook as soon as I walk in the door at 2AM.
"When can I see you?"
Luckily, at this point I am slightly more sober, and have explained the dilemma to my buddy while she drove us home. I defnitely want to avoid the gratuitous "she dumped me, so now I'm gonna ruin her life" scenarios. We decided that proceed with caution was the right approach.
We set a date for lunch on Friday. He has a short day at work, and I have no afternoon classes that day. (Plus, I had a standing occasion at Sudwerk, the Friday hang-out for most of my friends, and a built-in excuse to keep the lunch from turning into dinner if things went south.)
"I always wanted to see you again," said Needy Guy. "I figured that if you saw how much I had changed...you'd like the new me better than the guy I used to me."
HUH?
I tried to disabuse him of this notion, but of course I felt guilty, because the looks had definitely gotten his foot back in the door.
"I always was attracted to you before!" I protested. Hey, it was the truth. It wasn't his looks I had a problem with, it was the whining and manipulation. Oh well.
Friday came quicker than I thought it would. Mainly because by that time, I realized that this was the same guy, and I was making a huge mistake twice, and actually being really cavalier about his feelings.
I drive up to Sweet Tomatoes, and he is waiting in the parking lot. His once-crisp white shirt is soaked with sweat.
The story I get is that his "vintage" Porche was towed, and he needs to go to the DMV to "straighten things out, and will I take him?"
He's been at Sweet Tomatoes most of the afternoon waiting for me to get there.
Faintly, the strains of Psycho start to swell in my brain, but hey, he's stranded. I take him to the DMV, and even wait in line with him (and no, I didn't get lunch.) We take care of the situation, and I start trying to get away. "Ok well, I have a thing that starts at 4:30."
"Well, at least let me buy you gas."
Hell, I'm a starving college student. Twist my arm.
So we end up inside an Arco, and he gets a bottled water, and I get a cherry slurpee (it was the first thing I saw) and he starts lecturing me about how unhealthy all that sugar and red dye are for you. At the counter, I see these HUGE cookies. They're literally the size of Frisbees, and so to distract him I say something along the lines of, "Hey- check out the frisbee cookies!"
"I'll buy you one!"
"No thanks, I don't really want one, I was just commenting that they're kinda big."
"I'll totally get you one, it's OK."
"Seriously- I don't want one. Don't buy it, I won't eat it."
He buys the goddamn cookie anyway, then hops into my car and hands it to me like it's a medal.
So, I am irritated.....rEALLY pissed, actually, as I am starving and have been trapped in a DMV for several hours with this guy who I am totally incompatible with. There is no way I am eating the cookie. At this point, I just want to make it out alive. I chuck the cookie into the back seat without thanking him and start off down the street.
"I'll take you home...where do you live?"
While I am driving, he is trying to grasp my non-driving hand- the hand holding the ICEE. I use it as an excuse. "Sorry- I need to hold onto my drink!"
So he takes my drink away, puts it between his legs like they are a drink holder, and starts petting my hand and nibbling on my fingers while I am desperately trying to steer with my free hand and to extract coherent directions from him to drive him home.
"Uh...turn here?!" I asked, frantically weaving through traffic.
That's when he turned my hand palm up and BIT me really hard.
I screamed "OW!!!SHIT!!!" and slammed on the brakes, and red slush exploded out of my slurpee cup and went ALL over him. Jeans, white shirt his hair, and all over the passenger side window.
If you ever need to distract a man, pouring a 40 ounce cup of ice into his lap is definitely an option. "My new JEANS, goddamn it!" he snarled, trying to soak the red stuff of with inadequate napkins, while I tried desperately not to laugh.
We finally got to his house, and apparrently, hope does spring eternal- he had the gall to ask me if I wanted to come in and "help him out of his wet things." It took about 10 minutes of abject lying to get him out of my car.
Back at Sudwerk, all my favorite drunks really did enjoy that cookie.
"When can I see you?"
Luckily, at this point I am slightly more sober, and have explained the dilemma to my buddy while she drove us home. I defnitely want to avoid the gratuitous "she dumped me, so now I'm gonna ruin her life" scenarios. We decided that proceed with caution was the right approach.
We set a date for lunch on Friday. He has a short day at work, and I have no afternoon classes that day. (Plus, I had a standing occasion at Sudwerk, the Friday hang-out for most of my friends, and a built-in excuse to keep the lunch from turning into dinner if things went south.)
"I always wanted to see you again," said Needy Guy. "I figured that if you saw how much I had changed...you'd like the new me better than the guy I used to me."
HUH?
I tried to disabuse him of this notion, but of course I felt guilty, because the looks had definitely gotten his foot back in the door.
"I always was attracted to you before!" I protested. Hey, it was the truth. It wasn't his looks I had a problem with, it was the whining and manipulation. Oh well.
Friday came quicker than I thought it would. Mainly because by that time, I realized that this was the same guy, and I was making a huge mistake twice, and actually being really cavalier about his feelings.
I drive up to Sweet Tomatoes, and he is waiting in the parking lot. His once-crisp white shirt is soaked with sweat.
The story I get is that his "vintage" Porche was towed, and he needs to go to the DMV to "straighten things out, and will I take him?"
He's been at Sweet Tomatoes most of the afternoon waiting for me to get there.
Faintly, the strains of Psycho start to swell in my brain, but hey, he's stranded. I take him to the DMV, and even wait in line with him (and no, I didn't get lunch.) We take care of the situation, and I start trying to get away. "Ok well, I have a thing that starts at 4:30."
"Well, at least let me buy you gas."
Hell, I'm a starving college student. Twist my arm.
So we end up inside an Arco, and he gets a bottled water, and I get a cherry slurpee (it was the first thing I saw) and he starts lecturing me about how unhealthy all that sugar and red dye are for you. At the counter, I see these HUGE cookies. They're literally the size of Frisbees, and so to distract him I say something along the lines of, "Hey- check out the frisbee cookies!"
"I'll buy you one!"
"No thanks, I don't really want one, I was just commenting that they're kinda big."
"I'll totally get you one, it's OK."
"Seriously- I don't want one. Don't buy it, I won't eat it."
He buys the goddamn cookie anyway, then hops into my car and hands it to me like it's a medal.
So, I am irritated.....rEALLY pissed, actually, as I am starving and have been trapped in a DMV for several hours with this guy who I am totally incompatible with. There is no way I am eating the cookie. At this point, I just want to make it out alive. I chuck the cookie into the back seat without thanking him and start off down the street.
"I'll take you home...where do you live?"
While I am driving, he is trying to grasp my non-driving hand- the hand holding the ICEE. I use it as an excuse. "Sorry- I need to hold onto my drink!"
So he takes my drink away, puts it between his legs like they are a drink holder, and starts petting my hand and nibbling on my fingers while I am desperately trying to steer with my free hand and to extract coherent directions from him to drive him home.
"Uh...turn here?!" I asked, frantically weaving through traffic.
That's when he turned my hand palm up and BIT me really hard.
I screamed "OW!!!SHIT!!!" and slammed on the brakes, and red slush exploded out of my slurpee cup and went ALL over him. Jeans, white shirt his hair, and all over the passenger side window.
If you ever need to distract a man, pouring a 40 ounce cup of ice into his lap is definitely an option. "My new JEANS, goddamn it!" he snarled, trying to soak the red stuff of with inadequate napkins, while I tried desperately not to laugh.
We finally got to his house, and apparrently, hope does spring eternal- he had the gall to ask me if I wanted to come in and "help him out of his wet things." It took about 10 minutes of abject lying to get him out of my car.
Back at Sudwerk, all my favorite drunks really did enjoy that cookie.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Worst. Date. EVER. (Part 1)
So, I felt the need to share this with you people.
Once upon a time, I met a guy in a dance club. He was on the er- husky? side, with nice floppy brown hair and gorgeous green eyes, and bonus- guy was TALL. (Yes, I like 'em tall- sue me.)He was also smart, had a great job, and was juuust dorky enough for my taste. Hey, it's a fine line.
We went out for a few months. Which is where I get to the big BUT in this scenario:
Guy was considerably older than I was, and man, was he insecure...and needy. NEED-y like no other. He also tended towards soppiness in the romantic department, which is just not how I roll. There were a few light episodes that tipped me off that this was probably not going to work out ("Were you looking at HIM?!")but nothing to clue me in to the weirdness that eventually made me stop seeing him.
We had gone shopping- it was raining pretty hard, and he's been pretty annoying all day. ("Were you looking at HIM?!") We both sloshed through the parking lot, and when he went to open the passenger door of his car to let me in, he made the mistake of saying, "I'm not letting you in until you give me a kiss."
Evidently, this was the wrong thing to say to the 19-year-old, already annoyed, soaking wet ME in the rain. I refused. I was nice about it at first, and then when it became clear that I wasn't going to give in, even when he schmooped and made puppy dog eyes, he threw a huge tantrum. With the full-on foot stomping.
So. He finally gave up and we drove in stony silence. He dropped me off at my apartment, and I called before he'd be able to get home to dump him via answering machine. And asked my roommates to please tell him that I wasn't home. (Which they were happy to do- he guy called incessantly, saying things like "I just want to BE THERE for her!!!")
Yeah, I know. I'm going to hell.
A year later, I took a friend from out of town to the SAME club, and this guy starts flirting with me. He seems familiar somehow...but he's gorgeous. GORGEOUS. Wait a second...
Yes, it's the same guy, who evidently had developed a workout regimen, figured out how to use styling products, and was wearing some much cooler clothing than before.
He asked me out. Because I was dazzled by his gorgeousness, because every other girl in the club was acting desperate for the guy's attention, and also, because I am STUPID stupid STUPID (and I might have been showing off from my friend from out-of-town), I told him to "Call me sometime".
Once upon a time, I met a guy in a dance club. He was on the er- husky? side, with nice floppy brown hair and gorgeous green eyes, and bonus- guy was TALL. (Yes, I like 'em tall- sue me.)He was also smart, had a great job, and was juuust dorky enough for my taste. Hey, it's a fine line.
We went out for a few months. Which is where I get to the big BUT in this scenario:
Guy was considerably older than I was, and man, was he insecure...and needy. NEED-y like no other. He also tended towards soppiness in the romantic department, which is just not how I roll. There were a few light episodes that tipped me off that this was probably not going to work out ("Were you looking at HIM?!")but nothing to clue me in to the weirdness that eventually made me stop seeing him.
We had gone shopping- it was raining pretty hard, and he's been pretty annoying all day. ("Were you looking at HIM?!") We both sloshed through the parking lot, and when he went to open the passenger door of his car to let me in, he made the mistake of saying, "I'm not letting you in until you give me a kiss."
Evidently, this was the wrong thing to say to the 19-year-old, already annoyed, soaking wet ME in the rain. I refused. I was nice about it at first, and then when it became clear that I wasn't going to give in, even when he schmooped and made puppy dog eyes, he threw a huge tantrum. With the full-on foot stomping.
So. He finally gave up and we drove in stony silence. He dropped me off at my apartment, and I called before he'd be able to get home to dump him via answering machine. And asked my roommates to please tell him that I wasn't home. (Which they were happy to do- he guy called incessantly, saying things like "I just want to BE THERE for her!!!")
Yeah, I know. I'm going to hell.
A year later, I took a friend from out of town to the SAME club, and this guy starts flirting with me. He seems familiar somehow...but he's gorgeous. GORGEOUS. Wait a second...
Yes, it's the same guy, who evidently had developed a workout regimen, figured out how to use styling products, and was wearing some much cooler clothing than before.
He asked me out. Because I was dazzled by his gorgeousness, because every other girl in the club was acting desperate for the guy's attention, and also, because I am STUPID stupid STUPID (and I might have been showing off from my friend from out-of-town), I told him to "Call me sometime".
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Why I don't usually drink wine.
I went to a wine tasting, which was hosted by the military-type people that my hubby works with. Since I am not a wine drinker, more of a martini-type gal, I was a little hesitant, but was reassured that this was supposed to be "wine tasting for the ignorant." OKay.
We brought an Italian wine, Prosecco (I think) which is one of the few wines I enjoy drinking. Other selections ranged from a really nice bottle of Merlot to "wine from the dollar store". And no, I don't remember what it was called, and I didn't frink any, but was informed that it was actually not bad.
At some point (after a few glasses) I heard the opening strains of "Toxic" playing on the stereo, and had a slight panic attack.
Me: Ack! Britney Spears? Britney SPEARS??!!
Military Guy: What's wrong with Britney?
Me: *wheezing* Britney Spears should not be playing at a wine tasting.
The Man: Come on Jenna! Get up and dance!
Me: Ok. Quick! Someone bring me a boa constrictor! And the gold chain mail loincloth!
After a few more glasses...we start discussing the movie Sideways.
Me: What's up wih the revolting male nudity?
Mildly Stunned military guys: Huh?!!!
Me: You assholes get gratuitous boobs everywhere. We get that trucker guy in Sideways, and Harvey FREAKING Keitel.
Military guys: *silence*
Me: Hey, I am not saying that I want to see penises everywhere, but just maybe one or two, attached to more attractive people. In the interest of fairness.
Military guys: *looking pointedly at my husband*
Me: Sorry, I seem to have the wrong audience.
We brought an Italian wine, Prosecco (I think) which is one of the few wines I enjoy drinking. Other selections ranged from a really nice bottle of Merlot to "wine from the dollar store". And no, I don't remember what it was called, and I didn't frink any, but was informed that it was actually not bad.
At some point (after a few glasses) I heard the opening strains of "Toxic" playing on the stereo, and had a slight panic attack.
Me: Ack! Britney Spears? Britney SPEARS??!!
Military Guy: What's wrong with Britney?
Me: *wheezing* Britney Spears should not be playing at a wine tasting.
The Man: Come on Jenna! Get up and dance!
Me: Ok. Quick! Someone bring me a boa constrictor! And the gold chain mail loincloth!
After a few more glasses...we start discussing the movie Sideways.
Me: What's up wih the revolting male nudity?
Mildly Stunned military guys: Huh?!!!
Me: You assholes get gratuitous boobs everywhere. We get that trucker guy in Sideways, and Harvey FREAKING Keitel.
Military guys: *silence*
Me: Hey, I am not saying that I want to see penises everywhere, but just maybe one or two, attached to more attractive people. In the interest of fairness.
Military guys: *looking pointedly at my husband*
Me: Sorry, I seem to have the wrong audience.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
*snicker*
Who knew there's a "phallic tombstones" group on flickr?
Here's proof:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenna_sais_quoi/72669718/
Here's proof:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenna_sais_quoi/72669718/
Blaaaaaargh!
Yeah I know- I disappeared.
Not much has happened. At least, not car-wise. This entire experience has been so incredibly...infuriating.
It's been two weeks, and I still have the rental.
The insurance adjuster made an appointment to meet with us "between 8 and 3 PM." I let him know that both my husband and I left for work around three.
I got the call at 2:58 PM. "I'm on my way! What are the cross streets?"
I politely re-explained the situation. He said he'd be there the next day by 10 AM.
He made it around noon, after I had (in my optimistic idiocy) rushed through the gym so I could get back to the house by 8 AM. He was at least a nice guy, which was a little irritating, because my first instinct was to kill him.
While he was there, the guy who lives two houses down pulls up. "Hey is there something wrong with your car?"
We explain the situation, and then he says:
"Oh! Well, if it was two nights ago, I saw the guys who did it."
He proceeds to natter on about how he saw three guys under the hood of my car with a flashlight "around midnight." And that he "thought it was odd, but maybe your husband was working on the car?" He paused and added, "I thought it was weird, because your husband's truck wasn't there, but..." He shrugged.
You know, if it was possible to kill a man with laser beams shooting out of your eyes? I could say that I killed the KING of the Morons. Thanks neighbor! Not to mention, if the timeline he gave was correct- those guys were watching the house. The Man gets home at 12:15. So I was alone in the house, and they knew it. Great.
A few days later, my car still hadn't been towed for repairs. We called the insurance co., and found out that they'd evidently lost my paperwork. OK, guys. At least the tow truck showed within an hour.
So now, the repair guys have been calling. The thieves didn't just take the throttle body, they took a bunch of wiring and sensors as well, and so once the garage got the main part and replaced the hood, they realized that the wiring harness had to be replaced, and then realized that the cables having to do with my accelerator were damaged.
Theoretically, I am getting my car back tomorrow. What a nightmare!
Part of me feels ridiculous for complaining about this. Yeah, it's a $500 deductible, and we sure didn't need it right now. On the brighter side, if we didn't have vandalism coverage, we'd be completely in over our heads- the repairs and the two-week rental were at least four times that amount, so it's just good that we have the werewithal to take care of it.
But still. As someone who has had her car broken into more times than I can count, I desperately believe that there's a special place in hell for people who steal.
Not much has happened. At least, not car-wise. This entire experience has been so incredibly...infuriating.
It's been two weeks, and I still have the rental.
The insurance adjuster made an appointment to meet with us "between 8 and 3 PM." I let him know that both my husband and I left for work around three.
I got the call at 2:58 PM. "I'm on my way! What are the cross streets?"
I politely re-explained the situation. He said he'd be there the next day by 10 AM.
He made it around noon, after I had (in my optimistic idiocy) rushed through the gym so I could get back to the house by 8 AM. He was at least a nice guy, which was a little irritating, because my first instinct was to kill him.
While he was there, the guy who lives two houses down pulls up. "Hey is there something wrong with your car?"
We explain the situation, and then he says:
"Oh! Well, if it was two nights ago, I saw the guys who did it."
He proceeds to natter on about how he saw three guys under the hood of my car with a flashlight "around midnight." And that he "thought it was odd, but maybe your husband was working on the car?" He paused and added, "I thought it was weird, because your husband's truck wasn't there, but..." He shrugged.
You know, if it was possible to kill a man with laser beams shooting out of your eyes? I could say that I killed the KING of the Morons. Thanks neighbor! Not to mention, if the timeline he gave was correct- those guys were watching the house. The Man gets home at 12:15. So I was alone in the house, and they knew it. Great.
A few days later, my car still hadn't been towed for repairs. We called the insurance co., and found out that they'd evidently lost my paperwork. OK, guys. At least the tow truck showed within an hour.
So now, the repair guys have been calling. The thieves didn't just take the throttle body, they took a bunch of wiring and sensors as well, and so once the garage got the main part and replaced the hood, they realized that the wiring harness had to be replaced, and then realized that the cables having to do with my accelerator were damaged.
Theoretically, I am getting my car back tomorrow. What a nightmare!
Part of me feels ridiculous for complaining about this. Yeah, it's a $500 deductible, and we sure didn't need it right now. On the brighter side, if we didn't have vandalism coverage, we'd be completely in over our heads- the repairs and the two-week rental were at least four times that amount, so it's just good that we have the werewithal to take care of it.
But still. As someone who has had her car broken into more times than I can count, I desperately believe that there's a special place in hell for people who steal.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Making The Grade
I got to my tutoring appointment last night, and there was a beautifully wrapped candle waiting there for me.
One of the young women I was tutoring had three LOW F's when we started our sessions three weeks ago. A lot of it was from homework that was indifferently completed or not turned in- she has some learning and developmental disabilities. So we've been focusing on doing makeup work, and reinforcing some study concepts and adding some new ones.
Now she has two high D's, and a C minus- and her other grades, while they were passing before, have also gone up.
Her mom was thrilled. SHE was thrilled. She will be able to go on to high school and not be held back to repeat 8th grade, which was what they thought was going to happen.
I am just...overwhelmed. But in a good way.
There was a horrible moment when they showed me the change in her grades, when I thought I was going to cry. This kid has so much going against her. She always tried SO hard and felt like she was getting nowhere. And I have somehow managed to make a difference with that.
It's been a long frustrating journey for me, and then suddenly, totally by accdent-I am somehow doing what I was meant to do. I have found that nameless "thing" that I was looking for. I feel fulfilled and lucky and energized and over-the-moon.
In the meantime, I am waiting for the insurance appraiser to come out and look at my car, o determine the extent of the damage. Both the guy on the phone from the ins. co. AND the cop who came out and dusted for prints said the same thing- that the situation was just bizzare. Leave it to me to get the bizarre car crime.
In the meantime, I do have a rental:
Yep. It's the 4 door version of the one in the picture. It's white. It is so NOT ME. Although I do appreciate that it gets much better gas mileage then the 'vertible. But still- meh.
All this gorgeous top-down weather- FINALLY!!! And the 'vertible is out of commission. I feel a sense of lame cosmic injustice coming on.
One of the young women I was tutoring had three LOW F's when we started our sessions three weeks ago. A lot of it was from homework that was indifferently completed or not turned in- she has some learning and developmental disabilities. So we've been focusing on doing makeup work, and reinforcing some study concepts and adding some new ones.
Now she has two high D's, and a C minus- and her other grades, while they were passing before, have also gone up.
Her mom was thrilled. SHE was thrilled. She will be able to go on to high school and not be held back to repeat 8th grade, which was what they thought was going to happen.
I am just...overwhelmed. But in a good way.
There was a horrible moment when they showed me the change in her grades, when I thought I was going to cry. This kid has so much going against her. She always tried SO hard and felt like she was getting nowhere. And I have somehow managed to make a difference with that.
It's been a long frustrating journey for me, and then suddenly, totally by accdent-I am somehow doing what I was meant to do. I have found that nameless "thing" that I was looking for. I feel fulfilled and lucky and energized and over-the-moon.
In the meantime, I am waiting for the insurance appraiser to come out and look at my car, o determine the extent of the damage. Both the guy on the phone from the ins. co. AND the cop who came out and dusted for prints said the same thing- that the situation was just bizzare. Leave it to me to get the bizarre car crime.
In the meantime, I do have a rental:
Yep. It's the 4 door version of the one in the picture. It's white. It is so NOT ME. Although I do appreciate that it gets much better gas mileage then the 'vertible. But still- meh.
All this gorgeous top-down weather- FINALLY!!! And the 'vertible is out of commission. I feel a sense of lame cosmic injustice coming on.
Friday, April 28, 2006
PISSED (In both senses of the word)
Hi! Yeah, it's been awhile. My life has been pretty uneventful. Until today.
I hopped out into the driveway to head over to my weekly work meeting. Threw my purse onto the passenger seat, thrust the key into the ignition, and turned.
This is when the car revved like the pedal was going THROUGH the floor and possibly also through the driveway. It wasn't in gear, nor was my foot even on the pedal. It was like my mild mannered little 'vertible has morphed suddenly into Christine.
I did what any sensible woman would do. I screamed, flapped my hands at warp speed for about a second, and then turned the car off. There also may have been some hyperventilating in there somewhere.
I cautiously looked down at my floorboards, to see if the pedals were stuck down or something. Then I tried turning the key again. The same thing happened. Oh, and The Man came barrelling out of the house to demand WHAT the HELL WAS I DOING?
Me: "I turned my car on."
Him: "AND?!!"
Me: "Uh, that's about it."
Him: "Ok, let me try it."
Do I need to say that the same thing happened?
We turned off the car and popped the hood. There was a lot of "Holy SH*T" and "What the HELL!!!"
Suffice it to say that someone? Somewhere? Needed parts for their 1999 Chrysler Sebring and decided to go shopping beneath the hood of my car.
The bastards took what we THINK was the throttle body, and (to add insult to injury?) left behind the bolts that kept it in place. They also disconnected a whole bunch of things and cut some wires. Oh, and they damaged my hood. Yes, insurance covers the repairs and a rental car- but we have a $500 deductible, which we really didn't need to deal with this month.
I am going out for drinks tonight, and since I am definitely not the designated driver, I plan to take full advantage of the situation. A few drinks will definitely not be amiss.
So, yeah. Happy Friday.
I hopped out into the driveway to head over to my weekly work meeting. Threw my purse onto the passenger seat, thrust the key into the ignition, and turned.
This is when the car revved like the pedal was going THROUGH the floor and possibly also through the driveway. It wasn't in gear, nor was my foot even on the pedal. It was like my mild mannered little 'vertible has morphed suddenly into Christine.
I did what any sensible woman would do. I screamed, flapped my hands at warp speed for about a second, and then turned the car off. There also may have been some hyperventilating in there somewhere.
I cautiously looked down at my floorboards, to see if the pedals were stuck down or something. Then I tried turning the key again. The same thing happened. Oh, and The Man came barrelling out of the house to demand WHAT the HELL WAS I DOING?
Me: "I turned my car on."
Him: "AND?!!"
Me: "Uh, that's about it."
Him: "Ok, let me try it."
Do I need to say that the same thing happened?
We turned off the car and popped the hood. There was a lot of "Holy SH*T" and "What the HELL!!!"
Suffice it to say that someone? Somewhere? Needed parts for their 1999 Chrysler Sebring and decided to go shopping beneath the hood of my car.
The bastards took what we THINK was the throttle body, and (to add insult to injury?) left behind the bolts that kept it in place. They also disconnected a whole bunch of things and cut some wires. Oh, and they damaged my hood. Yes, insurance covers the repairs and a rental car- but we have a $500 deductible, which we really didn't need to deal with this month.
I am going out for drinks tonight, and since I am definitely not the designated driver, I plan to take full advantage of the situation. A few drinks will definitely not be amiss.
So, yeah. Happy Friday.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Out of the ordinary
I saw some really amazing stuff today.
One instance was at the gym. I have been slacking lately, and making excuses not to go, and generally feeling sorry for myself. So I went.
While I was on the elliptical, I saw a woman coming towards me from the locker room. She had beautiful, smartly-styled silver hair, and was wearing a vivid pink outfit and a gorgeous, brightly lipsticked smile. I grined back at her, and then I realized one more detail- she was in a wheelchair.
It sort of stunned me- and then I realized that of course, she could be doing physical therapy in the pool. And then I thought about all the dumb excuses I make to keep from getting my exercise in, and I felt both inspired, and like a total ass. But mostly inspired.
Then driving home, I saw this tree in my neighbor's yard swaying oddly. As I drove closer, hundreds of tiny birds burst out of it like fireworks. There must have been at keast 500 birds in that tree, and all in constant motion. As I watched, they kept taking to the air, and then landing back in the tree or hovering around the branches. It looked more like a swarm of insects than a floxk of birds- I have never seen anything like it.
One instance was at the gym. I have been slacking lately, and making excuses not to go, and generally feeling sorry for myself. So I went.
While I was on the elliptical, I saw a woman coming towards me from the locker room. She had beautiful, smartly-styled silver hair, and was wearing a vivid pink outfit and a gorgeous, brightly lipsticked smile. I grined back at her, and then I realized one more detail- she was in a wheelchair.
It sort of stunned me- and then I realized that of course, she could be doing physical therapy in the pool. And then I thought about all the dumb excuses I make to keep from getting my exercise in, and I felt both inspired, and like a total ass. But mostly inspired.
Then driving home, I saw this tree in my neighbor's yard swaying oddly. As I drove closer, hundreds of tiny birds burst out of it like fireworks. There must have been at keast 500 birds in that tree, and all in constant motion. As I watched, they kept taking to the air, and then landing back in the tree or hovering around the branches. It looked more like a swarm of insects than a floxk of birds- I have never seen anything like it.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Et tu, Blogger?
I am over the hair thing. Finally.
Possibly because the new job has begun, and I am loving it. LOVING it. I am hoping it continues in some form or another during the summer. It's so rewarding, working with these kids. And ironically? My weak points don't seem to be where the problems are. Math? No big whoop for these kids.
The areas where the problems lie? English. Spelling. Science. Which are all fairly strong points for me. So I am basically having a blast.
In other news? I decided to reward myself for generally being fabulous. I have been slowly eradicating my old wardrobe mishaps and so:
Duh. I bought shoes. Fabulous springtime shoes. Hopefully by the time I actually wear them out of the house, I will have bothered to shave and use moisturizer, and I will be much less...well, "pasty" seems like a good word here.
These are totally going with the white prairie skirt and the orange beaded tank. And the jean jacket. And some turquoise jewelry. And a tan....yes, definitely a tan...which means they might get shelved 'til summer.
OK, can't you just see these with a cute little white or black dress? And a cardigan? Well, I can.
These were 5 bucks. No, totally not kidding. And as we all know, red + sparklies + high heels = MINE, all MINE! Muuuahahahahaaaa!
Sorry.
Other signs that spring has sprung?
That Dove I mentioned?
She comes back every year. I did try to get a better picture, but it frightened her when I got too close. So before she got back, I took this:
Yes. I am a dove stalker.
Possibly because the new job has begun, and I am loving it. LOVING it. I am hoping it continues in some form or another during the summer. It's so rewarding, working with these kids. And ironically? My weak points don't seem to be where the problems are. Math? No big whoop for these kids.
The areas where the problems lie? English. Spelling. Science. Which are all fairly strong points for me. So I am basically having a blast.
In other news? I decided to reward myself for generally being fabulous. I have been slowly eradicating my old wardrobe mishaps and so:
Duh. I bought shoes. Fabulous springtime shoes. Hopefully by the time I actually wear them out of the house, I will have bothered to shave and use moisturizer, and I will be much less...well, "pasty" seems like a good word here.
These are totally going with the white prairie skirt and the orange beaded tank. And the jean jacket. And some turquoise jewelry. And a tan....yes, definitely a tan...which means they might get shelved 'til summer.
OK, can't you just see these with a cute little white or black dress? And a cardigan? Well, I can.
These were 5 bucks. No, totally not kidding. And as we all know, red + sparklies + high heels = MINE, all MINE! Muuuahahahahaaaa!
Sorry.
Other signs that spring has sprung?
That Dove I mentioned?
She comes back every year. I did try to get a better picture, but it frightened her when I got too close. So before she got back, I took this:
Yes. I am a dove stalker.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
For the record...
The buzz from the new job has worn off. But I am EVEN MORE pissed about my hair. It's shorter than I previously thought- it used to be down to my waist when straight, and now it juust dusts the bottom of the bra strap. What is that? At least six inches. SIX INCHES.
The dastardly thing? I let him style my hair in a curly way, and I know he talked me into it because he KNEW I would be pissed, and he didn't want me to realize how short it was until I got home.
&^%$!
The dastardly thing? I let him style my hair in a curly way, and I know he talked me into it because he KNEW I would be pissed, and he didn't want me to realize how short it was until I got home.
&^%$!
Friday, April 07, 2006
It could go either way...
Good day: I asked an innocent question at work, and ended up with a whole new job! I am going to be tutoring kids- and it's all according to my schedule so I will now have two jobs. Aww yeah. I should be making at least half of what I made at my previous job, but will be working way less than half as many hours. Take that, Company Which Shall Not Be Named!!!
Bad day: My haircut? It's about how I wanted it, except about four inches shorter than I wanted it to be. Which uh, YEAH, pisses me off. It took me a long time to grow that hair, dammit! I mean, it's still cute. And it will grow back. But I'm pissy about it.
Good day: There is an adorable (but kind of stupid) dove who has built a nest on top of our entryway supports. She has two eggs in progress (I took pictures, which I will post as soon as my camera battery recovers). My lavendar from last year is blooming, and so are the azaleas in our front yard. Spring has sprung!
Bad day: I made it to the gym, but my iPod took a huge dump 20 minutes into my workout, even though it previously showed the battery power at 75%. I ended up cutting my workout a few minutes short, because the music that the gym pipes in makes me insane. I tried it again when I got home, in the driveway, and it was fine. This is the THIRD TIME this has happened. What the hell?!
Good day: The weather was gorgeous- no rain!!!, and I drove the 'vertible with the top down. And I looked HAWT, having actually applied makeup, and was wearing jewelry and a long flowy skirt.
So, I will have to declare this a good day by a 3/2 margin.
Bad day: My haircut? It's about how I wanted it, except about four inches shorter than I wanted it to be. Which uh, YEAH, pisses me off. It took me a long time to grow that hair, dammit! I mean, it's still cute. And it will grow back. But I'm pissy about it.
Good day: There is an adorable (but kind of stupid) dove who has built a nest on top of our entryway supports. She has two eggs in progress (I took pictures, which I will post as soon as my camera battery recovers). My lavendar from last year is blooming, and so are the azaleas in our front yard. Spring has sprung!
Bad day: I made it to the gym, but my iPod took a huge dump 20 minutes into my workout, even though it previously showed the battery power at 75%. I ended up cutting my workout a few minutes short, because the music that the gym pipes in makes me insane. I tried it again when I got home, in the driveway, and it was fine. This is the THIRD TIME this has happened. What the hell?!
Good day: The weather was gorgeous- no rain!!!, and I drove the 'vertible with the top down. And I looked HAWT, having actually applied makeup, and was wearing jewelry and a long flowy skirt.
So, I will have to declare this a good day by a 3/2 margin.
Use it or lose it
I know, I have been snoozing on the blog.
Between recovering from my random sickness and the trip to SF last weekend, I have just sort of been chillin'. Even work has been slow- thank God for spring break!
Let's see- I got new glasses, and I hate them. I don't know what I was thinking, they make me look like I am looking out through two giant fishbowls- my prescription is so bad on one side, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. There is NO WAY that they are venturing out in public as-is. I think I am going to pop out the prescription lenses and just use them as sunglasses.
I've been doing a lot of reading and movie watching- I actually managed to hang out with Mr. Phancy last night, for the first time this year. We went to see The Jerk at Flashback Flicks, and then headed over to Starbucks and ended up getting kicked out when they closed. So we stood around in the parking lot like teenagers, albeit, teenagers who were freezing their asses off, until I realized that it was almost 11:30. I didn't have my cell phone, and I hadn't called The Man to let him know what was up.
So I headed home, cursing. Because The Man is a little hesitant about me hanging out with my male friends. His test of the situation seems to be asking, "Well, can I go?" As long as I say, "Sure!" he's OK with it. I guess it makes sense.
So I made it home, and he was playing World of Warcraft and had hardly even noticed that I was gone. Why was I even worried? I guess that stupid game is good for something, anyway.
I get my hair cut today! Just a trim, and some cleanup on the layers. I am so excited!
Although now, when I call the guy who does my hair, I have to introduce myself as Jenna from the Science Program, because otherwise he'll pretend to not know which Jenna it is.
Between recovering from my random sickness and the trip to SF last weekend, I have just sort of been chillin'. Even work has been slow- thank God for spring break!
Let's see- I got new glasses, and I hate them. I don't know what I was thinking, they make me look like I am looking out through two giant fishbowls- my prescription is so bad on one side, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. There is NO WAY that they are venturing out in public as-is. I think I am going to pop out the prescription lenses and just use them as sunglasses.
I've been doing a lot of reading and movie watching- I actually managed to hang out with Mr. Phancy last night, for the first time this year. We went to see The Jerk at Flashback Flicks, and then headed over to Starbucks and ended up getting kicked out when they closed. So we stood around in the parking lot like teenagers, albeit, teenagers who were freezing their asses off, until I realized that it was almost 11:30. I didn't have my cell phone, and I hadn't called The Man to let him know what was up.
So I headed home, cursing. Because The Man is a little hesitant about me hanging out with my male friends. His test of the situation seems to be asking, "Well, can I go?" As long as I say, "Sure!" he's OK with it. I guess it makes sense.
So I made it home, and he was playing World of Warcraft and had hardly even noticed that I was gone. Why was I even worried? I guess that stupid game is good for something, anyway.
I get my hair cut today! Just a trim, and some cleanup on the layers. I am so excited!
Although now, when I call the guy who does my hair, I have to introduce myself as Jenna from the Science Program, because otherwise he'll pretend to not know which Jenna it is.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
My Personal Stylist is on Vacation
The kids in my classes are hilarious. Particularly my Wednesday class.
Cute Little Blonde Girl: Teacher, why are you wearing your glasses today?
Me: Well, I didn't feel like wearing my contacts!
CLBG: Why not? (To her credit, she doesn't just come out and say, "YOU LOOK BETTER WITH CONTACTS, STUPIDHEAD!!! But you can totally tell she's thinking it.)
Me: Well, sweetie, I have a little bit of a cold, so my glasses are more comfortable.
LG: Oh.
Little Boy: Hey, who does your hair?
????!!!!!!!!!!
I wondered who was putting him up to this, because my hair today looked not unlike Medeusa's.) Luckily, realization dawned when I noticed a striking family resemblance.
Me: Uh- You're not RON's kid, by any chance, are you?
(For those of you who don't know, Ron is the guy who cuts my hair.)
Ron's kid: Yes!!!
I grin, and tell him to tell his dad that I said Hi.
Fresno is a scary, small world, people.
Cute Little Blonde Girl: Teacher, why are you wearing your glasses today?
Me: Well, I didn't feel like wearing my contacts!
CLBG: Why not? (To her credit, she doesn't just come out and say, "YOU LOOK BETTER WITH CONTACTS, STUPIDHEAD!!! But you can totally tell she's thinking it.)
Me: Well, sweetie, I have a little bit of a cold, so my glasses are more comfortable.
LG: Oh.
Little Boy: Hey, who does your hair?
????!!!!!!!!!!
I wondered who was putting him up to this, because my hair today looked not unlike Medeusa's.) Luckily, realization dawned when I noticed a striking family resemblance.
Me: Uh- You're not RON's kid, by any chance, are you?
(For those of you who don't know, Ron is the guy who cuts my hair.)
Ron's kid: Yes!!!
I grin, and tell him to tell his dad that I said Hi.
Fresno is a scary, small world, people.
Random Cupcake Driveby
So evidently, cupcakes are in style again. Who knew?
Not me, certainly. I had to go read up about it through SaraDru's blog.
Anyway, I left her a cupcake-related comment, and then I got to thinking- it's definitely worth a blog post. And obviously if I am feeling well enough to ramble about cupcakes, I am feeling a hell of a lot better. Hooray for antibiotics!
My mom is a kindergarten teacher. A lot of the creativity and quirkier bits of my personality come directly from her. Yes, I am getting to the part about the cupcakes.
So. My fifth birthday, waaay back in 1980. Mom enters my kindergarten class, bearing a huge tray of birthday cupcakes for my class to enjoy. She'd stayed up all night, creating and frosting them, and the whole class was already all keyed up, because they knew from experience that Jenna's Mom Makes the Coolest Snacks EVER!
My birthday is in November. So mom made (drumroll, please......) "Indian" cupcakes!
Or, as we've said since the nineties, "Native American" cupcakes.
By the way, if you google "Native American cupcake" you'll find a whole lot of slutty MySpace profiles, but no actual pictures of baked goods.
I'll try to describe the cupcakes for you. They had caramel icing, a red licorice smile, a head band made out of colored M&Ms, black gel-icing hair, and the crowning touch- multi-colored lollipops with fringed cellophane sticking up like a feather in each and every one. The kids in my class were overjoyed, and promptly gorged themselves into little individual sugar comas.
It must have taken my mom FOREVER to make those things. And now, I have to laugh because obviously, "Indian" cupcakes are no longer a kindergarten staple, because they're not exactly considered politically correct.
Anyway- fast-forward to my senior year of high school. Sober Grad. This guy who I had secretly had a crush on (probably since kindergarten) approached me.
"I can't believe we're graduating!" I said.
"I know!" he said. "It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were in kindergarten."
He paused, and then added, "You know, your mom always made the BEST cupcakes."
Not me, certainly. I had to go read up about it through SaraDru's blog.
Anyway, I left her a cupcake-related comment, and then I got to thinking- it's definitely worth a blog post. And obviously if I am feeling well enough to ramble about cupcakes, I am feeling a hell of a lot better. Hooray for antibiotics!
My mom is a kindergarten teacher. A lot of the creativity and quirkier bits of my personality come directly from her. Yes, I am getting to the part about the cupcakes.
So. My fifth birthday, waaay back in 1980. Mom enters my kindergarten class, bearing a huge tray of birthday cupcakes for my class to enjoy. She'd stayed up all night, creating and frosting them, and the whole class was already all keyed up, because they knew from experience that Jenna's Mom Makes the Coolest Snacks EVER!
My birthday is in November. So mom made (drumroll, please......) "Indian" cupcakes!
Or, as we've said since the nineties, "Native American" cupcakes.
By the way, if you google "Native American cupcake" you'll find a whole lot of slutty MySpace profiles, but no actual pictures of baked goods.
I'll try to describe the cupcakes for you. They had caramel icing, a red licorice smile, a head band made out of colored M&Ms, black gel-icing hair, and the crowning touch- multi-colored lollipops with fringed cellophane sticking up like a feather in each and every one. The kids in my class were overjoyed, and promptly gorged themselves into little individual sugar comas.
It must have taken my mom FOREVER to make those things. And now, I have to laugh because obviously, "Indian" cupcakes are no longer a kindergarten staple, because they're not exactly considered politically correct.
Anyway- fast-forward to my senior year of high school. Sober Grad. This guy who I had secretly had a crush on (probably since kindergarten) approached me.
"I can't believe we're graduating!" I said.
"I know!" he said. "It seems like just a few weeks ago that we were in kindergarten."
He paused, and then added, "You know, your mom always made the BEST cupcakes."
Monday, March 27, 2006
*Snuffle*
I'm sick today, and not feeling particularly creative- so I will post the first project that I have been working on. Yes, it's another list, or at least part of one. The beginning of one of those goals/dreams/projects/aspirations lists.
1. Write a novel.
2. Take an Armenian language class.
3.Travel in Europe. Went to Paris fror 10 days in Dec. '05- Had a blast!
4. Lose 49 lbs. (By 9/30/06!)
5.Find a job that I love. I love my current job!
6. Convert all my CD’s to MP3.
7. Digitize and store all photographs
8. Contact wedding photog re: negatives (I lost ‘em in our move!)
9.Call that doctor about that thing. Called 3/27/06- appointment is at the end of April.
10. Transfer all the crap from my old desktop to my new laptop.
11. Turn the old desktop into an Mp3 jukebox.
12. Become a mother.
13. Find a therapist that I like.
14. Finish the front courtyard.
15. Pave the dog yard.
16. Re-landscape the backyard.
17. Get TiVo.
18. Frame all those posters and artwork.
19. Knit the Christmas Tree Skirt of my Dreams (Duh, by Christmas ’06!)
20. Take a Swing Dance class with The Man.
21. Lose 74 lbs. (By 6/01/07!)
22. Finish making those curtains I keep talking about.
23. Plant an iris garden.
24.Own a convertible. Violet arrived in 2003.
25. Get the car detailed.
26. Hell, get the car an oil change (it’s long overdue!)
27.Build a fully stocked bar. Accomplished Jan '05- And still stocked! I guess we need to drink faster.
28. Remodel the kitchen.
29. Brush up on the ‘ol French.
30.Donate clothes to DAV. They came out in Feb. '06 to pick up a huge load, and I have another one waiting.
31. Use and maintain my daily planner.
32. Throw at least one kick-ass party a year.
33.Take yoga classes. I am so glad I finally did this!
34.Organize and catalogue DVD’s Now I just need to keep it updated...
35. A room of one’s own…
36.Own a 50’s era automobile Clarisse, our '59 Dodge Coronet, arrived in 2005
1. Write a novel.
2. Take an Armenian language class.
3.
4. Lose 49 lbs. (By 9/30/06!)
5.
6. Convert all my CD’s to MP3.
7. Digitize and store all photographs
8. Contact wedding photog re: negatives (I lost ‘em in our move!)
9.
10. Transfer all the crap from my old desktop to my new laptop.
11. Turn the old desktop into an Mp3 jukebox.
12. Become a mother.
13. Find a therapist that I like.
14. Finish the front courtyard.
15. Pave the dog yard.
16. Re-landscape the backyard.
17. Get TiVo.
18. Frame all those posters and artwork.
19. Knit the Christmas Tree Skirt of my Dreams (Duh, by Christmas ’06!)
20. Take a Swing Dance class with The Man.
21. Lose 74 lbs. (By 6/01/07!)
22. Finish making those curtains I keep talking about.
23. Plant an iris garden.
24.
25. Get the car detailed.
26. Hell, get the car an oil change (it’s long overdue!)
27.
28. Remodel the kitchen.
29. Brush up on the ‘ol French.
30.
31. Use and maintain my daily planner.
32. Throw at least one kick-ass party a year.
33.
34.
35. A room of one’s own…
36.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Uh......
Yeah. I went to the weekly meeting today, and when I mentioned in passing that the Tuesday class that I had taken over was a little crazy, I got this:
"Oh yeah- we know all about them! They're a really rowdy bunch."
To which I smiled and forcibly prevented myself from yelling,
"Well, I sure as hell appreciate that you didn't bother to warn me about it in advance!"
They went on to say that since we'd had some problems with the instructor arriving on time (as it turns out, his car evidently broke down, although I am still wondering about the "mental institution" hypothesis), they didn't want to have to alert the parents about the fact that a large percentage of their children are actual demon spawn who need to be rounded up and tagged.
So I just smiled and said, "Well, I figured- I was in there for five minutes before some kid punched both of his friends in the nuts."
There is just something about seeing the incredulous look on my (male) boss's face when I say random things- it seriously cracks me up.
"Oh yeah- we know all about them! They're a really rowdy bunch."
To which I smiled and forcibly prevented myself from yelling,
"Well, I sure as hell appreciate that you didn't bother to warn me about it in advance!"
They went on to say that since we'd had some problems with the instructor arriving on time (as it turns out, his car evidently broke down, although I am still wondering about the "mental institution" hypothesis), they didn't want to have to alert the parents about the fact that a large percentage of their children are actual demon spawn who need to be rounded up and tagged.
So I just smiled and said, "Well, I figured- I was in there for five minutes before some kid punched both of his friends in the nuts."
There is just something about seeing the incredulous look on my (male) boss's face when I say random things- it seriously cracks me up.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Today's the greatest....
I mean it. It was a fantabulous day today.
Nothing major happened, it was just one of those good, solid days where pretty much everything went smoothly and I just felt content with everything. I taught my fave class, and the rocket launch went really well- mainly beause I was prepared for the mad dash that the kids would want to do, and threatened them with death and dismemberment beforehand if they didn't stay put.
I made it to the gym. I did the grocery shopping. I am losing weight, so I feel good about that. I gave up on Atkins and fell back to my old standby- counting calories and exercising. Lo and behold- it still WORKS.
The weather was beautiful today, so I got some top-down time in the 'vertible. And this evening, I got to have a treat- madeleines with my hot tea. Then I took a nice hot shower, washed and dried my hair, and spent the rest of the night just relaxing and making plans for tomrrow.
I'm so happy- its ridiculous. The usual stuff that I worry about? Doesn't seem to be intruding on my thoughts at the moment. All is right with the world.
Nothing major happened, it was just one of those good, solid days where pretty much everything went smoothly and I just felt content with everything. I taught my fave class, and the rocket launch went really well- mainly beause I was prepared for the mad dash that the kids would want to do, and threatened them with death and dismemberment beforehand if they didn't stay put.
I made it to the gym. I did the grocery shopping. I am losing weight, so I feel good about that. I gave up on Atkins and fell back to my old standby- counting calories and exercising. Lo and behold- it still WORKS.
The weather was beautiful today, so I got some top-down time in the 'vertible. And this evening, I got to have a treat- madeleines with my hot tea. Then I took a nice hot shower, washed and dried my hair, and spent the rest of the night just relaxing and making plans for tomrrow.
I'm so happy- its ridiculous. The usual stuff that I worry about? Doesn't seem to be intruding on my thoughts at the moment. All is right with the world.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Or Not.
No Disneyland. I do get a day off tomorrow, however, so I am happy about that.
Launched a rocket for the kids during class today. I am going to have to figure out a way to keep the next bunch from GOING INSANE the way this bunch did. The launch itself went off without a hitch, but I had a lot of help from one of my fellow teachers, ho had done it before. This is the unit I was dreading the most. Right behind the unit that uses dry ice.
I couldn't launch the rocket in class yesterday- it was raining. So today was my first shot at it. The Man is very excited, because I asked him to help me put rockets together tonight.
I am EXHAUSTED. Twenty-five first graders (the ones with the nut puncher). A lot of the mothers hang around too, and I suspect it's because this is well known to be a problem class.
It's the sweet ones who make it worth it, however. One boy and one girl helped me clean up after class today, and I have to say, they were both a joy. It's too bad that kids like this get overshadowed by the behaviorally-challenged ones.
Plus, when I mentioned that their teacher seemed nice, one of them uttered this gem:
"You only say that 'cause YOU haven't been in her class all year!"
To be fair, I explained that nobody likes to yell, but sometimes, you have to get the attention of the noisy kids who aren't paying attention so that the ones who ARE paying attention can learn.
I try to pick those quiet kids to do demos and stuff. I seem to recall being a quiet kid in school, and I rarely or never got picked, mainly because my tiny voice (at that point) was nearly inaudible. True, some of them raise their hand, and then when I pick them, they freeze. But I think it's worth it, just for them to feel included.
Launched a rocket for the kids during class today. I am going to have to figure out a way to keep the next bunch from GOING INSANE the way this bunch did. The launch itself went off without a hitch, but I had a lot of help from one of my fellow teachers, ho had done it before. This is the unit I was dreading the most. Right behind the unit that uses dry ice.
I couldn't launch the rocket in class yesterday- it was raining. So today was my first shot at it. The Man is very excited, because I asked him to help me put rockets together tonight.
I am EXHAUSTED. Twenty-five first graders (the ones with the nut puncher). A lot of the mothers hang around too, and I suspect it's because this is well known to be a problem class.
It's the sweet ones who make it worth it, however. One boy and one girl helped me clean up after class today, and I have to say, they were both a joy. It's too bad that kids like this get overshadowed by the behaviorally-challenged ones.
Plus, when I mentioned that their teacher seemed nice, one of them uttered this gem:
"You only say that 'cause YOU haven't been in her class all year!"
To be fair, I explained that nobody likes to yell, but sometimes, you have to get the attention of the noisy kids who aren't paying attention so that the ones who ARE paying attention can learn.
I try to pick those quiet kids to do demos and stuff. I seem to recall being a quiet kid in school, and I rarely or never got picked, mainly because my tiny voice (at that point) was nearly inaudible. True, some of them raise their hand, and then when I pick them, they freeze. But I think it's worth it, just for them to feel included.
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