Christine Wants Me to Have a Blog

2007-10-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

a student went crazy at school this week
just came back from three days camping with the seventh grade - no water, no bathrooms, no electricity, but it was actually a lot of fun
husband has no job
wallet was stolen - lost a ton of cash
found out someone is using or accidentally was assigned my SSN by a bank
no one has called me in a week except for my parents
my dad is having back surgery next week
grey's anatomy sucks this season

As The First Week of School Draw to a Close...

2007-09-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

I am excited to discover I have several students of color! I'm not sure if that makes me sound silly or naive or racist or whatever, but after two years of teaching pretty much to a sea of white faces, it will be nice to have more diversity in the classroom. Yippee!

I HAVE BEEN DECIPHERED!

2007-09-03T16:31:00.001-07:00

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 35% Conservative, 65% Liberal

Social Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal

Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

Most of this wasn't surprising...except the last one. Ack! I said I was AGAINST the war!!! I swear!!

Ha Ha

2007-09-02T07:43:00.001-07:00

You Don't Need to Speak the Language to Think This Is Funny

2007-08-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Teehee.

Hello Part 2

2007-08-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

Of course I write as if I'm speaking directly to you. Who else reads this thing? :-P

Watched three hours of Buffy tonight with Tim's grandmother. My back hurts. First day off from my summer job in two weeks. Yippee!

Are you coming to my BBQ?? You can bring the boy if he's here.

Hello

2007-08-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

I went to see Muse last night at BU. My friend's friend had these amazing tickets about 14 rows from the stage. My friend's friend was this total white hat (did you have white hats in Texas? They're like preppy jock frat boys who always wear white baseball hats)and I felt really out of place around him. Not to mention that fact that he brought another white hat with him (they had been golfing earlier that day) and it felt a lot like a double date. Anyways, my friend and I weaseled our way pretty much up to the front row and had the most spectacular time. Muse live sounds just like Muse on album with the bonus of a hot lead singer right in your face and an stunning light show. I'm actually really picky about light displays because I think they're usually way overdone or not used enough, but whoever did their light design was very talented. So despite having to walk 2 mies back to Kenmore Square barefoot (my really cute shows ate up my feet earlier that night) I had a wonderful night.

This is the video for their big single right now called Knights of Cydonia. It was the last song of the night and the place went CRAZY! I mean, I even almost joined in a mosh pit. That's how freaking intense this song was. Watch the video even if you don't like the music - it's funny.

On Thursday I took one of my former students and three of her friends to Warped Tour. It was 10 hours in the hot sun listening to bands I've never heard of and don't like. Although I did actually get turned on to three new bands so I guess it wasn't a total loss. The kids were well behaved and had a great time (and actually thought I was pretty cool). Everything was literally perfect...until that last 5 minutes of the entire 10 hour day. The big headliner and the kids' favorite band was this CHRISTIAN hardcore band called Underoath (I asked them if they saw any irony in this being that they're Jewish). The kids wanted to go up to the front of the stage so I stayed behind and told them to meet me right when the band finished. So after 30 horrible minutes of this hardcore crap, I hear the "singer" shout, "Thank you. We're Underoath and we're hear in the name of Jesus Christ! That's what we stand for!" Suddenly the girl who's my former student appears before me holding her wrist. She informs me that she thinks it's broken. I take her to first aid and they say they think it's broken. I thought I would fell panicky at this moment, but I was actually quite unaffected. I had her call her dad and let him know what happened and then I dropped her home.

Sounds like you're having fun with your family. Those are the first pictures I've ever seen of your brother! Can't wait to hear all about your trip when you get home.

Odd Dogs

2007-08-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Today Doo Lolly was sobbing in his sleep. I mean sobbing like a person sobs. Shoulders shaking, chest heaving, clenched teary eyes. But what really struck me were the sounds. He sounded human. I have never heard anything like that before. So I woke him up gently and hugged him. I wonder what he was dreaming about.

Today Pearl started humping Salinger's face. Full-on facial humping. He just sat there and took it like a man. Then she started humping thin air. Finally, she settled for my calf...does this mean she's in heat? Shit.

A Humid Night Always Makes Me Cranky

2007-08-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

I hate this weather. It's the kind of weather that makes me want to fucking hit someone one. It's the kind of weather that could drive me to kick my dog. But it's too fucking humid to even move so I won't bother. The air is so heavy that it presses down on my lungs and I to remind myself to inhale. Everything feels sweaty - in between my toes, the back of my knees, the nape of my neck. I just hope and pray that this humidity breaks before I have to go back to teaching.

I LOVE this show!

2007-07-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

More Confession for Ye

2007-07-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

When I was 5, I used to drink Tinkerbell perfume behind the garage.

In middle school, I once farted during art class and blamed it on the nerdy kid sitting next to me. He didn't deny it and I let everyone make fun of him.

At some point during my early years I made my mother a keepsake box out of a tin can decorated with streamers. I was very proud of it. She kept it on her dresser. When I would get mad at her, I would sneak into my parents' room and tear off a tiny piece from the streamers. Eventually the keepsake box had a few bald spots.

In nursery school I lied and told everyone that I had a purple Prince bikini.

In fourth grade I found a "love token" in my desk (what it was I now can't recall, but it was clear at the time it was left by an admirer). I knew who put it there but I pretended I didn't and brought it to the teacher so she would ask the whole class who put it in my desk and everyone would know someone liked me. Side note: the boy who liked me eventually told me he left it there and asked me to be his girlfriend. I knew he was a renowned player and told him I'd think about it. By lunch the next day I was informed he now liked a different girl. I missed my window.

In third grade, to help me fall asleep and make the panic attacks go away, I used to pretend the New Kids on the Block all wanted to be my boyfriend and I would imagine having to break up fights over me.

Twice God has given me a sign that he/she/it exists.

This past year I almost never read the book ahead of teaching it. I was usually only one or two chapters ahead of the kids. I still think I managed to do pretty well.

I used to cheat on my 10th grade French tests. I don't feel guilty about that. I do feel guilty that I once cheated on a Mythology test. I loved and respected that teacher so much and even thought I only did it once for one question and he never knew, I still feel like I let him down.

I've been the other woman four times.

In sixth grade, I once pranked called some random woman with my friends and told her I was her husband's illegitimate daughter. She didn't believe me.

I'll probably vote for whomever my parents do.

Confessions

2007-07-28T18:37:00.001-07:00

I've always harbored a secret desire to be a baseball announcer.

I Hung Out With Christine Tonight

2007-07-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

Highlights from tonight's adventures with Christine: being surprised at how good Aberdeen City was; finishing my half pint of cider before she finished her pint of beer; wasting at least 20 band aids on my poor foot; walking out of the show before amanda palmer went on.

Cutest Video EVER

2007-07-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Christine!

Everyone else: Check out this site - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K8wr9JnbDs

PS...Christine, the letter from a truly enlightened woman is on its way!

I'm Popular Today!

2007-07-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

Christine: I bookmarked your blog in my toolbar. That's how special you are!

Today's highlights: Having the restaurant owner's fantastically handsome Lebanese son wait specially on us. Starting Harry Potter #7. Pearl sleeping next to Doo for the first time without Doo growling.

Christine Wants Me to Have a Blog

2007-07-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

She was very adamant about it. She made a good point - it's difficult for us to meet up on a regular basis so this is the best way to keep up to date with what's going on in each other's lives. I was reluctant to start up a new blog considering in my "settled" life not many exciting or interesting things happen. So I'll try to do my best in keeping this thing current and providing at least one or two slightly interesting tidbits. Here's mine for today:

While waiting to meet up with Christine in Harvard Square, I had two interesting moments. The first came when as I exited the station into the Pit and saw through the foggy glass windows a sea of capped heads. At first I thought there was an enormous congregation if Jews hanging out in the Pit, but as I rounded the T, I noticed that this group wasn't dressed like any Jews I had ever seen. And they were singing. It sounded like Quaker hymns, but they actually turned out to be Mennonites. I was really surprised to see them there for two reasons. One, I didn't know that Mennonites were evangelists as this group seemed to be considering they were wheeling around a giant cart full of free born-again literature. They would sing and then "give testimony." Two, I thought Mennonites were Amish (or maybe it's the other way around), but in any case, I thought they didn't use things like electricity. This group had a full PA system going full blast. Maybe this just reflects how little I know of this religion, but I was more concerned in finding Christine and getting to our alumni conference on time than finding out more about this group.

The other thing that happened was that I passed an old acquaintance of mine on the T. He was desperately trying to give our coupons for half off a massage AND yoga lesson. Twice I walked by him and twice he tried to get me to take a coupon, but not once did he recognize me. Instead, he twice called me "ma'am." Funny, considering when I knew him I was 18 and he was almost 30. He looked almost exactly the same (although his hair wasn't crusty anymore), but I guess I've come a long way from me at 18. Perhaps this moment prompted some great conversation about our pasts later in the evening that Christine and I shared over beer and cider. Finding people who can bridge that gap between our youth and our adulthood, who can remember us young and who still know us today, are getting harder to hold on to.