Fives Meme

I'm seeing it everywhere...

Five things in my 'fridge:

1. Leftover Annie's Shells and Cheese from tonight's dinner.
2. Leftover taco meat/bean mash from dinner/lunch/dinner over the weekend.
3. Skim milk.
4. Jack cheese.
5. Truffle butter.

Five things in my closet:

1. Muffin Man's prize bag (for, y'know, potty prizes).
2. Boxes of wool and knitting needles.
3. Shoes.
4. A beautiful green jaquard corset that I will never, ever fit into again.
5. A sweater I started knitting for Mr. Spock when we still lived in NYC.

Five things in my car:

1. Three pairs of sunglasses (one is a clip-on for my regular glasses).
2. An ice scraper.
3. A travel sewing kit.
4. The Dog Train cd.
5. A pink noodle.

Five things in my purse: NOTE: My purse is 4"x4"x9"

1. My cell phone.
2. My Palm Tungsten E.
3. A small FRS radio.
4. My wallet (a bi-fold, with a long pocket for cash).
5. A change purse.

Banging my head on the desk

This happened in my district. Y'know how you always think it can't happen here? Well, it can.

Coming up for air

1500 wd paper due 8/3, Social Psychology final same day.

I'll be back soon.

Four going on Fourteen

Muffin Man stands before me, hands palm up at his shoulders. A very valley-dude voice says:

"Mooooom. The printer's not working."

Hands move to his hips, arms akimbo:

"It's a real problem."

Where did this teenager come from and what did he do with my son?

Guess what?

I just bought my books for Fall term using Nearby U's on-line bookstore and there's one book I don't need to buy 'cause I already own it:

Aren't you jealous?

Conversation at 5:42 AM

"Mommy?"
"Mmgrrwha?"
"Mommy? Can I watch some TV?"
"Whatimeisit?" (I take a bleary look at the clock). "No. You have to wait until the big hand is on the 12."
"Mommy? Can I snuggle in with you?"
"No, love, you have to go back to your own bed and wait until the big hand is on the 12."
"But I want to snuggle! Or watch TV!"
"Little hand on the 6, big hand on the 12, kiddo. That's the rule."
"Oh alright."

At 7:30 I had to go and wake him up.

Memory Avenue Revisited

Last year I took a stroll down Memory Avenue. I gave y'all the grand tour of my neighborhood through the years. Today I'm going to do something a little different, I'm going to show you an actual picture of what it looks like today:

7th Avenue & 2nd Street, looking Northeast, click on the backcover link to see the Southeast view.

Looking Northeast you can see a little cafe and Tarzian Hardware, which has been there forever. I truly thought that all hardware stores looked like that. Imagine my surprise when I saw my first Home Depot.

Looking Southeast, you'll see the weird defunct bar, Met Food, and a Maggie Moo's in the spot where there used to be a newstand until the owner was shot. Next to Maggie Moo's is Pino's Pizzaria (greasy, but oh-so-good) which used to be next door where there's now a strange sort of diner/burger joint.

Anyway...I used to live about a hundred yards to the West of where that man in the plaid pants is standing.

Seriously, I should get a commission.

SoccerPlayingBabysitter LOVED Nearby U.

She wasn't planning to. She was looking forward to being in real college classes and getting a college professor's perspective on the book she's reading for AP English which we covered today. But Nearby U is...well it's nearby. Lots of kids from her school end up going there and she thought that she really didn't want to hang with them anymore.

But that was before she saw how big parking lot K is. And then the 5 minute walk through the lovely, tree-covered outer campus, past the Cultural Center and the Performing Arts Center and up the hill to the Large Building with the food court and gourmet coffee shop inside.

"I had no idea Nearby U. was so BIG." she gasped.
"30,000 students." I replied.

After coffee and an eclair for me and a hot chocolate and a croissant for her, we went to class.

"He'll spend about an hour talking about the author and the context of the Vietnam War," I had told her in the car on the way over, "and then he'll have one of us read a paragraph or two and discuss it. We'll get through maybe two stories today." She was so impressed when he came through as expected.

My professor was really kind to SPB, and made sure she had a chance to join in on the discussion and even had her read a paragraph.

Then we went to our second class. In the car I told her about what this professor would do. "He'll talk about [his google-able hobby] and he will emphasize at least once the definition of the concept we're talking about today [I quoted him to her], and he'll talk about the Yankees." Again, right on every point.

This professor is really great, his class is always fun and he explains concepts clearly. He did a great job of including SPB and spent 10 minutes talking to her after class. Come to think, he should get a commission too.

After class we went to meet Mr. Spock for lunch in the Large Building and then I gave a tour of the campus. I showed her the student union buildings and the libraries and the computer labs and the exteriors of the dorms (I've never been inside the dorms myself). There are MANY dorm buildings and we looked at the construction sites for 3 more that will be adding 1000 beds.

"It looks like I'll have lots of opportunities to make new friends here, huh?" She said.
"Yup."

We ended the tour at the bookstore, where Mr. Spock bought her a Nearby U shirt she was about to buy for herself.

"Wear it in good health." He said.
"I will."

I think we may have made the sale.

I hab gad a code

Ad I hab a sidus idfecshud. I ab tryig nod to ged an ear idfecshud.


In short, I feel like shit. And I couldn't get through to the doctor today. Ah well.

Tomorrow, I'm taking SoccerPlayingBabysitter to visit Nearby University and she's going to sit in on my classes. I arranged it with my professors and she's read the assignments. The book we're discussing tomorrow is one she's also reading for AP English in the Fall. So now, she'll have a bit of a head start on her classmates. She's a rising senior and she's so excited about going off to college next year! Tomorrow I'll let you know how she liked her taste of college.

That little leap of faith

Today was Muffin Man's last swimming lesson of this session and...he didn't pass into the next group up. He won't hold his face in the water for 3 seconds. Actually, he will. But he's never done it for his teacher, the little imp. He's got everything else down pat. Ah well. Out of his class of 6 kids, only one was allowed to move up. His teacher says this is pretty normal, that most kids need 2 or 3 attempts at the beginner's class. So he'll be a Waddler again in the fall. Thank goodness for indoor pools!

His confidence in the water has gone up amazingly, I'm going to be practicing skills with him for ten minutes a day a couple of times a week at our local pool and every day during our vacation in Walt Disney World. That way, when class starts up again in the Fall, maybe he'll be ready to take that leap of faith of holding his face under water just long enough.

Why?

Early this afternoon, a child I know died of a brain tumor. He was diagnosed in November and fought hard. He was four.

Excuse me while I go hug my son.

How to make a Frankenfurter outfit

For the Googler who found me while looking for one:

Ingredients:
1 pr. VERY high-heeled shoes. Platforms are best, chunky heels are preferred, but stillettos are acceptable (and affordable, they sell them at Pay-less)

1 pr. Fish net stockings. NOT panty hose.

1 black garter belt with red trim

1 black leather/pleather vest that laces up the front. If you can't find one that laces, buy one without and add the laces yourself

1 black corset. You will have to sew on your own sequins and stuff to make it match.

1 operating gown, green.

1 pr. pink rubber gloves.

Makeup:

2 black eye pencils (one for your face, one for the tattoo). Let's not infect our eyes, m'kay?
2 red lip pencils (ditto)
Mascara
Blue eyeshadow
White grease paint (just a touch!)
Red lipstick

And don't forget the attitude.

Good Housekeeping can kiss my...

The blurb on the current issue says Rachel Ray talks about her weight. Her weight? She has FOUR popular shows on the food network and they're asking her about her weight?

I don't particularly like watching her shows (except for $40/day, that's pretty cool), mostly because I get a little nauseated by her cutesiness, but I seriously hope she doesn't have any problems with her body image because she looks really healthy and happy.

I shall now commence banging my head on my desk.

Musical musings from yesterday morning's commute

These songs were playing unrelatedly between 7:30 and 8:30 on various stations yesterday morning. What do they have in common? Am I right to feel freaked out?

Suite Judy Blue Eyes, by CSNY
Hungry Like the Wolf, by Duran Duran
Take a Walk on the Wild Side, by Lou Reed
Tom's Diner, by Suzanne Vega

The weather today is swimming with a chance of listening.

Raining? You guessed it!

Muffin Man did a great job of listening on Monday and is looking forward to listening again today. Dinner and ice-cream at Bob Evans if he does a good job of listening to the teacher, who wouldn't sit still for that?

It's so fun to watch him floating with the big pink noodle. On his back he relaxes to let the water get in his ears. On his front he "swims", kicking his legs and having a good time.

His favorite part is playing "Ring-around-the-rosie" and blowing bubbles.

Today is his penultimate class. I'm signing him up for the next class up that starts in September.

Ants...and how they led to a cute thing Muffin Man said

We were straightening the living room and I was putting two of Muffin Man's cds away in the carosel when I noticed a little movement under the DVD player.

We have ants.

They're carrying crumbs and marching in a little line out from under the rug to under the DVD player, out from under there to a clump by the wall. We see that they have some food back there and Mr. Spock diagnoses the food source. "Tortilla Chips." he says.

Muffin Man says, "I ate some tortito chips the other day. They were magic tortito chips. The tortito chips had wings and the tortito chips could fly and I ate the tortito chips and they flew ooooooout of my tummy and I ate the tortito chips and then I could fly too."

So, at the same time that I am completely grossed out about the ants (getting traps ASAP!), I am complete plotzing from the cuteness of my son.

Life is pain*

We just finished reading some stories by Flannery O'Connor. Holy guacamole is she ever depressing. Life sucks, then someone shoots your whole family.




*Bonus points if you know what movie that's from.

If it's Wednesday it must be raining

Because Wednesday is swimming lessons and there hasn't been a single lesson day where it hasn't rained. Thank goodness for indoor pools, eh?

Muffin Man did great at his lesson during the parts where he was an active participant, the waiting parts? Not so much...we need to work with him a bit on listening and waiting patiently. Yeah, I know...he's four. And he wasn't the worst offender in his class, but he certainly was in the top three.

But he's blowing bubbles and putting his whole face in the water and dunking his whole head under water and leaning back in the water and floating and kicking with the help of a bright yellow noodle. I'm really very proud!

In other news, today was the first day of my new classes. Lots of reading to do. Three short stories and a textbook chapter due by tomorrow. Night all.

Blogger Playground Playdate!

The players: APL along with AB and NSAH; Crunchy Granola along with Politica and Curious Girl; and yours truly along with Mr. Spock and Muffin Man.

The locale: Most truly excellent picnic area with more playground equipment than I've seen all together in one place.

The food: Delicious.

The talking: Copious. Isn't it amazing how you can just start right in the middle when you meet someone whose blog you read all the time? You already know quite a bit of the backstory and the jokes and all that's needed is a little of the fine detail. I feel like I've known these women and their families all my life.

The playing: Rambunctious, infectious, and totally hilarious. AB ran after Muffin Man who ran after Curious Girl who ran after AB...and wow! Curious Girl can really climb! And AB can run fast!

Politica took lots of pictures, including a few bloggable ones. Coming soon to blogs near you.

Words he read today

Watermelon
Red
Canteloupe
Book
Oven
Door
Floor
House
Horse

There are others he read with help, but these he read on his own.

I invented a game! I made little strips of paper with one word printed on each and then put them in a hat and asked him to pick them out one-by-one. As he picked out each one, I asked him to read the word and go find something in the house that matched it. His best one was definitely book.

"Buh...uh...uh...kuh. Buhk. Buhk? Book!! It says BOOK!" He taped that one to the largest book we own: The Oxford American Dictionary. Quite the book indeed.