Aubade (apologies to Kenney)

Fall came quickly. Underneath
the quilts, my toes are frozen.
Outside, the bird bath sits dry.
Husks of dead things.
Hot shower, necklace, shoes
with quick clicks.
The radio is turned too loud
when I fall into the driver's
seat. I startle. The sky
is wide and gray and bright.
The neighbor baby is crying.
Is it because of me?
One hand knuckles the steering wheel;
I twist the ring on my right hand.
Loose.
At home, you breathe deep.
Somewhere--

My Mom Voted for Nader, and Now My Brother Has To Go To Iraq

I'm getting bumper stickers printed up with the above. Gonna slap it on the ol' Focus.

This past weekend, my immediate family gathered from our corners of Dacotah Territory; my brother was especially adamant that we all come because he wanted to tell us that he is the lucky recipient of an all-expense paid trip.

To Iraq.

He's OK about it--he's an officer, and will be in a safe place, and will be doing civil affairs. But, he just got married. And he leaves in February. And I hate it.

Michael being Michael kinda joked about it, and said he was actually relieved, because Iraq has been hanging over his head for 7 years now, and so many of his buddies have gone, and it's his turn.

He played the Iraq card all weekend:
"Lu, want another beer?"
"Nah, I'm good."
"Um, I am going to Iraq. Have a beer."

"Dad, wanna take the boat out? Fish a little?"
"Maybe..."
"Your son's going to Iraq. Go fishing with him."

We got to spend all weekend together, with the highlight being West Fest. There was this big parade with marching bands, and I ate loads of tootsie rolls, and Sam cried at the Shriners.

When the Pay Day Loan float went by my brother yelled, "Oh, that's wonderful for our economy. Keep up the great work, guys!" And then my dad smacked him with the literature handed out by the Jehovah's Witnesses minutes before.

Usual family (dys)fun.

Sam is getting so big and he crawls so fast! I was feeding him bananas one morning and started singing, "This meal is bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!" And he laughed and laughed.

Watching the parade (my father had to visit every farm and fleet store in the tri-county area, so he was late to the parade):




Sam and Michael sharing some Taco John's:




Sammy-boy:








As usual, Sam was super impressed with his Auntie Lu:

I know I've been neglecting this blog. I know. It's the facebooking, and the lesson planning, and the trying to get my advanced comp students interested in politics and advertising and protests against corporate power.

Excuses.

September has been jam-packed! with stuh-uff. Bridgie's birthday happened a while ago with no fanfare whatsoever because we both taught all day, but this past weekend, we whisked away to Sioux City and blew loads of money on clothes and dinner. For her birthday, I took her to The Gap to pick out a cute fall jacket. She picked this super-cute mustard yellow cord blazer. It looks awesome with her dark hair.

With all her new clothes, she's been the talk of the Biology Department. She has set the bar, folks. And set it high.

I got some new trouser jeans (how much do I love that cut!), and have only now discovered, in my 27th year, the miracle that is a minimizer bra.

******************

I am headed up I-29 today to see this baby and this family that likes when I'm around.

Creative Writing Prompt

Generate a list of things you have lost.

Things I have lost:

1. Car keys: to an Olds 88 my junior year in college, with a The Doors keychain.

2. Half an eyelid: in a JV basketball game against the Belfield Bantams.

3. A tan corduroy jacket from The Gap: at a Ground Round in Minot, ND.

4. One white flip-flop: after moving from North Dakota, to Wisconsin, back to North Dakota, and finally, to South Dakota.

5. A black thermal shirt purchased in Saskatoon: taken from dorm washer on the 4th floor of Cook Hall.

6. Self-respect: most notably lost to a guy named Mitch three weeks into college.

7. Homecoming Queen 1998: got to be a "princess" and photographed for the yearbook.

8. The ability to run up and down a basketball court for 50 minutes.

9. My heart: but I think it's in careful hands.

10. A diseased appendix: taken out after 2 months of no health insurance in Madison, WI.

11. The love of my high school years: to a shorter and smaller girl.

12. My first love: to a man.

13. The trailer house I grew up in: don't know where it went, but somebody bought it.

14. My temper: over and over again.

15. My appetite for white pasta sauces: after my first girlfriend told me what it reminded her of.

16. Most of my double chin.

17. Unruly eyebrows: first waxed in 1999.

18. My brother-in-law's favorite hooded sweatshirt: somewhere in the Midwest.

19.

20.

I Used To Be Able To Sleep

But now the sky is so big and gray and bright.

School Daze

The first day went jes' fine. My 201s made their own blogs and my 101 night class seems pretty hip. So far, I've got a farmer, lots of paramedics and bankers, and one wedding dj.

One thing:

I've been saying "See you next Tuesday!" all day long.