for the Holidays.
Best Part of Midnight Mass:
Great Aunt Bernie socking my dad in the gut during the Sign of Peace.
Say What?
While rummaging for batteries so we can play Taboo at my G-ma's house:
My mom: Ma, you got any double As?
G-ma: No, but I have hard-boiled eggs.
All of us: Dying laughing.
G-ma: What the hell's your problem? You can make deviled eggs out of them!
Things you only say to your 9 and 12 yr old boy cousins:
"Gross! I don't want your spitty marshmallows on me."
"First Name. Middle Name. Last Name. I don't ever want to hear you say that word again."
"If I get anymore bony knees driven into my back, I will kill you. And you."
"It's a good thing you have an Xbox and a Wii and a PlayStation. How are your reading skills?"
"Toothbrush? Deodorant? What do you think?"
"How many frickin' pops do you need a day? A million?"
"Hey, let's go steal the grownup table's salt."
Please, Will You Play With Me?
While playing Catchphrase with my cousins Tucker and Trevor and my aunt Betsy:
Me to Bets and Trev: Hey, you guys, when it's Tucker's turn, let's guess completely wrong answers.
Tucker: OK, guys, this is something you hit a baseball with! (pantomimes swinging)
Me: A tennis racket!
Betsy: Um, wearing slippers!
Tucker: No! C'mon! OK, I like to do this, and I hit a baseball with it!
Trevor: Ketchup!
Me: Cheez-its!
Betsy: Ramen noodles!
Tucker: (on the verge of an aneurysm) No!! You guys!!
beepbeepbeepbeepbeeeeeeeep!
Me: Oh, Tuck, time's up. You lose, man.
Tucker: You guys are so stupid!
Me: Well, Tuck, you gotta give better clues, man.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Snow Day
The homestead:
The monster driveway:
Evergreen:
Prentis Park:
Prints:
My street:
I am ready for some sledding now, I tell you what.
The monster driveway:
Evergreen:
Prentis Park:
Prints:
My street:
I am ready for some sledding now, I tell you what.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Diciembre
I am proud to be a part of a block that shovels as diligently as I do.
Last evening, I shoveled while B made delicious baked pork chops and brownies. Not as one, mind you, like some Simpsons' casserole, but one for dinner and one for dessert. It was about 6 pm, and the whole block was outside shoveling. I caught up with my neighbor, John; I moved strips of the lightest snow from one side of the drive to the other; our Christmas lights were on in full force; it all was a little Griswoldy.
I give my last final tomorrow, and will also collect 39 final portfolios. Marathon grading? Sure. But then I will be done and won't worry about teaching until January 19th. Yessir. I've gotten a major leg-up on next semester's stuff, and am looking forward to a hard-partyin'. sleepin' all day, lotsa-drinkin' January. We'll see.
I like when a student asks me a question during their final exam, and I pretty much give them an example of what I am looking for, and they still narrow their eyes and say something like, "well, I don't know anything about that." Really? You haven't been awake and out into the world for the past 4 months? Well, that's cool, I guess.
The campus I teach at has had some interesting things going on lately. I am not so much in the loop, as I commute, but get all sorts of nutty e-mails about flowers being sent to this person, braided pastries for sale from this person, a student making threats against a faculty member, this dean taking (or not taking) another job. I never get any context, just a lot of two-line e-mails about what may or may not be going on.
Today at lunch, a man in a camo jacket touched my back like he knew me.
We are supposed to get more snow, and lots of it, tomorrow night. I don't mind, as I got some good boots. The birds that winter here have been hanging out on the feeder in the front yard: juncos, nuthatches, and some giant doves that B accuses of mating with pigeons.
I recently came across a poem by Pat Mora titled, "Immigrants." I've tried to approach 201 as a cultural studies course, and so made my advanced comp students write on it. I'm blown away:
Immigrants
wrap their babies in the American flag,
feed them mashed hot dogs and apple pie,
name them Bill and Daisy,
buy them blonde dolls that blink blue
eyes or a football and tiny cleats
before the baby can even walk,
speak to them in thick English,
hallo, babee, hallo,
whisper in Spanish or Polish
when the babies sleep, whisper
in a dark parent bed, that dark
parent fear, Will they like
our boy, our girl, our fine American
boy, our fine American girl?
Last evening, I shoveled while B made delicious baked pork chops and brownies. Not as one, mind you, like some Simpsons' casserole, but one for dinner and one for dessert. It was about 6 pm, and the whole block was outside shoveling. I caught up with my neighbor, John; I moved strips of the lightest snow from one side of the drive to the other; our Christmas lights were on in full force; it all was a little Griswoldy.
I give my last final tomorrow, and will also collect 39 final portfolios. Marathon grading? Sure. But then I will be done and won't worry about teaching until January 19th. Yessir. I've gotten a major leg-up on next semester's stuff, and am looking forward to a hard-partyin'. sleepin' all day, lotsa-drinkin' January. We'll see.
I like when a student asks me a question during their final exam, and I pretty much give them an example of what I am looking for, and they still narrow their eyes and say something like, "well, I don't know anything about that." Really? You haven't been awake and out into the world for the past 4 months? Well, that's cool, I guess.
The campus I teach at has had some interesting things going on lately. I am not so much in the loop, as I commute, but get all sorts of nutty e-mails about flowers being sent to this person, braided pastries for sale from this person, a student making threats against a faculty member, this dean taking (or not taking) another job. I never get any context, just a lot of two-line e-mails about what may or may not be going on.
Today at lunch, a man in a camo jacket touched my back like he knew me.
We are supposed to get more snow, and lots of it, tomorrow night. I don't mind, as I got some good boots. The birds that winter here have been hanging out on the feeder in the front yard: juncos, nuthatches, and some giant doves that B accuses of mating with pigeons.
I recently came across a poem by Pat Mora titled, "Immigrants." I've tried to approach 201 as a cultural studies course, and so made my advanced comp students write on it. I'm blown away:
Immigrants
wrap their babies in the American flag,
feed them mashed hot dogs and apple pie,
name them Bill and Daisy,
buy them blonde dolls that blink blue
eyes or a football and tiny cleats
before the baby can even walk,
speak to them in thick English,
hallo, babee, hallo,
whisper in Spanish or Polish
when the babies sleep, whisper
in a dark parent bed, that dark
parent fear, Will they like
our boy, our girl, our fine American
boy, our fine American girl?
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Post-Thanksgiving
My nephew turned 1 today and I can't imagine being able to love the boy with any more capacity. But, I will.
And mostly, I am thankful for you and the love, Scrabble, dancing, karaoke, piano, coffee, red beers, sarcasm, poetry, ukulele, walks, dogs, cats, peacocks, couches, cookies, patience, wine, music, security, commiserating, Sundays, Saturdays, Thursdays, happy hours, porches, green olives, Catchphrase, jokes, tantrums, books, gossip, pizza, laughter, and more lovelovelovelovelove you've surrounded me with.
Thankful, indeed.
And mostly, I am thankful for you and the love, Scrabble, dancing, karaoke, piano, coffee, red beers, sarcasm, poetry, ukulele, walks, dogs, cats, peacocks, couches, cookies, patience, wine, music, security, commiserating, Sundays, Saturdays, Thursdays, happy hours, porches, green olives, Catchphrase, jokes, tantrums, books, gossip, pizza, laughter, and more lovelovelovelovelove you've surrounded me with.
Thankful, indeed.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Morning Drive (In Pictures)
Whenever I pass a foursome of elderly people in a 4-door Honda travelling north on 1-29, I am convinced they are going up to the Dakota Magic Casino for a day of second-hand smoke, senior buffets, and big money.
Because when I am a retiree, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be road-tripping to casinos. I'll be drinking whiskey and diet cokes and playing the quarter machines. I'll also be cranky, I am sure.
So, I guess the only way I will different when I am 65 then from right now, at 27, is that I will be 38 years older. Sounds good to me.
*************
After a fab day in Gayville with Jacy and Weez yesterday, my law partner Breem and I met an "English department person" (that's how we are referred to around town, I hear) for tea and wine downtown. While the conversation was, as always, sparkling, I have to admit I was most entranced by the group of Red Hat Society Ladies that filed in for dinner. They were lovely--visions in red, purple, and polyester. It was like looking into a mirror.
A totally awesome mirror.
*************
I am loving Beyonce THIS MUCH right now.
Because when I am a retiree, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be road-tripping to casinos. I'll be drinking whiskey and diet cokes and playing the quarter machines. I'll also be cranky, I am sure.
So, I guess the only way I will different when I am 65 then from right now, at 27, is that I will be 38 years older. Sounds good to me.
After a fab day in Gayville with Jacy and Weez yesterday, my law partner Breem and I met an "English department person" (that's how we are referred to around town, I hear) for tea and wine downtown. While the conversation was, as always, sparkling, I have to admit I was most entranced by the group of Red Hat Society Ladies that filed in for dinner. They were lovely--visions in red, purple, and polyester. It was like looking into a mirror.
A totally awesome mirror.
I am loving Beyonce THIS MUCH right now.
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