Sunday, December 12, 2010

Christmas Time is Here

Last night was the final installation of our Christmas decorations- the tree (Balsam Fir) was strung with lights and ornaments hung, all while watching Burl Ives' Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on TV. It was quite a picturesque moment- SHM and I going through our ornaments,some new and sentimental (a red Adirondack chair from our Nantucket Mini-Moon, a lighthouse from Hilton Head, when we first got engaged, a glass evil eye from Istanbul), some old and sentimental (a blond little tennis boy made out of clay was that very in-style in 1986). We realized with a laugh, that it didn't matter how pretty (or un-pretty) the ornaments were, they were carefully saved because they were given to us by someone special, or bought when we were somewhere special (like the various Boston Terrier ornaments we now have or my blue embroidered camel from Delhi). What's most important to us, is that every ornament on our tree has a story, a meaning or a connection to someone we love.
What a nice way to start the season.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The 2 Week Sprint

When you look at the calendar of an independent school, there is a period of time where there looks to be very little school. That time is between Thanksgiving and Winter Vacations. A mere 2 weeks and 4 days this year, you probably think, "well, that's nice, how much can really happen in that time?" It is becoming scarily apparent that WAY too much is supposed to happen in that time. Because what those of us in the independent school know, that others do not, is that while the time IN school may be only 2 weeks and 4 days, the amount of work to get done is equivalent to the same time without vacation... i.e. 6 weeks: Nov. 23- Jan 4th. 6 weeks worth of work, in 2.9 weeks time. Now that's just crazy.

It is now 6:40pm on Thursday. After a day of running around organizing winter teams, updating summer camp information, planning a 7th grade health event, a senior sex-ed class and entering 150 edits of grades and comments (this alone took over 2 hours), I am sitting with my wonderful husband, enjoying a nice glass of wine and unwinding:) This is the moment that makes the day worth it. Life will always be busy and always be hectic, so I will vent a bit, then move on and enjoy my free time with my family. I only have one day to go until the weekend, and I can wear jeans. Another thing to be thankful for:)

Saturday, November 20, 2010

The Little Things

Yesterday Girls' Prep began their Thanksgiving Vacation. As is tradition, every year the final event before vacation is a Thanksgiving Convocation where representatives from each grade read a short poem or story around the theme of giving thanks. So in the spirit of the season, here are the things I am thankful for. Some are big, some are small, but all are important in my life:

My family, my friends, my job, my health
Petunia greeting me at the stairs when I come home from work
On-campus housing
My proximity to a great city
Arriving home to find dishes done (SHM)
Butternut squash soup at the Dining Center
Dinner at the Cottage on a Wednesday (or Tuesday) night
Watching DVR with SHM and Tunes on a winter night with wine
Mornings with coffee and my book
My Iphone
Having my whole family live within driving distance
Having most of my friends in the same state as me (MOST.. not all:(
Hearing one of my soothing songs on the radio
The opportunity to have travelled to 17 countries on 4 continents
Thanksgiving Brunch, followed by Thanksgiving Dinner
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

The Music That Soothes Me

When you work at a school, time is very much on a cycle. There are ups and downs, peaks and valleys of commotion, stress, excitement and activity (depending on who you ask). In terms of peaks, I would say we are at the top of Mt. Everest right now. The trimester is ending and grades are due, fall sports are ending and winter tryouts are beginning, the high school is taking exams, vacation is around the corner, but not QUITE here yet. In times like this, I find I am often talking to my girls about relieving stress. How they can help themselves feel better. I noticed last week, as I was pulling out my hair and biting down my nails, that I needed some of this stress relief. That's when I turn on my Ipod and put it on shuffle. More than anything else, music has the power to soothe me. Not all music, mind you,some music makes me feel considerably worse, but when I am typing away at my computer and a certain song comes on, I am instantly at ease.
Since I think we all could use a little relief from the stress of life, I have listed below the 4 songs that have most recently had this soothing and wonderful effect on my poor frazzled self. Enjoy!

Jackopierce- More Than This
John Mayer- War of My Life
She & Him- Lingering Still
Norah Jones- Feelin' The Same Way

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Splice

Last night SHM and I went to the Parental's for dinner. After the most amazing salmon EVER (thank you, Pedro), we were joined by Julipe (celebrity name of my brother and sister-in-law) for a movie. Most of us had had very stressful and intense weeks, so originally we were looking for a comedy. However, after going through A LOT of movies, we realized the chance of finding a comedy that was actually funny, was slim, and we changed genres. Eventually, we settled on one called Splice. We watched the preview and it looked like a mix of Sci-Fi/scary and we decided it would be fun to watch a scary movie all together.

What we got was a comedy mixed with disturbing, and haunting. I won't give it away, because although I would never want to be the reason for someone seeing this movie, it makes me uncomfortable to recount the plot. Let's just say, the movie was based on the scientists pushing the envelope with genetics and mutating, and there are some highly inappropriate relationships between the scientist and the experiment.

I wikipedia'd it to provide you with a link, and thought the following quote described it well: "Splice is funny, frightening, and shocking all at once. It’s a disturbing commentary on where science is heading, and it is not easily shaken off once you leave the theatre."

Still, I think Jules summed it up the best: "I need a shower for my brain". If only she could. If only we all could.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Impressive

I am a very good sleeper. I sleep well most often. I would rather be sleeping before 8:00am, than be awake, always. I notoriously will hit snooze multiple times. My longest snoozing record is 54 minutes . When the alarm goes off in the morning and I have the choice between getting up and having a calm, relaxing morning or sleeping until the last possible second, sleep always wins. This often leaves me with no time for a shower (sad but true), breakfast, or any wardrobe malfunction (heaven forbid the shirt I had in mind is at the dry cleaner- crisis- 2 minutes lost!). This has also gone horribly awry several times. The most common reason is me hitting the off button when I think I am hitting the snooze button. When this mistake is realized, the result is panic, bad hair, bad outfits and a grumpy mood. The actual consequences for being so late however, have changed depending on my environment. In high school I benefited from being at a school where sweat pants that may or may not have been slept in, could still pass as normal (albeit not neat nor clean) attire. I also lived across the road from class. Much closer than the girls who drove in and parked. So I could literally roll out of bed and into class. College was even easier, I just scheduled my classes later. Until three years ago, my occasional late, panicked self could slide into work unnoticed. This is no longer the case.

Since I have become an advisor at Girls' Prep, it is my responsibility to take attendance every morning at 8:00am. I tend to walk to work, since I live on campus, but I am no longer across a road. I am across a street, past the tennis courts, past the dining center, library, another street, up a hill and to the right. On a slow leisurly day it will take me 7 minutes. Today was not that day. I casually checked my clock to read: 7:54am. PANIC!!! I am in clothes, teeth brushed, out the door, across campus and walking into the Middle School at 8:08am. I take attendance, hand it in, walk out to get materials for my 8:20 class, text SHM with my ETD and receive the response "impressive". Yes, I think it was.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Like Sand Through the Hour Glass...

...there went all my free time!! The school year has started with not so much of a bang, but more like a catapult, hurling me through the air with no control over the speed or altitude at which I fly. I really love being a part of so many things in so many different areas of the school. But at the same time, I often feel like a pinball bouncing from place to place. It is with miraculous timing that I have now figured out how to sync my smart phone to my work calendar so that I know where to go next. I miss being able to take a moment to read the blogs I follow. Or to write a post myself! By the end of the day I am so mentally spent, I can barely write an email, let alone a witty post (not to mention that my typing is atrocious and no wittiness is coming out of my fingers). On the hopeful side, I do have a very funny witty topic to write about when I am feeling more eloquent. Post title: Boobs!
Stay Tuned!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Boobs!

One of the most enjoyable parts of my job at Girls' Prep is teaching health class. I teach two sections of 7th grade, one of 8th and two of 12th grade. Each year has a different theme so it's not just health and sex ed all year every year. 7th grade is self esteem and healthy body image, 8th is diversity and 12th is the transition to college. As you can imagine, to teach 7th grade leaves you quite vulnerable to addressing the awkward topics: puberty, anatomy, and general "growing pains". It's pretty tricky to talk about how your body will change and how to embrace it no matter what it looks like, without talking specifics. I had imagined I could speak totally in the abstract, until one of my students (who is also my advisee) raised her hand and said, "OK, I'm just going to put it out there: boobs. What's the deal?!!? Some girls get them, some girls don't, the ones with them don't want them, the ones without them are dying for them. It's like the same between people with straight and curly hair." (And yes, it was all in one breath).
And so my lesson plan went out the window and we had a very informative class focused around boobs. Here is some of what came up:
Why DO some girls get them and some don't??
Is it true if you have big boobs you can't play sports?
I have a friend who has HUGE boobs and she has to wear three sports bras (this was just a statement)
Do underwires give you cancer?
Is boob size hereditary?
How much do boobs weigh? If you get implants do you gain weight? So if you get them reduced do you LOSE weight!?!?
Why did my guy friends get weird when I got my boobs
Why are boys obsessed with boobs?
Can your boobs be two different sizes?
As you can imagine, news of this conversation soon caught up with the other two sections of 7th grade and it was the topic of class for the whole week. Sadly I think it also infiltrated other classes as some girls could not help themselves and blurt out "BOOBS!" uncontrollably.

This is what makes 7th grade hilarious.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Smart Phones

I have owned my Iphone 4 for 3.5 days. I have emailed, texted, listened to my itunes, checked the weather, checked stocks (that weren't even mine), started a game of WordPlay, played other games, analyzed a dream, and wikapedia'd something. I have used my Iphone as an alarm clock, a mirror, and a flashlight. After years of longingly looking at other people's smart phones, I finally have my own. I heart it.

Friday, September 17, 2010

The 5-Day Work Week

I know that this post will receive few, if any, sympathy votes outside the bubble of education, but I need to say it anyway. Though I have been "back to school" for almost a month now, this has been my first full, 5-day, week of work. 5 FULL days. In a row! With no break! Those around Girls Prep (adults and kids combined) found this week to be pretty grueling. To be up and at school, ready to think, by 8am every day after 3 months of summer?? To pick out an outfit that is within dress-code 5 times?? It's just too hard! This has been the conversation all week. Some people have confused days, some have not been able to keep the weeks straight, some are struggling to keep all their balls in the air, and others, like myself, are doing all of these things. I have referred to "tomorrow" several times while actually meaning to say the day after (this causes quite a bit of confusion). I was sitting, blissfully ignorant on my couch one night, when I was scheduled to be visiting a dorm, not to remember until the next morning when a student asked where I had been (I didn't know what she was talking about, I stared at her blankly for a good 2 seconds). I forgot to bring my supplies for one of my classes on Thursday, and I am constantly thinking it is next week instead of this week. My reason for this rant is that I am, as of 2:00pm today, done working. I cannot make my little brain think anymore. Happy Friday everyone, I'm going to go watch some field hockey.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Non-Skirts

The Harbor Cruise is a tradition at Girls Prep. Every year the entire school (students and faculty) load up on school buses (9 in total) and caravan to the Boston Seaport. There, we are all aboard the Provincetown II for a two hour tour of Boston by sea. There's music, there's dancing. Its a fun time all around. Adding together the years I have worked here and the years I attended, I counted this as my 16th Harbor Cruise. Over the years, I have realized some notable changes that I am not all that comfortable with. For starters, this year I was considerably more shocked by the outfits on many of the students (mostly seniors) than in the past. Sometime in the past 20 years, this tradition has become a display of apparel. I am not sure when... I do not remember anything I wore myself as a student, except senior year when I think I wore all black? It's a little hazy. Did I wear heels? I don't know... did I own heels? I must have, right?? Times (or I) have since changed. Sitting on the boat deck on Monday, basking in the warm sun, I could not open my eyes and not notice the skirts. Or, should I say, non-skirts. These questionable skirts, could have been confused for a small nightie, or a tube of jersey, or a shirt with a belt. Several did not clear the upper thigh and so required spandex shorts underneath to keep them from being completely vulgar.
By the end of the day, I had been stunned more time than I could count. I can't tell you what horrified me more, the inappropriate lyrics to god-awful songs, or the hooker-ish looking outfits (did I mention that most of the non-skirts were white?? ERRR not at all flattering) with those crazy heels that you see most often on Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Heidi Montag.

I am officially an Old Fogie.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Ode to the List

I love lists. The idea for this post came from a conversation with my friend about organization and keeping lists. We both agreed that lists are the only way to go. They are the only way to keep track of all of the things we need to do every day. I don't remember when I started making lists. I guess it came about in high school when I had to write down my homework every night. But I remember the moment I started to use the list as a working tool. It my first year out of college, working at my first corporate job and one of my bosses was coming back from a week-long trip. She had left a list of several things to do, that I was unable to finish due to unforeseen issues that came up in the office. She was not pleased and the conversation went something like this:
Boss:"GEM, I thought you were going to file all my catalogues"
GEM: "I couldn't get to it, I didn't have time"
Boss: "I don't understand, what were you doing?"
GEM: "Umm... I had this and that and umm.... (weak, I know, but did I mention I was 22?)
Boss: "I just don't see what could have taken up your time, I didn't leave you that much to do, I expected you to have this done, I don't see what took up all of your time"
GEM: "Ok, I'll do it now" (run to the bathroom to cry)

Ok, so maybe this doesn't seem so traumatic in retrospect. But this was the first time in my professional career that I had disappointed someone I was trying to impress. And what was the worst part, I had been REALLY busy. I had A LOT to do that week, but I just couldn't remember it. I hadn't written it down. I just stuttered and sounded generally useless. From then on, lists have been my life raft keeping me afloat in the working world. At first they were simply to document my time, but increasingly to keep track of all the small things and get them out of my head and onto paper. I make lists daily. I have special list paper. Sometimes I rewrite the lists so they look pretty. I just love them. Watching a person try to recount in their head the things they need to do makes me nervous. It's right up there with people who don't keep calendars. SDM, you know who you are:)

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Back To School

I have to say, this post began last night and I was feeling a little more optimistic and a little less overwhelmed than I am feeling today. Needless to say, it had to be reworked.
It is back to school time! While it may say August on the calendar, this week marked the official start of my 8th school year at Girls Prep with preseason and faculty meetings. I started the week off excited, I love the fall, I love crunchy leaves, I love crisp air. I love my wool sweaters. These are the fun things that I think of when I hear "back to school". What I seem to forget, is that "back to school" also means BACK TO SCHOOL: Meetings, and schedules and class work and more meetings and then some more meetings.
It's good then, that I was doing something else in the summer. I very much needed the change of pace and the change of atmosphere (little campers vs. high school girls). It gave me a chance to breath, relax and get some distance during which time I romanticized it all and made Fall into a pretty rose-tinted bubble that has now popped over my head. I was in meetings from 8:30-10:00am, 10:30- 12:00pm, 12:00-1:00pm (race home for 10 minutes to walk poor Petunia) and then 1:00-1:30pm and then 1:30-3:00pm. They are interesting meetings for the most part, all discussing important items, but as you can see, very little time in between to get anything else done. Because of course, as all of you know, you don't just get to go to the meetings and then walk away. Meetings almost always end with some sort of action plan and to-do's that you need to then....do.
Which brings me to my apartment right now at 5:15pm. After going back to my office at 3:00pm, checking in with my boss and with the students, and running home to feed Tuners (who didn't get to eat before because I was too late for the meeting), I came home at 5:00 to breathe. I need to go back over at 6:00pm for a dinner and then Target for some office shopping... then tackle that pesky to-do list.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Book Challenge

As you may have gleaned from my previous blog, I love to read. I enjoy reading all kinds of books for the most part: bestsellers, historical fiction, chic lit (although I like those less after the annoying genre name was created). I also love classics. I am on a personal mission to read lots of classics. This secret obsession for classic books has pushed me through Gone with the Wind (I think I was 15 when I read it), The Portrait of a Lady, Crime and Punishment, and others. But this week, while on vacation, I have embarked on perhaps my most ambitious read ever.It was given to me by my mum, who got it from work from a woman who couldn't even stand to hold it, let alone read it. I understand,it's a very heavy book. A Suitable Boy. 1500 pages about finding a husband in 1950's, Post-British, Post Partition, India. There are an unknown number of characters (all connected in some way) that I keep track of with a family tree chart. I started it on Sunday, August 15 and currently I am on page 320, I give myself to Christmas to finish it....

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Beach Bikes

The last bike I owned was from when I was about 8-12 years old. It was pink and said "Miss Sassy" on the side. I installed a basket (Strawberry Shortcake, from my older bike) in which I shuttled around my guinea pig, Jingles. I would bike around the block (on the sidewalk), or around a parking lot at the end of my street. Occasionally we would ride on the Minuteman Bike Path, other times on the Mystic River Bike Path. Maybe once or twice a summer our family would go to Maine or the Berkshires and we would ride bikes on quiet roads. These are my biking memories. All very safe, all very conducive to bikes and bike-riding. Since I haven't had a bike since then, I tend to get a little nervous about them. I know how to ride one of course, but am still attached to kids bikes. Bright colors, fat tires, and pedal brakes. The biggest problem I have with bikes these days is the hand brake. It seems totally foreign to me. If I want to stop my feet, why would I use my hand?? Shouldn't it all be related?? Shouldn't my feet control what my feet are doing?? I will definitely still ride on "grown up" bikes, but it just makes me nervous. And biking on the road makes me nervous, probably because I don't feel very stable. All of this leads up to a very happy surprise this morning. I am in Nantucket this week, dog-sitting a lovely Irish Setter named Maisy. Bikes are a pretty standard mode of transportation in Nantucket, so I knew I would be on one at some point. But we are in Sconset, and it is summer, and it is crowded so I was also dreading having to clumsily maneuver myself around lots of big huge cars. This morning was the first test, we open the garage, see several very cute beach bikes with baskets (Petunia is not as malleable as my guinea pig was, she won't get in). I take a deep breath and get on, and LO! Pedal Brakes!!! Hurrah!!!

A lovely, breezy, scenic bike ride along the Sconset Beach followed. How relaxing!!!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Books

I was going to write about something else today but I just had to change it...

Today I realized that I have a problem with books. Sounds ridiculous... what could be bad about books? Nothing is wrong with the books themselves... It's my compulsion to buy them. I love them and I collect them. I'll get them from the dorms at the end of the school year, from the Wellesley Book Exchange (aka the Dump), I'll buy them on clearance from Barnes and Noble. I tend not to buy them full price, but I buy them just the same. My dream is to have a massive library with books lining the walls and I have read them all. Awhile ago I paused my purchasing so that I could catch up and read the ones I had. Then I started again and now have dozens of books to read. I was shuffling through my stacks today looking for ones to bring on my vacation. I noticed one hardcover title, Run, by Ann Patchett. When did I get that? Oh yes, I read her Bel Canto and loved it and picked this one up at the Dump. But then I noticed it again. Hardcover twice. I stared at the two identical books trying to figure out what had happened... When did I get the other one? The Booksmith on sale? Hmmm... not a big deal I guess, I can give one away.... then my eyes fell on the paperback copy....

3 copies of the same book!?!?

No more buying books!!!

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Needy Dog



As many of you know, my dog Petunia has quite a personality. She is a teeny Boston Terrier (only 12 lbs!). She likes to walk on the left side of you. Always. She also is very sensitive to the weather. She doesn't like the cold or the heat or the rain or the snow. And she'll let you know when she is unhappy. Her ears are so expressive you feel like she's actually talking to you. She has a couple of different stink eyes. One is a slow turn that tells you how obnoxious she thinks you're being (usually its when you're too loud, or you move too much and disrupt her spot). Another is more of a squint that she'll shoot you when you've taken too many pictures (see above). There is also the disappointed frown which will stop you in your tracks. She is staring at me right now. I don't know what she wants!



But apart from the judging, she is one of the most lovable dogs ever. She is constantly next to you, she snuggles with you on the couch, sits on your lap, anything to be close to you. The smaller the spot the better - her favorite is to be behind you while you sit on the couch. Earlier while I was typing this, I had my legs up on her like an ottoman and she didn't care. Her loyalty and concern for our (my and SHM's) safety is adorable and endearing. Anyone who is not us is a threat who she must alert us to immediately and urgently. Today was no exception. Since the office is slow, I brought her in so she wouldn't be lonely. She spent 95% of the day on my lap with her head on my desk and her paws almost on the keyboard. The other 5% she spent barking at anyone else coming into the office. The times I had to put her down when there were no intruders, she would simply stand next to me and cry and shake (she is a bit of a shaker). So I had to bring her up again, or as was the case by the end of the day, just hold her, like a baby on my hip, and so she would stop. She is a funny little dog.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Random Acts of Kindness

Yesterday I went into Boston to get my hair cut. I left early so as to get a parking space and low and behold, the entire block of Newbury Street between Clarendon and Dartmouth was open. Amazing? Does arriving in Boston before 10am really reward you with such bounty of parking? Well, yes and no. I park IN FRONT of my hair salon (unbelievable I say to myself), get out of the car and receive my random act of kindness: The Meter Maid is standing there waiting for me to get out, to warn me that I am in a loading zone and if I don't move I'll get a $55 dollar ticket. If I just back up one spot, she says, I should be fine. I admit, I had to play the role of naive suburbanite because she was definitely speaking to me like I was one: "Honey, you have to read ALL the signs". But in the end, I decided that didn't matter. She was still saving me $55 as I definitely did NOT read all the signs and would have parked there and gotten a ticket. There is a man in front of me in the same predicament. As I back my car up, he asks me to back up one more space for him. Feeling kind, I say ok, back up, he gets out with his delighted little daughter and they walk off hand in hand. SO cute and I feel good to have helped a little. Then I look more closely at my own spot and see one of those pesky construction signs. And then realize they line the whole street, except for the space I just gave to the man and his daughter. Ooh. So I am back in my car driving around for spots, starting to second guess my overly confident self that maybe I should have just taken the train, when AHA! parking at the corner of Clarendon and Newbury. Hooray! Such a pleasant and friendly morning on the streets of Boston :)

Friday, August 6, 2010

Freedom!!

I have just sent off my very last camper after 6 weeks!!! It was been six weeks, three sessions, 104 children under 14 years old and it's done!!! Tra la la!

I am now officially in vacation mode! What to do, what to do... First on the list: dinner at the Rents. Second: Haircut and Manis/Pedis on Newbury tomorrow morning. Third: Dinner with SHM at the Essex Country Club on Sunday. Then WHO KNOWS!!! But whatever it is, it will not be before 10:00am, and I will not be wearing a polo shirt with shorts. I will not play dodgeball or capture the flag. I will not eat chicken nuggets, or try to herd 15 children from one activity to another:)

AHHHHHHH

Monday, August 2, 2010

Energy

If someone were to ask me what I take away from my camp experience at the end of each summer, I would answer with one word: energy. Kids have a lot of energy. Kids even have energy when they don't have energy. When adults are tired, or grumpy, a lot of them (not all!) tend to take themselves out of situations, sit down, maybe even go to take a nap if they are lucky. If they had a choice, they would definitely, at the VERY least, stop running. Kids seem to do the opposite. The kids at my camp never stop running (I know I established this already). Not only that, today they never stopped jumping. One of our last activities of the day is free swim and there was a group of boys who LITERALLY (and I mean LITERALLY, not the Gossip-Girl-literally which means figuratively) jumped off the blocks for 45 minutes without stopping. In and out, in and out. Sometimes changing up their jumps, sometimes grooving to Justin Beiber and then jumping, sometimes pretending to dunk like their favorite Celtics player, but always continuously jumping. You think this would be enough, right? Not quite. After this, we have snack, then dodgeball. Dodgeball is optional. They don't have to play. But they insist on playing. They NEED to play. They are, of course, exhausted but they don't sit down- that would be too easy. They keep jumping, running, throwing balls. Sometimes all at the same time. They get grumpy and cranky, but as soon as you mention "hey bud, why don't you sit down, take a break" they are back in action, jumping higher, running faster, throwing harder. It's quite a spectacle of human endurance.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Lazy Days

Lazy days are endangered. Already they are not as common as they should be. I get a lazy day maybe once every three or four weekends. As I have now hit 30 and the idea of children is not so much "down the road" as the "next stop", I am very aware that I only have a precious few lazy days left. These are the types of days that regenerate me for the week ahead. Today, for example, SHM was up and out early to play golf. I stretched myself out of bed around 9:35, got dressed and got the dog out for a walk.
[Sidebar: This is the same dog you see in the picture with the bib and the wine. She obviously enjoys the finer things in life and usually sleeps later than I do. But she will be the topic of her own post shortly.]
It is a beautiful day, a rare cool, non-humid morning. On my travels down the path and around the block, I see some friendly Girl's Prep neighbors sitting out on a picnic table. So I wander over to say hello and end up sitting for an hour and half, chatting, drinking coffee and eating this amazing pastry, fresh-out-of-the-oven, that seems to be mostly made of pie crust. It doesn't get much better than this! Now I am back in my apartment, sitting at my kitchen table, with Petunia on my lap, ready to get my book out and enjoy the soothing morning sounds of John Mayer... By now its 11:40 but I think I will have my morning last all day:)

Friday, July 30, 2010

The Foreigner

My father is not from here. And although he has now been in the US for longer than he hasn't, he has a quality (and an accent) that is undoubtedly foreign. One of the [many] great things about him is that he has a great sense of humor about himself. He doesn't get offended when people misplace his accent, or mispronounce his name, or talk louder and slower when he's around (scratch that, that actually really annoys him). Because he is foreign, he also claims immunity from saying and doing things that are universally considered politically incorrect. Case in point: When he was in college in Iowa, he had a professor who could not get his name right. It wasn't simply pronouncing it with an H sound, but TOTALLY butchered it, constantly. After the name reached the point of "Joshua" , my dad gave up and told him to just call him Pedro. And he did. And everyone was happy.

For the purposes of this blog he insists on being referred to as Pedro the Foreigner.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

7 year olds

Part of my job at Girls Prep is working at their summer camp. Some days this is a challenge since the kids are younger and they seem to have trouble keeping their hands to themselves and they run everywhere until they don't and then it is impossible to get them to go anywhere at all. But sometimes it can be pretty funny. In between rounds of Capture the Flag, I overhear the following exchange involving two boys, one is 7, the other is 8.
Two conversations are happening at the same time. One is about the difference between Hyundai and Honda. Whether they are the same company, or one is a spin off of the other. The other is an inspection of a leg that may or not be bleeding. There is discussion as to whether it's bleeding or a scab. At the end, the younger boy nudges the other and says, “Hey, how do you know so much about cars and scabs?”

Another instructor and I burst out laughing, the 7 year old glared at us, and then ran back to the game.