Ten Things Tuesday

I’m BACK! Didja miss me?

It was good to be away from the computer all day yesterday. Weird, but good. I missed you all, though, so I’m happy to be back.

Here are ten random things that I’m thinking today:

1. The only way to get linoleum floors really clean is to get on one’s hands and knees. My knees are a tiny bit tender now (despite their yoga training), but I’m more than pleased with the results.

2. Music makes pretty much any physical labor easier. I had the tunes cranked most of the day, and found that a good beat made the work more fun.

3. I’m really glad this term at TCC is over and put to bed. I’ve got to deliver the hard-copies of the final grades this morning, then I don’t have to think about school for the rest of the week. I’ll spend some time next week working on syllabi and content for the next classes I’ll be teaching - a composition course and two classes in public speaking. Got any speech suggestions for speeches? I’m already planning on using Obama’s race and politics speech - if you’ve not heard it yet, go and listen; it’s likely one of the best speeches I’ve heard in a long time, and I listen to quite a few speeches in the course of my work. I also ALWAYS teach Dr. King’s I Have a Dream speech, if for no other reason that most of my students have literally never heard it. They’ve heard of it, certainly, but all they tend to know are the clips that get shown on television news shows around January 15th. I’m not sure one should be allowed full citizenship without a clear understanding of the conditions which made that speech necessary.

4. I wish that I knew more about what was going to happen to me at the surgeon’s office tonight. I’m going to call when the office opens to see if I can get more information - I think my ignorance is the cause of all my jitters. I’d also like to fill whatever - if any - prescriptions I’m going to get now, while I’m lucid and pain-free. The only thing I’m going to want to do when I’m done with this is go home and get right on the couch; standing in line at the pharmacy doesn’t appeal to me in any way whatsoever. On a lighter note, Mr. Chili, at my request, bought me some Hello Kitty band-aids the other day. I figure I might as well have some fun with this and it’ll be a good way for Bo to ID me at the airport. I mean, really; how many other red-heads with Hello Kitty band-aids on their foreheads could there possibly BE in the airport?

5. Which reminds me - I forgot to tell you! - I’m going to visit the land of Bo and Saintseester next weekend! I leave on Friday the 4th and spend the weekend in the land of rocket scientists and Krispy Kreme bread pudding and two of my best online friends, not to mention my beloved Bruder-in-law, who’s graciously invited me to stay with him. Seester, Bo and I are going to do our Dark and Stormy podcast for Grisham’s The Innocent Man on Saturday, April 5th at 10 a.m. Central Time, all together in the same room! I can’t wait to see my friends in person; it’s going to be great. Of course, I’m bringing my laptop; I’m going to want to blog about all the weird shit they’ll try to feed me…

6. When we met up with Mr. Chili’s extended family for Easter, Auntie L told me about this stuff called arnica gel. She swears by it as an anti-inflammatory and as a preventative against bruising. She’s used it for years, she said, and she can’t recommend it highly enough. I’m going to go to the health food store this afternoon to get some in an attempt to ward off any ugliness that may result from my little procedure this afternoon; I’d like to not look like someone kicked me in the head, even if I will feel like that for a while, I’m sure. You know, Fernando was right, after all..

7. I started watching Dexter on TiVo yesterday as I folded, oh, I don’t know, about NINE loads of laundry (sheesh!). I’m jumping in at the middle somewhere, but I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on the plotline. Can anyone who’s watched it from the beginning fill me in, please?

8. I had a 45 minute conversation with one of Punkin’ Pie’s teachers last night. The dear woman called me at home in response to an email I’d sent her and her team-teacher about some concerns we’ve been having about Punkin’ and academics. It’s the stuff of a post all on its own, but suffice to say that I found out that most of Punkin’s problems seem to be manifesting themselves at home - that she’s lovely and considerate and polite and, for the most part, attentive in the classroom even though she’s more than a little belligerent and sassy at home. I also got to express my concerns that she’s being girl-bullied, and the teacher (who has to maintain not a little professional decorum) admitted that, while she’s not actually witnessed the girl in question harassing or excluding my daughter, she freely allowed for the possibility that it’s actually happening. This girl, she told me, has a personality that would seem to fit the profile. I’m going to talk to the guidance counselor today and start reading Queen Bees and Wannabes tonight.

9. Speaking of reading, I’ve been on a tear lately. I just finished Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods and it was, in typical Bryson form, both incredibly informative and laugh-out-loud funny. Seriously - I lost it at about page five. I started another book club - this one with one of my students from last fall’s literature class - and we’re reading Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild. I’ve gotta tell you, neither of these books is doing anything whatsoever to change my feelings about camping and hiking.

I finished The Innocent Man for the Dark and Stormy a week or so ago and found it to be both compelling and profoundly sad, and that it is still pushing a lot of my buttons about authority and oversight and what kind of control the people who run the system have. I’m looking forward to our Dark and Stormy conversation, but I’m also ready to read something else. I think it’s Seester’s turn to choose next, and I’m hoping the selection is something slightly less heavy.

10. Did you know that Rush released an album last year? I did not know this until BoBo called the other day to tell me how much he LOVES it. The dear man takes very good care of me and sent me a bootleg copy (shhh; don’t tell anyone!) that arrived in my mailbox the other day. I’ve not yet listened to it - though the thought occurs to me now that I should have popped it into the player yesterday whilst I was cleaning - but I’m really looking forward to it. Several Rush songs came up on my iTunes yesterday, and I was reminded how very much I enjoy their music.

Okay, that’s it! Happy Tuesday, Everyone! Ciao. I’ve got to mambo…