Wow--I might even bore myself!!!

Seriously--I'm not sure if it's because I'm tired or because my funny star alignment is in it's nadir, but I'm thinking I might even bore myself today. (But that's not going to stop me from inflicting my boredom on the Universe--sometimes I'm not a very nice person.)

Anyway, my 2nd period is working on a project, I've satisfied my teacherly duty by stalking among them like an impaired panther three or four times, and now I'm honestly more of a hindrance than a help--I"m in a chatty mood and I keep talking with them about trivialities instead of inspiring them about their projects. Time for me to find something to do at my desk. And, since I have "Star Test Pity Movies" scheduled for the next two periods, when I plan to enter lots of grades, this is a good alternatives--for one thing I can keep an eye on my students while I type. (It totally freaks them out, which is also, always a good thing.) Anyway, it's time to make random observations about life.

For starters, Big T actually hit a funny one out of the park the other day. He often complains that I pick on him to do chores more often than his sister--and to some extent this is true. Chicken has more extracurricular activities, more and harder homework, and is often first in line for childcare, so, yes, I do ask her to take out the garbage less than I ask T. But T--proving his excellent good humor to the world yet again--figured out the REAL reason he's always getting asked to do chores. It's the couch.

Now, when we're sitting down, watching T.V., I get the big club chair with the two kids (you've seen me!) and he usually takes the love seat across from me. The other day, he was on the computer and his sister was in the love seat. T heard me make the request (issue the order?) and suddenly said, "Oh--I get it--it's the couch that makes the difference!!" We all laughed heartily at that--and then, while his sister was taking out the trash or whatever, T moved into her spot, proving I guess, that A. His learning curve ain't steep, and B. He's earned any chores I can throw at him by his simple inability to duck!

I am also getting to the "My big mouth is gonna get me hammered" phase of the year. The other day as I approached an amoeba in Satan's dysentery (also known as a straight F student who's had more suspensions for fighting than I have balls of yarn!) to ask her to stop talking, she said, "Whew! What's that smell!" Trying (because it's not that original and it's not that funny) to be insulting.

I ignored her.

What I wanted to say? What actually jumped to the tip of my tongue with such force that I had to turn away and just write her referral for suspension? Was, "Brain rot--I can tell because it started when you walked in."

It would have been hilarious--if she probably hadn't been armed.

At first I thought that Across the Universe was not nearly as big a hit as I'd hoped--I think the idea of connecting symbolic things together like songs and events is too big a stretch for a lot of my kids. Of course, the dilemma has been solved with my 4th period by knitting in their midst--I stand there, knit, and quietly answer questions about the mo vie, and eventually, once the stuff they don't get is cleared up, they start getting into it. It would have been hard to do with my 5th period though--I was too busy throwing out another dysentery amoeba. (Or would that be crapping out a dysentery amoeba? Or would that be too graphic?)

ANd other than that? Things are puttering along. Bitter Moon II is progressing nicely--about 500 pages in, probably 200-250 or so to go. I"m thinking of another teaser--any preferences? Anyone want to see Yarri? Torrant? Aylan? A combo of the two? Let me know! Oh yeah--another five posts and I'll have my first giveaway. I've never done this before--I think I"ll offer up yarn and/or books, whattdya think?

Let me know!! And does anyone have any ideas for what to do with a weekend when ya got no $$$? That's where we're at, and I'm tired of hangin' out at the homestead!!!

Ciou!