Backseat ego boost

As we pull into the driveway in the evening, Tim usually stops at the mailbox and grabs the day's mail, gets back in the car and hands me the stack. Tonight, he handed me the stack and said, "I guess it's time to find my place in the world" pointing to the tagline on a Navy recruitment piece. "No, wait-" he corrected, "It's your time!" The piece was addressed to me. Sam, not wanting to miss out on anything, chimed in, "No, it's my turn!"

I chuckled that it was addressed to me and noted, with all the cynicism you can imagine, "Ugh - we must get these because we're students." With all the conviction and sincerity you can imagine, Sam immediately yelled, "No! You're not stupids!"

That is one smart kid.

It's Fashion Week...

but I'm not blogging about it because I'm not feeling very fashionable recently, and thus, hardly qualified to make any observations. That doesn't usually stop you, Cristina - Yea, I know this, but trust me, it's a week of frump and ick and frizzy hair and not caring (I haven't worn makeup in a week). So screw fashion week. No! I still like it. I do. I love fashion week! I'm simply sad that I am what I am at this moment while this event is going on. I think that's really the issue. I'll get it together this weekend, no worries. Moving on:

I've been teaching a class on Monday nights since last April. It hasn't been continuous - it's a seven week session, six times throughout the year, with new people in each session. Some of you know what it's about, but if you don't, it's of no consequence - all you need to know is that these students are not there voluntarily and are not very happy about being there...until they meet me, apparently.

At the end of each session so far, a student has brought me a gift - the first gift was the classic apple...isn't that sweet? Unexpected. Very appreciated. Slapped my little assumptions right back into their nasty little place. The second session gift was a souvenir from Japan - seven small porcelain 'gods of good fortune' to watch over me and my loved ones. I almost had a moment.

My third session will end next Monday, and a few minutes before class started this past Monday, a student told me privately that he was bringing me one of his paintings - he had shown me his work (via cell phone photos) after an earlier class - he paints oil reproductions of renaissance works...he's a total freak, let's be clear, but from what I could tell, he's talented. I told him he should not bring me a painting, and in fact, he shouldn't bring me anything, but, he talks to his goats because he's lonely...so I'm probably not going to convince him. We'll see what happens next week. I hope he forgets because it's going to be damn awkward to accept an oil painting.

I can't help but think to myself, "What's going on here?" I don't consider myself some fabulous instructor - I teach the curriculum, I try to make it realistic and relate-able, and I try to get them to see the situation in a broader sense by the end. I'm friendly but I'm not that friendly, I'm easygoing but I don't put up with bull...I'm not very concerned about being liked, but I know that they need to trust me-- I am not trying to win you over here--I have been truly humbled each time. But is there a pattern developing? An apple, a lovely gift, a painting...I was planning to take a few sessions off and not teach again until summer, but perhaps I should keep going until I get some ice or some wheels - or some fashionable new coat. Cha ching!

For your information

I haven't been posting regularly recently, but I have some excuses:

1. Procrastination
2. Missing my usual, brilliant, poetic insight...
3. Blogger's block (outside of excuse 2)
4. Nothing interesting happening (or just more of 2)
5. Busy with other obligations (picked up another session of teaching, another grad course started, went back to work full time), so eves are usually devoted to reading or writing assignments, and peppered with checking Facebook, which, by the way, is the closest I've ever come to being a drug addict.

Here's the most amusing thing that has transpired this past week.
I call it, "Two Boys, One Shirt."

Interview

My dear friend Allison posted a fun blog exercise, and I commented so that I could play along as well. I received the questions from her tonight, and my answers are below:

1. Who is your style/fashion icon?

Isabella Rosselini - She's always interesting. Her beauty is unique - a number of 'slightly off' features combined in such a way that make her stunning. Strong jaw but with beautiful lips, slightly imperfect teeth. Amazing accent and voice. She wears boyish hair and bobs so well, she's just fearless and funky and I can't help but stare. I clipped her picture from the Lancome ad and brought it to show the stylist when I got my hair cut short in college. Remember her her in Death Becomes Her (above)? Whoa. Good eyebrows too.

2. What do you see as your greatest accomplishment to date?

It's no secret: being a mother to my son, Samuel. And my completed thesis.

3. What is your favorite thing (character trait) about yourself?

It's both my best and worst trait: occasional unreasonably fierce determination.

4. What is your favorite book and why?

While I read many books, I always find it hard to address the 'favorite' question. I guess I interpret a favorite book as one that I either keep coming back to, or one that has some special meaning for me or that I identify with, or that was simply very moving. I love reading, don't misunderstand - I can devour a book in a night - I just can't think of any that would compete to be my favorite.

5. Which celebrity annoys you the most and why?

Another toughie. Celebrity worship in general annoys me. Let's go with my top three: 1) Mina Suvari bugs me to no end - she looks like a fish. An acting fish. I'm glad she's MIA in recent years. 2) Rachel Ray brings shame to my heritage. It's getting worse and worse and worse. Finally, 3) I used to like Gwenyth Paltrow back in the 90s, she seemed kind of off-beat and cool. Today she's sooo self-righteous and preachy and classist and ew. Ew.

6. What is your idea of the perfect day?

This is way too personal...it's sort of over-the-top romantic. That's why it's an idea, and sadly, not my reality.

Include this with your post:

Now if you would like a turn to answer MY questions.. (I'll send you my own)
1. Leave me a comment & your e-mail address saying, "Interview me." If you dare.
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

The first five 'askers' get the interview!

A moment in time in a day in the life of

Sweetheart? Are you down there?

Yes, dear?

Are you picking up mother soon? She can't be late to the Octogenarians of Yachting Annual Dinner!

Yes, I'm leaving shortly, snuckums.

Wonderful. And be sure to change into your driving moccasins this time, sweetbottom - last time you drove the Benz you were terribly uncomfortable in your topsiders!

Oh, you're quite right, dewdrop, I'll slip them on shortly.

Later...

Oh snugglebits?

Yes dear?

Where are you? I can barely hear you...
I'm in the study, sugarsnatch.

Please phone the Chandlers and let them know that we'll be running a bit late.

Very well. Why are we running late?
What puckerbutt? I can't hear you.

Never mind.

Oh sassypoo? I meant to ask you, why are all the books in the study facing out?

They're not books, booboolips.
Oh? What do you mean? Where are our books?

I donated our books to the library, dear.

To the library? Why would you do a thing like that, honeyrump?

It's deductible, glittertits, don't be alarmed. I needed to make room for my new hobby.

What, bonbon? I didn't hear you?

My new hobby, dear. I told you on our way home from the club last week?

Oh, sweetheart, you weren't serious.
I was serious, dear. Very serious.

So those aren't books? They're-

Yes, sweetlips, they're books. They're simply all pornographic. I wouldn't want mother to be shocked, so I turned them.
She won't notice, bubblepants? What if she takes one out?

I'll tell her she's confused and threaten to send her to a home.

Oh. Sweetheart. I'm not sure about this. What about the maid?

Sugarsnatch, the maid doesn't READ.

Hahaha - sigh, ohh how silly of me! Of course not. Very well, then, sweetie. They do add a certain tranquility to the room, with their white pages.

Are you ready to go, applebutt?

I am, darling. What are we taking tonight?



So, really I saw this photo in a Pottery Barn catalog and I noticed the books. I'm sure it has something to do with the aesthetics of the picture, but I still felt like I had to blog about it because I could not let it go. It's kind of weird. Feel free to comment with your guess as to what it might be about...