Cleaning, haircut, grocery shopping, dinner, bed.
Waffles, farmer's market, gym, nap, dinner with Grandma (BEST sandwich in a long time), bed.
Breakfast with Jenny, playing in the yard, not-a-nap, Trader Joe's run, nap, barbecue with Jenny, novelty ice cream, grading papers, bed.
We do a lot of stuff sometimes, and I write about the stuff, but I hope that, when I am old, I will remember the not stuff, too. Like today, when I was hanging laundry and Zadie was tooling around the garden squeezing onion stalks (gently, but she thinks they need it), picking her flower, getting surprised by a white moth, and babbling to herself in the sunshine. I hope I remember. We don't get pictures of everything...
Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day
IMG_1756
Originally uploaded by countmockula
Ultimately, Zadie couldn't resist picking the first flower she grew.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Dancing queen
I debated as to whether I'd take Zadie to the banquet/dance at school last night. But Sweetie had watched her all day, plus she always has fun at my school events, so I took her.
As always, she's a little hard to handle -- she essentially ran around wild for five hours -- but I was glad I took her. She ate different foods, interacted with all my students (she even told one kid she loved him), and she danced, charmed, and had a ball. We left at a few minutes to ten, and the last thing she said as we got into the car was "I'm not tired!"
Anyway, she had some great moments. She was the first one dancing, and she ended up with a circle of kids dancing around her. She also got to hold hands and dance with about twenty kids. She stole a microphone from the DJs and pranced around singing into it (it was off). She attempted to play a keyboard (it was off, too). She even beat-boxed while a kid played guitar. Toward the end of the evening, she ran through the crowd touching people's butts while I ran after her saying "sorry!... sorry!"
We are working hard on advancing the potty training. She uses the potty so often that it seems like she could do it all the time. She was in training pants almost all day today, with only one accident (although "accident" is negotiable -- she doesn't seem to like to poop in the potty, so she may have held it and pooped in the training pants on purpose). But there are also times when she really really doesn't want to go on the potty. Her solution seems to be to hold it FOREVER. I guess she's got good bladder control, but I don't want her to give herself a bladder infection! Well, we'll see how it goes.
I got my hair done today. I asked if they had any funky colors, and we decided on "pastel pink." It actually came out pretty vivid rosy-purple. I know those colors, though, and it will fade quickly.
I guess that's it. The bad news is that most of my students didn't turn in their papers that were due Friday. The good news is that I don't have much grading to do this weekend. I might even get to catch up on the newspapers and make cookies!
I hope you all have a lovely weekend as well.
As always, she's a little hard to handle -- she essentially ran around wild for five hours -- but I was glad I took her. She ate different foods, interacted with all my students (she even told one kid she loved him), and she danced, charmed, and had a ball. We left at a few minutes to ten, and the last thing she said as we got into the car was "I'm not tired!"
Anyway, she had some great moments. She was the first one dancing, and she ended up with a circle of kids dancing around her. She also got to hold hands and dance with about twenty kids. She stole a microphone from the DJs and pranced around singing into it (it was off). She attempted to play a keyboard (it was off, too). She even beat-boxed while a kid played guitar. Toward the end of the evening, she ran through the crowd touching people's butts while I ran after her saying "sorry!... sorry!"
We are working hard on advancing the potty training. She uses the potty so often that it seems like she could do it all the time. She was in training pants almost all day today, with only one accident (although "accident" is negotiable -- she doesn't seem to like to poop in the potty, so she may have held it and pooped in the training pants on purpose). But there are also times when she really really doesn't want to go on the potty. Her solution seems to be to hold it FOREVER. I guess she's got good bladder control, but I don't want her to give herself a bladder infection! Well, we'll see how it goes.
I got my hair done today. I asked if they had any funky colors, and we decided on "pastel pink." It actually came out pretty vivid rosy-purple. I know those colors, though, and it will fade quickly.
I guess that's it. The bad news is that most of my students didn't turn in their papers that were due Friday. The good news is that I don't have much grading to do this weekend. I might even get to catch up on the newspapers and make cookies!
I hope you all have a lovely weekend as well.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
OMG, and ALSO???
She totally used a simile today. We were playing a shapes game on Daddy's iPad, and the shape that popped up was a raindrop. She said "Raindrops are like when I cry."
Yeah, she's gonna be a poet.
Yeah, she's gonna be a poet.
Well baby
Zadie is such a kick. She knew we were going to see her doctor today. She even told me what would happen, saying "She's going to use her stethoscope." When the nurse wanted to weigh her, she stepped on the scale and said "Just like at the gym!" While the nurse measured her head and stuff, Zadie asked, "Where's Dr. Luong?" She was ready! Right after the nurse settled us in, she asked to use the potty, so we went and found one (whoops, I still owe her her bribe -- M&Ms). Finally, we were back in the room and the doctor came in, so Zadie greeted her. Zadie was very patient and cooperative. The doctor eased some of my fears. I knew that you were supposed to start giving kids 2% milk at 2 years old, but Zadie has only gained about a pound in 6 months! I was worried she wasn't gaining appropriately, so I've stuck with the whole milk. But her doctor says a weight gain of about 2 pounds between the 1st and 2nd birthday is perfectly normal, and to go ahead and make the switch.
I also asked about some of her behavior, including the fact that she will NOT sit still for group activities. She just runs back and forth or tries to escape out the door. Dr. Luong said "You know, Zadie's really smart. It could just be that she finds the song circle boring." She also said that all the behaviors I described were well within the normal range for two-year-olds. The time to be concerned, she said, is if she's almost school-age and still can't sit still or listen to directions.
She is 36 1/2 inches (3 feet plus 1/2 inch!), and she falls in the 95th percentile for height and the 75th for weight, which is exactly the same proportions she was before.
There were a few other things, like the doctor asked about her diet and whether we'd started potty training. She asked whether Zadie was ever dry after a nap, and she frequently is, which I guess is a sign of good bladder control.
Another nurse came in to give Zadie a shot, and Dr. Luong introduced Zadie as "the smartest, most verbal two-year-old." She even said most kids don't try to say her name until they're around 4, but Zadie's been saying "Hi Dr. Luong" since she was 12 months! Zadie sang "Baa Baa Black Sheep" while she got her shot, and was a total trooper, although she did look surprised.
I guess that's it. Oh wait -- have I told you how she pretends to be different characters? She's Snow White, Cinderella, Drusilla, Little Bear, Angelina Ballerina, etc. Usually Grandma and I have to be the other characters, so I have to know, at any given moment, whether I am the mean stepmother, the fairy godmother, Prunella, Mama Bear, Mrs. Mouseling (or Miss Lilly or Henry). Today at the doctor's office, they gave her a sticker, and she got to choose. I was sure she'd pick Mickey Mouse, Elmo, or Dora. But no, she wanted the princess -- Princess Belle (was she even a princess? I swear Disney makes EVERYONE a princess). Anyway, she wanted to know all about who she was, and then for the rest of the day, I was the Beast. Later still, she climbed on me and said "I'm riding the whale!" This kid is doing wonders for my self-esteem.
I also asked about some of her behavior, including the fact that she will NOT sit still for group activities. She just runs back and forth or tries to escape out the door. Dr. Luong said "You know, Zadie's really smart. It could just be that she finds the song circle boring." She also said that all the behaviors I described were well within the normal range for two-year-olds. The time to be concerned, she said, is if she's almost school-age and still can't sit still or listen to directions.
She is 36 1/2 inches (3 feet plus 1/2 inch!), and she falls in the 95th percentile for height and the 75th for weight, which is exactly the same proportions she was before.
There were a few other things, like the doctor asked about her diet and whether we'd started potty training. She asked whether Zadie was ever dry after a nap, and she frequently is, which I guess is a sign of good bladder control.
Another nurse came in to give Zadie a shot, and Dr. Luong introduced Zadie as "the smartest, most verbal two-year-old." She even said most kids don't try to say her name until they're around 4, but Zadie's been saying "Hi Dr. Luong" since she was 12 months! Zadie sang "Baa Baa Black Sheep" while she got her shot, and was a total trooper, although she did look surprised.
I guess that's it. Oh wait -- have I told you how she pretends to be different characters? She's Snow White, Cinderella, Drusilla, Little Bear, Angelina Ballerina, etc. Usually Grandma and I have to be the other characters, so I have to know, at any given moment, whether I am the mean stepmother, the fairy godmother, Prunella, Mama Bear, Mrs. Mouseling (or Miss Lilly or Henry). Today at the doctor's office, they gave her a sticker, and she got to choose. I was sure she'd pick Mickey Mouse, Elmo, or Dora. But no, she wanted the princess -- Princess Belle (was she even a princess? I swear Disney makes EVERYONE a princess). Anyway, she wanted to know all about who she was, and then for the rest of the day, I was the Beast. Later still, she climbed on me and said "I'm riding the whale!" This kid is doing wonders for my self-esteem.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Zadie Finn bein' cool.
Boompah: "You look like sunshine this morning."
Zadie: "No, I look like a black, cloudy sky."
After watching a man hula at the Pacific Rim street fest: "I want to give him a fist bump!" (We did.)
Throwing pennies into the fountain. Grandma: Did you remember to make a wish? Me: You throw the penny in and say, "I want something." Zadie (jumping as she throws the next penny in): I want SOMETHING!
At the park. Z: I'm hungry.
Me: Do you want your apple?
Z: I don't want a POISON apple!
Me: Okay, well you already ate about half the apple, so if it was poisoned, you'd already be in trouble.
Z: I don't want it. It's yucky.
Me: Will you let me have it, then?
Z: I don't want to let you have it. I want to let me have it.
Upon seeing the carrot jockeys on the Cake Wrecks web site: "Get off your carrots, babies! I don't want you to ride your carrots!"
She also went to the dentist for the first time today, and she was awesome! The hygienist even said "I'm going to have a story to tell at home tonight!" Apparently, no 2 year olds ever volunteer to have their teeth polished, but Zadie did, and she even asked to have it done again when it was over! She saw my dentist put the little scrape-y thing in my mouth and she wanted it, too. She was supposed to be there just for a "fun visit," i.e., a ride up and down in the chair. But she ended up getting a whole exam, at her insistence. She even helped as I was getting my teeth cleaned, interrupting to wipe any toothpaste flecks off my chin with my bib.
She says and does so many awesome things that I know I'm forgetting some, but there are a few to tide you over.
Zadie: "No, I look like a black, cloudy sky."
After watching a man hula at the Pacific Rim street fest: "I want to give him a fist bump!" (We did.)
Throwing pennies into the fountain. Grandma: Did you remember to make a wish? Me: You throw the penny in and say, "I want something." Zadie (jumping as she throws the next penny in): I want SOMETHING!
At the park. Z: I'm hungry.
Me: Do you want your apple?
Z: I don't want a POISON apple!
Me: Okay, well you already ate about half the apple, so if it was poisoned, you'd already be in trouble.
Z: I don't want it. It's yucky.
Me: Will you let me have it, then?
Z: I don't want to let you have it. I want to let me have it.
Upon seeing the carrot jockeys on the Cake Wrecks web site: "Get off your carrots, babies! I don't want you to ride your carrots!"
She also went to the dentist for the first time today, and she was awesome! The hygienist even said "I'm going to have a story to tell at home tonight!" Apparently, no 2 year olds ever volunteer to have their teeth polished, but Zadie did, and she even asked to have it done again when it was over! She saw my dentist put the little scrape-y thing in my mouth and she wanted it, too. She was supposed to be there just for a "fun visit," i.e., a ride up and down in the chair. But she ended up getting a whole exam, at her insistence. She even helped as I was getting my teeth cleaned, interrupting to wipe any toothpaste flecks off my chin with my bib.
She says and does so many awesome things that I know I'm forgetting some, but there are a few to tide you over.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Zadie pics
I took Z to the park this morning and took a ton of pictures. Here are some that came out well.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Thoughts on prom
I chaperoned prom this evening. The main thing I realized is that I am incredibly out of touch with my students' music. I mean, honestly, I'm not particularly interested in being IN touch with it, but I only recognized one song.
Anyway, I was thinking of a few things. I read an article recently about the "slutty" prom dresses that are apparently the rage this season. Well, they apparently haven't made it to this area. My students, overall, looked lovely and appropriate. There was one very low-cut dress (almost to the navel, though there was a band at the bra-line), one with a small cutout around the sternum, and one straight-up skank dress (a huge cutout that showed most of the abdomen, besides being a micro-mini). But that's out of probably 175 girls that I saw, the rest of whom looked lovely.
I also saw an article about a special prom held locally for disabled students. When I read the article, I thought it was nice. The parents and students alike were thankful that they had a place to go where they didn't feel different. But tonight, at our prom, I saw special ed students, orthopedically handicapped students, and autistic students all milling around with everybody else. In some ways, isn't that even better, to be inclusive rather than holding a separate event?
With that said, if you know some teens and want to share this information, here it is for free.
Morning coats are appealing, but they are for morning.
Opera gloves also have a "wow factor," but they are for the opera.
Those long "pimp coats" really don't look classy. Neither do the fedoras, guys.
I would say that a tux is nice, a suit is perfectly acceptable, and even a dress shirt and tie can look very classy. A white suit and Nikes? Not so much.
Ladies, some thoughts: Bubble skirts are trendy, but don't flatter a pear shape.
If your dress comes with its own boobs, it may be obvious to even the most casual viewer.
A puckered vertical seam centered on the back and front of your dress draws undue attention to your butt crack and vag. I'm not sure that's what you're hoping for.
If you are planning to wear a wrap, sash, or shawl, walk around in it for a few minutes to make sure it stays in place without you using one hand to clutch at it constantly.
If you are wearing a ball gown that sweeps the floor, make sure you can walk without either A: tripping or B: gathering a handful of dress at crotch-level.
And for everyone, but particularly the ladies: if you are under 18 and decide to get a tattoo, you are almost certainly going to someone with uncertain credentials. If it costs only $25 or there is a Bic pen involved, it may end up looking, well, trashy. And I am a person who likes tattoos, so I don't say that about all of them.
Oh yeah -- if you are intending to drink or get high before prom, your best bet is to show up on time anyway. First, there's a much bigger crowd, so you won't stand out if you're stumbling. It's light out, so it won't seem so odd that you're in sunglasses. And we won't be surreptitiously sniffing you, suspicious already because of your fashionable tardiness.
For those of you who don't know any teens and are curious about the latest trends, then at least at my school it would seem that for the ladies, the "fascinators" for hair are very popular, that a hairstyle that is swept to one side is in, and that longer dresses are making a comeback. There were a number of gowns in lovely jewel tones, many of which were one-shoulder or strapless. There were very few patterns, although of that handful, two were zebra. Oh, and the must-have shoe is a silver super-high strappy sandal, although the chunky, high, dominatrix heel is still in, too. There was a lot of variety in terms of dresses -- structured and un-, long and short, ruffly or plain. I saw a lot of ruching and no velvet at all (which probably stood out to me because my own prom dress was velvet).
On the guys, about half were in a pretty traditional tux or suit, another 25 percent or so were in white suits (I don't know why, but I do not like this look), and the rest tried to look unique in some way. Most of those were very, very unfortunate. One gentlemen wore a brown plaid coat and pants. Another had a white brocade jacket that looked like a very fussy grandmother's couch. A few had vests and ties that matched their sports-themed baseball caps.
I guess that about covers it. Unlike the last prom I attended, no one had anything airbrushed on their clothing, so that's a step up. It's always nice to see the kids having fun outside of school.
Anyway, I was thinking of a few things. I read an article recently about the "slutty" prom dresses that are apparently the rage this season. Well, they apparently haven't made it to this area. My students, overall, looked lovely and appropriate. There was one very low-cut dress (almost to the navel, though there was a band at the bra-line), one with a small cutout around the sternum, and one straight-up skank dress (a huge cutout that showed most of the abdomen, besides being a micro-mini). But that's out of probably 175 girls that I saw, the rest of whom looked lovely.
I also saw an article about a special prom held locally for disabled students. When I read the article, I thought it was nice. The parents and students alike were thankful that they had a place to go where they didn't feel different. But tonight, at our prom, I saw special ed students, orthopedically handicapped students, and autistic students all milling around with everybody else. In some ways, isn't that even better, to be inclusive rather than holding a separate event?
With that said, if you know some teens and want to share this information, here it is for free.
Morning coats are appealing, but they are for morning.
Opera gloves also have a "wow factor," but they are for the opera.
Those long "pimp coats" really don't look classy. Neither do the fedoras, guys.
I would say that a tux is nice, a suit is perfectly acceptable, and even a dress shirt and tie can look very classy. A white suit and Nikes? Not so much.
Ladies, some thoughts: Bubble skirts are trendy, but don't flatter a pear shape.
If your dress comes with its own boobs, it may be obvious to even the most casual viewer.
A puckered vertical seam centered on the back and front of your dress draws undue attention to your butt crack and vag. I'm not sure that's what you're hoping for.
If you are planning to wear a wrap, sash, or shawl, walk around in it for a few minutes to make sure it stays in place without you using one hand to clutch at it constantly.
If you are wearing a ball gown that sweeps the floor, make sure you can walk without either A: tripping or B: gathering a handful of dress at crotch-level.
And for everyone, but particularly the ladies: if you are under 18 and decide to get a tattoo, you are almost certainly going to someone with uncertain credentials. If it costs only $25 or there is a Bic pen involved, it may end up looking, well, trashy. And I am a person who likes tattoos, so I don't say that about all of them.
Oh yeah -- if you are intending to drink or get high before prom, your best bet is to show up on time anyway. First, there's a much bigger crowd, so you won't stand out if you're stumbling. It's light out, so it won't seem so odd that you're in sunglasses. And we won't be surreptitiously sniffing you, suspicious already because of your fashionable tardiness.
For those of you who don't know any teens and are curious about the latest trends, then at least at my school it would seem that for the ladies, the "fascinators" for hair are very popular, that a hairstyle that is swept to one side is in, and that longer dresses are making a comeback. There were a number of gowns in lovely jewel tones, many of which were one-shoulder or strapless. There were very few patterns, although of that handful, two were zebra. Oh, and the must-have shoe is a silver super-high strappy sandal, although the chunky, high, dominatrix heel is still in, too. There was a lot of variety in terms of dresses -- structured and un-, long and short, ruffly or plain. I saw a lot of ruching and no velvet at all (which probably stood out to me because my own prom dress was velvet).
On the guys, about half were in a pretty traditional tux or suit, another 25 percent or so were in white suits (I don't know why, but I do not like this look), and the rest tried to look unique in some way. Most of those were very, very unfortunate. One gentlemen wore a brown plaid coat and pants. Another had a white brocade jacket that looked like a very fussy grandmother's couch. A few had vests and ties that matched their sports-themed baseball caps.
I guess that about covers it. Unlike the last prom I attended, no one had anything airbrushed on their clothing, so that's a step up. It's always nice to see the kids having fun outside of school.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
First haircut
The first snip.
In progress.
We have bangs!
Well, does she like it?
To me, that looks like the proud owner of a big girl haircut!
(And mommy only teared up a little and saved the hair in an envelope.)
In progress.
We have bangs!
Well, does she like it?
To me, that looks like the proud owner of a big girl haircut!
(And mommy only teared up a little and saved the hair in an envelope.)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Why I'm so boring
Recently on internet forums and on Facebook and just generally, I've seen these sometimes-humorous, often-passionate cries for something to be done! Someone posted a link to a story about a woman who is a very, uh, enthusiastic fan of a band called Insane Clown Posse. The fans call themselves Juggalos (or Juggalettes), and one recently lost a child. The story was very sad, not just because of the child, but because of the mother's seeming indifference to the child in what sounded like a bid for sympathy that might get her concert tickets and band memorabilia. It was pretty heartbreaking to listen to, obviously. But the person who posted the story (and many who commented later) said the woman should undergo forced sterilization.
And I thought "nah, I wouldn't go that far." Because I believe strongly in freedom of choice, and I believe freedom of choice includes the choice to have children, even if you are a big idiot. Of course, if you're endangering your kids, then I also think the state ought to intervene. But not via surgery.
So I am not fun, and can't join in the juggalette-bashing to the point of calling for her sterilization.
And on Facebook, there's a group that all my friends are joining called "why test on animals when there are pedofiles in prison?"
After I ignore the grating misspelling, again I think to myself, "well, because the eighth amendment bars cruel and unusual punishment." See how un-fun it is to be me? I mean, honestly, if someone ever touched my kid, I'd want them to be turned into a "Bodies Revealed" exhibit while living and un-anaesthetized, but once someone is in jail, they are afforded certain rights, and not being subject to medical testing is one of them.
So there I am. Practical. Moderate. Prudent. Boring as shit. I just feel like a party-pooper not to join in the fun and be like "Yeah, tie that bitch's tubes in double knots!" But, you know...
And I thought "nah, I wouldn't go that far." Because I believe strongly in freedom of choice, and I believe freedom of choice includes the choice to have children, even if you are a big idiot. Of course, if you're endangering your kids, then I also think the state ought to intervene. But not via surgery.
So I am not fun, and can't join in the juggalette-bashing to the point of calling for her sterilization.
And on Facebook, there's a group that all my friends are joining called "why test on animals when there are pedofiles in prison?"
After I ignore the grating misspelling, again I think to myself, "well, because the eighth amendment bars cruel and unusual punishment." See how un-fun it is to be me? I mean, honestly, if someone ever touched my kid, I'd want them to be turned into a "Bodies Revealed" exhibit while living and un-anaesthetized, but once someone is in jail, they are afforded certain rights, and not being subject to medical testing is one of them.
So there I am. Practical. Moderate. Prudent. Boring as shit. I just feel like a party-pooper not to join in the fun and be like "Yeah, tie that bitch's tubes in double knots!" But, you know...
Sunny weekend
Is there anything better than a sunny, Spring weekend? Even though there are 40 essays to grade in my work bag, I'm feeling really happy and at ease.
Last night we ate dinner (slow cooker refried beans with salsa, cheese, guacamole, rice, and tortillas), then headed outside. Our neighbors semi-regularly gather on a lawn across the street, drink beer, and let the kids play. We joined them last night (we have before, as well), and it was a really nice night. Despite Zadie's sociopathic two-year-old tendencies, she played nicely with both the 9 month old and the 3 year old. We once told her it might be nice to tell the baby a nursery rhyme, so she now considers it her sacred duty to shout "baa baa black sheep" at him.
This morning we got up and cleaned, as usual, and then we got our grocery shopping out of the way. I asked Auntie Monkeygirl if she wanted to go for a bike ride, and she did! We rode to her house, then decided to try Cafe Capricho, a new place on Folsom Boulevard near 33rd. Mom had picked up a take-out menu the other day and there were a ton of yummy-sounding selections. Well, I really liked it! I had a salad of butter lettuce, strawberries, fennel, avocado, pears and goat cheese. It was as good as it sounds. Zadie got a black bean and cheese quesadilla, and we also had a drink and side of black beans, and we got out of there for $12! I chatted a bit with the woman at the register, who was very amiable, and it turns out that it's her mother's business, and she has several philosophies, like keeping the food inexpensive, offering lots of choices to vegetarians, and trying to keep prodice local and organic. Not to sound like an ad for the place, but I want to go back to try the stuffed poblanos with quinoa, the epazote quesadilla, several more salads, the poblano-potato burrito... Apparently some people complained that there wasn't a kids' menu, but I got a bean and cheese quesadilla (delicious -- I nabbed 1/4 of it) for less than $3. That counts, right? There were also several soft tacos available for just a couple bucks.
Then we rode Monkeygirl home and came home ourselves. She's just now up from a nap and I can't decide what else we should do. I need to get to the Home Depot at some point, and I'd like to return the pressure-washer I borrowed almost a year ago to my dad's house (but first I have to figure out how to gas it up), and I have badly neglected my grandma...
Anyway, we'll see to one thing at a time. I hope your weekend is going as swimmingly as mine.
Last night we ate dinner (slow cooker refried beans with salsa, cheese, guacamole, rice, and tortillas), then headed outside. Our neighbors semi-regularly gather on a lawn across the street, drink beer, and let the kids play. We joined them last night (we have before, as well), and it was a really nice night. Despite Zadie's sociopathic two-year-old tendencies, she played nicely with both the 9 month old and the 3 year old. We once told her it might be nice to tell the baby a nursery rhyme, so she now considers it her sacred duty to shout "baa baa black sheep" at him.
This morning we got up and cleaned, as usual, and then we got our grocery shopping out of the way. I asked Auntie Monkeygirl if she wanted to go for a bike ride, and she did! We rode to her house, then decided to try Cafe Capricho, a new place on Folsom Boulevard near 33rd. Mom had picked up a take-out menu the other day and there were a ton of yummy-sounding selections. Well, I really liked it! I had a salad of butter lettuce, strawberries, fennel, avocado, pears and goat cheese. It was as good as it sounds. Zadie got a black bean and cheese quesadilla, and we also had a drink and side of black beans, and we got out of there for $12! I chatted a bit with the woman at the register, who was very amiable, and it turns out that it's her mother's business, and she has several philosophies, like keeping the food inexpensive, offering lots of choices to vegetarians, and trying to keep prodice local and organic. Not to sound like an ad for the place, but I want to go back to try the stuffed poblanos with quinoa, the epazote quesadilla, several more salads, the poblano-potato burrito... Apparently some people complained that there wasn't a kids' menu, but I got a bean and cheese quesadilla (delicious -- I nabbed 1/4 of it) for less than $3. That counts, right? There were also several soft tacos available for just a couple bucks.
Then we rode Monkeygirl home and came home ourselves. She's just now up from a nap and I can't decide what else we should do. I need to get to the Home Depot at some point, and I'd like to return the pressure-washer I borrowed almost a year ago to my dad's house (but first I have to figure out how to gas it up), and I have badly neglected my grandma...
Anyway, we'll see to one thing at a time. I hope your weekend is going as swimmingly as mine.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Generalized update
So Z is fun and smart and mean and a baby and a big girl and everything all at once. She loves to dance and pretend -- we can hardly keep track at any given moment of whether she is Cinderella, Alice, Little Bear, or a puppy. She is killer smart. We've been playing a rhyme game, like "We like to dance, and on our butts we wear..." and she says "pants!" She gets it right about 75% of the time, and about 15% of the time, she at least makes sense (like, she'll say "a diaper!"). But it's one thing to finish another person's rhyme with a big ol' clue in it; tonight on the way to Costco, she told me "I want to go to the gym and swim... gym and swim rhyme!" To be honest, it's a little weird -- she's the same age that most kids are saying "Me want candy," and she's all "I want to drive the car please, all by myself, and you will sit in the passenger seat, and first we will go to Costco and eat samples and then we will go to Grandpa John's house!" But at the same time, she throws a tantrum if she has to get her butt wiped. She talks like a much older child, so sometimes it's hard to remember that she is still just over two, and is really still developing her emotions and responses. She has also figured out how to be very hurtful with her words. I don't think she means it at all, because two seconds later she'll be asking for (and enjoying the company of) the person she just cut to the fucking bone. Seriously, tonight she told Sweetie, "I don't love you. I want a snap pea." What the?!?!
She's also got this insanely sharp memory. I could give you many examples, but here are two: the other day, we went through a weedy meadow. I quoted a book we have read before (but less than ten times, and no more recently than three months ago), saying "we can't go over it. We can't go around it. I guess we have to go through it! Swishy swashy, swishy swashy." Then I heard her quote the next page! "We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. It's a beautiful day. We're not scared."
Tonight I put her on the bed to change her diaper and she said "I used to nurse and cry on the bed." I said, "You sure did." She said "What did you say?" I replied "Oh, I said 'shhh, it's okay, baby,' and then I sang to you." She asked "What did you sing?" I said "Mostly the 'my mama loves me' song. Do you remember that? 'Oh, my mama loves me...'" Zadie finished it: "She loves me. She gets down on her knees and hugs me, oh she loves me like a rock." She faltered, and I prompted her. "She rocks me like..." "the WOCK of ages and loves me!"
School is going okay for me. I have a ton of papers to grade (which is what I'm avoiding at the moment), and they are of varying quality, which is to be expected. We are 2/3 of the way done with state testing, and it is pretty draining. May and June are the craziest months of the year -- our IB assessments are getting done, our state testing is going on, school site benchmarks are happening, and then of course there will be IB banquet, senior awards, graduation, prom, senior project night, finals... It's kind of a nightmare. But then it's summer, which I'm really looking forward to.
My working-out-and-eating-well plan is going nicely still. They're not going to put it on the cover of an entertainment magazine, because I've lost 25 pounds in 4 1/2 months rather than 10 pounds in 7 days (an actual headline I saw last week), but slow and steady wins the race, right? At least two pairs of my pants are so ridiculously oversized now that if I belt them to keep them up, the belt creates weird, pointy pants pouches underneath my shirt. I just don't want to buy new clothes yet, knowing that I've got 40 more pounds to lose.
I got an awesome kid-sized bench at X21 (an antique store that has non-antique stuff, too). It's red and hand-painted with flowers. We put some flagstone out front, and now I have to refinish my full-sized bench and put both out front.
I had a really lovely Mother's Day. As usual, Sweetie couldn't wait to give me his presents, so I got a spa gift certificate (woot!) and a McSweeney's book. Then Mom gave me a stick blender (yay! I already used it once, and it works great) and some drawings she had Zadie make for me. We ate blintzes for breakfast (I'd never made them before and they were good), then went on the David Lubin Garden Tour. We go every year and have for many years now, but this may have been the best one we've ever been on. I really liked several of the gardens, took several notes on names of plants and patio umbrellas, and intend to stalk one place on 37th and take secret photos of the front yard (don't judge me). Then we had Tres Hermanas for dinner, which is just about my favorite place in town.
I also went to a friend's baby shower last weekend. It was a really nice party, and I just love the parents-to-be. I can't wait to meet their little one.
Speaking of babies, I have a new great-nephew! Yes, that's right, our niece had a baby! His name is Aidan John and he's just lovely. I hope we get to meet him this summer.
Okay, I need to get going. I'm getting really bored of the current fiction choices, and I'm leaning hard towards going back and reading some Tolstoy, Melville, and some of the other classic stuff I either missed or want to re-read. Any suggestions? I'm going back to the old English major "canon."
She's also got this insanely sharp memory. I could give you many examples, but here are two: the other day, we went through a weedy meadow. I quoted a book we have read before (but less than ten times, and no more recently than three months ago), saying "we can't go over it. We can't go around it. I guess we have to go through it! Swishy swashy, swishy swashy." Then I heard her quote the next page! "We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. It's a beautiful day. We're not scared."
Tonight I put her on the bed to change her diaper and she said "I used to nurse and cry on the bed." I said, "You sure did." She said "What did you say?" I replied "Oh, I said 'shhh, it's okay, baby,' and then I sang to you." She asked "What did you sing?" I said "Mostly the 'my mama loves me' song. Do you remember that? 'Oh, my mama loves me...'" Zadie finished it: "She loves me. She gets down on her knees and hugs me, oh she loves me like a rock." She faltered, and I prompted her. "She rocks me like..." "the WOCK of ages and loves me!"
School is going okay for me. I have a ton of papers to grade (which is what I'm avoiding at the moment), and they are of varying quality, which is to be expected. We are 2/3 of the way done with state testing, and it is pretty draining. May and June are the craziest months of the year -- our IB assessments are getting done, our state testing is going on, school site benchmarks are happening, and then of course there will be IB banquet, senior awards, graduation, prom, senior project night, finals... It's kind of a nightmare. But then it's summer, which I'm really looking forward to.
My working-out-and-eating-well plan is going nicely still. They're not going to put it on the cover of an entertainment magazine, because I've lost 25 pounds in 4 1/2 months rather than 10 pounds in 7 days (an actual headline I saw last week), but slow and steady wins the race, right? At least two pairs of my pants are so ridiculously oversized now that if I belt them to keep them up, the belt creates weird, pointy pants pouches underneath my shirt. I just don't want to buy new clothes yet, knowing that I've got 40 more pounds to lose.
I got an awesome kid-sized bench at X21 (an antique store that has non-antique stuff, too). It's red and hand-painted with flowers. We put some flagstone out front, and now I have to refinish my full-sized bench and put both out front.
I had a really lovely Mother's Day. As usual, Sweetie couldn't wait to give me his presents, so I got a spa gift certificate (woot!) and a McSweeney's book. Then Mom gave me a stick blender (yay! I already used it once, and it works great) and some drawings she had Zadie make for me. We ate blintzes for breakfast (I'd never made them before and they were good), then went on the David Lubin Garden Tour. We go every year and have for many years now, but this may have been the best one we've ever been on. I really liked several of the gardens, took several notes on names of plants and patio umbrellas, and intend to stalk one place on 37th and take secret photos of the front yard (don't judge me). Then we had Tres Hermanas for dinner, which is just about my favorite place in town.
I also went to a friend's baby shower last weekend. It was a really nice party, and I just love the parents-to-be. I can't wait to meet their little one.
Speaking of babies, I have a new great-nephew! Yes, that's right, our niece had a baby! His name is Aidan John and he's just lovely. I hope we get to meet him this summer.
Okay, I need to get going. I'm getting really bored of the current fiction choices, and I'm leaning hard towards going back and reading some Tolstoy, Melville, and some of the other classic stuff I either missed or want to re-read. Any suggestions? I'm going back to the old English major "canon."
Saturday, May 08, 2010
I think I went on the Race for the Cure walk
So we woke up this morning, got ready to go, and headed toward Cal Expo, where the race was. I wondered why it wasn't at the Capitol, like the AIDS walk, but when we got in view of the parking lots, I realized the answer: there were thousands upon thousands of people there. It took about 40 minutes to get from the last on-ramp before the river to the first off-ramp after the river, where we were headed.
When we got there, the right turn lane was closed, so I turned left. I thought I was being diverted away from Cal Expo, but as it turned out, we were in the over-overflow ragweed meadow parking. We walked from there to the front gate, having to actually cross a line of runners at one point.
As we neared the front gate, I knew a lot of the events had already started, but I heard an announcement that the 1-mile "fun run/walk" was about to start. We registered, got my t-shirt, and saw a purposeful-looking line of about 200 people walking West along the front sidewalk. There were no signs besides the ones directing you where to register and get t-shirts, so I joined them. I asked someone "Is this the walk?" and they replied in the affirmative.
We all turned left into a side gate and walked through what is, during the fair, the midway. Then we walked through the entry area where there is a big fountain, and we turned left toward the exposition buildings. At that point, we started to look a lot less purposeful. At the fountain, some people went to the left and others to the right. There were no signs, and the people in front of me made a comment about not "cheating" and following the route, so I followed them the long way around, to the right. At that point, we entered the long walkway between the exposition buildings, where there was a huge pink balloon arch. "Aha!" I thought. We have been walking to the start of the route. The walk must begin here!"
Of course, just then, our group spread out further, some people started walking in the opposite direction, and several people peeled off into the exposition buildings. "Hmmm," I thought.
And then we got to the bottom of the ramp, and there was the run. And there were we. We joined the run, getting our big old slow-moving walker bodies right in their way. Was it planned that way? I couldn't be sure. There was no signage, and no people who looked at all official had been telling us where to go. I went ahead and joined the runners, trying to stay to the side, and then there was the finish line. It was certainly not a mile from the balloons to the finish, but was it a mile from the front gate to the finish? I couldn't say.
At that point, I was really quite unsure whether I had taken part in an official part of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure activities or not.
I reflected on the fact that it really didn't matter much; I had attended, I had raised money, and therefore I think my part was done.
I left. But on the way back to the car, I saw a much larger and more purposeful group -- thousands of people, probably -- walking into the fairground. I had to cross that stream (and another ragweed meadow) to get to the car. "Nerds!" I thought, "That looks like the walk!"
I came home and looked at the web site. I had looked at it the day before, but I hadn't memorized it or anything, because it was fairly unclear. There was an "un-timed" walk that began at 8:05, but I couldn't figure out how long it was, because the web site didn't say. I planned to go on it, but wanted to know whether we were talking three miles (a pretty normal weekend trek for me) or five, or more or less or... whatever. And I hadn't looked at the route for the one-mile "fun walk/run," because that really wasn't the one I had planned to go on. When I came home today and looked at the site again, I realized I had been too late, because of the traffic, to go on the un-timed walk anyway. I found a map of the routes, and enlarged it three times, but the words were so fuzzy I still couldn't really tell whether I'd been on the "fun walk/run." I suspect I did that one. Still, you know what would have been nice? A sign. Or a person with a hat and a clipboard. Perhaps a map that was legible. I don't know, something like that.
When we got there, the right turn lane was closed, so I turned left. I thought I was being diverted away from Cal Expo, but as it turned out, we were in the over-overflow ragweed meadow parking. We walked from there to the front gate, having to actually cross a line of runners at one point.
As we neared the front gate, I knew a lot of the events had already started, but I heard an announcement that the 1-mile "fun run/walk" was about to start. We registered, got my t-shirt, and saw a purposeful-looking line of about 200 people walking West along the front sidewalk. There were no signs besides the ones directing you where to register and get t-shirts, so I joined them. I asked someone "Is this the walk?" and they replied in the affirmative.
We all turned left into a side gate and walked through what is, during the fair, the midway. Then we walked through the entry area where there is a big fountain, and we turned left toward the exposition buildings. At that point, we started to look a lot less purposeful. At the fountain, some people went to the left and others to the right. There were no signs, and the people in front of me made a comment about not "cheating" and following the route, so I followed them the long way around, to the right. At that point, we entered the long walkway between the exposition buildings, where there was a huge pink balloon arch. "Aha!" I thought. We have been walking to the start of the route. The walk must begin here!"
Of course, just then, our group spread out further, some people started walking in the opposite direction, and several people peeled off into the exposition buildings. "Hmmm," I thought.
And then we got to the bottom of the ramp, and there was the run. And there were we. We joined the run, getting our big old slow-moving walker bodies right in their way. Was it planned that way? I couldn't be sure. There was no signage, and no people who looked at all official had been telling us where to go. I went ahead and joined the runners, trying to stay to the side, and then there was the finish line. It was certainly not a mile from the balloons to the finish, but was it a mile from the front gate to the finish? I couldn't say.
At that point, I was really quite unsure whether I had taken part in an official part of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure activities or not.
I reflected on the fact that it really didn't matter much; I had attended, I had raised money, and therefore I think my part was done.
I left. But on the way back to the car, I saw a much larger and more purposeful group -- thousands of people, probably -- walking into the fairground. I had to cross that stream (and another ragweed meadow) to get to the car. "Nerds!" I thought, "That looks like the walk!"
I came home and looked at the web site. I had looked at it the day before, but I hadn't memorized it or anything, because it was fairly unclear. There was an "un-timed" walk that began at 8:05, but I couldn't figure out how long it was, because the web site didn't say. I planned to go on it, but wanted to know whether we were talking three miles (a pretty normal weekend trek for me) or five, or more or less or... whatever. And I hadn't looked at the route for the one-mile "fun walk/run," because that really wasn't the one I had planned to go on. When I came home today and looked at the site again, I realized I had been too late, because of the traffic, to go on the un-timed walk anyway. I found a map of the routes, and enlarged it three times, but the words were so fuzzy I still couldn't really tell whether I'd been on the "fun walk/run." I suspect I did that one. Still, you know what would have been nice? A sign. Or a person with a hat and a clipboard. Perhaps a map that was legible. I don't know, something like that.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Did I mention she had the croup? (The poop.)
IMG_1632
Originally uploaded by countmockula
Yeah, she's been pretty sick. It's just not at all like her to be so low energy and to have such a minimal appetite. In fact, from Sunday late morning to Monday evening, she had maybe a few bites of food. And she's spent a lot of time in the position pictured, watching her new favorite show, Little Bear.
The good news is that croup's not particularly dangerous or anything, that it usually only lasts about 5 days, and that they were able to give her a one-time dose of medicine. She's got a terrible cough and her breathing sounds rather like Darth Vader. She's also been really cranky.
She also isn't sleeping well, as the coughing wakes her up. She has had some short naps. And last night, she tricked me! If she gets up in the night, usually I put her back in bed. But I have sort of an unspoken rule that if it's after 5am. I just pull her into my bed and let her stay there until we get up. So she padded over to my bed and I didn't realize what time it was -- I thought it was morning. It was actually like 2am, and I let her sleep with us the rest of the night.
Anyway, I know she'll be better soon. Her appetite is improving some. And I have to admit, the extra cuddling has been nice.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Zadie poop humor (as written by Grandma)
Zadie and I had a lengthy conversation today about what Dr. Luong said was wrong with her. After we got home, I was changing her diaper and she said "what did Dr. Luong say?" I said "you have the croup." She responded with a sly smile and said "the poop." We went back and forth for a long time with me saying, "no, the croup" and her saying "the poop" with her smile getting bigger each time.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
The hazards of working with other people.
Oh my. Well, a few months ago, our union rep, Tracy, told the very small gathering of people who had stayed for the union meeting that we really needed more representation at our site. We really, she said, need at least one more site rep.
Well, I said to myself, I believe in the union. And, thought I to myself, I have a pretty good relationship with my colleagues. Not to mention, argued I to myself, I am a decent communicator, which we probably need. And finally, I said to myself, perhaps it is time to give something back to the union that works so hard for me.
Our union has taken quite a beating in the local media lately. We are a one-newspaper town, and that newspaper seems to really hate teachers. As just one example of many, our district recently provided a report to the paper which indicated that our union's pay scale is 19th out of the twenty largest districts in California, but around 5th out of twenty in terms of health benefits. The paper promptly ran a story about the out-of-control health benefits. Yeah, so there's that.
Anyway, I considered and consulted and waffled, but I decided to do it.
I sent out an email introducing myself as the new rep, and I got a number of very positive emails, some thanking me for my service and others asking questions. I forwarded the questions to Tracy, who has been doing this a lot longer than I. She complained that people were thanking me and asking me questions when I'd been a rep for "five minutes." No one, apparently, ever asked her questions. I felt a little tension from her, but determined that it was probably a good thing that I was doing it if people weren't comfortable asking Tracy questions.
I went to the first meeting and learned a lot, but at the same time was concerned about the union's ability to, well, put words on a paper that made any damn sense to anyone. I wrote up my notes and "translated" into layman's terms a flyer they had distributed. I wanted to share this information with my colleagues, but didn't know how. Copies of a paper stuck into everyone's boxes seemed wasteful, but I found out that we're not allowed to use the school email system for union business.
I gave it some thought, and I proposed that we collect emails from the people who wanted information. We were, after all, allowed to announce meetings and such over the school email. I sent a single email to everyone, asking that they provide me with a personal email address if they were interested in getting union information.
A day after that, Tracy sent the same request. It seemed a bit redundant at the time, but several people sent their emails to her, so perhaps it was a good reminder. All in all, we got about 40 addresses (out of a staff of 140, but only 15-20 usually attend union meetings, if not fewer).
After the next meeting, I wrote up the notes. I emailed them to Tracy on a Friday and asked her to look them over and make any changes (particularly if I had misunderstood anything or left anything out). Then she could send it back to me and I could send it out. On Monday, she still hadn't gotten back to me, so I went ahead and sent it out as it was. I put my name on it but didn't put hers, as I knew I wouldn't want my name on something I hadn't seen.
On Tuesday morning, she thanked me for sending the notes, but wanted me to, in future, show it to her first and put both our names on it. I mentioned that I had sent it to her, and she quickly found it and apologized, saying that she doesn't check her email often.
She then made a few minor changes and sent out the entire document again to everyone on the list. I shook my head, realizing that if I had signed up for an occasional, informational email, I might be annoyed to receive the very same email twice in two days from two different people. But whatever.
Also, one colleague asked that we make the addresses private before sending out any further emails.
After the most recent meeting, I again typed up my notes. The meetings are two hours long, so my notes are about three pages. After writing it in the order that things came up, I decided it would be better organized if I grouped things into categories, so I did. I then proofread it extensively and emailed it to Tracy. I waited until the school bell rang (at 3:15) to phone her, but then I called her cell to let her know I had sent the notes. She, it turned out, was already in the car on the way home (apparently, all the teachers in her department get to make their own schedules, and coincidentally, all have 6th period prep). She had left her notes at school, but she would look at it Monday. Also, this time she really wanted to send the email out herself.
I admit -- by this point I was a little irritated. I like to get things done in a timely fashion. I had made a point of reminding her to check her email, but it didn't matter because she had knocked off work early. And I've been the one writing up three pages of notes, but she wants to take the credit, essentially, by sending it out under her name. I asked her if she had the "hiding addresses" thing down, and she said she did.
Today, she sent out the notes. Literally EVERYTHING she had added to my original notes was riddled with typos. There were whole repeated paragraphs, words randomly dropped into sentences, and probably close to 25 meaning-muddling errors. Also, she hadn't hidden the addresses. Oh and also? Everywhere I had carefully used "Tracy and the Countess," she had changed it to "The Countess and I" so that it appeared it had all been written by her.
Now, I'm not particularly upset. My goal is not self-aggrandizement. If I had gone into being a union rep for the glory, then I would have had a rather misguided notion of glory. All I want is to get the information out to my colleagues. And although it is not getting to them in exactly the manner I prefer, it is a damn sight better than it was before I started.
And anyway, if for the 4 1/2 years I was at that school while Tracy was the rep, we NEVER got any kind of meeting notes, and suddenly I join her as a rep and the members get meeting notes every time, well it is probably not a great mystery whose doing it is. And if emails get sent from me and are comprehensible and then emails are sent from her and are incomprehensible, then that is probably not a source of great confusion either.
As my students frequently say, "so...yeah."
Well, I said to myself, I believe in the union. And, thought I to myself, I have a pretty good relationship with my colleagues. Not to mention, argued I to myself, I am a decent communicator, which we probably need. And finally, I said to myself, perhaps it is time to give something back to the union that works so hard for me.
Our union has taken quite a beating in the local media lately. We are a one-newspaper town, and that newspaper seems to really hate teachers. As just one example of many, our district recently provided a report to the paper which indicated that our union's pay scale is 19th out of the twenty largest districts in California, but around 5th out of twenty in terms of health benefits. The paper promptly ran a story about the out-of-control health benefits. Yeah, so there's that.
Anyway, I considered and consulted and waffled, but I decided to do it.
I sent out an email introducing myself as the new rep, and I got a number of very positive emails, some thanking me for my service and others asking questions. I forwarded the questions to Tracy, who has been doing this a lot longer than I. She complained that people were thanking me and asking me questions when I'd been a rep for "five minutes." No one, apparently, ever asked her questions. I felt a little tension from her, but determined that it was probably a good thing that I was doing it if people weren't comfortable asking Tracy questions.
I went to the first meeting and learned a lot, but at the same time was concerned about the union's ability to, well, put words on a paper that made any damn sense to anyone. I wrote up my notes and "translated" into layman's terms a flyer they had distributed. I wanted to share this information with my colleagues, but didn't know how. Copies of a paper stuck into everyone's boxes seemed wasteful, but I found out that we're not allowed to use the school email system for union business.
I gave it some thought, and I proposed that we collect emails from the people who wanted information. We were, after all, allowed to announce meetings and such over the school email. I sent a single email to everyone, asking that they provide me with a personal email address if they were interested in getting union information.
A day after that, Tracy sent the same request. It seemed a bit redundant at the time, but several people sent their emails to her, so perhaps it was a good reminder. All in all, we got about 40 addresses (out of a staff of 140, but only 15-20 usually attend union meetings, if not fewer).
After the next meeting, I wrote up the notes. I emailed them to Tracy on a Friday and asked her to look them over and make any changes (particularly if I had misunderstood anything or left anything out). Then she could send it back to me and I could send it out. On Monday, she still hadn't gotten back to me, so I went ahead and sent it out as it was. I put my name on it but didn't put hers, as I knew I wouldn't want my name on something I hadn't seen.
On Tuesday morning, she thanked me for sending the notes, but wanted me to, in future, show it to her first and put both our names on it. I mentioned that I had sent it to her, and she quickly found it and apologized, saying that she doesn't check her email often.
She then made a few minor changes and sent out the entire document again to everyone on the list. I shook my head, realizing that if I had signed up for an occasional, informational email, I might be annoyed to receive the very same email twice in two days from two different people. But whatever.
Also, one colleague asked that we make the addresses private before sending out any further emails.
After the most recent meeting, I again typed up my notes. The meetings are two hours long, so my notes are about three pages. After writing it in the order that things came up, I decided it would be better organized if I grouped things into categories, so I did. I then proofread it extensively and emailed it to Tracy. I waited until the school bell rang (at 3:15) to phone her, but then I called her cell to let her know I had sent the notes. She, it turned out, was already in the car on the way home (apparently, all the teachers in her department get to make their own schedules, and coincidentally, all have 6th period prep). She had left her notes at school, but she would look at it Monday. Also, this time she really wanted to send the email out herself.
I admit -- by this point I was a little irritated. I like to get things done in a timely fashion. I had made a point of reminding her to check her email, but it didn't matter because she had knocked off work early. And I've been the one writing up three pages of notes, but she wants to take the credit, essentially, by sending it out under her name. I asked her if she had the "hiding addresses" thing down, and she said she did.
Today, she sent out the notes. Literally EVERYTHING she had added to my original notes was riddled with typos. There were whole repeated paragraphs, words randomly dropped into sentences, and probably close to 25 meaning-muddling errors. Also, she hadn't hidden the addresses. Oh and also? Everywhere I had carefully used "Tracy and the Countess," she had changed it to "The Countess and I" so that it appeared it had all been written by her.
Now, I'm not particularly upset. My goal is not self-aggrandizement. If I had gone into being a union rep for the glory, then I would have had a rather misguided notion of glory. All I want is to get the information out to my colleagues. And although it is not getting to them in exactly the manner I prefer, it is a damn sight better than it was before I started.
And anyway, if for the 4 1/2 years I was at that school while Tracy was the rep, we NEVER got any kind of meeting notes, and suddenly I join her as a rep and the members get meeting notes every time, well it is probably not a great mystery whose doing it is. And if emails get sent from me and are comprehensible and then emails are sent from her and are incomprehensible, then that is probably not a source of great confusion either.
As my students frequently say, "so...yeah."
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