Out with the girls, more stuff

I think if you searched my whole blog for the word "busy," you'd have so many instances you couldn't look at them all. So I'll just say my life is "status quo" right now. Wednesday I took my car in to get my window fixed (it slipped out of the uppy-downy mechanism and then shattered). They had to keep it overnight, so I didn't go to ballet. That was fine, though, because I hadn't had a relaxing night at home in a while. I took my bike to go get our veggies and some dinner (a happy result of a miscommnuication -- I said I was thinking Mexican, as in I was going to buy ingredients and make it, and Sweetie said "Three Sisters?" which is the Mexican restaurant down the street, and then that sounded better to me, so that's what I had). Can the previous run-on count as a stylistic device? Anyway, Thursday I got the car back which gave me just enough time to make some dinner (quinoa and veggies -- sweetie likes quinoa because it pops like fish eggs) and get to my computer class. This week's exciting lesson? Using Word. We made columns. I know I shouldn't be so snarky about it. It's a required class for teachers, and I can see why now: everyone else in the class is like "Could you show me how you did that again? How did you get there? What's 'right-click'?" So it's clearly necessary. I guess I just wish I could prove my competency in some manner other than sitting in a classroom for at least three hours every week for ten weeks. Nine hours down, 21 to go.

Friday, I had a drink after work with a co-worker. It made me really pissed off, because I thought it was just to talk about an observation he'd done of one of my classes, but no, it was because he was "concerned" about the way I was teaching my honors class. He doesn't think we should be doing so many socratic seminars. Well, I set up the class that way intentionally, because I want it to run like a college class. We do other things, like talk about writing, do timed essays, etc., but yes, we primarily discuss, and I think it's a lot more successful than me lecturing all the time. He doesn't think so. And normally, who would give a shit about what some other guy thought (especially when every time I've been in his room, it's pretty much utter chaos OR the kids working silently and him at his computer), but this guy is the most scheming, gossiping, manipulative machiavellian little bastard. And what especially got on my nerves is that he had to work his way up to it instead of just spitting it out (just say it, fucker!), and then he couldn't offer any helpful suggestions. I asked him point-blank about four times "Okay, well what kind of methodology would YOU employ?" and he just kept coming back to his "concerns." What a dick.

Anyway, then I made dinner and went to the gym and that was pretty much Friday. Oh, I went to Target, but is that really blog-worthy? Must be, since I just did it! I needed some new chonies, and got some emo stripey ones that make me feel like a pirate! Sweetie says they give him vertigo. I also bought some socks for a sock chain letter I received. I have never before in my life done a chain letter, but this one is like a pyramid scheme of socks! If I just send out six letters, I will get six pairs of socks mailed to me! Mwah hah hah! And my only investment is ONE pair of socks! (Well, two, since I bought a two-pack because they were cute.) Oh, let the socks come rolling in!!

Yesterday Sweetie and I cleaned up around the house, then I went to the post office (to mail said socks and a CD I made for somebody), then to ballet. After ballet, I went to Grandma's house, because I had bought her a cute little tin of tea. It's been so long since I have seen her that I figured I'd better come bearing gifts. Her car was there, but I rang the doorbell and no one answered. I left the tea and a note, so I hope she finds it! (By the way, I know she's old, so I waited a REALLY LONG time for her to come to the door, but she didn't. Plus, she has one of those loud doorbells that goes DING dong DING dong.... Ding dong ding dong" so I don't think she could have missed it.)

Last night I got together with Monkeygirl and... hmm, I don't have a secret name for her. I am pretty sure she just signs her comments "Maria," so I'll go with that. Anyway, we went to an art show at the Toyroom Gallery, and it was realyl cool. I loved my friend Char's work, but I really liked some of the other stuff that was there, too. There were a couple pieces I'd have bought if it weren't for the fact that our house is really pretty filled up with art already. The theme of the show was sort of biomechanics, (my favorite piece of Char's was two prairie dogs standing at attention with little iPod dials and screens on their tummies and earbuds in their ears) but the ones I liked most were just these really vivid botanicals. They had a lot of texture and really vibrant colors... cool stuff.

Then we went to Old Ironsides for the Broadway show. It was local bands and artists playing showtunes. We were expecting more of a "Me First and the Gimme Gimmes" vibe, but a lot of the people took it really seriously and were just doing... showtunes. It was an odd mix. There's a Bee writer who I knew was a musician but I'd never heard him. Let's just say that he shouldn't quit his day job. At least not to do covers of showtunes. Ouch. But some of them were really good. It was also good people-watching. There were several girls who were clearly influenced by the Harajuku girls look, particularly the Lolita stuff. Interesting. There was also a guy who looked like and was dressed like Tiny Tim. I'm not sure what the appeal of that is. What was odd is that abotu half of the crowd (and the bands) have completely turned over and I don't know ANY of them. But the other half -- I walked in and was like "Oh, there's Jerry, and Cary, and Alison, and Morgan, and David, and Jim, and Noah, and Gerri..."

During a certain dark-god-of-local-music's soporific set, we went to the True Love cafe, which has indeed reopened. Mom and I went looking for it one day and couldn't find it, but it's on K street. We had some tea (and a coookie for me!) and talked more. It was great to just sit and shoot the shit with my girls. After a while it was late, and some kids who'd left prom early were groping each other on the couch, which made us uncomfortable (and the memory of which will almost certainly make them uncomfortable in about five years), so we headed home.

Monkeygirl got a new car, and it's RAD and she got a really good deal. Also, I forgot to tell her -- I got her moral character paperwork in the mail and filled it out and sent it that day. Yay!!

Okay, well now I've got to go, because I broke my power cord yesterday, and the battery's running low. I have to get a new one. By the way, fuck you, Mac, for making $60 power cords that are incredible poorly designed. I have now broken TWO of them.