Not since "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
It's been many years since I learned the lyrics and tune to the tragic folk hit "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," yet it has surfaced in my brain and hasn't left me all day. A person might ask, why? Why now, after years of silence, has this song sprung forth into my conscious thought? I have a theory that I will share with you...I'M FINALLY VISITING LAKE SUPERIOR!
Yes, now that I have been a resident of MN for almost a full year, I am finally embarking northward of the Twin Cities. Thus far, St. Cloud was my North, but now I will visit what is commonly known as "The North Shore." Granted, I believe that I may have been further north into the UP than I will be going here in MN, but it's still exciting. Hell, I haven't been to the UP for years now, so even THAT would have been a bit of a thrill, even though there isn't a whole heck of a lot there. Except really good pasties. Yes, the pasties and the Niagra Escarpment are wonderful there. And the trees. They have good trees. Lots of color.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Kitten by Prophesy
Okay, this is kind of freaky. Last night, I had a dream. Chris and I were in our apartment, with whiter carpet, and along with us were two cats. Our cats. Apparently we had picked them up the day before. One was a full grown, the other was a kitten, and both were gleaming white and very friendly. Suddenly, I realized I hadn't fed them yet since we picked them up. We had no cat food or kitty litter. I wondered to myself, how did they manage to hold it this whole time?
So Chris and I went to Petco (in my dream, Petsmart didn't have food there), and found the cat food isle. It was completely empty, except for one huge bag of Purina cat food. That would have been fine, except according to the clerk nearby, it also contained mouse heads, which weren't healthy for the cats. So, if we bought it, we'd have to sort out the food from the mouse heads. We decided to buy it anyway, and went on to buy the kitty litter and container. Then I woke up.
This morning, I told Chris about the dream, and he said it's pretty messed up. I agree with him. Anyway, so I got to work, opened the door of the school, and there at my feet is a half-drowned kitten. The student standing by it said he found it outside while walking to school, and he took it here. With no regard to my white, blue, and tan striped brand new shirt, I picked up the dirty wet kitten, and held it close. It purred immediately, and I fell in love with it. I took the box the student had made for it, and brought it into my classroom, knowing it couldn't be left in the hallway or it would be swarmed by well-intentioned/not-well-intentioned high schoolers. I wrapped it in the free T-shirt I got yesterday, and put it on my lap. Eventually, it got dryer and cuter, and I saw that it was a little girl, grey with white feet, and very soft fur. The eyes are clear and healthy, and the teeth are sharp.
Naturally, I called Jim to double check (even though I knew the answer) if we could have pets. Of course, he said he'd prefer not, which translates to NO. I know I'm not really ready for a pet, but it's hard to deny a helpless little creature like that. I got here early to do school work and prepare for the day, but all I did was pet the kitten and make it feel warm and loved. My shirt is nasty, and has a couple pulls in it now, but it was worth it to make that little bundle of joy feel better. The student brought in a peanut butter cracker for the kitten to nibble on, and some water in a small cup to drink from. I'm sure that's better than half of what it ate on the street.
Right before classes began, Jenna took the kitten down to the office, and now it's being watched over down there. I wanted to keep it in here, and I'm certain I could have, but my students would have gotten absolutely nothing done. It would have been irresponsible of me to do that, even if it would have been more fun. I'm totally out of it now. My kids are reading in groups, and I have no assignment to give them. It will simply have to do. Maybe I'll come up with some ideas later, during prep time. It's just pretty hard to prepare for the day when there's a kitten gnawing on your finger. So damn cute. Do you think moving to a new apartment is worth it?
Okay, this is kind of freaky. Last night, I had a dream. Chris and I were in our apartment, with whiter carpet, and along with us were two cats. Our cats. Apparently we had picked them up the day before. One was a full grown, the other was a kitten, and both were gleaming white and very friendly. Suddenly, I realized I hadn't fed them yet since we picked them up. We had no cat food or kitty litter. I wondered to myself, how did they manage to hold it this whole time?
So Chris and I went to Petco (in my dream, Petsmart didn't have food there), and found the cat food isle. It was completely empty, except for one huge bag of Purina cat food. That would have been fine, except according to the clerk nearby, it also contained mouse heads, which weren't healthy for the cats. So, if we bought it, we'd have to sort out the food from the mouse heads. We decided to buy it anyway, and went on to buy the kitty litter and container. Then I woke up.
This morning, I told Chris about the dream, and he said it's pretty messed up. I agree with him. Anyway, so I got to work, opened the door of the school, and there at my feet is a half-drowned kitten. The student standing by it said he found it outside while walking to school, and he took it here. With no regard to my white, blue, and tan striped brand new shirt, I picked up the dirty wet kitten, and held it close. It purred immediately, and I fell in love with it. I took the box the student had made for it, and brought it into my classroom, knowing it couldn't be left in the hallway or it would be swarmed by well-intentioned/not-well-intentioned high schoolers. I wrapped it in the free T-shirt I got yesterday, and put it on my lap. Eventually, it got dryer and cuter, and I saw that it was a little girl, grey with white feet, and very soft fur. The eyes are clear and healthy, and the teeth are sharp.
Naturally, I called Jim to double check (even though I knew the answer) if we could have pets. Of course, he said he'd prefer not, which translates to NO. I know I'm not really ready for a pet, but it's hard to deny a helpless little creature like that. I got here early to do school work and prepare for the day, but all I did was pet the kitten and make it feel warm and loved. My shirt is nasty, and has a couple pulls in it now, but it was worth it to make that little bundle of joy feel better. The student brought in a peanut butter cracker for the kitten to nibble on, and some water in a small cup to drink from. I'm sure that's better than half of what it ate on the street.
Right before classes began, Jenna took the kitten down to the office, and now it's being watched over down there. I wanted to keep it in here, and I'm certain I could have, but my students would have gotten absolutely nothing done. It would have been irresponsible of me to do that, even if it would have been more fun. I'm totally out of it now. My kids are reading in groups, and I have no assignment to give them. It will simply have to do. Maybe I'll come up with some ideas later, during prep time. It's just pretty hard to prepare for the day when there's a kitten gnawing on your finger. So damn cute. Do you think moving to a new apartment is worth it?
Monday, May 09, 2005
To all the "mothers" out there: Happy Mothers Day!
As my dad says, it's all in how you emphasize the word. He says he'd like to call his father-in-law and wish him a happy "mother's" day. He amuses me sometimes. Such a smart ass. Of course there's little that's similar about us two. Nope, nothing not at all..."Left right here!" Yeah, I'm a lot like my parents, aside from the crazy tailgating and overanalyzation of finances. I may start arguing like one of them, but at least there's just one of me. I love them dearly, and they are super generous and loving and were wonderful about helping me move in with Chris. But if I become them, please slap me.
As my dad says, it's all in how you emphasize the word. He says he'd like to call his father-in-law and wish him a happy "mother's" day. He amuses me sometimes. Such a smart ass. Of course there's little that's similar about us two. Nope, nothing not at all..."Left right here!" Yeah, I'm a lot like my parents, aside from the crazy tailgating and overanalyzation of finances. I may start arguing like one of them, but at least there's just one of me. I love them dearly, and they are super generous and loving and were wonderful about helping me move in with Chris. But if I become them, please slap me.
Monday, May 02, 2005
Check out the label--Jesus has a day job. (FYI, I posted this on www.collegehumor.com but it won't show up until the May 3rd posting I think...check it out)
