Judy is gone for the weekend, and the people on the first floor have moved out; I am home alone. Tonight I will dance around the kitchen as I make my yam fries, instead of tiptoe. She actually left me a fantastic voice mail this morning that I listened to on my way home from work. Apparently, Judy and I suffer from the same voice-mail-leaving malady. Her message was at least two minutes long, and, besides telling me she was going for the weekend and asking me to be sure to bring in the mail, she didn't say much of anything. But oh, did she ramble! What I'm trying to say is it kind of made my day. This is the first point Judy's earned herself in a looooong time.
Students keep asking me to sign their yearbooks, and I keep not knowing what to write. Has it really been that long that I can no longer muster a sufficient summary of the year slash how I feel about you paragraph when put on the spot? Most of the problem lies in the fact that I'm the teacher and not the friend, so there are no real inside jokes to revisit or personal moments to ruminate upon. Instead, I've been writing limericks and haiku, along with proffering lots of compliments about hard work and good attitudes. Every time I sign I'm tempted to end with a big fat H.A.G.S. or L.Y.L.A.S. (if you don't know what either of these stand for, you clearly never went to middle school), but usually settle on a smiley face.
Today was the last real day, but it didn't feel like it. I think my soul, or whatever part of me that senses when I'm tired, went numb around March. I am ready for a mojito. And more J.D. Salinger. I just finished Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters, and I enormously prefer stories that revolve around the Glass family to that Holden Caulfield emo ranting (actually, I don't remember much of Catcher in the Rye, so maybe I'd better hold off on the name-calling). I know one is supposed to become emotionally involved with the characters of the book she is reading, but I'm afraid I'm developing an alarmingly large crush on Seymour Glass, which can't be healthy. And now, just as I'm about to make a terribly cliché observation about the differences between fiction and real life, I see that I'm late for ice cream time. Again.
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5 comments:
Now that school is done, when are you going to come visit me? :) Also, don't think I'm familiar with H.A.G.S . I don't think that was used in the middle schools of the WV.
Have a good summer!
You mean, you didn't feel tempted to write "stay sweet!" several times all over your students' yearbooks??
Miss you. I got a book of Frank O'Hara poetry today. Mainly because I like everything you always post by him. And because I like splurging.
I just reread Catcher in the Rye. I was more impressed this time than in high school, but only moderately. At least this time I realized that I'm not supposed to assume Salinger endorses the emo ranting. That helps a bit. But if you ever catch me calling something "crumby" please feel free to slap me.
As I have absolutely nothing going on at work today, I finally have time to catch up on my reading and I have several comments to this particular post:
1). What happened to transitions ms taber? Jumping from Judy's lack of points to student yearbook signing. It was awfully startling and left me feeling terribly disoriented. (and also incited me to use numbers in my reply so I didn't have to transition appropriately)
2). Can we make mojitos tomorrow night? (does asking for liqueur at 10 am point to me having a problem?)
3). I too, recently reread Catcher in the Rye. And seeing as you are self-proclaimed lonely and bored AND an english teacher, I think you should take advantage of your dog days and reread it. (that and Stealing Buddhas Dinner) It'll take you an hour. You can even borrow my hammock.
4). There is no difference between fiction and real life.
As I have absolutely nothing going on at work today, I finally have time to catch up on my reading and I have several comments to this particular post:
1). What happened to transitions ms taber? Jumping from Judy's lack of points to student yearbook signing. It was awfully startling and left me feeling terribly disoriented. (and also incited me to use numbers in my reply so I didn't have to transition appropriately)
2). Can we make mojitos tomorrow night? (does asking for liqueur at 10 am point to me having a problem?)
3). I too, recently reread Catcher in the Rye. And seeing as you are self-proclaimed lonely and bored AND an english teacher, I think you should take advantage of your dog days and reread it. (that and Stealing Buddhas Dinner) It'll take you an hour. You can even borrow my hammock.
4). There is no difference between fiction and real life.
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