November 20, 2014

 Alarm went off and within two minutes, I was up, into the kitchen and had a hot cup of coffee with me and back in my cozy bed as I began my morning ritual.  I’d say that’s pretty good time.  I’ve had “The Flood” as my earworm for days now:”Patch up the holes in the hull of the rowboat, Joe…”, so that was the first thing I popped on.  My tense neck was no better…still tight and pained.  I noticed as I got to work it was a little tighter and regretted not bringing my trusty rice pad to work, but how ridiculous would that have looked (says the fashionately (new word! Cross between fashionably and passionately) challenged individual who frequently wore trucker hats to work last year.  I stopped when the head of our dept smiled and said he just loved seeing me in my trucker hats…I suck in terms of “appropriate clothing selection”).

It is interesting to have the student who called you a pedophile and tell others they are going to kill you come up to you, wearing the more innocent face, to ask you about class work (from in-house suspension).  Apparently law enforcement must have made an impact – but it will be ever-so-brief.  I already saw the individual back-in-action. <So glad my kids aren’t borderline)

Home and right off to the Class I Dread The Most.   Thanks to Thanksgiving, there are only 3 more classes with her, but erghghghghghghg…  Listened to the President’s speech on NPRRRRRR and thought:  I am the daughter of immigrants.  My parent’s got her 3 years before I was born.  Yes, they both had their green cards (I used to be so afraid as a child in Midland when I’d see the green border control van/trucks because I thought they’d take my parents  and send them to Mexico (let’s remember, I was 4/5  and while I was aware my parents were from Europe and had their green cards, I wasn’t quite sure what meant.  I just knew they weren’t born in America).

I fell in love.  I saw him (and he saw me, as he turned right around and asked if I was lost).  A gorgeous black man.  Wow.  But then I had to go to class and I’ll never see him again and he’s probably married and/or with someone or he’s too young (less than 38), or, or, or….   It was a beautiful romance.  Powerful, passionate, though I actually don’t remember what he said to me as I was blathering like an idiot.  Dammit.  There is someone who might have appreciated the junk I have put in my trunk.

Class was actually Not.So.Bad.  We had good discussions, interesting feed back, watched a great TED video (I love TED).  It is interesting to turn the situation around and look at myself when I experience a dislike.  "Sometimes the problem is not  the teacher...you need to look at the student."  Thanks, Mike,and thank you for the rose today. You teach me more than you'll ever realize.    No class next Thursday, the homework was delayed a week.  I wish my neck felt better, but now that I am in love again….Such a complex life I lead….

PS - I'm kidding about being in love again.  It was an ever-so-brief loin stirring, that's all (the man was fiiinnnneee)

Pictures: A beautiful quad-colored tree at work: red, green, yellow, orange; My tea set-up at work with sage, hibiscus, &  dong-quai root; Inuit Dude!  I found where Ethan hid you!