I was working on homework in my room, and my friend Pearl came in, looking for black thread and a needle. I told her that if I had any, it was buried deep in my closet, so she decided to go next door and ask another friend, Loris. Then, if Loris had what she was looking for, we wouldn't have to dig through all of my stuff.
She came back a couple of minutes later with no needle and no thread, but with two bottles of hard cider, and no more interest in sewing.
She always manages to amuse me.
Friday, 2 October 2009
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Phone conversations
I just had a 30 minute long conversation with Clover. It's so funny to think that when I first came to college, I would call her and we would talk for MAYBE 5 minutes. Maybe.
Those five minutes went about like this:
Me (Blythe): Hey! How are you?
Clover: Good.
B: Anything exciting happen this week?
C: Uh-uh.
B: Well how's school going?
C: Good.
And so on. During the conversation tonight, she talked a blue streak. And it's so funny to hear how her intonation is sometimes just like mine. She told me that something was "just hilARious." It's such a "Blythe" way to say it.
Love it.
****Also, I just updated my blog on rswmagazine.com today. Check it out, if you're interested!
Those five minutes went about like this:
Me (Blythe): Hey! How are you?
Clover: Good.
B: Anything exciting happen this week?
C: Uh-uh.
B: Well how's school going?
C: Good.
And so on. During the conversation tonight, she talked a blue streak. And it's so funny to hear how her intonation is sometimes just like mine. She told me that something was "just hilARious." It's such a "Blythe" way to say it.
Love it.
****Also, I just updated my blog on rswmagazine.com today. Check it out, if you're interested!
Monday, 14 September 2009
In Which The Straps Would Have Made All the Difference
Once upon a time, there was a young lady who was majoring in psychology. Her school required her to complete a senior thesis, and she had chosen a somewhat difficult path-- working with children. It was no given that a principal would allow her to work with the children at his/her elementary school! This young lady (we'll call her "Blythe") was very fortunate, however, because her mother used her impressive connections to convince a principal to allow her to study the kindergarten students at his school. Upon receiving the phone call with the good news, Blythe became so excited that she jumped up and down and around and around. This would ordinarily not have been a problem, but at the time Blythe was wearing what is commonly referred to as a "strapless dress." The dress in question did not withstand her enthusiastic jumping, and slid, quickly and fluidly, from just under her arms to just above her waist. Naturally, this impressive spectacle happened in front of the dining hall at dinner time, and many were witness to the event-- particularly one girl who was studying on the lawn and got quite a laugh at Blythe's expense. Blythe had to agree, however, that it was a funny incident and was-- quite to her surprise-- not the least bit embarrassed. She did, however, resolve to be more careful in her enthusiastic displays.
The End
The End
Sunday, 6 September 2009
I'm baaack...
Sort of.
I'm really only back for a little while (and then randomly, every now and then after that) to tell you about a fun new endeavour my friends and I are working on.
We have created an online magazine called Real Smart Women, written from an early-twenties standpoint and sharing what we learn as we learn it-- how to change the oil in a car, find good, affordable health insurance, work with kids, decide what we want to be When We Grow Up, etc. It's half blog, half magazine, and the best half of both. Please stop by and visit! We are working hard to get it totally ready, but it is available for perusal even as we are are improving it every day.
www.rswmagazine.com
Please swing by and visit!
I'm really only back for a little while (and then randomly, every now and then after that) to tell you about a fun new endeavour my friends and I are working on.
We have created an online magazine called Real Smart Women, written from an early-twenties standpoint and sharing what we learn as we learn it-- how to change the oil in a car, find good, affordable health insurance, work with kids, decide what we want to be When We Grow Up, etc. It's half blog, half magazine, and the best half of both. Please stop by and visit! We are working hard to get it totally ready, but it is available for perusal even as we are are improving it every day.
www.rswmagazine.com
Please swing by and visit!
Friday, 28 August 2009
Taking a Break
I'm taking a break (as you may have noticed). I am focusing on wrapping up summer and beginning my senior year. I should be back within the week-- maybe even earlier, if there is something I desperately need to write about!
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Chapter-ised
Well, hello there! I'm sorry I wandered off (once again). This time, I was visiting a friend I haven't seen in years. I was in the Midwest, hanging out in Chicago, then partying it up at the Indiana State Fair and hanging out with my friend. It was good times. More on that later.
BECAUSE I've been such a slacker, I have a LOT to say. So, I'm writing in chapters. Read whichever ones interest you, and skip over the rest. This might be long.
CHAPTER: ON MISTAKEN IDENTITY
This has been happening for years, but in the past few days especially, I have been repeatedly mistaken as the children's mother. By the Comcast service guy, by the lady at the dog park, by the woman at the skating rink. I don't THINK I look old enough to have a 9 year old and a 6 year old (I'm only 22!)... and yet, that's what I keep hearing.
"He's adorable, is he your only child?" from a lady at the dog park when I was there with just Neptune.
"Oh, Mom, just look over here!" from a lady at the souvenir store outside Yellowstone, when Neptune and I were there last summer. (Firstly: I am not a mother at all. Secondly: I am certainly not HER mother. Why was she calling me "mom"?)
"I know, it's scary watching your kids skateboard for the first time, isn't it?" from the woman who was at the skate park with her kids.
And the Comcast guys addressed me using the kids' mom's name, assuming I was the Lady of the House. Nope.
In short: I was quite grateful to the 7 year old who approached the kids and me today and asked, "Are you their nanny?" YES! YES I AM!
CHAPTER: ON HASSLE-FREE KID CONTROL
Today, after lunch, the children crept into their dog's crate, and begged me to lock them in. I hesitated briefly, aware that many people may [quite reasonably] frown upon the idea of locking children up in a cage. After a moment, I realised that the people doing the frowning undoubtedly did not spend much time with children. And so, I twisted the lock.
I was never more than a couple of yards away, cleaning up after lunch. The children had a splendid time, feeling downright ridiculous in their situation. I even took some pictures, and made a short video on my camera. They could not have possibly been happier. (And, yes, I would have let them out any time they wanted to.)
Then, the phone rang. K picked it up in his office in the back of the house, and shortly appeared with it in his hand. "It's for Clover," he said. I, casually, walked over the cage, opened the door, and handed Clover the phone.
K, seeing all of this, did not react in the slightest.
This is because the man has children... he understands.
CHAPTER: ON THE WONDERS OF TOFU
You're laughing, aren't you? You think that tofu isn't wonderous at all. You think it is, at best, boring-- at worst, disgusting. At least, that's what I hear from most adults who haven't been raised on the stuff. (I am an oddity, myself. I love the stuff, and only started eating it a few years ago.)
That is why you may be surprised--
That the children, LOVE (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) these baked tofu nuggets. Yes, it's true! They RAVE about them-- even Clover, who likes approximately 1 vegetable (green beans) and 1 fruit (apples). Clover, who has survived on a rotation of peanut butter and jelly, fish sticks, and pasta for the past 9 years (ok, VERY SLIGHT exaggeration). Yes. That Clover. She and Neptune LOVE tofu that has been coated in wheat germ and baked.
I can't even handle it.
CHAPTER: ON GROWIN' UP
Last week, I visited Daisy, a friend of mine from Indiana. She and I met when we were four, and I had just recently moved to Indiana from Mexico City. Our mothers instantly were friends, and we followed suit.
Eighteen years later, we are still close. She and her mother met up with my mother and myself in Chicago for a long weekend. We shopped (oh, how we shopped), ate, and had generous amounts of wine and cocktails. It was a weekend not to be forgotten, and very much enjoyed. From Chicago, I returned with Daisy and her mother to Carmel, a suburb outside of Indianapolis. Oh MY has it ever grown! I couldn't even believe it.
And let me say, there is nothing that feels stranger than standing a street you used to live on, one you haven't walked down in 10 years. A street, ind you, that I once rollarbladed on, learned to ride a two-wheeler on, and played "night games" with my friends all summer long. It was where we had lemonade stands, and where a neighbourhood friend and I would drag wagons full of American Girl Dolls to each other's houses to play.
From there, I walked to my old elementary school, a couple of miles away. I couldn't go in, as it was closed, but I took a minute to swing on the playground and remember some moments from my time there.
I'm not old. In fact, I'm young. But going to a place where you were VERY young? Where you had to ask permission every time you wanted to walk down the street? Where you genuinely thought you were bringing in the big bucks with your $0.25 lemonade for sale? Well, there's something about that that makes a person feel old.
The End.
BECAUSE I've been such a slacker, I have a LOT to say. So, I'm writing in chapters. Read whichever ones interest you, and skip over the rest. This might be long.
CHAPTER: ON MISTAKEN IDENTITY
This has been happening for years, but in the past few days especially, I have been repeatedly mistaken as the children's mother. By the Comcast service guy, by the lady at the dog park, by the woman at the skating rink. I don't THINK I look old enough to have a 9 year old and a 6 year old (I'm only 22!)... and yet, that's what I keep hearing.
"He's adorable, is he your only child?" from a lady at the dog park when I was there with just Neptune.
"Oh, Mom, just look over here!" from a lady at the souvenir store outside Yellowstone, when Neptune and I were there last summer. (Firstly: I am not a mother at all. Secondly: I am certainly not HER mother. Why was she calling me "mom"?)
"I know, it's scary watching your kids skateboard for the first time, isn't it?" from the woman who was at the skate park with her kids.
And the Comcast guys addressed me using the kids' mom's name, assuming I was the Lady of the House. Nope.
In short: I was quite grateful to the 7 year old who approached the kids and me today and asked, "Are you their nanny?" YES! YES I AM!
CHAPTER: ON HASSLE-FREE KID CONTROL
Today, after lunch, the children crept into their dog's crate, and begged me to lock them in. I hesitated briefly, aware that many people may [quite reasonably] frown upon the idea of locking children up in a cage. After a moment, I realised that the people doing the frowning undoubtedly did not spend much time with children. And so, I twisted the lock.
I was never more than a couple of yards away, cleaning up after lunch. The children had a splendid time, feeling downright ridiculous in their situation. I even took some pictures, and made a short video on my camera. They could not have possibly been happier. (And, yes, I would have let them out any time they wanted to.)
Then, the phone rang. K picked it up in his office in the back of the house, and shortly appeared with it in his hand. "It's for Clover," he said. I, casually, walked over the cage, opened the door, and handed Clover the phone.
K, seeing all of this, did not react in the slightest.
This is because the man has children... he understands.
CHAPTER: ON THE WONDERS OF TOFU
You're laughing, aren't you? You think that tofu isn't wonderous at all. You think it is, at best, boring-- at worst, disgusting. At least, that's what I hear from most adults who haven't been raised on the stuff. (I am an oddity, myself. I love the stuff, and only started eating it a few years ago.)
That is why you may be surprised--
That the children, LOVE (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) these baked tofu nuggets. Yes, it's true! They RAVE about them-- even Clover, who likes approximately 1 vegetable (green beans) and 1 fruit (apples). Clover, who has survived on a rotation of peanut butter and jelly, fish sticks, and pasta for the past 9 years (ok, VERY SLIGHT exaggeration). Yes. That Clover. She and Neptune LOVE tofu that has been coated in wheat germ and baked.
I can't even handle it.
CHAPTER: ON GROWIN' UP
Last week, I visited Daisy, a friend of mine from Indiana. She and I met when we were four, and I had just recently moved to Indiana from Mexico City. Our mothers instantly were friends, and we followed suit.
Eighteen years later, we are still close. She and her mother met up with my mother and myself in Chicago for a long weekend. We shopped (oh, how we shopped), ate, and had generous amounts of wine and cocktails. It was a weekend not to be forgotten, and very much enjoyed. From Chicago, I returned with Daisy and her mother to Carmel, a suburb outside of Indianapolis. Oh MY has it ever grown! I couldn't even believe it.
And let me say, there is nothing that feels stranger than standing a street you used to live on, one you haven't walked down in 10 years. A street, ind you, that I once rollarbladed on, learned to ride a two-wheeler on, and played "night games" with my friends all summer long. It was where we had lemonade stands, and where a neighbourhood friend and I would drag wagons full of American Girl Dolls to each other's houses to play.
From there, I walked to my old elementary school, a couple of miles away. I couldn't go in, as it was closed, but I took a minute to swing on the playground and remember some moments from my time there.
I'm not old. In fact, I'm young. But going to a place where you were VERY young? Where you had to ask permission every time you wanted to walk down the street? Where you genuinely thought you were bringing in the big bucks with your $0.25 lemonade for sale? Well, there's something about that that makes a person feel old.
The End.
Friday, 7 August 2009
Oooh perfection
We had a great day this Thursday. Really, I can’t think of a way to have improved upon it.
Clover, Neptune and I met up with Lynn, Fleur, and Penguin at 10 for tie dying and a playdate.
Let’s talk about tie dying, shall we? It is a disaster waiting to happen: permanent dye, not enough materials for everyone to be working at exactly the same moment, etc. Why do we do it, then? Because the potential for success is even greater. Sure enough, the kids exceeded our wildest expectations. They were patient, asked nicely for the materials they wanted, worked hard on their projects, and didn’t intentionally cover themselves in dye. (Clover was fairly multi-coloured by the end, but that was accidental… I think.) My shirt turned out really well, and I can’t wait to see the kids’ and Lynn’s!
After a lengthy clean-up session, the kids took turns rollerblading (timing it themselves so that everyone got an equal turn), and being loud and crazy. It was ok, though. We like loud and crazy, as long as there are no working parents in the house. It was perfect.
After lunch, we took our crew to see Annie at a nearby theatre. I have to admit… I don’t like that show. It’s just a bit too saccharine for me. Though I don’t like the show itself, the performance we saw was lovely—a cute mix of talent and Just Plain Cute. We all liked seeing another summer companion of ours (a friend of Clover and Fleur’s) play Sandy. She was too cute for words!
And then? THEN, as if that wasn’t enough, we went to my house to roast hot dogs (vegetarian or beef, depending on your preference) and marshmallows over the campfire. It was a smoky, sticky mess, but oh man did we have fun! We ended up getting the kids home almost an hour late (with the parents’ permission), but I don’t think anyone minded a bit. Hey, when everyone’s in a good mood, I am happy to prolong the day!
Not such a remarkable day, I suppose, except that good humour, patience, tolerance, and giggles reigned supreme. THAT makes it a perfect day in my book!
Clover, Neptune and I met up with Lynn, Fleur, and Penguin at 10 for tie dying and a playdate.
Let’s talk about tie dying, shall we? It is a disaster waiting to happen: permanent dye, not enough materials for everyone to be working at exactly the same moment, etc. Why do we do it, then? Because the potential for success is even greater. Sure enough, the kids exceeded our wildest expectations. They were patient, asked nicely for the materials they wanted, worked hard on their projects, and didn’t intentionally cover themselves in dye. (Clover was fairly multi-coloured by the end, but that was accidental… I think.) My shirt turned out really well, and I can’t wait to see the kids’ and Lynn’s!
After a lengthy clean-up session, the kids took turns rollerblading (timing it themselves so that everyone got an equal turn), and being loud and crazy. It was ok, though. We like loud and crazy, as long as there are no working parents in the house. It was perfect.
After lunch, we took our crew to see Annie at a nearby theatre. I have to admit… I don’t like that show. It’s just a bit too saccharine for me. Though I don’t like the show itself, the performance we saw was lovely—a cute mix of talent and Just Plain Cute. We all liked seeing another summer companion of ours (a friend of Clover and Fleur’s) play Sandy. She was too cute for words!
And then? THEN, as if that wasn’t enough, we went to my house to roast hot dogs (vegetarian or beef, depending on your preference) and marshmallows over the campfire. It was a smoky, sticky mess, but oh man did we have fun! We ended up getting the kids home almost an hour late (with the parents’ permission), but I don’t think anyone minded a bit. Hey, when everyone’s in a good mood, I am happy to prolong the day!
Not such a remarkable day, I suppose, except that good humour, patience, tolerance, and giggles reigned supreme. THAT makes it a perfect day in my book!
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