Spring Break So Far

It is my personal and scientifically supported belief that time goes by so much faster either when a deadline is closing in or it is some wonderful time of year, such as Spring Break. Currently, I am experiencing the faster-than-light passing of my one week Spring Break. Naturally, because I am me, I have kept insanely busy thus far, sleeping little and walking approximately 1.32 bazillion miles (estimation may be slightly exaggerated).

The Spring Break started off magnificently with a wonderful trip to Seattle, WA with the much loved Protagitron. To be in the same city as the other half of my brain was, to say the very least, fantastic. We managed to scour the city of Seattle in very little time. There were classy events such as the Seattle Art Museum, the Conservatory, Pike Place Market, and the Observation Water Tower in what seemed to be an extremely hoity-toity neighborhood.

And of course since it was me and the Protagitron, there were some of the "less historically accurate", shall we say? Sketchy? Questionable? activities as well. The Seattle Underground was recommended to me by a colleague who actually used to live in the city. Now, because sometimes I like to live it up, we took the Underground Underworld tour which was rife with colorful, can't-possibly-be-true historical stories involving opium, prostitutes, government corruption, the Bubonic plague, and the selling of cadavers.

We also went to Ye Old Curiosity Shop, which was overwhelmingly wonderful. It was basically a knick-knack store crammed full of odd (and I'm sure accurately labeled and scientifically researched) artifacts. In one small corner of the shop alone you could view a player piano, a taxidermied two-headed calf, an optometry sign from turn of the century England, a preserved baby shark in a jar, shrunken heads, and a candle making mold. Clearly there was no rhyme or reason to this place, and it was dusty and cramped, but well worth the visit. I sent a postcard of the mummy "Sylvia" to my sister and "Sylvester" to my brother. Luckily, the caption on the postcard read exactly what the sign next to the mummies said. My siblings can judge the legitimacy of the claims themselves. While my other friends got postcards of Pike Place Market, Martin also got a postcard of Ye Old Curiosity Shop, so hopefully he isn't too concerned about my sanity when he receives it.

I also went on the ghost tour of Pike Place Market, which was awesome, as usual. Anytime there is a ghost tour, one should take it, ESPECIALLY if it is a ghost trolley. My brother will back me up on this.

Once back in Minnesota, I still did not stop to sleep. On Tuesday, Dani and I took Matthew and Lee to the Children's Museum, and it was truly as overstimulating and in-your-face as I remember it. Having not been there in several years, I thought perhaps my memories were a bit skewed since I was a child, and sometimes children remember things or perceive things differently.  But let it be known that it is really an overwhelming place! Lee had a little melt down once or twice when he tried to move from one room to the next, but mean old cousin Ivy wouldn't let him just run around the entire museum. I was afraid I was going to have a hard time getting him to leave the museum, but he got turned around in the ant hill and panicked a bit. That meant that when I crawled in there to get him, he let me carry him right out of the museum without a peep. The ant hill, by the way, is not built for adults. It isn't like I am 6'4" or anything, and it was still a bit cramped.

Linnea and I watched "The Neverending Story", and there may or may not be some major plot holes, there.

Tuesday, I went out for the afternoon with Dani and Linnea to Grand Avenue, where we lunched at Cafe Latte, browsed through the boutiques and stores, including The Red Balloon, one of my childhood favorites, and returned to Cafe Latte for "dessert" before packing up and heading back to the suburbs.

Afterwards, I went up to Minneapolis to visit Martin, and we walked and walked some more. People seem to be figuring out that I could walk around for hours and be perfectly content. It has been a while since I have been on the U of M campus, so it was nice to see it with a fresh prospective. Plus, the weather was gorgeous. After hearing about and seeing some of his very impressive and complicated work, we proceeded to dinner where the most important part was the Wild Blueberry Wild Cherry milkshake. You really need to say the "wild" twice, otherwise you are selling the shake short. After dinner, we watched "The Fifth Element" which has Bruce Willis, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was a little skeptical at the beginning of the movie, but it was definitely entertaining, and the weird fashion things going on almost are interesting enough on their own.

Unfortunately, I had a meeting with some colleagues this morning, so I had to get up bright and early and drive back to Rochester and drop Squeaky off at home. Since I ended up working from 9am until about 2pm, I don't think Squeaky would have enjoyed her time cooped up in the car. That would have been one angry cat.

Results of the Favorite Tea Survey - Take II

Alright folks. The first time around, nobody voted on the tea survey. This could lead a person to think that none of you drink tea, which I happen to know is just not true. Lucky for you, you were given a second chance - a shot at tea redemption!

The results are as follows:

Tea Survey II: Which of the following do you prefer?

Early Grey	(28%)
Chamomile	(28%)
Mint	(14%)
Orange Pekoe	(14%)
Green	(14%)
Coffee is better.	(0%)

As you can see, Early Grey and Chamomile won, but I have to wonder if that is because they were at the top of the list? Usually, I prefer any kind of tea with mint in it, so if I voted, I would cast my vote for mint. Of course, tea is tea, and as long as it isn't President's Choice black tea sold in bulk and steeped for 5 hours creating an oily film on the top, I will probably drink it and enjoy it. Of course, I drank that President's Choice tea, too. I just didn't enjoy it.

Because I'm Awesome (#2)

Yesterday was pajama day at school, and I promised my kiddos and the munchkins in the 3rd grade pod that I would wear my pajamas. So I did. I wore my purple flannel pajamas with the owls on them. Several other teachers also wore their pajamas, but it should be brought up that I am apparently the only female in the building that wears matching pajamas. Also, the pattern on my pajamas - owls - is not like th pattern on the other teachers' pajamas - plaid, stripes, solid, etc.

The only other teacher I saw wearing matching pajamas (and button up, just like mine!) was our EBD teacher, and that tickled me.

Then, because I am awesome, I went out to get an appetizer with a colleague after work. This means I went in public, with a potential friend (see this post by Non-Sequidurrr), to Applebee's, IN THE MALL in my pajamas. The server kind of gave me a weird look. For once, though, I don't think I saw anyone I know (other than the teacher I was there with). Also, I high school students totally complimented my pajamas, and I choose to believe he was not being sarcastic.

*Last reminder to VOTE on the tea poll!*

Am I Liz Lemon?

As I sit in my apartment with my cat, drinking tea in my pajamas and watching "30 Rock" on NBC, it has come to my attention that I am very similar to Tina Fey's Character, Liz Lemon. Whether this is good or bad is yet to be decided. It should be mentioned that my female celebrity crush is Tina Fey. So when my friends Dani and Kyle started watching "30 Rock" and mentioned that Liz Lemon reminded them of me, I didn't know whether to be flattered or not. Love the show, love the character, love the actor, but do I want to be Liz Lemon? I think I'd eventually like to have my life together. Maybe not, though. Constantly being flustered and eating sandwiches does seem like a pretty fantastic way to go through life.

The following are ways I might possibly be similar to Liz Lemon:

1. We're both single working women
2. Liz Lemon works with actors that act like outrageous children. I work with children that are outrageous.
3. We both like sandwiches. (However, I most certainly do NOT like egg salad sandwiches. Could a sandwich get any more disgusting?)
4. Our clothes don't always match.
5. People we don't know assume we have children because we may have spilled some food on our shirt. It is really difficult to eat soup with a plastic spork, ok?
6. We're both usually flustered.
7. We're both clumsy.
8. We both participate in adult community education classes. Liz Lemon has her adult co-ed dodgeball, I have my tennis, work out, and dance classes.
9. We both have glasses.
10. People make fun of how we don't brush our hair.
11. Liz Lemon is apparently a big nerd. I am a big nerd.
12. We both have to deliver bad news to coworkers.
13. We make strange sound effects when frustrated.
14. We both enjoy sub-par television, but despise reality shows.
15. FOOD IS SO IMPORTANT! And the popcorn store DOES sound amazingly fun. And all the advertising suggests it is a fun place to hang out with a group of friends.

Conclusions? Thoughts? Additions? Funny jokes or riddles involving bad puns?

*VOTE ON THE TEA SURVEY NOW*

Homophones

Today I showed this video off of PBSTeachers.org (seen here on youtube) to my third graders. One of our skills for this week is homophones, and in my uninspired internet search for fun ways to teach homophones, I came across this. Because I am a big geek, I laughed out loud when I watched it. Then I watched it again and laughed.

Today I watched it twice with the class, and both times I laughed. In my geeky defense, however, some of the laughs were laughs at what the kids were laughing at.

What am I going to do if I end up teaching high school next year? Who am I kidding? I'll probably show them videos just like this anyway because they are awesome.

Another Edition of My Apartment Newspaper

The following are headlines from Friday-Sunday's editions of the fake, non-existant newspaper published by and about my apartment residents (me and Squeaky):


Last Night of Booty Burning Boot Camp Success
Did Not Die as Anticipated

Tennis Lessons Continue
McDougalhopper Still Hasn't Hit Self in Face

Snow Almost Gone
Mud Prevails

Gorgeous Weather!
Apartment Windows Open for First Time in Months!

"Scrabble Sentence Game for Juniors" Competition
Out-of-Town Contestant Wins 98-83

Mac's Cafe Delights Yet Again
Never Enough Brown Sugar Butter

Temperature Rising
Allows for Slightly Windy Walk


"Merchant of Venice" Movie Review
Spoiler: No One Dies

Working on a Sunday
Not a Lot Done

New Runner for Top of Piano
It Has Birds!

Cafe Presto Exploration
Tea and Onion Rings

"Scrabble Sentence Game for Juniors" Revisited
Ivy Against Other Ivy


Mutter Paneer and Couscous Served For Dinner
You Know You're Jealous

Results of the "Preferred Cake" Poll

The following are the results from the preferred cake survey. I realize that I did leave off some delicious types of cake, as well as some fantastic cake-frosting combinations, and more than one of you let me know. Please note, however, that the question does not ask for your favorite type of cake. It just asks which on the list you happen to prefer. The results are as follows:

What kind of cake do you prefer?

All Chocolate	(25%)
Yellow Cake with White Frosting	(12%)
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting	(25%)
Spice Cake	(0%)
Coffee Cake	(0%)
All Cake is Good	(37%)
Pie	(0%)

Personally, I like chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and that is what I insist my grandmother make for my birthday every year I am celebrating in Minnesota. There was one year, however, that I had a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, and I have no regrets there. So I can't say I am surprised that carrot cake and all chocolate cake had the same number of votes.

I'd like to say I would have clicked "All cake is good.", but to be honest, that is not how I feel. I can't describe it here, but I've had some pretty bad cake in my day. Almost all cake is good though. How about that pineapple upside down cake? And chocolate cake with raspberry mousse? That's right. Delicious.

In other news, I went to the Minnesota Zoo today with my third graders, and it was so much fun. I think I may have had as much if not more fun than the five girls in my group. We touched sea stars! And we walked the entire circuit outside! And we got to touch sharkskin and leopard shark eggs! Also, we went to a class on sharks, and I had to stifle my laughter and sometimes pretend like I was coughing. The woman was trying to explain the different ways sharks can reproduce, and the looks on the kids' faces and what I imagined to be going on in their head was hilarious!

Three cheers for the zoo!

Because I'm Awesome (#1)

Tonight was the fourth night of Booty Burning Boot Camp, and tonight, Lawrence the Instructor tried to give us an incentive to sign up for the entire month of April. The boot camp Lisa and I are registered for ends this Friday, meaning we will have had 6 classes in two weeks, which is plenty, in my opinion. Lawrence the Instructor says that if we sign up for the entire month of April, we get the last two weeks of March for free! Still, I am not biting.

Tonight was not as bad as some as the other nights. The first night was probably the worst in aftermath pain. Monday we worked our booties off (because it is Booty Burning Boot Camp), and by Wednesday I couldn't even raise my arms to fix my crooked glasses or brush my hair. Defeatedly, when the kids asked me with as much attitude as they could muster, "Did you even ba-rush your hair today, Ms. McDougalhopper?" I had to respond, "No. No I did not. Now sit back down."

But as the class has gone by, it has gotten marginally easier, and I have almost full range of motion after workouts now, which is good. In fact, I think I might actually be getting stronger. Let's be honest - probably not - but I can let my self have the little, harmless delusions.

After class, tonight, I decided to stop by Wal-Mart since it is between the Martial Arts place and home. I needed some groceries and snacks for tomorrow night. Tomorrow night I am hosting Book Club at my house, which is probably going to be a disaster since I am the youngest one in the bunch and living in a one room apartment, but maybe not. Anyway, point is, I needed some food to feed these people, and I thought it might be pushing it if I decided to go tomorrow after work and still make it home in time to clean up the apartment and make it presentable.

Please keep in mind that I had just finished Booty Burning Boot Camp, my hair was sticking up all over the place since I had forgotten a ponytail holder, and I was in my gym clothes with my good red boots. So I had on black, kind of tight sweatpant capris, an oversized bright green shirt that encourages people to recycle, a hot pink sports bra, and bright red boots with heels. It was a truly awesome look, but I figured that the odds of me seeing anyone were pretty slim.

I need to stop cursing myself like this. Every time I think that, I run into people. This time, I ran into some of my students and their families, which really, if I had thought about it, should have been expected. I was in Wal-Mart near-ish to the school at about dinner time. Unfortunately, I apparently never miss an opportunity to humiliate myself.

On the bright side, one mother, after giving me a weird look, completely ignored me as her son bounced around me and talked to me. We've met before a few times at conferences, but with any luck she forgot or didn't recognize me. Oh! Who am I kidding! She knew exactly who I was! I was wearing my ID badge!

Once home, I dropped onto the couch where I watched the most recent episode of House on TV (kind of a disappointing episode...) and had popcorn and bacon for dinner while Squeaky sat in my lap. Now I'll have to have a snack of maybe some Green Juice and a sandwich. Mmmmm. Sandwich.

Saturday Night at the Opera

Yesterday I attended the Minnesota Opera at The Ordway with a very nice man. We saw Giuseppe Verdi's "La Traviata", and it was, in my humble opinion, awfully well done.

I wore my new black dress with the lace top and swishy skirt. Luckily, it is still kind of cold, so I got away with making the dress more modest with a black sweater. Unfortunately, the best part of the dress is the top, and the sweater covered up the back. Quite the conundrum - choosing between being warm and more modest or showing off the dress. Of course, my practical, self-conscious self chose the sweater.

The evening began with coffee and chatting, which was fun. It is always nice to go out before or after any sort of opera, symphony, orchestra, play, or any other imaginable sort of live performance. We also managed to make it to the venue in time to catch the very end of the opera talk. I had no idea who the woman was, but she seemed to know what she was talking about, and it was interesting. There was even a brief snippet of singing from a woman.

Then there was more time for chatting near the windows overlooking the little plaza in front of the Landmark Center. Some of the trees had the white lights in them, which made for a pretty view. Much like the coffee or meal before or after a show, in my experience, it really enhances the whole experience to arrive early and have time to enjoy the atmosphere.

The show was performed in three acts with two intermissions and one pause (or mini-intermission, if you will) for scene changes. While the show ran an estimated 3 hours 1 minute, it did not feel like it. I was completely drawn in, engrossed in the music and characters. The intermissions seemed to come so soon!

Naturally, being a tragedy, there is a death at the end. In my experience from watching live operas and operas on DVDs, whenever a lead character dies, it takes approximately an eternity - give or take a decade. The death scene in "La Traviata" is the entire third act, so I expected to get a bit antsy towards the end. However, I was almost disappointed how quickly Violetta died and the show was ended.

And so - Well done, Verdi, for writing such a splendid Opera! Well done, Piave, for the libretto! And Bravo, Minnesota Opera, for your enthralling performance!

Now, you will probably not be as interested as I was when I learned that the movie "Moulin Rouge" is based on the same story. I would really like to get a hold of a copy of that movie and watch it again and do a compare and contrast. I would also like to read the book ("La Dame aux Camelias") that the opera was based on. Then I can see the full scope of the story and see how it has changed from 1848 to 2001.

Missing Montreal

Inspired by what I just read at The Daily Protagitron, I have decided to create my own list of things I miss about Montreal. Some of them are repeats, I know, but that should let you know how wonderful they really are.

* The metro

*The underground city - I got lost more than once in there my first few days in the city, and then I never looked back. It was wonderful getting from one end of the city to the other, never having to go out in the harsh winter weather. And of course, there were shops and people to look at the whole time!

*Language controversies/Language Police - Really? We're going to get upset at the IRISH pub because they have signs labeled in Gaelic bigger than French? Really? No one even reads Gaelic! They are there to help set the mood of the pub! Also, stop signs in France say "Stop", but you're apparently so French yours need to say "Arret".

*Any kind of food from any ethnicity available any time of day at almost any price point

*The multitude of cultural activities - The city is literally bursting at the seams with culture! From museums to concerts to the opera to whatever else you can think of, it is all available.

*Festivals all year round - I specifically miss the movie festival. I really miss watching films outside on the side of "Place Des Arts".

*Speaking French and having the reply be IN FRENCH!

*Giving directions in French and having them be understood

*Hockey-mania

*Living in a walkable city - I used to do so much walking! I could walk to the grocery store, the movie theatre, school, a concert, the museum, just walk to see the city.....

*The Protagitron, as well as a few others (you know who you are!)

*Middle-aged Quebecois men - They always seemed kind of greasy, and try as I might, I could never understand a single word they said to me. For all I know, they were telling hilarious jokes (or being really filthy), because most of the time they'd laugh their smoker's laugh after telling me something.

*The fact that high end shops are sandwiched between exotic dance places - Of course this reminds me mostly of the prominent and historical Club Super Sexe.

*Mont Royal - Between people watching, the nice views of the city, and watching squirrels eat french fries, it was a nice place to spend an afternoon.

*The crazy signs - I LOVE the picture signs in this city. The one that warns you of falling ice is a picture of a stick figure walking under an awning with a GIANT ICICLE coming down directly towards his head. Some you can only guess at the meaning. Don't fall backwards down the hill? Don't run sideways into the lake? Beware of picnic tables?

*Bloc Quebecois - Amazing, amazing political party. Do look them up. A while back, they came up with their own campaign music videos to reel in them young people. Please enjoy.

Another Playlist

The following playlist is ideal for cleaning, commuting, or doing tedious tasks. It is meant to be listened to alone so you can really belt it out and dance like a crazy person.

Manic Monday – The Bangles

This marvelous song off The Bangles’ album “Different Light” was fairly popular back in the day. I remember listening to it on cassette tape quite loudly in my father’s car. My mother, too, played this tape, though not quite as loudly. I enjoy it partially for nostalgic purposes, partly because of its upbeatness, and mostly because I feel like most days of the week are “manic Mondays”. Really, this song applies to almost every day.

Resistensen – Kaizers Orchestra

Recommended to me by a man who apparently knows his stuff, this song really reeled me in. After the first listening, I was intrigued, and after the third listening, I was hooked. Can I understand what they are saying? No, not other than the occasional word such as “revolver” or “Hong Kong”, which seem to be the same in Norwegian and English.

I Can Change – LCD Soundsystem

This song was played often on The Current last month, and when I was too lazy or in too much of a hurry to plug in my ipod, my morning choices were The Current or nothing. Please know that I really do enjoy The Current, it just seemed that they were playing the same three songs every day on the way to work. This one kind of grew on me.

Walk Like an Egyptian – The Bangles

Another one from my childhood, this particular Bangles hit is known even by those who don’t know The Bangles. It is fun to dance to in the car, and fun to sing along with. Way-o! Way-o! WA-a-a-ay-O!

I Want You to Want Me – Cheap Trick

While I certainly enjoy the cover by Letters to Cleo, Cheap Trick definitely deserves props for this song. How wonderful are these lyrics? Pretty wonderful. How fun is it to sing to song? Pretty fun. How much more fun is it to recite these lines in a very serious speaking voice to your friends? Incredibly so.

Time is on My Side – The Rolling Stones

This underrated Rolling Stones song is worth a listen, especially if you only know the super-duper big hits. This one is fun to sing while swaying back and forth and gesticulating forcefully (as if drunk) when saying “Yes it is!”

Vare Demoner – Kaizers Orchestra

So much did I enjoy “Resistensen” that I began listening to other songs by Kaizers Orchestra. The opening to this one reminds me of surfing and makes me dance kind of goofy in the car. Granted, I always dance goofy, especially when in the car, but when this song comes on, goofy is my intent.  Unfortunately, since I can’t understand anything, I am having a beast of a time singing along. Mostly I just mumble nonsense syllables.

How Can I Love You If You Won’t Lie Down – Silver Jews

Just the title of the song gets a giggle out of me. After that, I enjoy the opening tambourine roll. All in all, a short little song that is fun to sing along to.

Mother’s Little Helper – The Rolling Stones

Somedays, even though I am not a mother, I feel like I could use one of those little helpers.  Sometimes colleagues recommend margaritas, and yet I remain sober. While work may make be extremely batty somedays, I do love my job. Also, as a feminist, I find this song both amusing and repulsive.

What’s Victoria’s Secret – Rick Springfield

After seeing Rick Springfield in concert (which was awesome and not at all lame), I did add a couple of his other songs (songs that are not “Jessie’s Girl”) to my playlist. I like this one because it is so remarkably close to “Jessie’s Girl” it was easy to learn. Good old Rick Springfield found a hit, and tried to make it work again with different lyrics.

A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off – Magnetic Fields

The Magnetic Fields are awesome, and if you don’t listen to them, you should. This one gives some very interesting and amusing imagery. Also, I really love the lyrics and tune during the bridge. “We don’t have to be stars exploding in the night or electric eels under the covers. We don’t have to be anything quite so unreal, let’s just be lovers.”

Mercy – Duffy

This one is super fun to sing and super fun to flail around (ahem…I mean “dance”) to. Not only good for the car, like all others on this list, it is wonderful for cooking or doing dishes to, as well as cleaning the floor, folding laundry, or whatever, as long as you don’t have to have any sort of steady hand. I guarantee that if you start singing along, you will start moving, too.

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers

This one I like to sing in a silly, pretend serious voice while making a funny face.  Of course it is necessary to sing all parts, especially when it comes to the “dadadada”s.

Living It Up Young-People Style

Let me tell you, folks, I have been living it up young-people style!

Over the weekend, several of us went out to the Shout House and saw the dueling pianos. It was amazing! How do the pianists know all the songs? It is one thing to be able to play all the songs by ear and make it work, but they knew all the lyrics, too! How can that be? Incredible!

I should mention that before hand, we went to Pardon My French in Eagan, and that was absolutely delicious, as usual. Towards the end of our time at the Shout House, I was starting to get hungry again. As you may know, I need to eat a little bit every couple of hours. Luckily, Paula is the same way. After a brief discussion (for us anyway - we're terrible at making decisions!), we packed up and headed to Perkins. There, I devoured and enjoyed a short stack and a side of bacon. The most important part is the bacon.

Tonight was my first night of "Booty Burning Bootcamp". My colleague with the classroom next door knows that I am always up for an adventure and have a love for community education, and we decided to take a class together. The original plan was a cooking course, but there was nothing available that we both enjoyed/could eat without dying. So, I let her pick whichever other course she wanted, and we're in the "Booty Burning Bootcamp". 

And let me tell you - my booty is getting burned! Tomorrow I will be hobbling around, barely able to lift my arms high enough to use the key to get into the classroom. Although the stairs going down to get out of the apartment may actually pose the biggest threat.

Now, after dinner, I am munching on pizza rolls and considering a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. How old do I think I am?

*Now vote on the cake poll! Who doesn't like cake?*

Results of the "Favorite Season" Survey

Hello, neighbors! The following are the results of the poll where I asked you what your favorite season is. There were five options because I felt it necessary to differentiate between real winter and the what those pansies in southern states or countries in warmer climates call "winter". It turns out it didn't matter, because no one chose either winter anyway.

What, Dear Reader, is your favorite season?

Winter	(0%)
Winter in a place where that actually means snow and cold	(0%)
Spring	(42%)
Summer	(0%)
Autumn	(57%)

Autumn won, though not by much. In my humble opinion, Autumn is by far the most superior season, closely followed by REAL winter with the snow and the blizzards and the ice and the bitterly cold winds. There is a certain beauty to a particularly harsh winter, and the way the sun sparkles on the snow clinging to otherwise bare tree branches is sometimes breathtaking. Furthermore, I enjoy wearing sweaters, boots, scarves, and mittens. And when I wear a coat, I have more pockets for things like keys and candy. However, autumn offers many of the same pocket/mitten/scarf/flannel shirt opportunities, but the warm colors of the leaves, the crisp air, and the sound of crunching leaves provide such gorgeous scenery and contentedness, that it is at the top of my seasons list.

TENNIS! Again.

Because I just can't be humiliated enough, I eagerly signed up for the next 5 weeks of tennis lessons at Rochester Tennis Connection. On a new night, at a new time, on a new court, and with new classmates, this time will be as much of an adventure as the first.

Our new tennis instructor did not even tell us his name, so I have no idea what to call him. Tennis Instructor Mark is also at this session, but I guess on Fridays he takes the advanced group. Either that or he saw that Ivy Purple Shoes and I were registered again and bribed the other man to take the beginner group. Ivy Purple Shoes was gone today, but there is a gal a couple of years younger than me named Christine, a fierce racquetball player, a very timid but nice woman, and Maggie, my colleague from work.

The good news is that I am not the worst one. While certainly not "good" by even the most liberal definition, I at least occasionally hit it in bounds and over the night. Score for me! We also played a game with the advanced group, and my partner totally carried the team. Still, I made a couple of points and we were the "Kings of the Court" for quite a while.

Maggie kept hitting it into the lights, so I suggested that we keep track of how many times she hits the light. Maybe if she can hit it ten times in one night, we should go out for ice cream. Once she gets this whole tennis thing down, though, she's going to be much, much better than me. I have to really savor this time when we have equal tennis abilities.

Now it is Friday night again at 9pm, and I am already so wiped out from my full day at work, running errands, and then playing tennis, that I came right home, did some dishes, and made a cup of tea. I don't even want to take a shower tonight. I have a pain au chocolat out to rise over night, and that will be my incentive to get up early enough to do some minor cleaning around the house and take a nice leisurely shower before my weekend of multiple birthday festivities begins!

Also, if you are looking for a funny read, might I recommend this post by Non-Sequidurr?

*Now vote on the poll! Do it! Otherwise, how will I know what your guys' favorite season is?*

How the Suffix "-itis" May be Ruining the World

A couple of weeks ago I purchased a delightful book by Wilson Follett entitled "Modern American Usage: A Guide" (1966) from a used bookstore north of the Twin Cities. Being a word-nerd, an ESL teacher, and with my hobby of continuing my linguistic education, it would have been a crime not to buy this book. So far it has been money well spent.

Currently, this book has become my coffee table book. Placed right beside the latest William-Sonoma catalog (Yes! They are finally arriving at my apartment!), Mr. Follett's writings have brought me many moments of happy entertainment.

The following is an excerpt from his entry on the suffix "itis":

"-itis. As an ending attached to the name of one of the organs of the body, -itis denotes the irritation or inflammation of  that organ. Appendicitis is the great exemplar...To attribute to -itis the meaning of addiction, obsession, monomania, or simply It's a disease with him is a culpable affectation rooted in ignorance. Wagneritis, projectitis, discotehequitis, and the like are needless and silly."

I think his examples of the improper use for "-itis" not only date him, but may explain his disgust with the suffix's misuse. Also, the word "monomania" is excellent, and I am going to start using it as often as possible. People are going to start thinking that I have monomaniaitis.

*Quick! Take the Favorite Season survey!*