To Mrs. Chapman

You told a story once about running into a former student in the grocery store. He recited the 23 helping verbs he had memorized many years ago in your fourth grade class. Ever since then I had hoped I would run into you and have the same experience. Blogs are like running into each other aren't they? Here I go.

Is am are was were be being been

has have had do does did

shall will should would

may might must can could

How did I do?

Snacks and Songs

I arrive at school around 8am everyday. From there I transform into a listener, an artist, and a writer. I am tested, I am pop-quizzed, and I am called on. I debit and credit business transactions and I debate on grammar rules. Between class, I snack on granola bars and lately I have slipped in some apples with peanut-butter and chocolate chips--a comfort food. The peanut-butter and chocolate chip combination remind me of being 10 again, enjoying the suggested image of eating ants-on-a-log (that's what the apple snack is called, ants-on-a-log).

At work, I have fun. Sometimes that fun can be heightened or ruined by a song that is stuck in my head (the heightening and ruining depend on the song). This week was different. Very different. This week I had something even better than a song stuck in my head and it was there all week. It was a poem. Samuel Taylor Coleridge (you're the man):

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

It almost sounds like a wave. It was better than any song.

This week I had 4 quizzes, 1 practice test, 2 accounting lessons and 6 classes to attend. I am grateful youthful snacks and poets who keep my week alive and exciting.

I am very happy.

Give and Take

I'm usually on the receiving end of racial and gender stereotypes. It's always "take, take, take" and that's how it has always been. However, I had a unique opportunity to give back other day.

I was sitting in the large auditorium. I had been assigned a specific seat and those nearest to me would define my group for that day. In accounting 210, we assigned groups and have group quizzes in class (unnatural cut-throat selection I call it). Anyway, I was really early as usual and I was the only one in my group so far. I saw the other groups forming slowly. As I watched other teams form I pondered the optimal mix for my group of 6:

4 would be boys (two would have glasses, one of them would have a fancy calculator, at least one would be Asian).
2 would be girls (me, and another girl who was an accounting major, preferably a brunette).

We would dominate, I thought. The first person to meet me at our group seating was an Asian girl with long hair and glasses. Things were looking good. I could almost taste her near-perfect ACT score. Second, was a fair-haired (blond), "sweet" (naive) girl. Not so good. As long as the next 3 group members were boys who fit the criteria we would still be okay. Finally, 1 more boy showed up. A business and mathematical mind I thought. Perfect. The other 2 were no-shows.

Class began and as we delved deeper and deeper into our quiz I was shocked. Asian girl assured us that the wrong answers were right. Math boy had a calculator (looked like an obsolete Casio to me) but hardly gave input and just mooched of us girls' answers! The blond girl, out of all the people in our group, knew all the right answers and knew how to articulate them well! She even made a comment in class! Can you believe it!?

At the end of class of class I had "mixed" feelings. I was disappointed in myself but I was happy because we did great on our quiz!

Saver Day

Here is what I wrote in response to a prompt in my English class: Should we keep or cancel labor day?

Do you know what fiestaware is? For your information household plates and cups reached their zenith with the introduction of fiestaware. The price of dinnerware also reached its zenith with fiestaware. Ivory, turquoise, scarlet, 6 lunch plates, 3 cereal bowls, 3 mugs and a butter tray (with a little lid) were all mine because of Labor Day and for half the cost. Do you know what I am going to do on Labor Day? Labor. In the kitchen (and do a lot of accounting homework but that is beyond the point). It's a BBQ fest for Phillip and me and guess what we are going to eat on? Guess how much what were are going to eat on cost?

Should we keep or cancel labor day? Circle one. I circled keep.

Now I am writing because we haven't been told to stop yet and I am done writing.

Married 451 Sec 2

Now that I am an experienced wife I would like to share some thoughts (or more correctly, Phillip's thoughts). You see, when you get married you really begin to understand the feelings and emotions of your companion far deeper and more accurately than what they may actually being saying or feeling.

The other day Phillip looked at the microwave and then asked me if I would like my enchilada warmed up in the toaster. Now, replace the word "toaster" with "microwave," and there is Phillip's real thought. See? This is a simple example. They get more complex as the day's tiredness/stress/hunger goes on.

When Phillip asks me what's wrong and I drop my head and say, "Nothing," what I really mean is, "Everything. Nothing in this world could be more wrong than it is now and I want to punch. A lot." He knows I mean the latter now when the former is said. Marriage will do this to you.

The reason I bring this up is because the other day Phillip said something but really meant something reflective. We were eating a late night snack when he said, "Wow, you are wearing my t-shirt that is way too big for you AND you are eating an entire banana cream pie from the pie pan." What he really meant was this recreated sentence coupled with its respective feelings:

Replace the phrase, "you are wearing my shirt that is way too big for you," with "I can't believe we are finally married!" Replace the phrase "and you are eating an entire banana cream pie" with "I am so lucky to have someone like you." Lastly, replace "from the pie pan" with "and I love you."

So kind he is, really.

There is a lot to learn in marriage, especially perfect ESP.