THE FRENCH QUARTER AT LAST
We had a rather interesting experience trying to reach our hotel in New Orleans last night. We rolled into the city a little before 7:00 and just before we reached our exit, we made a wrong turn. That’s when the pandemonium began.
The genius was driving and the other five people all had maps trying to direct him how to get to where we were going. Finally, we reached Lee Circle which was familiar to us, but because of the one way streets, the genius and Paul, MA’s husband, decided to stop in at a little convenience store to get directions. Meanwhile, I was frantically searching on the map to see if I could figure it out.
At about the time I saw the light, the genius and Paul came slowly out the door and were standing there talking in a worried way. MA said they were looking up as if seeking divine help, or maybe hoping to see an angel drop out of the sky. Right away I knew that they didn’t get any satisfactory directions.
And sure enough, they didn’t. Paul had approached a man who had a coke and packages of crackers in his hand. It soon became obvious that the man was very inebriated because he kept dropping the crackers and he had difficulty talking. But it was too late; Paul had already asked him for directions. The man was so smashed that all he could tell them was “Oh, yes, there’s the hotel right over there” while pointing to Robert E. Lee’s statue. All this while he was trying to hold onto the crackers.
The genius and Paul began to feel uneasy and decided to exit the place even though there were others there who might have been able to help.
I could see they were distressed and yelled to tell them I had worked out the directions, one way streets and all. We reached the hotel a few minutes later.
We had a good laugh about it afterwards, but for a while there, things were tense.
Today we rode the street car out to the Garden District for breakfast then returned to the fairly new WWII museum. Going through all the exhibits was a remarkable experience and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. The genius has been reading a book about D-Day that he had gotten from his school library, so he was particularly interested. We ended up staying for over two hours.
So far, no math experiences, but the day is yet young!!! I’ll report more tomorrow.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
ON THE WAY TO NEW ORLEANS
The genius and I are on our way to the Big Easy today to study the mathematics of some bridges, reservoirs, and the famous levees. And of course, we will find time to eat a few good meals.
When my sisters and their husbands heard we were going, they asked to tag along at their own expense, of course. So we are happy to have them with us.
On the way down we stopped in Batesville, Mississippi, to help our Aunt Fay celebrate her 107th birthday which is on July 1st. As I’ve said before, she is my father’s twin sister and is the second of his fourteen siblings to exceed 100 years. (The oldest sister, Aunt Bertha, lived to be 104.) One other remaining sibling, Tommie who is 94, was there, also.
Seventy relatives attended the fete as the two sisters held court at their table. Many pictures were snapped and a huge cake was unveiled. Aunt Fay had no trouble blowing out the three candles.
But most of us there agreed that for the first time Aunt Fay did not look as chipper as she had in the past. I really would be surprised if she makes it to 108.
Tommie, on the other hand, looked great! She was all dressed up in a pink dress with long pearls around her neck. She told me she was so “proud” that the genius had come down with me. It has been many years since he has been to Mississippi to see my relatives, and like Tommie, they all seemed pleased to see him.
We will be staying at a quaint hotel in the French Quarter so we should save on gas at least to eat our meals. Hopefully, we will not have to drive too far to see all the “math” sights.
Hilda, one of our cousins who has the family sense of humor, said she was afraid that we would get into trouble, knowing us, but if we get arrested, to call her and she would come bail us out!!
The genius and I are on our way to the Big Easy today to study the mathematics of some bridges, reservoirs, and the famous levees. And of course, we will find time to eat a few good meals.
When my sisters and their husbands heard we were going, they asked to tag along at their own expense, of course. So we are happy to have them with us.
On the way down we stopped in Batesville, Mississippi, to help our Aunt Fay celebrate her 107th birthday which is on July 1st. As I’ve said before, she is my father’s twin sister and is the second of his fourteen siblings to exceed 100 years. (The oldest sister, Aunt Bertha, lived to be 104.) One other remaining sibling, Tommie who is 94, was there, also.
Seventy relatives attended the fete as the two sisters held court at their table. Many pictures were snapped and a huge cake was unveiled. Aunt Fay had no trouble blowing out the three candles.
But most of us there agreed that for the first time Aunt Fay did not look as chipper as she had in the past. I really would be surprised if she makes it to 108.
Tommie, on the other hand, looked great! She was all dressed up in a pink dress with long pearls around her neck. She told me she was so “proud” that the genius had come down with me. It has been many years since he has been to Mississippi to see my relatives, and like Tommie, they all seemed pleased to see him.
We will be staying at a quaint hotel in the French Quarter so we should save on gas at least to eat our meals. Hopefully, we will not have to drive too far to see all the “math” sights.
Hilda, one of our cousins who has the family sense of humor, said she was afraid that we would get into trouble, knowing us, but if we get arrested, to call her and she would come bail us out!!
Friday, June 27, 2008
IDIOSYNCRASIES, CONT’D
Some of you may have thought I was pretty hard on the genius yesterday, but just to set the record straight, he actually helped me make a list of his unusual ways. And yesterday when I read him the blog, he laughed out loud in several places.
Today I want to talk about two of his compulsions. The first is his strong desire to be organized. Every morning after rising and getting dressed for the day, he gets his coffee and sits at his desk. Without fail he does two things: he makes calls to the bank to check out his accounts, and he makes out his to-do list for the day.
This list is extremely important to him and he sticks it inside his pocket calendar and carries it everywhere he goes. And I do mean everywhere!! Even when he goes into the post office to pick up the mail and I am in the car waiting, he puts it in his pocket. Maybe he thinks I will steal it while he is gone (as if I wanted it!). I have actually been tempted to hide it sometimes, but I’m afraid he will have a heart attack, so I resist the temptation.
Every day when he makes up the list, he carries some items over from the day(s) before which didn’t get accomplished. Many times I have asked him to do something for me around the house, and he informs me that it is on the list. It may remain on the list for days, weeks, or even months, but “It’s on the list!”
Because he is so goal oriented, he takes great pleasure in marking off each “done” item at night before he goes to bed.
And speaking of bed, of course he has his own pillow if it can be called that. The genius likes a very thin affair, and he has had three throughout our marriage. The first one that he brought to the marriage was one of the ugliest flowered throw pillows I’ve ever seen. But he put a pillow case on it and used it every night. Sadly, we left it in a motel once and he had to get used to another one.
That one lasted over twenty years when he again left it at some hotel. The one he has now is actually a worn out bed pillow that is so flat, I wouldn’t even feel it under my head. But he loves that little bit of shabby fluff covered by a pillow case and he’s happy with it.
And --- he will carry it on a trip that we are soon to be taking, so let’s hope he doesn’t leave it. Maybe an outlandishly colored pillow case will help!!
Some of you may have thought I was pretty hard on the genius yesterday, but just to set the record straight, he actually helped me make a list of his unusual ways. And yesterday when I read him the blog, he laughed out loud in several places.
Today I want to talk about two of his compulsions. The first is his strong desire to be organized. Every morning after rising and getting dressed for the day, he gets his coffee and sits at his desk. Without fail he does two things: he makes calls to the bank to check out his accounts, and he makes out his to-do list for the day.
This list is extremely important to him and he sticks it inside his pocket calendar and carries it everywhere he goes. And I do mean everywhere!! Even when he goes into the post office to pick up the mail and I am in the car waiting, he puts it in his pocket. Maybe he thinks I will steal it while he is gone (as if I wanted it!). I have actually been tempted to hide it sometimes, but I’m afraid he will have a heart attack, so I resist the temptation.
Every day when he makes up the list, he carries some items over from the day(s) before which didn’t get accomplished. Many times I have asked him to do something for me around the house, and he informs me that it is on the list. It may remain on the list for days, weeks, or even months, but “It’s on the list!”
Because he is so goal oriented, he takes great pleasure in marking off each “done” item at night before he goes to bed.
And speaking of bed, of course he has his own pillow if it can be called that. The genius likes a very thin affair, and he has had three throughout our marriage. The first one that he brought to the marriage was one of the ugliest flowered throw pillows I’ve ever seen. But he put a pillow case on it and used it every night. Sadly, we left it in a motel once and he had to get used to another one.
That one lasted over twenty years when he again left it at some hotel. The one he has now is actually a worn out bed pillow that is so flat, I wouldn’t even feel it under my head. But he loves that little bit of shabby fluff covered by a pillow case and he’s happy with it.
And --- he will carry it on a trip that we are soon to be taking, so let’s hope he doesn’t leave it. Maybe an outlandishly colored pillow case will help!!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF THE GENIUS:
AND THERE ARE PLENTY!
Picture this: a girl who has been raised to think (i.e. worry) about what other people think, and pair her up with a guy who doesn’t care in the least and who also has some very strange habits to boot, and what happens? Either she bails out of the relationship quickly, or she elects to grin and bear it --- over and over and over again. I chose to do the latter and here I am forty-eight years later still doing it. But it has become somewhat easier; I pray a lot and consequently, have become more tolerant.
Where do I even begin in describing the genius and his idiosyncrasies? Some of them I have already related, but it was just the tip of the iceberg. So here goes with an attempt to describe more and this may take several days’ worth of writing.
First of all, he is extremely goal-oriented, which he says began when he was in the Boy Scouts. I can just imagine him going after all those badges, even the ones he wasn’t good at. For instance, he tells about the time he was going for the fitness badge and he had to do a standing jump of a certain length. He kept trying and trying in front of his scout master, and finally the man told him to go home and keep at it until he got it; he would trust him to tell the truth. The genius tried all summer long every day until finally one day toward the end of the season, he did it! Of course, he went on to persevere on all the other badges as well, until he reached the Eagle level.
And that trait of reaching goals has remained with him. I have mentioned before how consistent he is about riding a bike every day, either outdoors on the street or on one indoors. For over seven years he hasn’t missed a day and quite frankly, this has not been easy for me. I would like to get an early start on trips we take, but no, the bike riding comes first. And that’s just one example where it has interfered with our schedules. But, over the years I have learned to become more understanding about his workouts.
I’ll tell about one other thing he does that is not like most people and that is the way he parks the car. First, he likes to back into every parking place he possibly can (I call his method “nerding” it in). This would be fine if he just backed it in quickly, but noooo, it takes him forever. Then before he turns the motor off, he has to switch everything --- AC, heater, seat warmers, radio --- into the off position. Many times I am out of the door while the car is still running, which I know is dangerous, but I get so tired of waiting for him to finish all his little duties!
As I said, this will take a few days, so stay tuned for more. BTW, it is his birthday, so I feel obligated to begin this series on him on his special day of all days.
AND THERE ARE PLENTY!
Picture this: a girl who has been raised to think (i.e. worry) about what other people think, and pair her up with a guy who doesn’t care in the least and who also has some very strange habits to boot, and what happens? Either she bails out of the relationship quickly, or she elects to grin and bear it --- over and over and over again. I chose to do the latter and here I am forty-eight years later still doing it. But it has become somewhat easier; I pray a lot and consequently, have become more tolerant.
Where do I even begin in describing the genius and his idiosyncrasies? Some of them I have already related, but it was just the tip of the iceberg. So here goes with an attempt to describe more and this may take several days’ worth of writing.
First of all, he is extremely goal-oriented, which he says began when he was in the Boy Scouts. I can just imagine him going after all those badges, even the ones he wasn’t good at. For instance, he tells about the time he was going for the fitness badge and he had to do a standing jump of a certain length. He kept trying and trying in front of his scout master, and finally the man told him to go home and keep at it until he got it; he would trust him to tell the truth. The genius tried all summer long every day until finally one day toward the end of the season, he did it! Of course, he went on to persevere on all the other badges as well, until he reached the Eagle level.
And that trait of reaching goals has remained with him. I have mentioned before how consistent he is about riding a bike every day, either outdoors on the street or on one indoors. For over seven years he hasn’t missed a day and quite frankly, this has not been easy for me. I would like to get an early start on trips we take, but no, the bike riding comes first. And that’s just one example where it has interfered with our schedules. But, over the years I have learned to become more understanding about his workouts.
I’ll tell about one other thing he does that is not like most people and that is the way he parks the car. First, he likes to back into every parking place he possibly can (I call his method “nerding” it in). This would be fine if he just backed it in quickly, but noooo, it takes him forever. Then before he turns the motor off, he has to switch everything --- AC, heater, seat warmers, radio --- into the off position. Many times I am out of the door while the car is still running, which I know is dangerous, but I get so tired of waiting for him to finish all his little duties!
As I said, this will take a few days, so stay tuned for more. BTW, it is his birthday, so I feel obligated to begin this series on him on his special day of all days.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
MY FAVORITE CAR
Yesterday I was tooling along in my car and I couldn’t help but think, as I often do, how much I like driving it. It is by far my all time favorite car and I just hope that it lasts a long time. I also liked the way we acquired it.
I cannot stand to bargain with car dealers. Usually I let the genius do all of that, but I will end up getting a car that is lacking something I wanted on it just to end all of the bickering. This time it was different.
When it was obvious that my eleven year old Rodeo was giving out, I began to search online for a new car. The genius suggested that I decide just what I wanted in a car and then write all the Honda dealers in Nashville and surrounding areas and ask them to give me a price. So that’s exactly what I did.
I decided on an Accord LX with everything I wanted on it. It was to have four doors, leather heated seats, a great sound system, a voice-activated GPS and all the other extras that good cars have. I then emailed each dealer and requested their best price (no trade in) and told them I was taking the lowest offer. Interestingly enough, the prices ranged from $1000 up to $5000 difference. I took the best offer and emailed them and said I would take it. On a certain date we drove out to finalize the deal and I was the proud owner of a lovely new car.
It gets pretty good gas mileage so that is the car we usually pick to drive on long trips. It has twice been to New Mexico and back and we even drove it to and from San Francisco. On the latter trip every day about 1 or 2 o’clock in the afternoon we would begin to think about how far we would get that day and then look in the AAA tour guidebook for motels. We would call the motel for a reservation and then put the address in the GPS. Then we could relax for the rest of the day and just follow the directions of “The Voice.” And that voice lady never erred.
I highly recommend both the car and the method of buying it. As I said above, I have thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to spend many more years in it.
Yesterday I was tooling along in my car and I couldn’t help but think, as I often do, how much I like driving it. It is by far my all time favorite car and I just hope that it lasts a long time. I also liked the way we acquired it.
I cannot stand to bargain with car dealers. Usually I let the genius do all of that, but I will end up getting a car that is lacking something I wanted on it just to end all of the bickering. This time it was different.
When it was obvious that my eleven year old Rodeo was giving out, I began to search online for a new car. The genius suggested that I decide just what I wanted in a car and then write all the Honda dealers in Nashville and surrounding areas and ask them to give me a price. So that’s exactly what I did.
I decided on an Accord LX with everything I wanted on it. It was to have four doors, leather heated seats, a great sound system, a voice-activated GPS and all the other extras that good cars have. I then emailed each dealer and requested their best price (no trade in) and told them I was taking the lowest offer. Interestingly enough, the prices ranged from $1000 up to $5000 difference. I took the best offer and emailed them and said I would take it. On a certain date we drove out to finalize the deal and I was the proud owner of a lovely new car.
It gets pretty good gas mileage so that is the car we usually pick to drive on long trips. It has twice been to New Mexico and back and we even drove it to and from San Francisco. On the latter trip every day about 1 or 2 o’clock in the afternoon we would begin to think about how far we would get that day and then look in the AAA tour guidebook for motels. We would call the motel for a reservation and then put the address in the GPS. Then we could relax for the rest of the day and just follow the directions of “The Voice.” And that voice lady never erred.
I highly recommend both the car and the method of buying it. As I said above, I have thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to spend many more years in it.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
SHOPPING WITH BAILEY
Last week we had a nice three day visit with Bailey before putting her on the plane to Phoenix when it was still dark outside. Just kidding --- but it was very early in the morning on Sunday when she departed.
One of the days was spent shopping at the Green Hills Mall. We began our little journey around the mall by eating at the Cheesecake Factory. It was delicious, but soooo much food!! Three people could have shared my meal. There was no way I could have eaten even a bite of cheesecake for dessert. I told Bailey that the only way I could eat cheesecake at the factory is to order that and nothing else.
After lunch we started on our rounds. Let me say right now that Bailey is a super shopper!!! I used to be, but like most things physical in my life, that has gone by the wayside. We went from store to store comparing prices on makeup and other items and then went back to the original store and bought what we saw at first.
She wanted to go into Victoria Secret and since I was afraid someone I knew would see me go in, I went to the shop next door. But I finished my purchases and after making sure I didn’t see anyone I knew, I scooted in the door. All around me were little bits of lace and nylon that I assumed women wore, but I tried not to look at as I frantically looked for Bailey. I soon saw her in the sweat pants department and was very relieved to see they had such mundane things.
When she went back to try on several items of clothing, I went also to wait outside in the hall of the fitting rooms. Some nice salesgirl, who looked twelve years old and wore a size 0, took pity on me and brought me a stool from one of the rooms to sit on while I watched Bailey’s fashion show. She finally made her choices (I was encouraging her to try on as many as she could, so I could continue to sit) and we left to continue on our journey.
We wrapped it up after what seemed like five more hours, but was probably about 30 minutes, and I was fading fast. I was becoming very aware of the generation gap between us as she cheerfully walked beside me through the mall to the car.
Then the gap was emphasized even more when she pointed out a lady attired in leggings and a cute short skirt. She said, “Why do older women dress like that, trying to look young?” I looked and it was a lady from my bridge club.
I thought she looked cute, but I quickly came home and assessed the clothes in my closet to make sure they were age appropriate.
Last week we had a nice three day visit with Bailey before putting her on the plane to Phoenix when it was still dark outside. Just kidding --- but it was very early in the morning on Sunday when she departed.
One of the days was spent shopping at the Green Hills Mall. We began our little journey around the mall by eating at the Cheesecake Factory. It was delicious, but soooo much food!! Three people could have shared my meal. There was no way I could have eaten even a bite of cheesecake for dessert. I told Bailey that the only way I could eat cheesecake at the factory is to order that and nothing else.
After lunch we started on our rounds. Let me say right now that Bailey is a super shopper!!! I used to be, but like most things physical in my life, that has gone by the wayside. We went from store to store comparing prices on makeup and other items and then went back to the original store and bought what we saw at first.
She wanted to go into Victoria Secret and since I was afraid someone I knew would see me go in, I went to the shop next door. But I finished my purchases and after making sure I didn’t see anyone I knew, I scooted in the door. All around me were little bits of lace and nylon that I assumed women wore, but I tried not to look at as I frantically looked for Bailey. I soon saw her in the sweat pants department and was very relieved to see they had such mundane things.
When she went back to try on several items of clothing, I went also to wait outside in the hall of the fitting rooms. Some nice salesgirl, who looked twelve years old and wore a size 0, took pity on me and brought me a stool from one of the rooms to sit on while I watched Bailey’s fashion show. She finally made her choices (I was encouraging her to try on as many as she could, so I could continue to sit) and we left to continue on our journey.
We wrapped it up after what seemed like five more hours, but was probably about 30 minutes, and I was fading fast. I was becoming very aware of the generation gap between us as she cheerfully walked beside me through the mall to the car.
Then the gap was emphasized even more when she pointed out a lady attired in leggings and a cute short skirt. She said, “Why do older women dress like that, trying to look young?” I looked and it was a lady from my bridge club.
I thought she looked cute, but I quickly came home and assessed the clothes in my closet to make sure they were age appropriate.
Friday, June 20, 2008
SEEING IS BELIEVING
Last night I realized that I am down to my last contact lens. I go to the eye doctor about every three years and return when I run out of all the lenses he gives me. I use the extended wear version and make them go as long as possible. But thinking about my eyes reminds me of how I began wearing glasses in the first place.
When I was in the fourth grade and BJ in the seventh we would find any excuse to get out of class. We both had teachers whom we didn’t like, so one time we decided to pretend to be sick at the same time so we could go to the “clinic,” which consisted of an army cot in the main hallway. Somehow we were able to pull it off; I told my teacher I had a headache, and I don’t know what excuse she used. But we both ended up on the cot at the same time.
I think we were able to pull this off twice if I remember correctly, and it proved to be so effective for me that I used it several more times without BJ.
Well, of course, this tactic to get out of class was not going to last forever, and the principal or teacher told my mother that perhaps I needed to have my eyes examined. I felt very guilty about Mother’s taking me to the ophthalmologist but I was stuck --- either I admitted I was lying or I had to go along with the scheme.
So off I went, (hopefully during school hours so I could miss more of her classes) to undergo all the eye tests. And you guessed it!! I did need corrective lenses; I was slightly nearsighted with astigmatism in both eyes. I’ll never forget the first time I put on my new glasses --- I could see the outlines of the leaves on the trees!! I was so surprised; I had had no idea that I couldn’t see perfectly.
But I hated wearing glasses. I only wore them to read or watch movies and later to drive. When I began to play tennis at aged 30, the glasses were really a pain with all the steaming up, etc., so that’s when I started on the contact lenses. Then I turned the magic age of 40 when everyone’s eyes suddenly shut down, and I went to one contact for distance and my other eye needs nothing. To read I wear reading glasses that I buy at the Dollar Store. My eyes have not changed in 28 years and I expect them to be the same when I go back next month.
I wonder how long I would have gone without being able to see if I had had a teacher I liked in the fourth grade!
Last night I realized that I am down to my last contact lens. I go to the eye doctor about every three years and return when I run out of all the lenses he gives me. I use the extended wear version and make them go as long as possible. But thinking about my eyes reminds me of how I began wearing glasses in the first place.
When I was in the fourth grade and BJ in the seventh we would find any excuse to get out of class. We both had teachers whom we didn’t like, so one time we decided to pretend to be sick at the same time so we could go to the “clinic,” which consisted of an army cot in the main hallway. Somehow we were able to pull it off; I told my teacher I had a headache, and I don’t know what excuse she used. But we both ended up on the cot at the same time.
I think we were able to pull this off twice if I remember correctly, and it proved to be so effective for me that I used it several more times without BJ.
Well, of course, this tactic to get out of class was not going to last forever, and the principal or teacher told my mother that perhaps I needed to have my eyes examined. I felt very guilty about Mother’s taking me to the ophthalmologist but I was stuck --- either I admitted I was lying or I had to go along with the scheme.
So off I went, (hopefully during school hours so I could miss more of her classes) to undergo all the eye tests. And you guessed it!! I did need corrective lenses; I was slightly nearsighted with astigmatism in both eyes. I’ll never forget the first time I put on my new glasses --- I could see the outlines of the leaves on the trees!! I was so surprised; I had had no idea that I couldn’t see perfectly.
But I hated wearing glasses. I only wore them to read or watch movies and later to drive. When I began to play tennis at aged 30, the glasses were really a pain with all the steaming up, etc., so that’s when I started on the contact lenses. Then I turned the magic age of 40 when everyone’s eyes suddenly shut down, and I went to one contact for distance and my other eye needs nothing. To read I wear reading glasses that I buy at the Dollar Store. My eyes have not changed in 28 years and I expect them to be the same when I go back next month.
I wonder how long I would have gone without being able to see if I had had a teacher I liked in the fourth grade!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
BAILEY AND JORDIN
If you’ve been reading the blog from the beginning, or if you know our family well, you will remember that we have a granddaughter who is best friends with Jordin Sparks, the 2007 American Idol. Bailey and Jordin have been very close since kindergarten and Jordin’s fame has not changed that. For the past week Bailey has been “on tour” with her famous friend and having the time of her life.
But the good news for us is that last night the tour was in New York City in Madison Square Garden, and tonight it is in Nashville!! The tour bus left after the show last night and is now tooling it toward our city. Bailey will leave the tour this afternoon when she comes to spend a few days with us.
This part of her trip was unexpected – she had thought she was flying home to Phoenix from NYC. But when she heard that Nashville was the next stop, she changed her plans.
The genius and I are very glad for this opportunity to spend some quality time with our grandchild. Also, I am looking forward to hearing about Bailey’s experiences with the life of a star, our own little Jordin!!!
If you’ve been reading the blog from the beginning, or if you know our family well, you will remember that we have a granddaughter who is best friends with Jordin Sparks, the 2007 American Idol. Bailey and Jordin have been very close since kindergarten and Jordin’s fame has not changed that. For the past week Bailey has been “on tour” with her famous friend and having the time of her life.
But the good news for us is that last night the tour was in New York City in Madison Square Garden, and tonight it is in Nashville!! The tour bus left after the show last night and is now tooling it toward our city. Bailey will leave the tour this afternoon when she comes to spend a few days with us.
This part of her trip was unexpected – she had thought she was flying home to Phoenix from NYC. But when she heard that Nashville was the next stop, she changed her plans.
The genius and I are very glad for this opportunity to spend some quality time with our grandchild. Also, I am looking forward to hearing about Bailey’s experiences with the life of a star, our own little Jordin!!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
ANNIVERSERY
Forty-eight years ago the genius and I walked down the aisle to bind ourselves to each other for life. And what a life it has been!
I have recorded many of our experiences and won’t add to them today except to say that for the first five years we had fourteen different addresses. For the last forty-three we have had three. So things kind of slowed down, at least in the moving department.
Last night we celebrated with a dinner at Sperry’s; tonight we will continue to do so at the club.
When you’ve been married this long it takes two nights to celebrate!!
Forty-eight years ago the genius and I walked down the aisle to bind ourselves to each other for life. And what a life it has been!
I have recorded many of our experiences and won’t add to them today except to say that for the first five years we had fourteen different addresses. For the last forty-three we have had three. So things kind of slowed down, at least in the moving department.
Last night we celebrated with a dinner at Sperry’s; tonight we will continue to do so at the club.
When you’ve been married this long it takes two nights to celebrate!!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
LOSING FRIENDS
I remember that my mother-in-law once said that living a long life meant having to suffer through the loss of many friends. We’re now getting to that age. This past weekend we attended a memorial service for a man whom the genius had known since college days and whose wife I have known since childhood.
The man had been the quarterback at Vanderbilt during the fifties and had also been the engineering lab partner of the genius. His wife, Dot, had attended church with me as a child and was a year ahead of me in high school. At one time after we had both married she and I had taught a Sunday school class of four year olds together. But when we joined our “new” church several years ago, she and her husband were one of the first couples to welcome us. Over the past few years we have become close again, going out to brunch after church and sitting together at the Wednesday night dinners. So it has been very sad losing a friend.
My sister MA and her husband live in a community with many other retirees and it seems like they lose someone all the time. When they first moved there about ten years ago and then BJ and her husband followed suit two years later, they tried to talk us into doing the same. But one of the first things I thought about besides leaving my children and grandchildren was getting to know people and then losing them to death or a debilitating illness. That may sound selfish, but I just didn’t want to put myself through that.
Besides, as I told her at the time, “This place has too many old people, too many Yankees, and too many UT (University of Tennessee) fans.”
Of course, I was kidding, so if you are old or live outside of the South (that’s the true definition of a Yankee), don’t take offense. I don’t care if I offend UT fans.
I remember that my mother-in-law once said that living a long life meant having to suffer through the loss of many friends. We’re now getting to that age. This past weekend we attended a memorial service for a man whom the genius had known since college days and whose wife I have known since childhood.
The man had been the quarterback at Vanderbilt during the fifties and had also been the engineering lab partner of the genius. His wife, Dot, had attended church with me as a child and was a year ahead of me in high school. At one time after we had both married she and I had taught a Sunday school class of four year olds together. But when we joined our “new” church several years ago, she and her husband were one of the first couples to welcome us. Over the past few years we have become close again, going out to brunch after church and sitting together at the Wednesday night dinners. So it has been very sad losing a friend.
My sister MA and her husband live in a community with many other retirees and it seems like they lose someone all the time. When they first moved there about ten years ago and then BJ and her husband followed suit two years later, they tried to talk us into doing the same. But one of the first things I thought about besides leaving my children and grandchildren was getting to know people and then losing them to death or a debilitating illness. That may sound selfish, but I just didn’t want to put myself through that.
Besides, as I told her at the time, “This place has too many old people, too many Yankees, and too many UT (University of Tennessee) fans.”
Of course, I was kidding, so if you are old or live outside of the South (that’s the true definition of a Yankee), don’t take offense. I don’t care if I offend UT fans.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
FATHER GENIUS
Since this is Father’s Day I thought it appropriate to offer some praise for the genius in that role. He has always felt a great responsibility in the area of parenthood and taken his part very seriously. The children I am sure thought at times that he was a little over-the-top, but the efforts he put forth were remarkable.
I can remember one incident that is funny, but does show how careful he was always to try and cover all the bases when called upon to be a good father. Jim IV was playing in a tennis tournament at Centennial Tennis Center, located in the midtown section of Nashville. He had forgotten to bring new tennis shoes and asked me to call his father and get him to bring him some when he came into town to watch the match.
So I called the genius on the phone at home. I told him that there was a big carton box of numerous pairs of shoes in the dining room that Jim IV was going to take to the pro shop to sell. I related to him what size to get out of the box and then mentioned that his match had already been called and he was warming up on the court.
“IN HIS SOCK FEET?!?" the genius blurted out. I assured him that Jim IV had on some old tennis shoes but wanted the new ones. He replied that he would be right down.
The match was held on a court farthest away from the entrance and the rest of the family were sitting beside it watching when we looked up and saw the genius way down the walk coming toward us. He was staggering under the load of the big carton box containing about a dozen pairs of shoes, each pair in their smaller boxes. He wanted to make sure that he had the right size so he just brought all of them. The rest of us could hardly watch the match we were laughing so hard.
And it was funny, but in reflecting back over the years, I realize that the genius did indeed do an excellent job of everything relating to parenting. He was careful, sometimes to an extreme, but always with the best of intentions as his motive.
I will always be grateful that he has been the father of our children. And may I say to you younger parents out there that parenting doesn’t change just because the children leave the nest. We still rejoice when there are victories and suffer when there are disappointments. Just as much, if not more so, as we ever did.
Since this is Father’s Day I thought it appropriate to offer some praise for the genius in that role. He has always felt a great responsibility in the area of parenthood and taken his part very seriously. The children I am sure thought at times that he was a little over-the-top, but the efforts he put forth were remarkable.
I can remember one incident that is funny, but does show how careful he was always to try and cover all the bases when called upon to be a good father. Jim IV was playing in a tennis tournament at Centennial Tennis Center, located in the midtown section of Nashville. He had forgotten to bring new tennis shoes and asked me to call his father and get him to bring him some when he came into town to watch the match.
So I called the genius on the phone at home. I told him that there was a big carton box of numerous pairs of shoes in the dining room that Jim IV was going to take to the pro shop to sell. I related to him what size to get out of the box and then mentioned that his match had already been called and he was warming up on the court.
“IN HIS SOCK FEET?!?" the genius blurted out. I assured him that Jim IV had on some old tennis shoes but wanted the new ones. He replied that he would be right down.
The match was held on a court farthest away from the entrance and the rest of the family were sitting beside it watching when we looked up and saw the genius way down the walk coming toward us. He was staggering under the load of the big carton box containing about a dozen pairs of shoes, each pair in their smaller boxes. He wanted to make sure that he had the right size so he just brought all of them. The rest of us could hardly watch the match we were laughing so hard.
And it was funny, but in reflecting back over the years, I realize that the genius did indeed do an excellent job of everything relating to parenting. He was careful, sometimes to an extreme, but always with the best of intentions as his motive.
I will always be grateful that he has been the father of our children. And may I say to you younger parents out there that parenting doesn’t change just because the children leave the nest. We still rejoice when there are victories and suffer when there are disappointments. Just as much, if not more so, as we ever did.
Friday, June 13, 2008
SLEEPING IN A BED OF ROSES
My mother used to say: “Marriage is not a bed of roses.” But I tend to disagree with her; marriage is just that; it’s just that we don’t anticipate all the thorns when we walk down that aisle. And speaking of beds reminds me of all the couples I know who have had trouble getting a good night’s rest while trying to sleep with their spouses.
The genius and I have had quite a time with that part of our marriage. Before we married he told me that he couldn’t sleep with another person in his bed, so at the beginning of our union we slept in separate beds; they were close together, but they were still separate.
After we had been together for about ten years, we bought a king sized bed and began the thorny path of trying to sleep in one bed. There were all kinds of obstacles, of course: children waking in the night, bathroom breaks, snoring, wiggling, cover battles, etc. But we stuck it out until we moved into this house thirteen years ago. Then began the sometimes nightly pilgrimage to the guest room. First, I would be the one to go, mainly because of his snoring, but it was so much trouble because I had to take my noise maker with me. Then I bought another noise maker for the guest room and could just turn it on if I had to depart.
About two years ago, the genius left the king sized bed and somehow just never returned. About that time we acquired Rufus, and because I had the big bed to myself, I allowed him to take the genius’ place. The dog, unlike my husband, likes to cuddle up and that doesn’t bother me.
Well, we have been discussing the matter and have decided to try sleeping together again. However, there are now three of us, and things are still a little rocky at this point. Rufus was so overcome with joy the first night we were all together that he awoke the genius in the middle of the night to give him a good face washing with his tongue. And then many mornings the genius gets up about 4:30 or 5:00 which wakes Rufus, who then wants to go out, etc.
I think we are about to get it right. If the genius gets up early, he takes Rufus out, feeds him, then leaves the bedroom door ajar so Rufus can come back in and not try to scratch the door apart. They both then let me sleep until a decent hour, (although one morning I awoke to find that Rufus had completely taken apart one of the pillows).
As I said at the beginning, this is not an unusual problem for couples, especially at our age. Many pairs I know either have separate beds or rooms. And one couple even sleeps on different floors!!
I am flexible and can do any or all of the above, but please just let me have my own bathroom --- there I draw the line!!
My mother used to say: “Marriage is not a bed of roses.” But I tend to disagree with her; marriage is just that; it’s just that we don’t anticipate all the thorns when we walk down that aisle. And speaking of beds reminds me of all the couples I know who have had trouble getting a good night’s rest while trying to sleep with their spouses.
The genius and I have had quite a time with that part of our marriage. Before we married he told me that he couldn’t sleep with another person in his bed, so at the beginning of our union we slept in separate beds; they were close together, but they were still separate.
After we had been together for about ten years, we bought a king sized bed and began the thorny path of trying to sleep in one bed. There were all kinds of obstacles, of course: children waking in the night, bathroom breaks, snoring, wiggling, cover battles, etc. But we stuck it out until we moved into this house thirteen years ago. Then began the sometimes nightly pilgrimage to the guest room. First, I would be the one to go, mainly because of his snoring, but it was so much trouble because I had to take my noise maker with me. Then I bought another noise maker for the guest room and could just turn it on if I had to depart.
About two years ago, the genius left the king sized bed and somehow just never returned. About that time we acquired Rufus, and because I had the big bed to myself, I allowed him to take the genius’ place. The dog, unlike my husband, likes to cuddle up and that doesn’t bother me.
Well, we have been discussing the matter and have decided to try sleeping together again. However, there are now three of us, and things are still a little rocky at this point. Rufus was so overcome with joy the first night we were all together that he awoke the genius in the middle of the night to give him a good face washing with his tongue. And then many mornings the genius gets up about 4:30 or 5:00 which wakes Rufus, who then wants to go out, etc.
I think we are about to get it right. If the genius gets up early, he takes Rufus out, feeds him, then leaves the bedroom door ajar so Rufus can come back in and not try to scratch the door apart. They both then let me sleep until a decent hour, (although one morning I awoke to find that Rufus had completely taken apart one of the pillows).
As I said at the beginning, this is not an unusual problem for couples, especially at our age. Many pairs I know either have separate beds or rooms. And one couple even sleeps on different floors!!
I am flexible and can do any or all of the above, but please just let me have my own bathroom --- there I draw the line!!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
READER CHALLENGE
I’ve had a hard time finding time to write what with all the healing process and the dog grooming and grandchildren sitting. The healing is ongoing and the latter two events took place yesterday, so I was busy most of the day, The medical report of the day is that the genius is much improved and is now seeing quite well. Thank the Lord! We were both a little worried about the outcome.
So yesterday Annie and I spent a special time at the nails spa, getting the works. I should have taken a picture of that tiny girl perched on the edge of the big massage chair getting her toes painted blue with flowers on both big toes. It was a fun day for us both and a good bonding time.
Jay, on the other hand, spent time at school with the genius, hanging math plaques and going over old math tests. Jay is a math whiz kid and the two of them can spend hours working tests and going over them together. It’s a math match made in heaven!
Now for my challenge to you: A friend wrote me that the last time he visited his eye doctor, she was escorting him back to the waiting room and on the way she whacked a female assistant on the rear end with his chart. When the assistant turned around, the doctor said, “He did it!” and pointed to my friend. He was interested in knowing what a good come back would have been. I’m sure you will not let me down and will come up with an appropriate retort.
Maybe this one will generate as much interest as the movie blogs did.
I’ve had a hard time finding time to write what with all the healing process and the dog grooming and grandchildren sitting. The healing is ongoing and the latter two events took place yesterday, so I was busy most of the day, The medical report of the day is that the genius is much improved and is now seeing quite well. Thank the Lord! We were both a little worried about the outcome.
So yesterday Annie and I spent a special time at the nails spa, getting the works. I should have taken a picture of that tiny girl perched on the edge of the big massage chair getting her toes painted blue with flowers on both big toes. It was a fun day for us both and a good bonding time.
Jay, on the other hand, spent time at school with the genius, hanging math plaques and going over old math tests. Jay is a math whiz kid and the two of them can spend hours working tests and going over them together. It’s a math match made in heaven!
Now for my challenge to you: A friend wrote me that the last time he visited his eye doctor, she was escorting him back to the waiting room and on the way she whacked a female assistant on the rear end with his chart. When the assistant turned around, the doctor said, “He did it!” and pointed to my friend. He was interested in knowing what a good come back would have been. I’m sure you will not let me down and will come up with an appropriate retort.
Maybe this one will generate as much interest as the movie blogs did.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
THE GENIUS AND SURGERY
Yesterday was the big day for the cataract surgery and what a day it was!! So many things went wrong that what could have been somewhat of an ordeal turned into almost a catastrophe.
The day began with a workout for the genius (so what else is new?). Then after having nothing more than water to drink (“seven swallows” he told the nurse. The anesthesiologist who was listening in wanted to know how big the swallows were), he was ready to get prepared for the surgery. Right away he told the doctor he wanted no amnesiacs or sedatives. He wanted to be alert to everything that was going on. When he learned that he would be put under for five minutes while they injected his eye with numbing solution, he said, “I thought it would only be thirty seconds.” You can get an idea from the conversations he had with the medical people what kind of patient he is.
The operating room was scheduled for 12:30, but the one he was signed up for had three different surgeries that morning and all ran late. So he was 1½ hours late going up to the OR. I quickly grabbed a lunch and ran home to let Rufus out, and then it was back to the hospital.
The operation that was to take about forty-five minutes became a two hour nightmare with apparently many things going wrong throughout. The cataract itself was very difficult to break up and get out because it had hardened. Then the nurse couldn’t understand what instruments the ophthalmologist wanted (she usually operates at another hospital but was at this one at the genius’ request because of insurance). And to top it all off, the genius couldn’t see out of his new lens that was dropped into place just before the patch went on. You can imagine what kind of mood he was in when I was finally called back to recovery.
The good news is that this morning he can see much better, even though there is a slight “white haze” over everything. I am sure that will dissipate soon and he will be able to see much better than before.
An added footnote: we just returned from the ophthalmologist and she confirmed that everything was all right.
When the genius told her that he had measured the focal distance of each eye this morning (one was 14 inches, the other was 8), she remarked, “You’re the only patient I have who would check that before you came in.”
Yesterday was the big day for the cataract surgery and what a day it was!! So many things went wrong that what could have been somewhat of an ordeal turned into almost a catastrophe.
The day began with a workout for the genius (so what else is new?). Then after having nothing more than water to drink (“seven swallows” he told the nurse. The anesthesiologist who was listening in wanted to know how big the swallows were), he was ready to get prepared for the surgery. Right away he told the doctor he wanted no amnesiacs or sedatives. He wanted to be alert to everything that was going on. When he learned that he would be put under for five minutes while they injected his eye with numbing solution, he said, “I thought it would only be thirty seconds.” You can get an idea from the conversations he had with the medical people what kind of patient he is.
The operating room was scheduled for 12:30, but the one he was signed up for had three different surgeries that morning and all ran late. So he was 1½ hours late going up to the OR. I quickly grabbed a lunch and ran home to let Rufus out, and then it was back to the hospital.
The operation that was to take about forty-five minutes became a two hour nightmare with apparently many things going wrong throughout. The cataract itself was very difficult to break up and get out because it had hardened. Then the nurse couldn’t understand what instruments the ophthalmologist wanted (she usually operates at another hospital but was at this one at the genius’ request because of insurance). And to top it all off, the genius couldn’t see out of his new lens that was dropped into place just before the patch went on. You can imagine what kind of mood he was in when I was finally called back to recovery.
The good news is that this morning he can see much better, even though there is a slight “white haze” over everything. I am sure that will dissipate soon and he will be able to see much better than before.
An added footnote: we just returned from the ophthalmologist and she confirmed that everything was all right.
When the genius told her that he had measured the focal distance of each eye this morning (one was 14 inches, the other was 8), she remarked, “You’re the only patient I have who would check that before you came in.”
Friday, June 6, 2008
CHURCH SEARCH
Over the years of our married life, the genius and I have had quite a wild ride in an effort to find a spiritual home for us and our family. In order to explain I’ll start at the beginning.
We were both raised in the same denomination and as we grew older, we both began to have doubts about our faith. In effect, we were questioning the beliefs we had always been taught and trying to find answers for ourselves. Eventually, we both became agnostics even though we continued to attend church, especially after the children were born.
At age thirty-one I had a spiritual experience that convinced me that there is a God, One who cares for us and watches over us in every aspect of our lives. Someday I will share that experience on the blog, but it’s not time yet. For me it will be the most important blog I’ve written to this point.
A few years later, the genius gradually began to believe somewhat the same as I did and although our beliefs are not exactly alike (what two persons’ are?), the fundamentals are the same. So we began a search for a church home that would suit both us and the kids. Sounds easy, right? Wrong --- it took us thirty-three years.
What in the world were we looking for that took us so long? Well, at the top of the list was the sermon giver. This person had to be grounded in the Word, but intelligent enough to appeal to us in his sermons. Secondly, the music is very important to us also. We both like the old hymns, but I also like the contemporary Christian songs that have become so popular over the years. Neither one of us likes mournful music that makes us feel sad. And while the children were still with us, we wanted a strong youth program. Last on the list was a feeling of camaraderie with the other members or guests attending.
The first church we joined had all but the music. The choir director liked loud, somber pieces that made me feel like I had been to a funeral. I remember telling him once that I had really liked the anthem that day (it was a joyful number that had uplifted me). His answer was, “Oh well, I have to please the young people some of the time.”
So we didn’t like the music, but we stuck with that church for a few years until they had a huge split and half of the congregation left to start a new church. We attended both churches to see what they were like and we ended up not liking either one. The search was on again.
By this time, Ashley was in college and Jim IV soon to go, so we started attending an old church on the other side of town that was a lot like the denomination we were raised in, but they were stricter in their beliefs. We loved the service – the pastor was good and the music was really great. However, (there always seemed to be a “however”) we knew very few of the people. And since it was on the other side of town, it was a chore to drive there.
After attending for about five years but not ever joining, I had begun teaching at a Christian school that was connected to a church. It was actually the same church that had broken away after the split, but there were now many more people added to the mix. We ended up joining that church even though we were not crazy about the preaching. We remained there a few years and then when we moved from the house that we had raised the children in, we quit attending. Once again, it was too far to drive.
So on to the next one. This was a much more contemporary group that we visited and was anything but traditional. The people met in a school building and most of them were much younger than we were. We loved the preacher, but the genius was uncomfortable with the informal and charismatic worship. Plus, they hardly ever sang hymns.
Finally, we found what we were looking for. The genius attended a funeral at a church and came home raving about the service and the minister who performed it. I was very willing to try it and we did soon after the funeral. As soon as we walked in and looked at the people, we both felt like we were right at home. For the first time ever, all of the qualifications were met. The sermons, the music, the people, the traditions --- all were what we had been looking for. And it is five minutes from our house!!
So I can look back at all those years, and the journey we had just makes me appreciate all the more what we have found now. I am truly grateful!!!
Over the years of our married life, the genius and I have had quite a wild ride in an effort to find a spiritual home for us and our family. In order to explain I’ll start at the beginning.
We were both raised in the same denomination and as we grew older, we both began to have doubts about our faith. In effect, we were questioning the beliefs we had always been taught and trying to find answers for ourselves. Eventually, we both became agnostics even though we continued to attend church, especially after the children were born.
At age thirty-one I had a spiritual experience that convinced me that there is a God, One who cares for us and watches over us in every aspect of our lives. Someday I will share that experience on the blog, but it’s not time yet. For me it will be the most important blog I’ve written to this point.
A few years later, the genius gradually began to believe somewhat the same as I did and although our beliefs are not exactly alike (what two persons’ are?), the fundamentals are the same. So we began a search for a church home that would suit both us and the kids. Sounds easy, right? Wrong --- it took us thirty-three years.
What in the world were we looking for that took us so long? Well, at the top of the list was the sermon giver. This person had to be grounded in the Word, but intelligent enough to appeal to us in his sermons. Secondly, the music is very important to us also. We both like the old hymns, but I also like the contemporary Christian songs that have become so popular over the years. Neither one of us likes mournful music that makes us feel sad. And while the children were still with us, we wanted a strong youth program. Last on the list was a feeling of camaraderie with the other members or guests attending.
The first church we joined had all but the music. The choir director liked loud, somber pieces that made me feel like I had been to a funeral. I remember telling him once that I had really liked the anthem that day (it was a joyful number that had uplifted me). His answer was, “Oh well, I have to please the young people some of the time.”
So we didn’t like the music, but we stuck with that church for a few years until they had a huge split and half of the congregation left to start a new church. We attended both churches to see what they were like and we ended up not liking either one. The search was on again.
By this time, Ashley was in college and Jim IV soon to go, so we started attending an old church on the other side of town that was a lot like the denomination we were raised in, but they were stricter in their beliefs. We loved the service – the pastor was good and the music was really great. However, (there always seemed to be a “however”) we knew very few of the people. And since it was on the other side of town, it was a chore to drive there.
After attending for about five years but not ever joining, I had begun teaching at a Christian school that was connected to a church. It was actually the same church that had broken away after the split, but there were now many more people added to the mix. We ended up joining that church even though we were not crazy about the preaching. We remained there a few years and then when we moved from the house that we had raised the children in, we quit attending. Once again, it was too far to drive.
So on to the next one. This was a much more contemporary group that we visited and was anything but traditional. The people met in a school building and most of them were much younger than we were. We loved the preacher, but the genius was uncomfortable with the informal and charismatic worship. Plus, they hardly ever sang hymns.
Finally, we found what we were looking for. The genius attended a funeral at a church and came home raving about the service and the minister who performed it. I was very willing to try it and we did soon after the funeral. As soon as we walked in and looked at the people, we both felt like we were right at home. For the first time ever, all of the qualifications were met. The sermons, the music, the people, the traditions --- all were what we had been looking for. And it is five minutes from our house!!
So I can look back at all those years, and the journey we had just makes me appreciate all the more what we have found now. I am truly grateful!!!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
SURPRISING REWARDS
I mentioned a few days ago about the free breakfast we received from the parent of one of the genius’ students. We were very grateful for his gift and appreciated his gesture of kindness. For parents to show their gratitude over the years has been a continual blessing for both of us.
Once at the end of the first semester several of us teachers decided to go to lunch at a nice restaurant nearby to celebrate. When we arrived, we noticed that other teachers from our school had had the same idea. There were several tables scattered throughout filled with men and women from our staff enjoying a last meal before departing for the Christmas break. I also noticed a table of mothers, one of which was the wife of a very famous country music star.
We had a great lunch, albeit a little expensive for that time of day, and when we got ready to leave we learned that our meals had already been paid for. That lovely lady had paid for the lunch of every teacher in the place! What a nice surprise and early Christmas present that was.
And just this spring another nice thing happened to the genius. He had bought a car a few years ago with a GPS system in it, and just after the warranty ran out, the system went down. He took it to the dealership where he had bought it and they informed him it would cost $4000 to replace it!! He said, “I didn’t pay but $2000 for it to start with!” But they remained firm about the price.
A few weeks later he was working out with an alum from his school where he teaches who owns another dealership of the same brand of cars he has. So while they were conversing, the genius mentioned the situation. That kind man told him to bring it out to his place, and long story short, they fixed it for free. I’m sure we will buy every car from that man from now on!!
These are just two examples of how parents and alums have been generous to us over the years. And believe me, we have been very grateful for their generosity.
Teaching certainly has its rewards that are not monetary, and they are many, but we certainly appreciate receiving the other kind, also.
I mentioned a few days ago about the free breakfast we received from the parent of one of the genius’ students. We were very grateful for his gift and appreciated his gesture of kindness. For parents to show their gratitude over the years has been a continual blessing for both of us.
Once at the end of the first semester several of us teachers decided to go to lunch at a nice restaurant nearby to celebrate. When we arrived, we noticed that other teachers from our school had had the same idea. There were several tables scattered throughout filled with men and women from our staff enjoying a last meal before departing for the Christmas break. I also noticed a table of mothers, one of which was the wife of a very famous country music star.
We had a great lunch, albeit a little expensive for that time of day, and when we got ready to leave we learned that our meals had already been paid for. That lovely lady had paid for the lunch of every teacher in the place! What a nice surprise and early Christmas present that was.
And just this spring another nice thing happened to the genius. He had bought a car a few years ago with a GPS system in it, and just after the warranty ran out, the system went down. He took it to the dealership where he had bought it and they informed him it would cost $4000 to replace it!! He said, “I didn’t pay but $2000 for it to start with!” But they remained firm about the price.
A few weeks later he was working out with an alum from his school where he teaches who owns another dealership of the same brand of cars he has. So while they were conversing, the genius mentioned the situation. That kind man told him to bring it out to his place, and long story short, they fixed it for free. I’m sure we will buy every car from that man from now on!!
These are just two examples of how parents and alums have been generous to us over the years. And believe me, we have been very grateful for their generosity.
Teaching certainly has its rewards that are not monetary, and they are many, but we certainly appreciate receiving the other kind, also.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
THE SISTERS’ ANNUAL GET-TOGETHER
I just returned from my yearly visit to a state park to spend a night with my two sisters, MA and BJ. We had a great time, as usual, spending most of yesterday lounging at the pool and solving all the world’s problems. We love talking to each other, but visiting with them always emphasizes to me how different I am from them, especially in a domestic situation.
For one thing, they are both very thrifty and watch their pennies carefully. I, on the other hand, am just the opposite and I’m sure that I spend much more on groceries than they do even though the genius and I eat out a lot. On this outing I was again reminded how unlike we are in this respect.
Each one of us prepares a meal and brings it with us. This time I brought yesterday’s lunch, MA brought the dinner, and BJ the breakfast that we ate before departing for home. I had brought paper plates and disposable drinking cups so we wouldn’t have to wash as many dishes (I’m always looking for ways to make housekeeping easier). After we finished lunch and I was starting to clean off the table, MA said to leave her paper plate where it was; she didn’t get it dirty and she could use it for dinner. I am accustomed to this kind of behavior from her and said OK. (The genius has jokingly accused her of going through the trash cans after our annual picnic to look for plastic cups to take home and re-use.)
Last night I looked over at her as she finished up the dinner and did a double take. She was pouring dishwashing liquid into a zip lock bag, then water, and washing it so she could take it home and use it again. When I couldn’t resist making a comment, BJ informed me that she did the same. And one of them, I can’t remember which one, said she had brought something wrapped in aluminum foil that was recycled. And of course, all the disposable plastic cups were washed by hand so they could be used again.
The key word for me here is “disposable.” Why use plastic cups when you’re going to wash then afterwards? Why not just use glasses or fine crystal? The joy and beauty of using plastic things and aluminum foil is so I can throw them away after I use them.
Ah well, as I said before, if I didn’t look like these two, I would think my mother and father had picked me up off the street someplace. I guess we had an ancestor somewhere back in our lineage who was like me in this way, but so far I have found no evidence of that.
The good news is that in spite of our differences, we accept each other the way we are and have a great time together.
I just returned from my yearly visit to a state park to spend a night with my two sisters, MA and BJ. We had a great time, as usual, spending most of yesterday lounging at the pool and solving all the world’s problems. We love talking to each other, but visiting with them always emphasizes to me how different I am from them, especially in a domestic situation.
For one thing, they are both very thrifty and watch their pennies carefully. I, on the other hand, am just the opposite and I’m sure that I spend much more on groceries than they do even though the genius and I eat out a lot. On this outing I was again reminded how unlike we are in this respect.
Each one of us prepares a meal and brings it with us. This time I brought yesterday’s lunch, MA brought the dinner, and BJ the breakfast that we ate before departing for home. I had brought paper plates and disposable drinking cups so we wouldn’t have to wash as many dishes (I’m always looking for ways to make housekeeping easier). After we finished lunch and I was starting to clean off the table, MA said to leave her paper plate where it was; she didn’t get it dirty and she could use it for dinner. I am accustomed to this kind of behavior from her and said OK. (The genius has jokingly accused her of going through the trash cans after our annual picnic to look for plastic cups to take home and re-use.)
Last night I looked over at her as she finished up the dinner and did a double take. She was pouring dishwashing liquid into a zip lock bag, then water, and washing it so she could take it home and use it again. When I couldn’t resist making a comment, BJ informed me that she did the same. And one of them, I can’t remember which one, said she had brought something wrapped in aluminum foil that was recycled. And of course, all the disposable plastic cups were washed by hand so they could be used again.
The key word for me here is “disposable.” Why use plastic cups when you’re going to wash then afterwards? Why not just use glasses or fine crystal? The joy and beauty of using plastic things and aluminum foil is so I can throw them away after I use them.
Ah well, as I said before, if I didn’t look like these two, I would think my mother and father had picked me up off the street someplace. I guess we had an ancestor somewhere back in our lineage who was like me in this way, but so far I have found no evidence of that.
The good news is that in spite of our differences, we accept each other the way we are and have a great time together.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
MEMORIAL DAY BREAKFAST
On Memorial Day the genius and I decided to go out for breakfast. We chose The Waffle House, a favorite of ours, especially now that there’s no smoking there, and it’s not too far from our house.
When we walked in, I noticed a nice man dressed in pants and a blue Waffle House shirt walking around, making sure that everything was all right. I supposed him to be the manager although I had never seen him there before. When he reached us, he asked us if all was well and we assured him it was. Then the genius surprised me by sticking out his hand and introducing himself and then said, “I taught your son this year.”
You can imagine my astonishment when he said this because all I could think was “How in the world does a Waffle House manager afford to send his son to that school ($18,000/year)?”
Then the genius asked him what he was doing working “in the trenches” on that day and turned to me to say, “He’s the CEO of Waffle House.” It turned out that he sometimes dons his W.H. uniform and goes around to different restaurants to oversee things, etc.
It was then that I noticed the servers, particularly ours: She was as nervous as a cat. When she brought me my sausage, she dropped one off of the plate onto the table. Also, when she told the genius that the OJ machine was being cleaned and he would have to wait a while for the juice, CEO jumps in and shows her where some more is. I felt really sorry for her and could understand why she was edgy.
The rest of the story is that after we had left a generous tip and were standing at the register to pay, CEO reaches over and grabs the ticket, saying the breakfast was on him.
As I’ve said before, “Teaching can have its rewards in more ways than one!!”
On Memorial Day the genius and I decided to go out for breakfast. We chose The Waffle House, a favorite of ours, especially now that there’s no smoking there, and it’s not too far from our house.
When we walked in, I noticed a nice man dressed in pants and a blue Waffle House shirt walking around, making sure that everything was all right. I supposed him to be the manager although I had never seen him there before. When he reached us, he asked us if all was well and we assured him it was. Then the genius surprised me by sticking out his hand and introducing himself and then said, “I taught your son this year.”
You can imagine my astonishment when he said this because all I could think was “How in the world does a Waffle House manager afford to send his son to that school ($18,000/year)?”
Then the genius asked him what he was doing working “in the trenches” on that day and turned to me to say, “He’s the CEO of Waffle House.” It turned out that he sometimes dons his W.H. uniform and goes around to different restaurants to oversee things, etc.
It was then that I noticed the servers, particularly ours: She was as nervous as a cat. When she brought me my sausage, she dropped one off of the plate onto the table. Also, when she told the genius that the OJ machine was being cleaned and he would have to wait a while for the juice, CEO jumps in and shows her where some more is. I felt really sorry for her and could understand why she was edgy.
The rest of the story is that after we had left a generous tip and were standing at the register to pay, CEO reaches over and grabs the ticket, saying the breakfast was on him.
As I’ve said before, “Teaching can have its rewards in more ways than one!!”
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