Cover the Crack

No one likes to look at butt cracks. I'm just wondering why we see them so much. In the past 24 hours I have seen three butt cracks. One 60 year-old man, one 30-something woman, and one 13-year-old girl. Can they not feel that their cracks are showing? Do they think crack showing is appropriate? Maybe they think it is just a minor offense, sort of like spinach in the teeth. It's gross. It's crass.

People - pull up the pants. Cover the crack!

It Happened To Me

This week a Harvard Professor was arrested at his home for breaking into it - he couldn't open the door so he had to break into his own house. Most people have had some reason to break into their house, right? I have. Living with two teens means keys are lost and I am often locked out. That's life. Once when I went to my husband's house, I had no key so I sort of broke in. The security alarm went off and the police came. I simply said I was sorry for their bother and they left. They did not check my ID or ask me any questions. If the cops had checked my ID they would have noticed that my name was different than my husband's name and the address on my ID was from a different state. I would have looked guilty of breaking in. I was worried, but clearly, didn't need to be. I am a white woman, after all.

Professor Henry Louis Gates is black. He was arrested at his home. He showed his ID that showed his address as being the same as the house he was supposedly breaking into. I know these are just two examples and there are hundreds that may or may not be fair. Who knows. But at the very least, the dumbo cop should apologize. Be courageous. Say you made a mistake and then make sure you bring your keys.

Summer

You wonder why anything I have to say would be of use for anyone, but it is useful to me. Did you watch the NAACP Obama speech? If not, please do. It's amazing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv6EAaoFNno.

Here's what's great about our president:

He takes no crap from anyone.
He says difficult things ("you're not all going to be 'Lil Wayne or LeBron") and he is funny.
He makes mistakes and admits them.
He works hard and then keeps working harder.

I don't really like how he wears his pants though. He's got a little of the mom-jean thing going. Maybe he is trying hard to do the opposite of the butt- showing jean thing, but come on. Be cool.

I've been in school this summer, teaching and learning. Teaching in the day, schooling in the night. I love it. I was trying to figure out what's so great about going to school and it is the process of learning. It is as if I can feel my brain getting smarter. I'm a good student. I ask questions, I press for understanding, I take notes, I do my homework (usually on time) and I help my classmates. Why? Because I care about the content and I care about learning.

How do I get this same thing going on in my class?

I mean really, why should they care about linear functions and probability? It's more fun to talk to boys and giggle and be cute. Really?

Did You Ever Notice?

Did you ever notice that on the day you have that appointment to get your haircut, your hair looks better than ever (just before the cut)? AND when you call in sick to work the night before, you feel perfectly fine in the morning. They are connected. Think about it.

Mother's Day

I've often said that I have the all time greatest mother. She is unique and lovely and a model for me. I have so many great moments with her. One of the moments that I keep close to my heart is a time when I was quite young I had a bloody nose in the middle of the night. I remember sitting in the bathroom and she was on the floor sitting in front of me holding a cold cloth on my face and talking to me. It was the middle of the night and I'm sure she was exhausted but she just calmly sat there with me until it stopped bleeding. I loved and still love having time with her all to myself. It didn't happen very often in my youth what with all the other children she had to have before and after me.

Here are some other things about my mother that I admire and adore:

She never complains
She knows the birthdates of my childhood friends ... still
She has a better memory than anyone I know
She can talk about her children and grandchildren for hours
She is proud of all of us
She feeds the poor
She always made exactly what I wanted for lunch
After school there would usually be a cookie or cupcake waiting for me
She laughs hard at my dad's jokes
She believes the best in everyone
She never says no when someone asks for her help
When she yelled (which was rare) I know she meant it
When she said, "I'm never taking you girls shopping again" I know she didn't mean it
She listens
She can laugh at herself

Whenever I am with her in the neighborhood someone inevitably stops her and says "Weren't you my pre-school teacher?" And she will say, "Yes, and you were the boy who loved dinosaurs, and isn't your birthday on August 1, and how's your dog Fido?"

Thanks for being so fabulous Mom!!!

When you Stopping Thinking About THAT Person

So you're with someone for a long long time. And then one day they are gone. Just how long does it take for the thoughts to stop? I remember realizing "hey - I haven't thought about X for a day!" And feeling relieved and surprised and astounded. Because when it first happens, of course, you CANNOT get them out of your mind. It is part of your breathing and your heart beat. Your waking moments and so many things you see and hear and do that remind you. But then a day goes by, and then another and another, then it's a week and then a month and then you know you are changed.

Sometimes when I think of it I just replace it with a happy thought - like a giant flower superimposed over the face or a hot fudge sundae or piece of chocolate cake. It isn't easy. It feels out of my control - but it is in our control. WE CONTROL OUR THOUGHTS. No kidding.

Here are some random questions:

Why do nice shoes hurt so much?

Who thinks yellow pants are a good idea?

Why do we live with animals in our home and pick up their poop and stuff?

Where are the matching socks and the covers to the markers?

Who is stealing my pens?

Why do pencils wear out so quickly and mostly have busted leads?

Why do teachers insist on pencils? Aren't mistakes for learning? Use pens.

Do other people like scotch tape like I do?

How many fonts do we really need?

How did we get two different kind of lower case a's?

That's all for today.