Sunday, October 31, 2004

I miss taking them out to trick-or-treat. That could just be the weather talking, though. It's pretty nice out there tonight. I certainly don't miss the cold years. And I'm not getting much traffic up here at this end of the neighborhood. I've started giving out handfuls instead of one or two pieces. (Which could explain a couple of the repeats I've seen.)

Saturday, October 30, 2004

When they were little, I could take them to the store – any store – and point out how cool it would be to go dressed as, say, Peter Pan. "Okay!" And off we'd go. Pouf the hair, spray some glitter around, toss them out the door with a grocery sack. Yeah, yeah, at least one adult went along. Then at the end of the evening, I would collect the parent tithe. Ten percent of all the candy. Plus extra Reeses peanut butter cups.

Now they want to be clever. Em is going as a "vs." sign. Her two friends are going as Bush and Kerry. Chris is going to a party as "the spirit of Halloween." I have no idea what that means. Apparently it requires: a janitor costume, long black fingernails, and a cane, and some other stuff I've forgotten.

Aaron is a very sophisticated vampire. He's wearing his tuxedo shirt. Ironed.

Friday, October 29, 2004

Ahhhhh. I have a few days off. Of course, instead of doing all the things I've been telling myself I'll do "when I have time" – hahaha! – I'm goofing around. I've caught up on my forums for the past few days, done a little bit of housework, played with the wonderful Sophie (aged 3 months), and I'm thinking about taking a nice long walk. (There's a nearby national park with great trails.)

Recommended reading:
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke
From the back cover: I was fascinated by the mixture of historical realism and utterly fascinating events: I almost began to believe that there really was a tradition of 'English magic' that I had not heard about. It's an astonishing achievement. I can't think of anything that is remotely like it.

I can't say it any better than that.

Warning: There aren't many car chases or bombs or computers… it takes place in the 1800s, and it's written in omniscient voice (opinionated omniscient at that.) I love this book so far.

The Ancestor's Tale, Richard Dawkins
What can I say? He's great. The inside cover flap calls him a "renowned biologist and thinker."

Someday I would like to be referred to as a "thinker."

Thursday, October 28, 2004

Okay, I have so little time today, but I just have to say…

FINALLY! All my baseball ghosts can start to fade away.

Monday, October 25, 2004

To do:

Sweep back porch of accumulated ugly leaves.

Pick out a turkey to kill.

Buy assorted candy to give out to neighborhood kids. Sort through the assorted candy and make sure the neighborhood kids get all the coconut ones. Eat the rest.

Call the furnace guy. Something smells funny.

Clean the ovens.

Buy a whole bunch of magazines with cool looking recipes that will not be used.

Organize freezer. That thing is a mess.

Saturday, October 23, 2004

Thank goodness the Batman episodes involving Marsha the Queen of Diamonds didn't air until November 1966. I'd seriously wonder about my naming, otherwise.

Batman: "I made a bargain with Penguin, and I never break my word."
Marsha: "Bargain? Why, half the men in the world would fight to be kissed by Marsha, Queen of Diamonds."
Batman: "They certainly wouldn't have to fight me."


Fabulous.

Thursday, October 21, 2004

In the fall of 1978, this little long-haired raggedy kid rode around the block over and over in a rage. No one else was outside. They were still in their living rooms, sitting before their televisions in disbelief. So she just rode her red white and blue Spirit Of '76 bike (with banana seat, of course) around and around.

She hated – hated hated hated – the Yankees.

Today, finally, she can let go of her hatred a little bit. Mostly to taunt them, but still. It is progress.

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Earlier in the year, I was thinking of going to the Baltimore tournament. I like that tournament. It's close to me, cozy, well-run. I know most of the people there. Even while on sabbatical, I considered going, just because it was so close. Eventually I decided against it.

For the last few weeks, I've thought about visiting on Saturday night, joining the after-hours session, but after Em's difficult afternoon there was no way I'd leave her alone.

Late Saturday night I was reading the newspaper online and came across an article about a stretch of highway near Baltimore that had to be closed for several hours because of multiple (I think the number was 92) car crashes during a few minutes of intense rain. I found myself thinking, "well, good thing I didn't try to go to the play session; I'd have been trapped in that traffic all night."

And now I read on my Scrabble list that the director of the tournament, one I particularly like, passed away on Sunday night, soon after the completion of the tournament. And I'm regretting that I couldn't be there. I will miss him.

I watch people play scrabble online sometimes, and there is this funny little meme that goes around, like a scrabble idea virus. It's something like this: The player makes a move, what they feel to be the correct play. They draw their replacement tiles. And then they say: "Oh, that must not have been the right move; look what happened." Maybe their opponent made a huge play that was only made possible by their last play. Or maybe they drew UUYY. But the truth is that sometimes the correct play doesn't lead to great things. Chance is always a part. The other player is always there. But the correct play is the correct play.

The choices I made were the correct choices, but they weren't correct because of the eventual outcome. The accidents and traffic didn't confirm that my choices were good, and the director's death didn't negate my choices. It was right for me to stay home with Em. That's all.

Saturday, October 16, 2004

Em called me this afternoon. (Yes, I answered the phone.) Some guy was bothering her while she was walking home from working on a project with some friends. I went and picked her up, adrenaline pouring through me from scalp to toes. She is okay. We're both shaken. Tonight we're going to buy a new phone for her, because the old phone has been acting up and it took her several tries to reach me.

Thursday, October 14, 2004

Counting the fax machine, there are 14 different phone numbers for this household. (I'm also counting Daniel's cell phone, despite the fact that he is in Maine, since I still pay that bill!) Fourteen. This is partly because the cable modem company offers something silly like eight. So even the kids have their own land lines. But they also each have a cell phone, which may seem like coddling the suburban kiddos but is really very convenient for me. The dog does not have her own phone line.

But I hate using the phone. I rarely answer the house line (any line, really). The kids don’t even seem to notice it ringing. Guests will look at us all as we ignore the shrilling – none of us even flinch. We just keep going about our business, talking, eating, whatever. Sometimes guests will even volunteer to answer it, a little uneasily, as if they're wondering if we are avoiding someone specific or whether maybe we all are just a little confused or hard of hearing. Many people are very uncomfortable around a ringing telephone.

So technologically it is very easy to reach me. But first you have to get through the barriers my personality raises.

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

I lost $38.10 this week at Scrabble. (I wonder if this counts as hobby expense for tax purposes.)

Bob works with some of the school Scrabble kids to help prepare them for their tournaments. One of the kids, an 11-year-old girl named Laura, was playing at the table next to ours. She slapped down some phony bingo and then grabbed for the tile bag. "See that?" Bob whispered, "I taught her to do that."

I stared at him for a minute and then told him he was evil.

To recap for those who aren't paying attention, I've played twelve club games in the past week and a half and have won: Three. This sabbatical thing may be for the best.

Monday, October 11, 2004

It didn't work. The debates were terribly depressing. One is not smart enough; the other can't leave his weasel side at home. The less smart one tried out a few more facial expressions this time, though, which was pretty entertaining. Chris and I watched two things together this week: Drew Carey's new show (can't remember the name) and the debates. We laughed a lot more at the debates.

Curie didn't win her show, and it was a really really easy show to win. She's a great dog and she has one of the best handlers around. So why didn't she win? I still say it's her three-legged dorky dance she does. "What's that?" thinks the judge. "Some kind of amphibian?" Comportment and style, Curie dear. Let's get it together.
Happy Thanksgiving to you folks in Canada. Just because you celebrate it first doesn't mean you celebrate it correctly.

Friday, October 08, 2004

I start studying again tonight. (I need something to do while I listen to the debates. Maybe if I am studying, I won't be quite so depressed by the debates.) The long list of eights without sevens is not quite finished, so I'm sure I'll start there.

End of a long long week. I survived it.

Thursday, October 07, 2004

Censorship update:

According to Em's civics assignment: "Inappropriate news topics will not be accepted. If you are unsure of what is considered appropriate, please consult your teacher or your parents." (The assignment sheet printed that sentence in bold type.)

Her entire summary:

Source: Washingtonpost.com
Headline: House Defeats Gay Marriage Amendment
Main Idea: Debating whether or not gay marriages should be banned
Summary: People in the House of Representatives debate about banning gay marriage, and it turns out they won't be. :) (Penciled smiley.)
Connection: This connects to civics because it has to do with making laws and debating which are big parts of the government.

Now, besides the fact that this is a danged sketchy summary and I'd like to throttle her for that, the only opinion she offers is the little smiley. She is brief and matter-of-fact. Practically boring! If anything, the article that she summarized is even more dry.

She did what she was told to do and checked with me regarding the appropriateness of the article.

Clearly, this job will require my cape and boots.

Wednesday, October 06, 2004

I'm in a crusade kind of mood this week. I'm getting all bent out of shape about stuff like the dangers of fast food and the public education system and, ugh, the election… I read an article in this month's Wired Magazine about the newest (and sophisticated) assault on teaching kids evolution in our schools, and my heart just sinks.

Where do I begin?

Obviously one place to start is on those walks with the kids or in the drive-through lane or grocery store, over meals, under umbrellas. But of course I do this already. We talk about the silliness of the intelligent design movement – and the cleverness. We talk about a whole bunch of stuff.

But I'm more in the mood for action right now.

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Em is taking eighth grade civics. We all know what that means: weekly hunts through the newspaper for articles that have some kind of connection to civics/government. Every Friday the students are expected to turn in a brief summary of the article that they have chosen. It's a traditional way to try to get the students interested in the news. It doesn't work, of course.

Anyway, so last week Em chose an article in the Washington Post that reported on the Virginia legislature's vote against the gay marriage ban. She asked me if I thought the article was related to civics. I said, "of course!" Voting, politics, government – it seemed to be perfect.

The teacher didn't agree. She gave the summary back to Em on Monday with a large NC (no credit) written across the top. "Inappropriate. Please redo."

It is possible that the teacher gave out guidelines at the beginning of the year. I'm waiting to hear. Chris tells me that his eighth grade civics teacher did have topics that were off limits: abortion, gun control, gay marriage, a few others. "Those topics have been covered quite a bit; let's look at some other topics in this class." If this is the case with her class, I will probably just simmer in silence. But I haven't decided. However, if the class was not given guidelines regarding the topics, then I will have to do something. I'm not sure what that something is yet.

Monday, October 04, 2004

A hamburger Happy Meal: 260 calories for the burger, 230 calories for small fries, 110 calories for a child-sized Coke. So 600 calories. That's about a third of the calories a normal woman should have in a day.

560 calories for a Big Mac, 520 for the large fries, 310 for a large Coke. So 1390 for the grownup meal. Large chocolate shake: 1160 calories.

So. If I absolutely must do fast food, and yes, sometimes I must, then I get a Happy Meal. The toys for boys are a little cooler than the toys for girls, generally. But for the sake of the nieces, I usually choose the girl ones and give them to the girls if I remember.

Sunday, October 03, 2004

Weekend update!

I'm sitting quietly in my office when I hear a big crash. Crashes aren't all that rare in this house. Youthful exuberance, knotheaded kids, however you put it. But this one sounded like a wall fell over. Turns out it almost did. Chris and Nick were… what, wrestling? Jostling? Brawling? Who's to know? Anyway, now there's a nick-torso-sized hole in the basement wall. Nick doesn't have any bruises. The basement is now very ...clean. All is well.

And for the second weekend in a row I've enjoyed playing scrabble. This week I lost most of my games and ten bucks besides. But I had a great time. One more step towards getting my scrabble joy back.

Friday, October 01, 2004

I weigh X + 7 today. Nice try. I'm not telling you what X is. X is the weight I like to be. I like the way my jeans fit, the way my cheekbones look. X + 10, however, is the weight my body thinks it is supposed to be. In other words, if I eat what I feel like eating, if I exercise the way I like (rambling walks with and without other people), I end up at X + 10. Without fail.

(We'll ignore the effect of hormones for the time being.)

So I was reading this article in Analog about the race (haha) to find a pill to cure obesity. Great article, by the way. Go read it. The author, Richard Lovett, talks about the numbers of obesity. Most adults don't gain fifty pounds a year. Most adults gain about two pounds a year, and it's this creeping gain that causes a lot of us to be complacent. What's two pounds?

It's forty pounds by middle age.

It's 7000 calories. Some of us gain them in small binges, but most of us gain them… just a little at a time. 20 calories a day. That's a carrot. That's a couple of flights of stairs. We're just a little off balance in our intake/output equations.

So right now I'm measuring 20 calories a day against my X + 10 problem, and weighing both of those against my long-term health goals going into my (gasp) forties.
On the way home from school, Aaron (and Chris and Em and Devon) were sideswiped by another teenaged driver. The poor kid spoke very little English and was obviously terrified. Aaron wrote down a notebook page worth of information about the other car, the driver, the passenger; he had three addresses and phone numbers, license plate numbers, vehicle identification number… I think if the kid had had textbooks with him, Aaron might have jotted down the titles. He was very very thorough. The other kid didn't even take down Aaron's phone number. After my initial rush of terror when Devon started out saying: "Hello, Mrs. McPhee, I have bad news," (note to Devon, always start out by saying "we're all okay!"), I was just so relieved that they were okay, that Aaron and his passengers handled themselves so well, that they were smart and calm and kind to the other driver.

Of course, it took me until at least one o'clock in the morning to fall asleep. I kept thinking about what could have happened. Why the heck do I do that?