Labor day weekend. The unofficial end of Summer and beginning of Fall. It used to be the real bookend of summer along with Memorial Day in the Spring to bracket off those glorious days of no school with swimming, camping, hiking and wonderful summer food.
Now school starts in the middle of August (or sooner for us!) and children across the United States are robbed of that special feeling that Labor Day used to bring, the one of new and exciting beginnings. Even college students are mostly all in classes by Labor Day Weekend. So it becomes a ho-hum holiday, more defined by seeing Jerry Lewis and his telethon than anything else. (Oh, sure, maybe it is also the unofficial start of football season too.)
I miss the good old days of the final Barbecue of the season, and being able to say no white shoes after Labor Day! I will never really be a follower of the solstices and equinoxes as markers of my seasons. Those are not neat and tidy, like the end of a three month span. So I will be celebrating Labor Day this year with a pot-luck get-together and labor unions will not be mentioned at all, nor will I be thinking about the day of work I might be missing. And I will be commemorating all of the wonderful ends of summer, beginnings of a new school year that I have been a part of, and trust me there were a lot!
As I posted on my white board eighteen years ago on the first day of our home school, Be there or be square!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Pass the Rifles Please
We live on an Army post where we see all kinds of things that would make the general public stop and stare. It is a training post. Basic training roadside marches with soldiers in full regalia are not unusual. In fact where we live, it can actually sound like a war zone. The house shook most of last night as tanks worked their target practice and the thunderous impact made the windows rattle. And the sound of basic trainees early in the morning and evening is like the dull roar of a sports stadium filled to capacity.
But something yesterday even made me take a second look. There is a field house just a couple of hundred yards out our back door and up a small hill. A small unit of a hundred or so soldiers were in their standard gray PT uniforms, you know gray shorts and T-shirt with the black ARMY across the front. They had formed lines, which is also Army standard. A Sergeant at the front of this huge line was handing out, as each soldier stepped forward one at a time, rifles!
That I had never seen before! Were they going to do a three-miler while lugging their guns? The usual procedure for getting equipment is quite different. You get your Kevlar (helmet), your rucksack, boots and other standard Army issue together. I will have to ask the next drill sergeant I see about this unusual drill.
But something yesterday even made me take a second look. There is a field house just a couple of hundred yards out our back door and up a small hill. A small unit of a hundred or so soldiers were in their standard gray PT uniforms, you know gray shorts and T-shirt with the black ARMY across the front. They had formed lines, which is also Army standard. A Sergeant at the front of this huge line was handing out, as each soldier stepped forward one at a time, rifles!
That I had never seen before! Were they going to do a three-miler while lugging their guns? The usual procedure for getting equipment is quite different. You get your Kevlar (helmet), your rucksack, boots and other standard Army issue together. I will have to ask the next drill sergeant I see about this unusual drill.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Defending the Goal
This was the Beaver's 4th game of the season, although the last two games counted more as scrimmages. The Falcons were up against one of their toughest competitors, Trinity. We are down one of our key players, in fact, he's out for the season with an injury. So the mindset going in was not too good. Trinity outnumbers us by almost double, which means they can rotate their players frequently and stay fresh. But our defense was on. They played hard and kept the ball on the move. Still our keeper played an awesome game. He was credited with 24 saves! Yep, that would be the Beaver!
And there were several near misses, and grabs that were loose, and then tightened up. It was the fastest game with many gasps, groans, and heart-attack moments. That's just from us parents!
Our offense was kept busy in the defending mode as well, but they did try a number of shots on goal. More importantly, they played as a team and communicated well. The other team played an aggressive game, and part of that strategy was to intimidate by yelling, in what I would say was not a very sportsmanship like manner, but it does seem to work for them. The final score was 0-1, but the Falcons should be very proud of keeping the score that low. Not as good as a win, but sometimes it's just about defending the goal.
And there were several near misses, and grabs that were loose, and then tightened up. It was the fastest game with many gasps, groans, and heart-attack moments. That's just from us parents!
Our offense was kept busy in the defending mode as well, but they did try a number of shots on goal. More importantly, they played as a team and communicated well. The other team played an aggressive game, and part of that strategy was to intimidate by yelling, in what I would say was not a very sportsmanship like manner, but it does seem to work for them. The final score was 0-1, but the Falcons should be very proud of keeping the score that low. Not as good as a win, but sometimes it's just about defending the goal.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Dream A Little Dream Of?
Do you remember your dreams?
Last night I had a doozie. It included several Sasquatches and various rednecks in red and black flannel shirts chasing them. I know, I know, I watch too much TV, particularly the Fox news channel! I believe there was a little lost girl in the mix.
The thing is with my dreams is I know they are dreams, I will even say to my asleep self, "Why are you dreaming about this?!" Ha! And what would Freud say about all of this? And sometimes I will even do a kind of rewind and play it back with my preferred scenario. But then, if you think about it, they are all MY scenarios, but my Id overrides my Superego, or vice versa, so I get what I want.
I don't normally even have that many dreams. Last night I had a late night snack and I think that's what triggered my hairy non-REM cycle video. Usually I'm really tired and my sleep is much more like the black hole, and I think that's a good thing. Not that dreaming is a bad thing, unless it's about Bigfoot!
Last night I had a doozie. It included several Sasquatches and various rednecks in red and black flannel shirts chasing them. I know, I know, I watch too much TV, particularly the Fox news channel! I believe there was a little lost girl in the mix.
The thing is with my dreams is I know they are dreams, I will even say to my asleep self, "Why are you dreaming about this?!" Ha! And what would Freud say about all of this? And sometimes I will even do a kind of rewind and play it back with my preferred scenario. But then, if you think about it, they are all MY scenarios, but my Id overrides my Superego, or vice versa, so I get what I want.
I don't normally even have that many dreams. Last night I had a late night snack and I think that's what triggered my hairy non-REM cycle video. Usually I'm really tired and my sleep is much more like the black hole, and I think that's a good thing. Not that dreaming is a bad thing, unless it's about Bigfoot!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Ain't She a Peach?
Our monthly book club meeting is coming up and you might well ask what does that have to do with peaches? Well, it's a circuitous route, but we get there. The title of our book is Rhett Butler's People, and yes it's an add on to the famous Gone With the Wind tale of Scarlet and Rhett, but from Rhett's side of the story. It's not bad and keeps an accurate parallel to the original. Of course you had to like the original, and I did.
When I'm reading a novel I always pay attention to the food mentioned in the setting and since Tara is in Georgia, I naturally had to think of Georgia peaches . . . because making a Vidalia Onion Cobbler doesn't sound nearly as appetizing, does it? And our commissary had fresh local peaches by the basket. So it was serendipity wasn't it, that I should make a peach cobbler while reading about Scarlet and Rhett finally living happily ever after!
When I'm reading a novel I always pay attention to the food mentioned in the setting and since Tara is in Georgia, I naturally had to think of Georgia peaches . . . because making a Vidalia Onion Cobbler doesn't sound nearly as appetizing, does it? And our commissary had fresh local peaches by the basket. So it was serendipity wasn't it, that I should make a peach cobbler while reading about Scarlet and Rhett finally living happily ever after!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Worst Cut Is the Deepest
Yeah, I'm back on the haircut thing for the Beave. But as it turns out, it's not a bad hair cut after all. I would never tell the Beave this, but he's just really a cutie no matter how he wears his hair. Anyway, Saturday the sheep was shorn, but not to the skin, about 1 inch on the top still left and then shorter on the sides. Turns out that the soccer team members are all trying to get a fauxhawk thing going for games. (Think Beckham before he went all skinhead!)
So how important are appearances to your attitude about a person? Would you rather be served at a restaurant by a clean cut looking young man, or a guy with a tattooed forearm (let's say with a skull and crossbones) and three face piercings (you know eyebrow, nose and lip) . . . I'm just saying!
So how important are appearances to your attitude about a person? Would you rather be served at a restaurant by a clean cut looking young man, or a guy with a tattooed forearm (let's say with a skull and crossbones) and three face piercings (you know eyebrow, nose and lip) . . . I'm just saying!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Youth, Innocence, and a Bad Haircut
P. J. O'Rourke's book title is Age and Guile Beat Youth, Innocence, and a Bad Haircut. Ha, a bad haircut can ruin anyone's day, young or old! Just ask the Beave.
Within the last week he has been back to the salon three times, and still has gotten in trouble. Maybe it's my fault. I said sure, you can grow your hair out this summer. And so for two months his locks have been growing trim free; got to admit it was cute. He has blonde, curly tresses, the kind a young girl could swoon over. His ball cap wreaks havoc with those curls though, sending them in swirls up and over the edge of the cap. Anyway, the school he attends has a definite hair code, off the ears, off the collar, and off the eyebrows. School started August 5. August 1, we had the first trim, just to break ground and get the Beave prepared for further shearing. Then, August 4, we went in for the kill and got what we thought would be good to go for the first day of school.
August 5, it was a no go, three demerits and back to the salon for a trim. And actually, it looked good to me. Third times a charm and all, but the Beave reported yesterday, that it seems he was following the letter of the law, but not the spirit. Huh?! They want it shorter. Now, we're beginning to feel like they are the Hair Nazis! Just kidding, the Beave said he had wanted to go short anyway, as the long hair is killing him in the heat and playing soccer.
Here's hoping that this fourth cut will be the sweetest.
Within the last week he has been back to the salon three times, and still has gotten in trouble. Maybe it's my fault. I said sure, you can grow your hair out this summer. And so for two months his locks have been growing trim free; got to admit it was cute. He has blonde, curly tresses, the kind a young girl could swoon over. His ball cap wreaks havoc with those curls though, sending them in swirls up and over the edge of the cap. Anyway, the school he attends has a definite hair code, off the ears, off the collar, and off the eyebrows. School started August 5. August 1, we had the first trim, just to break ground and get the Beave prepared for further shearing. Then, August 4, we went in for the kill and got what we thought would be good to go for the first day of school.
August 5, it was a no go, three demerits and back to the salon for a trim. And actually, it looked good to me. Third times a charm and all, but the Beave reported yesterday, that it seems he was following the letter of the law, but not the spirit. Huh?! They want it shorter. Now, we're beginning to feel like they are the Hair Nazis! Just kidding, the Beave said he had wanted to go short anyway, as the long hair is killing him in the heat and playing soccer.
Here's hoping that this fourth cut will be the sweetest.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Similes, Analogies, Metaphors and Like, Whatever
Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their
collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school
essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of
teachers across the country.
Here are last year's winners.....
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. Instead of 8:00.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil,this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.
collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school
essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of
teachers across the country.
Here are last year's winners.....
1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.
2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.
3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.
4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.
5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.
6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.
7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.
8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.
9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.
10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.
11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. Instead of 8:00.
12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.
13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.
14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.
15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.
16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.
17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.
18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.
19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.
20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil,this plan just might work.
21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.
22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
23. The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.
24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.
25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.
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