Ghost Bikes

I had never heard of this until today. I've never seen any around here. That's probably because most Alabamians don't exercise. :) HAHAHAH

I Ask You

What scene would I want to be enveloped in
more than this one,
an ordinary night at the kitchen table,
floral wallpaper pressing in,
white cabinets full of glass,
the telephone silent,
a pen tilted back in my hand?

It gives me time to think
about all that is going on outside--
leaves gathering in corners,
lichen greening the high grey rocks,
while over the dunes the world sails on,
huge, ocean-going, history bubbling in its wake.

But beyond this table
there is nothing that I need,
not even a job that would allow me to row to work,
or a coffee-colored Aston Martin DB4
with cracked green leather seats.

No, it's all here,
the clear ovals of a glass of water,
a small crate of oranges, a book on Stalin,
not to mention the odd snarling fish
in a frame on the wall,
and the way these three candles--
each a different height--
are singing in perfect harmony.

So forgive me
if I lower my head now and listen
to the short bass candle as he takes a solo
while my heart
thrums under my shirt--
frog at the edge of a pond--
and my thoughts fly off to a province
made of one enormous sky
and about a million empty branches.

Billy Collins

Heartburn

I'm noticing a trend....I post every Saturday. That's the only time I have time!
Monday I had the worst heartburn I ever had before. It started when I was driving Luke to school. I thought, "Well, I'll get a cold drink when I get to school...and this feeling will go away."
It didn't. I was sitting there in the early morning faculty meeting and it kept getting worse. Squeezing my chest. I thought, "Oh my God, I'm having a heartattack. I'm 36. I am a former smoker. I have a lot on my figurative plate (and sometimes literal plate)." I started freaking out. I quickly left the meeting and found the nurse. She was concerned, said my blood pressure was sky high. She called the paramedics. They freaked me out more. They called an ambulance.
I got wheeled out of school after the tardy bell and I was a little embarrassed and a lot scared.
At the hospital I had lots of tests run and I was okay. Seems this is a common issue.

Shoparoo Shopareeno

You won't believe this. I actually got to go out and go shopping today. Well, shopping is a bit misleading...window shopping...and touching/fondling of the merchandise. Mom and Dad came up and while Dad worked on the playhouse project some more (windows were added today and the third wall!) Mom and I headed to Belks, Booksamillion, and a recently opened antique/consignment place that was huge.

Seriously---how awesome is a bookstore? Especially bookstores with a coffee smell? I feel right at home there. I brew coffee behind my desk at school and the kids always say it smells like a bookstore when they come in my room. I like that.

I had fun looking at the jewelry (chunky necklaces, earrings, and bracelets) and the purses at Belks. Thought about the scarf thing---it's so cute but I'm probably too old to pull that off huh? You know, the "casual toss around the neck" thing? That's a young gal thing, isn't it?
Mom suprised me with a new wallet---it's that new kind that looks like an old time pocketbook! I lurve it. Vicki, if you want that cherry wallet, it's yours! :)

I discovered a perfume I like. I was disappointed who it was by. I like Paris Hilton's "Can Can" perfume. Seriously delicious. I'm sure she worked long and hard at perfecting the concoction.

Jake's got a bit of a cough and runny nose. Uh oh.

Luke's obsession with Star Wars and Lego Star Wars on Playstation 2 is getting insane. I'm tired of hearing about "moving up a level." Instead of saying "Use the force, mom!" when we are playing, he says simply, "Force it, Mom. Force it."

Off to grade a zillion more essays. I'm tired of reading about irony in Poe's story. Pout.

Your mom,
Who is Forcing It,
Jen

Poo Poo Platter o' Thoughts

This is awkward. Hi. Been gone a bit.

Guys, I'm a busy lady. Add that to the fact that I've gotten too aware of my "readers" and it kind of freaks me out. ;)

War Eagle.

Mishmash of thoughts....um, debate class is no more---now just an after school, twice a week thing. Good kids...all really into it. No more lesson plans or grading for debate is a Godsend.
Speaking of Godsend...my old school laptop died and with it, all my stuff on it---PowerPoint quizzes, etc. Been sad about having to redo a lot of stuff, but then...the dude who is the county computer guy is also (oddly enough) one of the counselors at the after school thing that Luke attends. So this guy, I'll call him Mike, tells me he has all my stuff---he had saved it once when he worked on my laptop. I was so thankful.

Yay.

Luke is having fun in kindergarten land. He has a "seatsack" where he keeps his library books and such. I think that's cool. I love watching him walk in the building every morning...although it makes me a bit weepy at times too.
Speaking of morning walk in...I'm afraid I embarrassed him the other day: I call this "Bye buddy!"

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com