Palate Cleanser

The transition to summer begins. Nevermind the finals that still need to be written, the term papers ungraded. The last class is over. O-ver. Here are some things, God willing, I won't be saying again until late August:

"Please SIT down in your assigned seat."
"Put that phone away."
"Stop touching her."
"Get down from there."
"A decision has been made."
"Can you hold it?"
"If you really have to go. Otherwise, please wait until the presentation is over."
"Well Jimmy crack corn and I don't care."

Happy finals, everyone.

I went to the prom. It was just okay.

They all started in new and uncomfortable shoes. Shoes were abandoned altogether or replaced with flipflops, ballet slippers, sandals or socks within an hour of the dance floor opening up. The best part of the night for me was the coffee and tea bar that opened up after dessert. I took a bunch of the tea bags home in my purse. They're the fancy kind in the silk pouches.

With all the bad kids in trouble at home, suspended or recently expelled, it was kind of a slow night. Yaaaaaaaaaaaawn.

You decide what you need this to be

Years ago, my heart was set to live, oh
But I've been trying hard against unbelievable odds
It gets so hard at times like now to hold on
My guns they're waiting to be stuck by
At my side is God
And there ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
There's people around who tell you that they know
The places where they send you, and it's easy to go
They'll zip you up and dress you down
Stand you in a row
But you know you don't have to
You can just say no
And there ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
I've been built up and trusted
Broke down and busted
But they'll get theirs and we'll get ours
Just if we can
Just, ah, hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on

I say

What do you think? Have you considered what you're seeing now? Have you noticed...Dangit. You can't play Questions by yourself. It doesn't work out.

Over Your Heads

Who knew all this stuff was just over the hills. When I see the names of the cities in this area on maps, I used to think of mini-malls, newly laid black asphalt and cul de sacs in developments that have names meant to sound triumphant. Highland Vistas. Sunrise Gardens. Now I think of mars, gray water, dead ships and yellow-making factories.

Troposphere

You don't have to keep yelling. I know it's been a long time.

Well, now that we've got that settled, let me tell you. It was so hot here today I had to leave the planet. Aaron there piloted me and that Italian guy all around the bay. You'd be surprised what's "just in your backyard". It was hard to completely escape the heat, though. At one point it was still 80 degrees in the plane even though earth was just a tiny speck, hardly visible.

We had lunch in Half Moon Bay and then came back. Pilot code is cool. Everything's niner -this and lima-that.

Biblical

This is the last bit we see before turning into that beautiful parking lot where we are greeted with a wave from the security guard who like looking at the ladies' chesticles. This day was especially foggy. I was probably in the last stages of my personal private show I watch in my brain that I like to call 101 Other Things That Would Be Better Than This Right Now. From there I switched to Natural Disaster Day? But then I realized such a thick fog could only symbolize something greater, something more...epic.

"Dude, nothing biblical happens anymore; no seas part or anything."

One of my smartest students was the only to make this incisive observation. But this was the day that would prove him wrong.