The Only Plane in the Sky

 

I'm usually wary of 9/11 and the way it can be weaponized against people of color, but today I was listening to Garrett M. Graff talk about his oral history. He rightly made the point about how it was the second plane that destroyed American innocence since apparently, everyone including Robert Mueller assumed the first one was an accident.

It was the sheer randomness of death, however, that was crisis-level terrifying. He tells a story of someone who went back to his hotel room at the Marriott to change his shirt so he could wear the tie a colleague had just given him... and he survives, while the colleague who went on to the meeting  he was expected at, in the second tower, does not.

A dear student's sibling passed away (after we had just talked *about* them just a few days prior) so this thing has been on mind a little extra these weeks...
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Right

Is there something more purposeful to my stride when I'm on MSU campus on teaching days?

It feels like it.











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First Day

Start of term-time at Alma. I got in on time, did the usual things (the challenge about my name, helping people find odd affinities, class work, etc.)

My first day is fairly light, but I was so exhausted by the end of the day... as my colleagues remind me, this is a "reentry" after the sabbatical.






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Whose woods these are...

It's difficult to tell--

after all, they might as well be 

back by our compost heap.

But these are the trees I ran past 

this morning with Big A 

and then found waiting for me

when I walked back 

from paperwork 

at the English Department.

#MSU

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Electrifying

All electric, 

capable of getting me to work 

and back on a single charge.  

This morning, 

even before the first cup of tea, 

I went to peek at this hardworking baby.

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It's Time

I applied for supplementary teaching at MSU.

I've asked three friends/colleagues for recs.

I've scheduled the interviews for  next week.

I'll check out my interview clothes this weekend.







#MSURiverwalk

A Big Day for the Babies

Nu had the Math M-Step to make up today since she postponed hers because of the trip. AND I mean SHE postponed it. We got back Thursday and the test was on Friday--she walked up to the counsellor's office and requested a postponement. "Were you upset?" I asked. "No, I just thought it would be better." I love that she is advocating for herself.

At had to be dropped off at the courthouse at 7 am, since he received a summons for jury duty. A big fan of Twelve Angry Men, he is super excited. He thinks it might be the big case about another sex abuse scandal at MSU. All the details check out. He spent the rest of his time there reading about how Twelve Angry Men is a good movie but bad jury behavior. Nerd.

I managed to juggle both important morning drop-offs. L had offered to take one of them when she and T came to dinner last night. I can do it, I said. And I did. I even jumpstarted the car myself to do so.

Big Whoop

Stonehenge 5/15/2019

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I've come a long way...

in the last two weeks.

Pics and tidbits tomorrow.









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All of 17 degrees

And we're off to school.









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Everything old is new again...

This is ancient graffito by now, but I was tickled because it resurfaced the same day Nu paid attention to Creep for the first time on the drive to school. And because I showed this to her, these are the lyrics she uses all the time now. We are weirdoughs. Ha.












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Chicago, Redux

Had some paperwork to submit in Chicago, so here I am again for the third time in three weeks.  All by myself this time.

And I talked to SO MANY strangers this time. The first time, I was with the fam for Hamilton and barely spoke to anyone else; the second time was for the MLA, so lots of friends, colleagues, etc., and didn't get a chance to speak to street strangers. But my, my, my... I sure am a chatty Patty when I'm by myself.



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Train Travel Be Like

And we're back!

Brilliant Skies

I was so happy to have At back for the night, the sky seemed even more brilliant than usual

We took this on the way home.

On the way back to school, we had a giant buttery moon and a perfectly mirrored sunrise on the Maple River (not pictured). He reminded me I used to tell them to take "a deep breath of beauty" when we used to cross the river everyday.

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Two

Yesterday:
A long day at work, and a detour
to take school supplies to A. Then--
there's so much hope on the horizon.
I might even be seeing double.

Today:
Nu's Back-to-school "Kickstart"
and we realize that school begins
NEXT WEEK (not after Labor Day
like it usually does). Ooops.



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When your brother's arms are busy...

but you want so badly to be hugged by him,

there's space between his shoulder and the seat.

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Mackinaw

Current mood:



Because we drove seven hours
to see a bridge.



Mom's been fascinated by it for years now
and today was a lovely day for it.

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The Uncurling

I had thought they were
telling a story about you

but then I catch my name

and know that now

this is a story about me.

It's just another story anyway. 

It seems there are only seven,

or eleven, or several hundred

with thin differences in place,

in time, detail, and mystery.

I grieved all the dead kittens

lying on the highway until 

you told me they were raccoons--

animals with no human family. Oh. 

So we recognize the incognizable--

is that even possible? I mean.

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"Tony died."

At came down to breakfast. breaking the news about Anthony Bourdain--apologetically. And now, at the end of the day, I am just grateful that everyone I know online seems to recognize the curiosity, empathy, and generosity that made him so extraordinary. Big A had worked overnight, but I knew that this would be the one celeb whose passing would affect him. And sure enough, as soon as he got off his shift, he texted: "Tony died." We have all his books, watched some of his shows back when we had time, and knew enough to love him. And all my media and/or NYC people had stories about meeting him, of him being an ally without making it all about himself.

On the way home from getting Nu from school, while we were waiting for the train to clear the tracks, we were rear-ended. I had taken the puppies for a little car ride, and Huck is so tiny that she flew into Nu's lap from the backseat. I went to talk to the driver of the other car, and it was a young woman who immediately began apologizing so profusely, all my criticisms were silenced. It looked like both cars were fine, and she swore that she wasn't texting, so I told her to be safe, and brought the kids home. Big A was rather loud and adamant that I should have taken her insurance information anyway.

Of course, I've been crying--somewhat disproportionately--since then.
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Journeys

End-of-term Academic Standards Committee meetings where students are dismissed, put on probation, etc. are difficult. When I recognize students' names, it's difficult not to mourn the lost opportunities for learning, success, accomplishment... Today I recognized two students from my FYS who had been best friends all through grade school and then roomed together at college. Fun, likable kids who showed up increasingly sleep-deprived in class and then frequently not at all. It was difficult not to take it personally--I thought you liked my class! It's little consolation that their transcripts appear to show that they did even less in other classes. I wish we'd been able to reach them in time. Perhaps they will be back someday or find another path through college.

At least I had some good company on the way there and back. I'd originally taken this pic because my sister had demanded a picture of me smiling, but this picture is here for a completely unrelated reason. We were listening to Kendrick Lamar when I took this pic, and I feel like At LOOKS LIKE HIM in that moment through some weird aural alchemy.

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Bits and Bobs

Last class for this academic year, and our class went downtown to the new frozen custard place. I like joking that it's the closest thing we have to a Sri Lankan restaurant in Alma because its name is Serendipity.

On our way back we bumped into the sweetest, cutest, eight-week old puppy. His name is Yogi. LOOK AT THAT FACE! JUST LOOK! Yogi is a very good boy and trots along happily except when he's turning around to look for all the new friends who give him pets.

Full admission: I saw Yogi for the first time yesterday when I was turning into the parking lot at school, and I totally rolled down my window and screamed, "so cute, SO CUTE!!" I guess I'm practically a TLC song now.

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