Not My Shoe Size

I was at the UPS store sending off some packages, and the young man helping me couldn't have been nicer. When at last it came time to pay the bill, he announced the total and asked, "Do you have an AARP account?"

Perhaps I raised an eyebrow, because he quickly added, "or triple A? We give discounts for either!"

Mistaken Identity

We went to the opening reception for my sister-in-law's art show this afternoon. It was a wonderful exhibit, full of prints and collages that really showcased her amazing talent. At one point, I was standing in the gallery talking to a few friends from school when a woman tapped me on the shoulder. "Excuse me," she said, "are you Emily?"

"No," I answered and pointed. "That's her over there, the one talking so animatedly about that print."

"Thank you," she said.

"No, thank you," I told her. "I'm flattered to be mistaken for the artist!" Then I turned to my colleagues and shrugged. "It must be the turtleneck!"

Next Generation

Years ago I used to have my students do a word ladder every Monday. It was a fun way for them to exercise vocabulary, spelling, and logical thinking skills while I was conferring with them one by one about their independent reading. As the curriculum changed, eventually I phased that activity out in favor of other tasks that allowed them to connect their reading to their writing, and I hadn't thought about those puzzles in years when the other day one of the students in my intervention class asked me if I had any word ladders for the Greek and Latin word parts we were studying.

"I don't," I answered, "but I'm not sure how that would work."

"I love word ladders!" she told me. "My fifth grade teacher used to give them to us all the time.

"Funny!" I said. "Who was your teacher?"

"Ms. D." she replied.

"Ms. Katie D?" I clarified.

"Yes!" she confirmed.

"Well," I laughed, "she used to love doing them, too, when she was in sixth grade. In fact, I think she used to sit right where you are sitting now."

"Wait. What?" Her jaw dropped. "Ms. D. was in your class?"

"I know, right?" I agreed. "I can hardly believe it myself!" 

Fahrvergnügen

As hard as I try, I often fall victim to the rush, Rush, RUSH energy that seems so prevalent everywhere, but especially here, in my hometown. On the many occasions when I find that I have tried to squeeze a little too much into the minutes before my departure time and as a result I am running late, you can find me cussing, switching lanes, and running yellow lights along with my fellow DMVers. Oh sure, once in a while I take a deep breath and remind myself that time is a human construction, and although those times are still much rarer than I'd like, I really do think I am improving in managing both my time and my stress.

I have a friend whose son just got his learner's permit. "He wants to drive everywhere!" she told me. "And I'm happy to let him."

"I hear you!" I answered. "The traffic around here almost makes me wish for self-driving cars."

That was last week, but this week?

Enter our brand new 2018 Subaru Outback Touring-- Man! I am looking for excuses to drive that car! Red light? Yay! How long do I have to play with the radio? Yellow light? I better slow down... after all, that would be the most prudent course of action. AND as always, I can not wait for my next

Road trip!

Puppy Play Date

What do you do when the weather is cold and wet and there’s still a 55 pound puppy to wear out? Why, push back the furniture and invite over a few of her doggie friends to wrestle for an hour. Yeah, that should do it. 

Allocations and Expenditures

A few years ago I started using an app to count calories so that I might shed some of the pounds I had gained as I approached my mid-century. If there's one thing I've learned about myself over the years, it would be that I respond diligently to a daily obligation. Perhaps it's the routine, or the minimal requirement of a day by day commitment, but take this blog for example-- I have written millions of words a couple hundred or so at a time, and I also lost 50 pounds by trimming a few calories a day. Enter my newest endeavor-- to count all the money I spend each day. Based on my income and fixed expenses, my goal is to save more than ever by making small adjustments every day.

Unfortunately, in the time I've been using it, I've gone over my allowance 40% of the time and bought a new car.

There's always tomorrow.

That Train

has left the station.