I think teaching is a small shadow of parenting. I know the love I have for my students is nothing compared to how much their parents love them, but I think it could be compared to a shadow of the real thing. Actually, I've decided that the whole concept of a school year mimics the parenting process. I have to go through all of the emotional ups and downs of the 18+ year process in one nine-month span. Observe:
Nesting: Parents make a nursery full of cutesy themes and fun furniture. They decorate and try to make everything perfect for their new little arrival. Teachers also have to decide on classroom themes and do a bunch of decorating in preparation for the new year of students. Both groups utilize a lot of Pinterest ideas.
First Day: This is pretty self-explanatory. Parents have an exciting day of birth that's exhausting and exciting and terrifying all at once. Those are the same three words I would use to describe the first day of school.
No Sleep Stage: Common in the beginning of a new parent's life, this happens at the beginning of the school year too. September is always a blur of lesson plans, getting to know new parents, staying late, arriving early, and generally dedicating your life to the group of kids in your care this year. It's a 24/7 job for that first month, and I'm always looking forward to October.
Kids Love You Stage: Toddlers and elementary-aged students tend to think that their parents can do no wrong. They frequently say "I love you" and fear parental disappointment more than anything else. At the beginning of the school year, students are so excited to have a new teacher that virtually everything the teacher does is "awesome" and "fun." The teacher is like a shiny new toy that the kids got for Christmas, and they haven't figured out all of the gadgets on it yet. They're eager to please and eager to see what kind of fabulous lesson plan the teacher will think up next.
Kids Hate You Stage: For parents, this rebellious stage usually hits in the teenage years. For teachers, it usually hits around Spring Break. Kids decide that they're sick of school, it's time for summer, and the same homework you've been assigning all year is suddenly "so hard" and "completely ridiculous." Teachers too are a bit tired by this time, but they have to buckle down and regain control in order to power through their curriculum by the end of the year. Both students and teachers start countdowns to summer.
Empty Nester: Right at the end of the school year, when the summer they've been counting down to finally arrives, teachers get a little bit sad. After all, they've invested in these kids all year. They've cheered for their victories and been heartbroken by their defeats. They've walked by them through their struggles. They've watched these students grow in multiple ways, and now it's time to watch them move on. This is like when parents have to watch their kids go off to college, realizing that their baby grew up and praying that they've done enough to help that baby be successful at the next stage in life. It's a victory in a way, but it's still sad.
I'm in the "empty nester" stage of the school year right now, and it's a bit sad. Okay fine, very sad. It's my least favorite stage. The last day of school is always my least favorite day of the year. It's tough to watch my kids move on. Unlike an empty nester parent, I have no guarantee that I will be able to keep up with these students or find out what they decide to do with their lives. Actually, there's a very good chance that I will never know. Students always promise to write and call and keep in touch, but they never do. I mean, think about it - how many of your K-8 teachers are you still in contact with? Those teachers INVESTED in you. They LOVED you. Don't you think you should say, "Hey, thanks for helping me out"? I've gone back and written to a couple of my old teachers since I became a teacher, just because I know how much it would mean to me if an old student of mine wrote and said that I actually made a difference in their life. Maybe that will happen one day; who knows. For today, though, it's sad. I lost some really cool kids this year. This was easily my best-ever teaching year, and I got really close with those kids. They move on to high school next year, so they won't be in my building anymore. There's a solid chance that I won't see a lot of them ever again. That is seriously so sad (have I overused the word "sad" yet?). Do me a favor - go find an old teacher who made a difference in your life, and thank them for it. They spent a lot of time caring about you, and I'm sure they'd love to hear how you're doing.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Monday, May 26, 2014
Oh, Hey there, Summer
Have you ever had someone show up at your house uninvited? You didn't know they were coming, maybe you were sitting on the couch in your sweats eating popcorn, then all of a sudden, "DING DONG!" someone was there.
Sometimes it's a good surprise, like an out of town friend who decided to visit, and sometimes maybe it's a bad surprise, like your really creepy neighbor who decided to "just drop in and say hi." Either way, you go into this sudden panic mode, like, "Crap, is my house clean? What can I offer them to eat or drink? What are we going to do? Am I wearing a bra??" etc.
That's how I feel about summer this year. It's probably because I had a snow day only two and a half months ago, and the weather has been generally cold and gross ever since. Only a few weeks ago we still had frost on the ground in the mornings. It lulled me into a sense of false security, making me think I had plenty of school year left. Then, suddenly, BOOM - it's summer. Get out the barbeque sauce and short shorts.
When did that happen?? Did I totally miss spring? The beauty of having four seasons is that weather is supposed to transition nicely from one season to another. Now all of a sudden it's summer, and I'm not ready for it. The school year ends a week from tomorrow? WHAT? I start my summer job soon after that, and I haven't prepared for it at all? HUH? My baby sister is graduating from high school tomorrow night? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? When did all of this happen? I'm so unprepared!
I feel like I'm scrambling around trying to catch up on a million things that have to be done before summer gets here, but it's Memorial Day. Summer's here. I'm just not ready. I want life to slow down a second - I've got some stuff to do before my baby sister becomes an adult and before my ninth graders leave me forever. I have more stuff to teach my students before they wander off to their pools and campers and forget about all the stuff they've done in school. I have more that I want to do with my husband before he becomes a real physical therapist with a real career. We could claim "poor college student" status until now, but now's he's graduated so guess what? Now we're just plain poor! Ahhh! This summer brings a lot of changes, and I just don't think I'm ready. I wish I could rewind and (gasp!) bring back the snow. I can't, though, and life has a way of marching on whether I like it or not. So I guess all I can do now is squeeze as much as I can out of the rest of this school year, know that it's all going to be okay, and pass the barbeque sauce.
Sometimes it's a good surprise, like an out of town friend who decided to visit, and sometimes maybe it's a bad surprise, like your really creepy neighbor who decided to "just drop in and say hi." Either way, you go into this sudden panic mode, like, "Crap, is my house clean? What can I offer them to eat or drink? What are we going to do? Am I wearing a bra??" etc.
That's how I feel about summer this year. It's probably because I had a snow day only two and a half months ago, and the weather has been generally cold and gross ever since. Only a few weeks ago we still had frost on the ground in the mornings. It lulled me into a sense of false security, making me think I had plenty of school year left. Then, suddenly, BOOM - it's summer. Get out the barbeque sauce and short shorts.
When did that happen?? Did I totally miss spring? The beauty of having four seasons is that weather is supposed to transition nicely from one season to another. Now all of a sudden it's summer, and I'm not ready for it. The school year ends a week from tomorrow? WHAT? I start my summer job soon after that, and I haven't prepared for it at all? HUH? My baby sister is graduating from high school tomorrow night? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? When did all of this happen? I'm so unprepared!
I feel like I'm scrambling around trying to catch up on a million things that have to be done before summer gets here, but it's Memorial Day. Summer's here. I'm just not ready. I want life to slow down a second - I've got some stuff to do before my baby sister becomes an adult and before my ninth graders leave me forever. I have more stuff to teach my students before they wander off to their pools and campers and forget about all the stuff they've done in school. I have more that I want to do with my husband before he becomes a real physical therapist with a real career. We could claim "poor college student" status until now, but now's he's graduated so guess what? Now we're just plain poor! Ahhh! This summer brings a lot of changes, and I just don't think I'm ready. I wish I could rewind and (gasp!) bring back the snow. I can't, though, and life has a way of marching on whether I like it or not. So I guess all I can do now is squeeze as much as I can out of the rest of this school year, know that it's all going to be okay, and pass the barbeque sauce.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
I'm Still the One
I have to document five minutes of last Saturday night so that I can remember to come back and read it later.I'll read it when Rex is driving me crazy because he left little hair bits all over the bathroom sink (again) or when he's playing his super weird cowboy ABC's song as loud as it will go ("A IS FOR THE ANTELOPE! B FOR BUFFALO!!"). I hate that song. He loves it...like it reminds him of his childhood in the rugged west or something. Newsflash, Rex: you grew up in Portage. Not on a prairie.
But I digress.
Every once in a while, Rex does something that makes me think, "Whoa. I won the husband lottery." Saturday was one of those nights. We had just gotten home from running errands, frantically trying to get everything ready for Mother's Day and for Rex's impending trip for Vegas. I was feeling a bit stressy. I was trying to get some clothes together for the laundry when Rex called from the kitchen, "Hey Christine, can you come here a minute?" I mean, sure.
I walked into the kitchen, and Rex hit play on his laptop. "You're Still the One" by Orleans started playing, and Rex started dancing (by himself at first, ha ha). Here are some of the lyrics to that song:
You're still the one -- that makes me laugh
Still the one -- that's my better half
We're still having fun, and you're still the one
You're still the one -- that makes me strong
Still the one -- I want to take along
We're still having fun, and you're still the one
Changing, our love is going gold
Even though we grow old, it grows new
You're still the one -- that I love to touch
Still the one -- and I can't get enough
We're still having fun, and you're still the one
Awww...what a guy. Clearly I joined him in dancing, and we were dancing around the kitchen like a couple of nuts. I thought that was sweet enough, but after the song ended he said, "Well, Happy 'You're Still the One' Day! Here is your present!" He pulled out a present for me, and it was a beautiful apron that I'd been admiring at the store! The sneaky guy went and got it for me, even though I'd said I was going to add it to my Christmas list. Whoa! Presents for no reason are the best. Except, obviously, this one had a reason. It was "You're Still the One Day." Duh. Too bad I didn't get him anything...blast. Now I'm going to have to invent a holiday and get him something cool.
Marriage is really fun sometimes.
But I digress.
Every once in a while, Rex does something that makes me think, "Whoa. I won the husband lottery." Saturday was one of those nights. We had just gotten home from running errands, frantically trying to get everything ready for Mother's Day and for Rex's impending trip for Vegas. I was feeling a bit stressy. I was trying to get some clothes together for the laundry when Rex called from the kitchen, "Hey Christine, can you come here a minute?" I mean, sure.
I walked into the kitchen, and Rex hit play on his laptop. "You're Still the One" by Orleans started playing, and Rex started dancing (by himself at first, ha ha). Here are some of the lyrics to that song:
You're still the one -- that makes me laugh
Still the one -- that's my better half
We're still having fun, and you're still the one
You're still the one -- that makes me strong
Still the one -- I want to take along
We're still having fun, and you're still the one
Changing, our love is going gold
Even though we grow old, it grows new
You're still the one -- that I love to touch
Still the one -- and I can't get enough
We're still having fun, and you're still the one
Awww...what a guy. Clearly I joined him in dancing, and we were dancing around the kitchen like a couple of nuts. I thought that was sweet enough, but after the song ended he said, "Well, Happy 'You're Still the One' Day! Here is your present!" He pulled out a present for me, and it was a beautiful apron that I'd been admiring at the store! The sneaky guy went and got it for me, even though I'd said I was going to add it to my Christmas list. Whoa! Presents for no reason are the best. Except, obviously, this one had a reason. It was "You're Still the One Day." Duh. Too bad I didn't get him anything...blast. Now I'm going to have to invent a holiday and get him something cool.
Marriage is really fun sometimes.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Social Media and Your Baby
I'm not pregnant, and I would really be okay with never being pregnant ever. A lot of my friends have decided to have kids recently, and GREAT for them. That's fabulous. It's a great excuse for me to buy baby clothes and throw fun parties. For some reason, though, a lot of my facebook/blogfriends have decided to share a little too much of their pregnancies with me. I think (think) that maybe pregnant women and new moms spend a lot of time showing various doctors and people a lot of private areas, so privacy isn't that big of a deal any more. I'm writing myself this letter just in case I ever get pregnant, so I can remind myself what's okay and what's not to share with my non-mom friends who really don't understand the pregnancy world:
Dear Me,
Okay, let's start this off with conceiving the baby. Your friends don't want to hear about it. They don't want to hear about the positions that work best for making children. They don't want to hear about "the night" that you think your baby was conceived. We all took sex ed - we know what happened. You don't have to elaborate.
Please don't post pictures online of any body parts that you would not normally post pictures of. People don't want to see your bare stomach, especially with pregnancy stretch marks. Stretch marks scare the non-moms into swearing off procreation. They don't want to see your boobs as you breast feed for the first time, because that whole situation is just foreign and weird. They don't want to see you parading around in a bra and underwear because you're "proud of your changing body." Don't get me wrong - it's great that you're comfortable with your changing body (although you're Christine, so let's be real - you probably won't be). It's just that your facebook friends don't want to see these things.
Maternity photos can be okay, as long as they don't break any of the aforementioned rules, and as long as they don't look like this: http://www.awkwardmaternityphotos.com/
I understand that lots of body changes take place during this "magical" time. You can get hemorrhoids, have horrible flatulence, have weird secretions, and a host of other unpleasant side effects. Your friends really, really don't want to hear about them. Actually, your doctor probably doesn't even want to hear about them, but at least they're getting paid to listen to your graphic descriptions.
Hospital pictures can be super cute, but could you please clean off your baby first? I know that you think your new baby is the cutest thing in the world (and you're Christine, so let's be real - it probably will be), but your friends don't want to see it all covered in placental goo like an alien. It takes away from the cute factor. Also, bloody hospital sheets are kind of gross. Bascially, if the picture could be in a horror film or a science fiction film, don't put it on your facebook.
This should get you off to a good start in your social media sharing of your new baby. Run all questionable elements by Rex, as his low gross-tolerance for lady issues will be a good thermometer of what can be shared. When in doubt, leave it out.
Good luck with the baby thing...
Christine
Dear Me,
Okay, let's start this off with conceiving the baby. Your friends don't want to hear about it. They don't want to hear about the positions that work best for making children. They don't want to hear about "the night" that you think your baby was conceived. We all took sex ed - we know what happened. You don't have to elaborate.
Please don't post pictures online of any body parts that you would not normally post pictures of. People don't want to see your bare stomach, especially with pregnancy stretch marks. Stretch marks scare the non-moms into swearing off procreation. They don't want to see your boobs as you breast feed for the first time, because that whole situation is just foreign and weird. They don't want to see you parading around in a bra and underwear because you're "proud of your changing body." Don't get me wrong - it's great that you're comfortable with your changing body (although you're Christine, so let's be real - you probably won't be). It's just that your facebook friends don't want to see these things.
Maternity photos can be okay, as long as they don't break any of the aforementioned rules, and as long as they don't look like this: http://www.awkwardmaternityphotos.com/
I understand that lots of body changes take place during this "magical" time. You can get hemorrhoids, have horrible flatulence, have weird secretions, and a host of other unpleasant side effects. Your friends really, really don't want to hear about them. Actually, your doctor probably doesn't even want to hear about them, but at least they're getting paid to listen to your graphic descriptions.
Hospital pictures can be super cute, but could you please clean off your baby first? I know that you think your new baby is the cutest thing in the world (and you're Christine, so let's be real - it probably will be), but your friends don't want to see it all covered in placental goo like an alien. It takes away from the cute factor. Also, bloody hospital sheets are kind of gross. Bascially, if the picture could be in a horror film or a science fiction film, don't put it on your facebook.
This should get you off to a good start in your social media sharing of your new baby. Run all questionable elements by Rex, as his low gross-tolerance for lady issues will be a good thermometer of what can be shared. When in doubt, leave it out.
Good luck with the baby thing...
Christine
Thursday, April 17, 2014
SuperRex
Rex is so cool.
I mean, we all knew he was awesome, but last night I was so proud of him that I just have to blog-brag about it. Here's how the situation went down:
Rex was at a softball practice for a team that he's on with his brother Tom. Tom was up to bat, and when he swung the bat his toe got somehow stuck. His upper body twisted, but his lower body didn't. That's obviously not great. Rex was watching the ball, but then he noticed that Tom was on the ground. Eeek! The guys playing asked Tom if he was okay, but Tom just groaned. The guys started to crowd around him, and Rex ran out onto the field.
*cue triumphant superhero music*
Rex told the guys huddled around Thomas to move aside, and he bent down to look at Tom's leg. His kneecap had become completely dislocated and was on the side of his leg, causing obvious pain. The guys were going to call an ambulance, but because Rex is SO COOL, they didn't have to because Rex had the whole situation under control. He explained to Tom about the procedure he was about to do, then manually straightened out his leg (OW) and realigned the kneecap to its proper position. Whaaaaaat?? Who just knows how to do that!? My husband, that's who.
So Tom didn't have to go to the hospital and didn't even have to go to the doctor (cuz my husband is the doctor - wooot!), and as of this morning he could walk with minimal pain. Whoa! Why can't I have awesome skills like that? No one's ever going to be like, "This kid can't read - QUICK! WHERE'S A TEACHER?!?!"
Obviously I'm not glad that Tom got hurt, but I sure am glad that Rex was there to fix him. That night could have been much worse. None of the guys on the team knew Rex is getting his doctorate of physical therapy in May, though (besides Tom), so I'm sure they were all thinking, "What the heck is this guy doing?!" Ha ha. Rex is too humble sometimes, so I'll just brag for him. My husband rocks. I'm so proud to be Mrs. Webb.
I mean, we all knew he was awesome, but last night I was so proud of him that I just have to blog-brag about it. Here's how the situation went down:
Rex was at a softball practice for a team that he's on with his brother Tom. Tom was up to bat, and when he swung the bat his toe got somehow stuck. His upper body twisted, but his lower body didn't. That's obviously not great. Rex was watching the ball, but then he noticed that Tom was on the ground. Eeek! The guys playing asked Tom if he was okay, but Tom just groaned. The guys started to crowd around him, and Rex ran out onto the field.
*cue triumphant superhero music*
Rex told the guys huddled around Thomas to move aside, and he bent down to look at Tom's leg. His kneecap had become completely dislocated and was on the side of his leg, causing obvious pain. The guys were going to call an ambulance, but because Rex is SO COOL, they didn't have to because Rex had the whole situation under control. He explained to Tom about the procedure he was about to do, then manually straightened out his leg (OW) and realigned the kneecap to its proper position. Whaaaaaat?? Who just knows how to do that!? My husband, that's who.
So Tom didn't have to go to the hospital and didn't even have to go to the doctor (cuz my husband is the doctor - wooot!), and as of this morning he could walk with minimal pain. Whoa! Why can't I have awesome skills like that? No one's ever going to be like, "This kid can't read - QUICK! WHERE'S A TEACHER?!?!"
Obviously I'm not glad that Tom got hurt, but I sure am glad that Rex was there to fix him. That night could have been much worse. None of the guys on the team knew Rex is getting his doctorate of physical therapy in May, though (besides Tom), so I'm sure they were all thinking, "What the heck is this guy doing?!" Ha ha. Rex is too humble sometimes, so I'll just brag for him. My husband rocks. I'm so proud to be Mrs. Webb.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Crime-Free Campus
I've been on St. Olaf's campus less than twenty-four hours, and I'm already totally blown away. This campus is so strange, but in an awesome way. They all trust each other. Like, totally trust each other. Check out these facts that I wouldn't believe if I hadn't seen them myself:
1. No one locks their dorm rooms. Ever. Each door remains unlocked. For a comparison...at MSU we locked our laptops to our desks, and then also locked our dorm rooms. And I wasn't even just being paranoid...that's what everyone did.
2. Each student has a mailbox by the front desk, and none of them are locked.
3. When students go to the cafeteria, they leave their backpacks outside until they're done eating.
4. Erin had a test today, and the professors don't go to class on test days. They leave the tests, students pick them up and take them, and they're on the "honor system" to not cheat. When they're finished with the tests, they hand them in. That's it. No authority figures in the room at any point.
5. In the libraries and cafes, students frequently leave their laptops, purses, etc. on tables while they go walk around or even run back to their room to get something. I told Erin that's super strange, and she didn't get it. Why wouldn't people feel totally comfortable leaving their valuables out in the open around hundreds of college students?
6. There are community bathrooms on each floor, and each girl leaves her shower caddy with all of her shampoos, conditioners, loofahs, etc on the floor in the bathroom. When it's time to take a shower, she just grabs her caddy and uses it, then puts it back in the row with everyone else's.
6. We're going out to a fancy dinner tonight, and Erin couldn't find something to wear. She went into one of her friend's rooms (none of them are locked, remember?), and she grabbed a dress out of her closet. I was kind of surprised and said, "Shouldn't you ask...?" She replied, "No, all the girls on this floor just share clothes. We have an understanding about it, and we all use everyone else's stuff. It's like having one really huge closet! We just make sure everyone has their own stuff back at the end of the semester." Oh, okay. Because that's totally normal...
7. I asked Erin if there was ever any crime on campus. She said, "Not crime, exactly.....but campus security did send an e-mail warning us to be on the lookout for feral cats...." Stray cats are the biggest problem on this campus. WHOA - get me out of this unsafe location!
It's a really cool community...one that I would have bet doesn't exist on college campuses anymore. I hope it stays like that...but I also hope that the students don't think that real life is like that, because unfortunately, it isn't. :-(
1. No one locks their dorm rooms. Ever. Each door remains unlocked. For a comparison...at MSU we locked our laptops to our desks, and then also locked our dorm rooms. And I wasn't even just being paranoid...that's what everyone did.
2. Each student has a mailbox by the front desk, and none of them are locked.
3. When students go to the cafeteria, they leave their backpacks outside until they're done eating.
4. Erin had a test today, and the professors don't go to class on test days. They leave the tests, students pick them up and take them, and they're on the "honor system" to not cheat. When they're finished with the tests, they hand them in. That's it. No authority figures in the room at any point.
5. In the libraries and cafes, students frequently leave their laptops, purses, etc. on tables while they go walk around or even run back to their room to get something. I told Erin that's super strange, and she didn't get it. Why wouldn't people feel totally comfortable leaving their valuables out in the open around hundreds of college students?
6. There are community bathrooms on each floor, and each girl leaves her shower caddy with all of her shampoos, conditioners, loofahs, etc on the floor in the bathroom. When it's time to take a shower, she just grabs her caddy and uses it, then puts it back in the row with everyone else's.
6. We're going out to a fancy dinner tonight, and Erin couldn't find something to wear. She went into one of her friend's rooms (none of them are locked, remember?), and she grabbed a dress out of her closet. I was kind of surprised and said, "Shouldn't you ask...?" She replied, "No, all the girls on this floor just share clothes. We have an understanding about it, and we all use everyone else's stuff. It's like having one really huge closet! We just make sure everyone has their own stuff back at the end of the semester." Oh, okay. Because that's totally normal...
7. I asked Erin if there was ever any crime on campus. She said, "Not crime, exactly.....but campus security did send an e-mail warning us to be on the lookout for feral cats...." Stray cats are the biggest problem on this campus. WHOA - get me out of this unsafe location!
It's a really cool community...one that I would have bet doesn't exist on college campuses anymore. I hope it stays like that...but I also hope that the students don't think that real life is like that, because unfortunately, it isn't. :-(
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Minnesota Road Trip!
Spring Break 2014 - MINNESOTA, BABY!!
Okay, I admit - perhaps Minnesota isn't the most exciting location on the globe. It's the most exiting location I could afford on this year's budget, though, so here I am. Specifically, I'm sitting in a dorm room at St. Olaf college, reminiscing about the parts of college I miss (the great friends you make on the floor, the collegiate atmosphere of ivy-covered walls, yummy food with no dishes to do) and also remembering the parts that I don't miss (community showers!!). My sister and I are visiting my cousin Erin, and she's in class so we're chilling in her room.
Our road trip yesterday was fairly fabulous. Cara and I drove almost nine hours to get here, and most of it was through the nothingness that is middle America. Think lots of fields and red barns and occasional cow farms. At one point, when Cara was driving, she could see about a mile in front of her and a mile behind her, but there were no cars either way. Therefore she decided to start weaving in and out of lanes and driving like a general crazy person "just because she could." Eeeeeek! She's lucky there were no cops hiding behind the hay bales, or she would have gotten pulled over for sure. Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the trip.
1. I took a nap, and when I woke up Cara was driving on some random back country roads (we were about a half hour from our destination at this point). Suddenly she said, "Ummm...Christine? Do you see a gas station?" No, I didn't see a gas station, because there usually aren't gas stations in the middle of corn fields. My dorky sister had forgotten to stop for gas, and we were running on empty with the gas light on. Oh brother. She stopped at an intersection and told me to find the nearest gas station by using my phone (she left the car running while she stopped at the intersection, which I found funny and told her to turn it off). I abandoned the GPS directions that were taking us to Erin's, and I typed in the nearest gas station. It was over five miles away. That doesn't sound like much, but when the gas light is already on and you don't see civilization anywhere near you... It was a bit disconcerting. Luckily, we made it. Phew!
2. At the gas station, I went in to use the bathroom. I saw an ad that said "Lambs for sale!" and had a phone number to tear off at the bottom. OBVIOUSLY I had to take a number. I went to the car and said, "Hey Cara, let's get a sheep to take home!" She was fully on-board (because we're siblings and we agree on the important things in life like sheep adoption). I called the number, and the following is an approximation of the conversation that ensued:
Al: Hello! This is Al's Farm Shop - Al speaking!" (he had a really jolly voice, like if a 40-year-old Santa Claus owned a farm shop)
*background noise* BAAAAAAA!!!! BAAAAAAAAAAA!! (It seriously sounded like the sheep were right next to the phone)
Me: Oh, um, hello Al. I found your number at the Marathon station, and it says that you're selling lambs. Is that correct?
Al: Yup! You got it! What kind of lambs are you looking for? We have (list of about ten different things that I assume are sheep types, none of which sound familiar).
Me: Wow, uh.... I don't know exactly what type I want.
Al: Well, what do you want the sheep for? A local herd? A 4H project?
*background noise* BAAAAAAA!!!! BAAAAAAAAAAA!!
Me: Um, more of just....a pet sheep.
Al: Great! We have plenty of pet sheep! I would suggest (random name of some type of sheep) because they tend to have very cheerful dispositions and positive attitudes.
Me: Cool. A friendly sheep would be great. How much are they, and do you have a minimum number that must be purchased?
Al: Our minimum is one. It gets a little messy if you try to buy less than one...
Me: Ha ha! Okay, no, one is good. I would like a whole sheep. How much are they?
*background noise* BAAAAAAA!!!! BAAAAAAAAAAA!!
Al: That specific type starts at $200, but I don't have any that will be ready until May.
Me: Bummer! I will talk to my husband, and perhaps I will call you back.
Al: Great! I'm always here! Call anytime!
Aw Al... so jolly. I really wanted to buy a sheep. That would have been so epic.
3. As we were driving through the tiny town of Northfield (if you blink you'll miss it), we saw that the local high school had a baseball game going on. I said, "Cara! Check it out! Let's go watch some baseball!" So we pulled over and went to watch the baseball game. We cheered for random players and pretended that we knew them. Some of the parents looked at us kind of strangely (it was a really small town, so maybe they knew we didn't really go there...). It was fun watching high school baseball, but we didn't stay till the end of the game because we were burning daylight and had to get to Erin's. Alas.
4. At certain points in the trip, we got the weirdest radio stations. At one point we could only pick up one station on the FM bandwidth, and it was all in Spanish. Why is there only a Spanish station in rural Minnesota is what I'd like to know. Later we finally picked up another station, one that talked of farm reports and called itself "Corn Country." We hung out on that station for a while, seeing as we could at least understand it.
It was a really fun trip, and we finally rolled into town at around 8 PM Minnesota time. We had a great girls' night last night, and now we're waiting for Erin to get out of class so we can go to the Mall of America. Woo hooo!
Okay, I admit - perhaps Minnesota isn't the most exciting location on the globe. It's the most exiting location I could afford on this year's budget, though, so here I am. Specifically, I'm sitting in a dorm room at St. Olaf college, reminiscing about the parts of college I miss (the great friends you make on the floor, the collegiate atmosphere of ivy-covered walls, yummy food with no dishes to do) and also remembering the parts that I don't miss (community showers!!). My sister and I are visiting my cousin Erin, and she's in class so we're chilling in her room.
Our road trip yesterday was fairly fabulous. Cara and I drove almost nine hours to get here, and most of it was through the nothingness that is middle America. Think lots of fields and red barns and occasional cow farms. At one point, when Cara was driving, she could see about a mile in front of her and a mile behind her, but there were no cars either way. Therefore she decided to start weaving in and out of lanes and driving like a general crazy person "just because she could." Eeeeeek! She's lucky there were no cops hiding behind the hay bales, or she would have gotten pulled over for sure. Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the trip.
1. I took a nap, and when I woke up Cara was driving on some random back country roads (we were about a half hour from our destination at this point). Suddenly she said, "Ummm...Christine? Do you see a gas station?" No, I didn't see a gas station, because there usually aren't gas stations in the middle of corn fields. My dorky sister had forgotten to stop for gas, and we were running on empty with the gas light on. Oh brother. She stopped at an intersection and told me to find the nearest gas station by using my phone (she left the car running while she stopped at the intersection, which I found funny and told her to turn it off). I abandoned the GPS directions that were taking us to Erin's, and I typed in the nearest gas station. It was over five miles away. That doesn't sound like much, but when the gas light is already on and you don't see civilization anywhere near you... It was a bit disconcerting. Luckily, we made it. Phew!
2. At the gas station, I went in to use the bathroom. I saw an ad that said "Lambs for sale!" and had a phone number to tear off at the bottom. OBVIOUSLY I had to take a number. I went to the car and said, "Hey Cara, let's get a sheep to take home!" She was fully on-board (because we're siblings and we agree on the important things in life like sheep adoption). I called the number, and the following is an approximation of the conversation that ensued:
Al: Hello! This is Al's Farm Shop - Al speaking!" (he had a really jolly voice, like if a 40-year-old Santa Claus owned a farm shop)
*background noise* BAAAAAAA!!!! BAAAAAAAAAAA!! (It seriously sounded like the sheep were right next to the phone)
Me: Oh, um, hello Al. I found your number at the Marathon station, and it says that you're selling lambs. Is that correct?
Al: Yup! You got it! What kind of lambs are you looking for? We have (list of about ten different things that I assume are sheep types, none of which sound familiar).
Me: Wow, uh.... I don't know exactly what type I want.
Al: Well, what do you want the sheep for? A local herd? A 4H project?
*background noise* BAAAAAAA!!!! BAAAAAAAAAAA!!
Me: Um, more of just....a pet sheep.
Al: Great! We have plenty of pet sheep! I would suggest (random name of some type of sheep) because they tend to have very cheerful dispositions and positive attitudes.
Me: Cool. A friendly sheep would be great. How much are they, and do you have a minimum number that must be purchased?
Al: Our minimum is one. It gets a little messy if you try to buy less than one...
Me: Ha ha! Okay, no, one is good. I would like a whole sheep. How much are they?
*background noise* BAAAAAAA!!!! BAAAAAAAAAAA!!
Al: That specific type starts at $200, but I don't have any that will be ready until May.
Me: Bummer! I will talk to my husband, and perhaps I will call you back.
Al: Great! I'm always here! Call anytime!
Aw Al... so jolly. I really wanted to buy a sheep. That would have been so epic.
3. As we were driving through the tiny town of Northfield (if you blink you'll miss it), we saw that the local high school had a baseball game going on. I said, "Cara! Check it out! Let's go watch some baseball!" So we pulled over and went to watch the baseball game. We cheered for random players and pretended that we knew them. Some of the parents looked at us kind of strangely (it was a really small town, so maybe they knew we didn't really go there...). It was fun watching high school baseball, but we didn't stay till the end of the game because we were burning daylight and had to get to Erin's. Alas.
4. At certain points in the trip, we got the weirdest radio stations. At one point we could only pick up one station on the FM bandwidth, and it was all in Spanish. Why is there only a Spanish station in rural Minnesota is what I'd like to know. Later we finally picked up another station, one that talked of farm reports and called itself "Corn Country." We hung out on that station for a while, seeing as we could at least understand it.
It was a really fun trip, and we finally rolled into town at around 8 PM Minnesota time. We had a great girls' night last night, and now we're waiting for Erin to get out of class so we can go to the Mall of America. Woo hooo!
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