Got up this morning, showered, saw wife off early so she could be at a 7 a.m. meeting at work. Meaning that I had to get all the kids to school this morning. No big deal.
Went about the house to urge them to ever greater levels of swiftness in their preparations, then went back to my room get dressed. Pants? Hmm. I think gray today. Tie? Red background, with a fine, vertically-oriented pattern of swishy swirly things in taupe and gray. Belt. Shirt--reached into armoire and pulled out a white cotton oxford cloth button-down shirt. Buttoned front, buttoned left sleeve, buttoned right sle… No button on the right sleeve. ::sigh::
Take off shirt and lay it over back of chair to repair later. Reached into armoire and pulled out another cotton oxford cloth button-down shirt. Button check. Front? Check. Sleeves? Check. Collar butto--hmmm. The right button seems to have been repaired by the laundry. A tear-out, thinly repaired with what looks to be equal parts spit, laundry starch, and string. A quarter-dollar sized thin spot all around the button. I try to see if it would be noticeable if the collar was buttoned.
Oh, yeah. And how.
Hang that one back up, and reach in and pull out yet another cotton oxford cloth shirt, although this time one with a spread collar. Run the button check. All in place, with no bad spots or loose threads. Collar stays in, button up front, left sleeve, right sleeve, tuck in, belt buckled, and finish up by strangling myself with a lovely length of brightly colored silk.
Inform children of the need to go downstairs and eat breakfast (mini muffins this morning!) and they start moving toward downstairs, somewhat. (Except for Oldest, who would never deign to do anything her siblings are having to do, saving her slavish behavior-copying for the cool kids at school.)
Boy had already finished his muffins, since he’s a boy and had long been dressed and ready to go, but for the rest, I got down three plates, and placed three muffins on each plate--orange, blueberry, lemon poppyseed. Cup of milk for Cat, glass of milk for Bec, glass of iced tea for Oldest. I moved Rebecca’s plate over to the spot usually reserved for Mom, so that she wouldn’t have to clamber over to her normal seat by the window on the backside of the table. Saving time, don’t you know.
Cat sat down and finished up quickly, then Bec came down and began eating. I got myself a glass of tea and sat there at my spot, reviewing some of her tests with her. At this point, she also began carrying on a conversation with Boy, who was wandering around the kitchen, and in order to magnify a very important point about science or video games or other such important matters, Rebecca decided to make a sweeping gesture with her right hand. This gesture reinforced her point by sweeping the entire 8 fluid ounces of bovine lactational product that had been contained in her glass into my lap and down the right leg of my gray pants, and finally into the floor.
::sigh::
I got Jonathan to hand me some paper towels to get the major portion of cow juice up, then squished my way back upstairs to change into my black pants.
::sigh::
Took them all to school, got here, and found that the work pixies must have gone on strike or something, because the pile of garbage I left on my desk yesterday evening is still here this morning. And I have an exciting continuing education class today from 11 to 2 on the sexy subject of chlorinated polyvinyl chloride sprinkler piping. Oh, and when I went to the manufacturer’s website to make sure of what I was talking about, I accidentally clicked on a .pdf link, which caused my computer to shut completely down, taking with it this entire little tale of mundanity, and made me have to attempt to recreate it as you see it now. It was much funnier before.
::sigh::
BUT, by gum, there IS a Thursday Three today!
Many thanks to Jordana Adams for hosting today’s festivities, in which the question all revolve around gradumicating!
(1) Who was the most memorable (good or bad) graduation speaker at a ceremony you've attended -- not necessarily your own?
Honest to goodness, I can’t remember. I don’t remember who did my high school or my college one. And I can’t remember anyone at my sister’s, either.
(2) Approximately how many graduation ceremonies have you been in as a graduate and how many others have you gone to?
Two for me, and I went to my sister’s three--HS, college, and med school. And my kids have all had kindergarten graduations (for some reason--I don’t understand the fascination with such events, either.)
(3) After finishing high school and/or college what did you do for the summer?
After high school, I had a job during college where I worked for a few months at Southern Research, but it wasn’t strictly a summer job. After I transferred to Auburn, I went to school every summer quarter. I had a two week break after graduation then went to work at my real job.
Bonus Question: What was your favorite graduation gift?
I would have to say my class ring, which is what my mom gave me. The one I wear now is actually a replacement--the one she actually bought for me I flung off my hand one night as I was throwing some tomato peelings into the compost pile in our backyard. Reba and I were married by then, and we looked and looked for that ring but never found it. I even got a metal detector from Radio Shack but couldn’t come up with it. So, I had to get another one. Homeowner’s insurance paid for part of it, oddly enough. But somewhere in the Hampton Place subdivision in Irondale, to this day there remains an Auburn class ring with my name in it. If you find it, please return it to me. Thanks!
NOW THEN--for the rest of the day, I will be busily shoveling manure.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at May 12, 2005 09:17 AMMy answers are up.
Posted by: Hemisphere Dancer at May 12, 2005 12:50 PM1. Margaret Mead might have been the speaker at my college graduation, but I don't really recall (and couldn't hear anyway).
2. I went to the commencement for my first (of 2) M.S. degrees as a spectator. A friend who was getting his M.A. was also the first in his family to graduate from high school college. We made a big racket (including a cow bell) when he got his diploma. I think I've forgotten some of the graduations I've been to, but I recall my dad's for his B.S. degree, also his older brother. Dr Weevil's B.A., most likely I attended other two siblings' at UVA, but don't remember specifically. I also don't recall attending my dad's commencement for his M.S.; or he might have missed it be at my (and Miss Kathie's) batchelors' commencement. I've also been to 8th grade graduations for my 3 sons, besides high school (just barely for two of them). And my oldest from VaTech. I think I'm too tired to count these.
3. As Dr Weevil has mentioned, he and I (and sister and youngest brother) worked in the household moving business. It's seasonal and complementary to the academic schedule.
bonus question--Miss Kathie and I were married the same weekend we graduated. So the gifts were dual purpose, wedding and graduation. Since it's been over 30 years, I don't remember too many of the gifts--but we got two rocking chairs, a Hitchcock and a pine one, both of which are in our living room. We're both from practical families, I think my in-laws gave us money, and my parents gave us a Sears mechanic's tool set (which now rides around in the back of a Chrysler Pacifica instead of the trunk of a rusty Dodge Dart) and a Hamilton-Beach stand mixer (which Miss Kathie wore out in 10 years or so and Santa replaced with a KitchenAid heavy duty mixer).
Nothing beats a nice set of Craftsman tools.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at May 12, 2005 01:53 PM1. Worst speaker at a graduation. Me! I gave the valedictory at my HS graduation and the senior advisor ordered the speech from a service. The speech was awful and the delivery worse. I was valedictorian because of the overall quality of my graduating class of 32 not any special intelligence on my part.
2. HS, BS, MBA and a half dozen long Army courses. The only one I didn't attend was the MBA. The Army frowns on soldiers who miss any gatherings. My kids have graduated HS and college and my daughter has two advanced degrees (takes after her Mother in smarts) so I guess I have attended a half dozen not my own.
3. After finishing HS, I went straight to college and after college, my first summer job was as a soldier.
4. Best graduation gift. I don't remember any gifts.
Posted by: Larry Anderson at May 12, 2005 02:48 PMSince you don't remember any gifts, would you like to have a free Mercedes?
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at May 12, 2005 02:59 PM