September 4: "Surprise," First Day of School, New Routine

I don't like surprises.  Never have.

I always go into a classroom with a lesson plan; start my days prioritizing tasks; type up itineraries for trips; create lists and lists in my planner so nothing is overlooked or forgotten.

If I'm ever taken by surprise, I've failed in some way.

But Billy Collins has a few surprises up his sleeve . . .

Surprise

by: Billy Collins

This--
according to the voice on the radio,
the host of a classical music program no less--
this is the birthday of Vivaldi.

He would be 325 years old today--

quite bent over, I would imagine,
and not able to see much through his watery eyes.

Surely, he would be deaf by now,
the clothes flaking off him,
hair pitiably sparse.

But we would throw a party for him anyway,
a surprise party where everyone
would hide behind the furniture to listen

for the tap of his cane on the pavement
and the sound of his dry, persistent cough.

There were no surprises for me today.  My son was feeling much better and went to school.  The only thing that caught me off guard was how easy it was to get him to pose for a first-day-of-school photo.  It helped that he was holding his puppy.

When I picked my son up this afternoon, he was fully back into school mode.  Laughing and joking with his friends.  Jumping in the car and grunting at me when I asked how his first day was.  You know, normal, 15-year-old teenage boy behavior.

I'm also trying to settle into my new routine of school and work.  I really should be used to this shift.  I've been doing it for over 30 years now.  Every three or so months, everything changes--summer into autumn into winter into spring.  

But, no surprises today, aside from the fact that I'm coming down with a really nasty cold.

Saint Marty has a dry, persistent cough right now.

March 14: Daylight Saving Time, Mona Van Duyn, "Letter From a Father"

I just discovered that the Mona Van Duyn poem I posted last night was only the first section.  There are actually six parts to "Letter From a Father."  So, I will be posting a new section from now until Saturday.

Long day, and I still have a lesson plan and quiz to put together for teaching tomorrow.  Time just got away from me today.  And I'm still adjusting to having one less hour of sleep this week.

Marty is one tired saint tonight.

Letter From a Father

by:  Mona Van Duyn

II.

We enjoyed your visit, it was nice of you to bring
the feeder but a terrible waste of your money
for that big bag of feed since we won’t be living
more than a few weeks long. We can see
them good from where we sit, big ones and little ones
but you know when I farmed I used to like to hunt
and we had many a good meal from pigeons
and quail and pheasant but these birds won’t
be good for nothing and are dirty to have so near
the house. Mother likes the redbirds though.
My bad knee is so sore and I can’t hardly hear
and Mother says she is hoarse form yelling but I know
it’s too late for a hearing aid. I belch up all the time
and have a sour mouth and of course with my heart
it’s no use to go to a doctor. Mother is the same.
Has a scab she thinks is going to turn to a wart.

September 27: Busy Day, Busy Night, Busy Life

I haven't had much time to do anything but office work, teaching work, reading work.  I just finished reviewing a chapter for Mythology today.  Then I drew up a rough lesson plan.  (I'm the kind of person who needs plans.  I can't go into a situation where I'm in a leadership position without some kind of map to follow.  I'm a big believer in lists.)

After I'm done teaching, I have to stop by my friend's office at the university to see what he thought of my collection of poems.  I'm dreading that a little.  If he has any serious criticism (says anything besides "you're a genius" or "you should win a Pulitzer"), I'm not going to have a lot of time to do revisions.  We'll see what he says.  Maybe he will be kind/enthralled/jealous--anything but critically constructive requiring massive rewriting.

Tonight, I have to take my daughter shoe shopping.  Her tennis shoes are sort of falling apart.  I was going to get her new shoes on Sunday, but there's a shoe sale starting today, so I put off the purchase a couple of days.  We did, however, pick out the shoes she wants to get, so that will save some time.

Once I get the kids in bed, I'm going to finish reading An Unquiet Mind and start One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  I may also put together a quiz.  I won't be getting to bed at a decent hour, that's for sure.  Especially if my daughter wants to watch the results show of Dancing With the Stars.

Saint Marty is starting to think his life is too busy.

Even dogs make plans...