Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The Good Birthday Stuff

Today's Good Stuff came early. The sky today is the prettiest shade of blue I've seen in a long while. After 2 days of snow/sleet/freezing rain and Monday's general gloomy sky, it was nice to see the sun. Plus, it made the snow melt faster off my car.
So, I'm celebrating my 36th birthday with a Snow Day from school. Yes, I capitalize it because it is an important event. I'm a little bummed that I won't get to lord Birthday over my students and celebrate with my coworkers, so I'm trying to get myself started on a sewing project.

Also, the next little kid who comes to my door with a shovel, perfect manners and big brown eyes peeking out from a fur-lined hood is going to get $10 to shovel my across-the-street-neighbor's walk. I don't know where these kids come from, but I do love their entrepreneurial spirit! The older boys in our neighborhood finally rolled around at noon yesterday looking for shoveling work. Typical 16-year-olds.

Maybe I can do a list of Things I've Learned In My Life.

1. Name-brand plastic wrap is infinitely better than store-brand.

2. Always listen to your inner voice.

3. They're more afraid of you than you are of them. This still does not help me with spiders, although I managed to not obsessively vacuum out my snow boots which had been sitting in the basement for a few months.

4. Solar dryers all the way.

5. It is important to develop a good relationship with siblings, secretaries and custodians, especially if you want a custodian to "find" another key for you or if you need an alibi for your parents.

6. Older people have all the answers.

7. Teaching has also broken my heart many, many times, not just from deaths but from knowing about the hellish home lives of some of my students and knowing I can't take them home with me to protect them. Yet, I still do it.

8. Never come home with an empty gas tank, thinking "Oh, I'll just stop for gas before work in the morning." That will be a bad, bad morning. I haven't learned this the hard way; it's just a smart rule.

9. Don't bother eating store-bought tomatoes in the winter. They will also break your heart.

10. When traveling, wear as many items of clothing as you can so your suitcase isn't too heavy.

11. Life is often unfair (the Duggars, for example, or the lady who just had 8 freakin' kids) but it is also often amusing and good.

12. Hard work and a positive attitude makes you live longer. If you don't believe me, you can go visit my grandma (89) and grandpop (96 or 97) and see what they have to say. Grandpop can still speak Polish.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday lady!!!

AH said...

Happy belated Birthday!

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday, Big A! I am searching for your birthday present this weekend. I know what I want--hopefully the fates will have it at the Sabattus flea market.

Thought I'd few things that are "goodstuff":

Finding a cashmere sweater on sale for $20.00.

Having one of my more imaginative students draw me as the offspring of Burt from Sesame Street and the Little Mermaid. Go on, just try to visualize that one.

Squirrels who feast in our compost bin.

The novel 'The Historian' by Elizabeth Kostova. Historical research methods and vampires--what could be better?

Snow days