Posts Tagged ‘bad day’

Ice. Death. Winter.

If autumn is my favorite season, with its luminescent leaves, portly pumpkins, and abundant acorns, it is tainted by the knowledge that winter is coming next.  Try as I might, I can never quite forgive autumn for failing to transform magically into spring as soon as it realizes its days are numbered.

In autumn, the sun is crystal clear, clean, adding a bright glow to everything it touches.  In winter, the sun is grey.  Not “g-r-a-y,” the predominant American spelling, but a full-fledged Wuthering Heights-quality GREY.  “Wuthering” is a fine word for winter, by the way… go look it up.

I hate the grey sun. (more…)

I want to preface this post with a couple of disclaimers.  First, understand that it’s a rant.  Matthew Dryden challenged people to write angrily and “with abandon” this week, and although this didn’t come out as angry as it could have, it’s more aggressive than I normally would get.  Blame him; he says it’s ok.

Second, as I was casting about for a topic for my rant, I serendipitously discovered a contest Word Sell, Inc. regarding cell phone use and abuse.  Now, I’m not a huge contest person, but there was a cash prize offered, and I did need a rant topic, so…

“Sir, cell phones are prohibited to students.”

...sigh...

He looks at me, and I can tell that if he were half — rather than twice — my age, his lower lip would be trembling.

“But what if there’s an emergency?” he almost wails.  “How will I get in touch with my son?”

“There is an emergency,” I respond.  “Your son’s grades are on life-support, and by texting in class, he’s pulling the plug.  Oh, and we have…” I pause to count on my fingers… “three land lines here at the school.  Your tax dollars at work, and all that, you know.  If you need to get in touch with your son for any reason, well, use your imagination.” (more…)

...still warm...

She made cookies.

There are times when cookies are necessary.  They are sugary little emotional painkillers, morphine for the soul.

Most people don’t realize it, but many words in the English language derive from ancient onomatopoeia.  There is a reason why “fuzzy” sounds, well, fuzzy, and why pronouncing “stutter” sounds like you have a bit of a speech impediment.  Likewise, there is a reason why “cookie” has that heartbeat BUHdum rhythm to it.  Cookie.  Cookie.  Cookie, cookie, cookie, pulse getting faster as you smell the chocolate… cookiecookiecookiecookie heralds a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon.

Cookies. (more…)