You're on the right path

Barbara called the school because they marked Rachel absent in first hour.  She is able to see her daughter’s grades in real time.  Isn’t that terrifying?  Barbara said on this end of a phone call, “I don’t think my daughter has a teacher with that name.  Is it a substitute?” It’s not.  Barbara just didn’t know.  Which is strange because she constantly remarks on Rachel’s grades, she just doesn’t know how to do anything about it.  

For instance, she had been assigned a paper several weeks ago.  Because that’s how they prepare kids for college where papers will be due in a few days.  By dragging them out for weeks.  But Rachel hadn’t done any work on it.  Then, as goes the story, the teacher yelled at her.  Even “bugged out his eyes” at her.   But Barbara was trying to get hold of the teacher because her daughter just didn’t understand how to do the paper.  Rachel reportedly tried to stay during the lunch period one day, but the teacher said she had to go to lunch even though she doesn’t eat.  She’s actually been saving her lunch money but still asking her parents for money all the time.  

It’s hard to focus on one thing when I’m overhearing these phone calls. So much gets thrown at me.    

 

Going down?

This morning on the elevator a couple gentlemen were already talking and joking with each other.  The lone woman out of five people (myself included) on the elevator got off on the second floor.  The rest of us, a maintenance man, two suits and myself, rode to our floor. 

One of the suits, the submissive one in the conversation, said something about some professional therapy class he had to take.  The other suit replies with, “Jeeze, what is it?  Shock therapy?”

His counterpart laughed, “Yeah.  What, you haven’t had it?”

“Haha, I’ve been married for twenty years, I think that’s shock therapy enough.”  They chuckled.  I shook my head and walked down the hall as soon as the elevator doors opened.  They followed at a more leisurely pace. 

Adding to what he thought was hilarious, the dominant suit said, “I feel like I’ve been waterboarded already.  Nothing’s torture anymore.”

They guffawed until they were out of earshot. 

Tell me that guy doesn’t vote republican. 

Mmmm, minimalism

Can we not enjoy silence?  Can we not exchange a greeting and have that be the end of it.  Why are you always looking for some sort of conversation starter? 

“How’s that weather treating you?”  When the temperature drops outside, it makes me cold.  When it is higher, I am warmer.  You?

“You ready for the end of the year?”  No, I’m not.  I was thinking of putting it off for a couple weeks. 

I will say hello.   You will say hello.  If there is something about which we should speak, it will be spoken, if not, take your greeting and like it.  We have acknowledged each other.  End communication.  

Willful ignorance

Barbara knows she speaks incorrectly.  In a phone conversation, in response to something on the other end of a telephone, she said, “It don’t matter.” She paused for the other person to speak and then, in a sigh, “Dooooesn’t maaatterrr.” So she knows she is ignorant.  Isn’t that mind blowing? 

I'd like to thank all the little people

John has accepted a new position elsewhere on my floor.  The “I won’t be far” meter has started.  It is at two.  He has said it twice and it’s not even twenty after eight.  I’m going to start hearing him complain and moan and follow it up with, “But I don’t have to worry about it anymore.” Without the least bit of awareness that he is basically saying, “I am better than you now.  I don’t have to deal with these little problems anymore.” 

A woman's work

It worries me that Barbara is the brains of that operation.  Reggie always has her call to take care of his business.  And by business I mean consulting with lawyers and the unemployment office and therapists and doctors.  If it weren’t for her, I don’t know where he’d be.  Probably in the pocket and on the pedestal of some other sucker of a woman. 

Perspective

They were talking about a terrible car wreck that happened this morning.  Noreen said her husband’s boss said it happened behind her.  Noreen said she was lucky she didn’t get stuck behind the wreck.  Yeah, that would have sucked.