As the sun was setting in the evening yesterday, I wandered among the Cowpen Daisies.
The sunshine. The daisies. The bees and butterflies. That’s all I got.
Ed
Sun, 27 Oct 2024, 05:00 PM (-06:00)
Several years ago, I worked with a guy who had every tool and device you’d possibly need in your classroom. He often had several, and he was happy to share.
Ed gave me an HDMI cable once, when I was trying to get a projector to work with my laptop. And he gave me a multimeter which sat unused in a drawer for years so I shared it forward with someone else (and within a week was in our garage wishing I had a multimeter).
Anyway one day several years ago, I was in Ed’s room while he was going thru a box of stuff. He pulled out a fifteen foot Fireware cable and started waxing philosophical about it. I mean, I still have some Firewore drives, still and have saved the cables. So I was on his side. But Ed was really quite animated about this reunion with a long-forgotten friend.
“This is great!” he said, smiling and holding up the cable. He reached around his laptop.
“It’s just great…”
And then he stopped short.
“…except I don’t see that here. They must not make them, anymore.”
It true. They didn’t. Indeed, they hadn’t for quite some time.
So you might be asking, what good is that Firewire drive in the closet going to do me? I’ll go check with Ed.
You Looked Like You Needed It
Tue, 22 Oct 2024, 07:09 AM (-06:00)
The sun was rising on the other side of the city. Rose reflections glimmered in the windows of the skyscrapers. The moon was overhead. The marching band was practicing in the parking lot.
With a button push, the Subaru’s liftgate opened. I walked to the back of the car to fetch my lunchbox and shoulder pack. With another button push, the liftgate closed, and I began to walk into the building.
There’s a turn-around drive on the east side of the high school. Outside of the auditorium. Near what used to be the main doors, before they added the Chemistry wing. Before security protocols changed and the only non-staff entrance was moved to the west side. I stepped off the sidewalk into the drive just as a student was crossing from the other direction.
She was short and had long straight hair. There was a backpack slung over her shoulders. She was looking down at her phone. Then as we approached each other, she looked up.
“Give me a hug,” she said in a matter of fact voice that I could barely hear. She opened out her arms.
I hiked my shoulder pack onto my left side and reached around her with my right arm. She hugged me lightly. I tapped her shoulder with my half-hugging arm. And I chuckled.
“What was that all about?” I asked her.
“You looked like you needed it,” she said. Then she returned to her phone and walked off in the other direction.
Coming or Going
Thu, 17 Oct 2024, 08:35 AM (-06:00)
When we come and when go, the little one is always at the door.
Quarters and Nickles
Wed, 16 Oct 2024, 09:29 PM (-06:00)
“Mr. Hasan”” someone called from the other side of the room holding up their hand.
I wound my way between the clustered desks of testing students.
“What’s up?” I whispered as I knelt beside their desk.
“I don’t know how much a quarter and nickel are.”
I cocked my head (imperceptibly, I hope).
“A quarter is twenty-five cents. A nickel is five.”
“Thank you.”
That’s a new one for me.
Waiting to Go to the Pep Rally
Thu, 10 Oct 2024, 01:12 PM (-06:00)
The bell rang. The kids began to move to the door. I called them back.
“They’ll call for second floor when they’re ready for you to go to the pep rally.”
So the students milled about the room. Began to talking loudly. Wormed towards the door. After all, it would only a minute or so.
Then a voice came over the PA, but I couldn’t clearly hear what they said over the hubbub in the room. The kids began to leave.
“Nope,” I said loudly. “They’ll call us.”
There were objections. There were corrections. They looked at me as they do when I trip over myself squeezing between the desks, an “Are you feeling ok?” kind of look.
“Did they call us?” I asked.
“Yes,” they insisted.
“Go!” I said, waving them on in a Tracy Ullman way.
They streamed into the hall, turned left, and headed to the gym.
Problem is, other than them, the halls were empty. Ghostly quiet. And five minutes later, a voice came over the PA, “Second floor may go to the pep rally.”
They so scammed me.
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