EmPossibility

To make up for Springing Forward

Emily — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:28:54 +0000

To make up for Springing Forward, originally uploaded by EmPossibility.

We have this lovely from Mother Nature. Can you smell the sneezed?

A different kind of challenge

Emily — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:37:20 +0000

A different kind of challenge, originally uploaded by EmPossibility.

I love my school. That is all

How many takes??!!??

Emily — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:19:22 +0000

What’s your best guess?

I think this is OFFICIALLY my new Favorite Video of All Time.

Stratify THIS

Emily — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:07:15 +0000

The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off. ~Gloria Steinem

I spaced on a homework assignment. Okay, two. I was annoyed with myself when I realized that I’d not read the chapter, much less written the paper when it hit me:

It went into that deadzone in my brain where all obnoxious “deal with it by ignoring it” things go. Ignore it until I can get to a place where I can deal (and right now isn’t really that time).

The class is “Social Stratification”. The study of our society and how race/class/gender/income all come together to make us who/what we are. When I’m in class, I’m engaged, constantly relating my life experiences to the topic at hand (and working hard at keeping my big mouth shut so Those Kids can participate in class too LOL).

But the more I read the more I wanted to be doing something ANYTHING else. I flip to my Google Reader (72 unread), to my Gmail (nothing), to my OKCupid profile (one message, not flirty), to my school mail (nothing) to picking up the broom and sweeping everything into a pile so I can pack my backpack and make sure I’ve got workout gear and my lunch and OOPS I’m too late to get to class on time.

Which is a good thing, because the reading response? Still not written. Because I still haven’t finished the chapter and I can’t respond to the chapter until I’ve read it. Why?

I don’t WANT to see in print that I’m economically beyond disadvantaged. I don’t WANT to read that because I’m a Female Head of Household (with no husband present) the odds of me being “successful” (depending on how you define success, of course) are slim-to-none. I don’t WANT to read that the fat cats are getting fatter while I bust my ass and that it’s always been this way and always will.

I get it. I promise I do. I’ve been listening to “you can’t DO that” my entire life and I’m GOING to do it anyway because there’s no good reason for me to just sit on my hands and get steamrolled. We’re fine, we’re making it, please take your statistics, roll ‘em up tight and shove ‘em where the sun don’t shine.

Labelmaker + boy =

Emily — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:20:01 +0000

Labelmaker + boy =, originally uploaded by EmPossibility.

It’s basic math y’all!

Commentary:

February 26, 2010, Kimberly writes: LOL! That's totally my HUSBAND! I'm a little worried about what our son will do... :)
February 26, 2010, Emily writes: Oh that's an easy one. You'll be standing there, minding your own business when he toddles up and says "HEY! MOMMY!" and then pulls his pants down and flashes you.

No, just hardheaded.

Emily — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:19:46 +0000

Emily: I reopened my OKC profile
jami: oh?
Emily: yeh
jami: masochist.

I could say I’m just there for the tests, I could say “hope springs eternal”. Honestly, I don’t know why I re-upped it but it’s there for at least a week (because OKC won’t allow you to reactivate and then immediately deactivate).

Here’s to hope…

Somethin’ tells me I’m into…somethin’

Emily — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:02:10 +0000

It’s quiet in here. Quiet except for the tap tap tapping of my keyboard, which echoes through the vaulted ceilings, bounces around the trophy cases and off the books before going where all good taps go to rest. A croupy cough and sniff joins the tapping, poor soul. The temptation to scoot over there and slip into nagging-mom mode rises higher with each sound. She came to school to get an education – the first lesson is to take care of yourself.

It’s quiet in here. The kids are in bed, finally. Their backpacks stand at attention by the front door, waiting for the grab-and-dash of morning. There are flat-packed boxes are on the floor, waiting for me to unpack them and turn them into a 3-d sculpture, a functional piece of furniture. They’ve been standing sentry since before Christmas.

It’s quiet in here, except for the swishswish of the dishwasher, the thrumming hum of the dryer, the staccato thud of the washing machine.

It’s home.

Look around you and write about what you see. Create something positive out of that. Is there anything you can take away from the space you’re in every day that can bring you to a better emotional place within it?

The other participants are:

Commentary:

February 11, 2010, Just Dawn writes: Wonderful writing style, I feel like I'm in the room with you. .-= Just Dawn´s last blog ..Scramble – {w}rite of passage =-.
February 12, 2010, Emily writes: Thank you Dawn :)
February 12, 2010, Julie writes: Man, my high school English teachers always told me "Show, not tell! Show, not tell!" I used to excuse myself by saying that I didn't know what they were really talking about, but your post does it well. It looks so hard to do, though, like I'd have to stop breathing in order to fully concentrate on all the details around me. Anyway, great post, humbling to read. :) .-= Julie´s last blog ..In My Bedroom =-.
February 13, 2010, Natalie at Mommy on Fire writes: Fantastic - loved your twist on the everyday. Great way to illustrate the craziness of mornings - the "grab and dash" of the backpacks is so true and so cleverly written by you!
February 15, 2010, Emily writes: Oh, you don't have to quit breathing, I promise. Just pick up your head, look at ONE thing, and describe the world around it.

Ever have one of those moments

Emily — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 06:14:56 +0000

where you look at the clock and realize that it’s WAAAAY later than you meant to stay up but the homework is all finally done (YAY!) and you can go to bed now but noooo, you really can’t go to bed because the dog is asleep on the floor and if you move you’ll wake the dog and you don’t want to wake her so you sleep on the sofa?

Now you know why I believe dogs should sleep outside in their dog houses. Then I don’t have to have this kind of conversation with you at one-fifteen in the morning. Or the guilt.

Especially the guilt.

I’m no stranger to conversations at 1:15.

There’s cake!

Emily — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:32:52 +0000

There’s cake!, originally uploaded by EmPossibility.

And yes, it is delicious and moist. And not a lie. As a matter of fact, this made coming to work worthwhile!

A Friday Ramble

Emily — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:32:31 +0000

Y’all know I started school again, right? Cue Winter Stormageddon 1, 2.0, and potentially 2.5. I’ve been on campus once. (Did I say that Satan would need a snowblower before I went back there? I don’t remember….but it would explain a bit.)

I love scooba running. It smells like I’m not pushing a mop!!!!!

I never thought I’d hear the words “National Enquirer” and “Pulitzer Prize” in the same sentence. Gawker covers why they should win it. While I agree that they /qualify/ for the Pulitzer, I’m quite positive they won’t win it.

My boys do not love weather extremes. Spring and Fall find them happily outside screaming their heads off. Summer and Winter? Newp, nu-uh, not happening, noway. I couldn’t get them to go outside right now if I paid them to. And yes, I had cash in hand…

And speaking of my boys, my wild wonderful boys….tell me something. How do you (specific, not general) clean their toothbrushes after one too many swordfights that ended with the loser crying and his toothbrush in the floor (eew) or in the sink that needed to be rinsed (because it’s full of toothpaste and spit)? Right now the urge is to soak them in listerine, boil them, rinse again with peroxide, and then go out and buy whole new toothbrushes (except for that whole snow/ice thing that has me making all kinds of excuses against leaving the house while I *cough* do homework). (It does go without saying that a toothbrush that falls in the toilet is automatically trashed isn’t it? Oh just the thought makes me gag…)

And speaking of homework, one of my Soc classes requires blog entries. I find that both wonderful and ironic, given the fact that My Sainted Mama is CONVINCED that I’m addicted to the computer*.

I finally relented and let the dog in the house to sleep. Yes, she has a dogloo. With a bed. I’m not really sure WHAT I was thinking, but we now have an indoor/outdoor doggie.

I found out that replacing the keyboard on my laptop is a five-minute job (once I get the parts). (Not plug and play, y’all. A whole new LAPTOP keyboard.)

And this concludes our afternoon ramble. Please return your trays and seats to the upright position, make sure your seatbelt is fastened and your crap is put up before you return to reality.

Bye!!!!

PS – I am computer addicted. When I’m not at work. Or folding laundry. Or cleaning the bathrooms. Or reading. Or shoveling snow. Or mowing the yard. Or shopping.

PPS – I’ve spent the entire day in my jammies. It’s been heavenly. And relaxing.