Tales from the Steppes

2005-09-27

1:53 p.m.
Tuesday, September 27

No, no one has dropped a house on me. Perhaps a giant stack of plans, but no houses. My last week has been full of such exciting occurrances as having my advisor (who was my second but is now my first because my second vanished into the ozone) not show for our meeting, after I left an important work meeting to drive all the way up there. Grrrrr. He did send me a very apologetic email, so, ok, things happen.

I got to spend this morning outside, riding around in a golf cart doing fieldwork. The good news was that the weather was perfect. The bad news was that is with the Doof. I had been asked to help with with the fieldwork for this golf course that wants to redevelop, as not only is it a big site, but the proposal is quite contentious. We each have our areas of expertise so from a professional point of view, it was an excellent idea. And since we were riding around in a golf cart, he had to pay more attention to his driving and less to his yammering.

Things were fine until we had finished the site and stopped for lunch at McDonalds. I should have come up with a reason to go straight back to the office but I am slow. And for my stupidity, I was rewarded with sitting with Josh as he ate a Big Mac, two double cheeseburgers, and a large order of fries. And a large Diet Coke. But I was good - the only thing I said was "Why do you bother with a Diet Coke?" It seems that he likes the taste.

The mongols are being their usual mongolly selves. Last Friday, after I put the boys on the bus, another mother approaches me to complain that the YM has been intentionally scaring her daughter. Apparently, he gets close to her and yells "Boo." Neither I nor the babysitter have ever seen this, but, ok, it could happen. Sounds like something he would do. I think this other parent expected me to be upset or shocked. For that, his head would have had to spun around with him spewing green stuff, while speaking in tongues. Instead, I said I would speak to him and if she sees him do this again, say something a little more forceful, instead of merely requesting that he not do that. It was a bad day for the YM, as he got a blue card at school (which is given when you do something bad) and his Friday note said that even though he was behaving in class, he was not being so good on the bus. One recess last week, he told some girl (I really hope it wasn't the same child) that he was going to go "poo" on her head while out at recess. We had a long chat that evening and he seems to have corrected his behavior. In fact, yesterday he was given two yellow cards (for good behavior). I suspect that my lecture coupled with the homework he was given with the blue card influenced his thinking.