Tales from the Steppes

2006-09-22

11.15 a.m.
Friday, September 22

Love is the answer at least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go? And how come it�s so hard?

- Jack Johnson

I was wrong about the YM's noisemaking. He was quiet (but scared) until the tech nailed him with the cast saw. I looked at his arm last night and there were several vertical lines running up it. Fortunately, the saw doesn't draw blood. But still, what a suckfull thing to happen. Fortunately, the YM is a resilient little kid and other than climbing into bed with me last night, made it through this just fine.

I am hopeful that the woman that work in the cube next to me will not come in today. She has been sick for the last couple of weeks but has been coming in this week. I know she feels terrible but is just doing this because she has deadlines coming up.

I also have a really selfish reason for not wanting her here - she keeps making these horrible mucosal sounds. You know what I mean. Haaawwwwwnk. Schnawwwwkk. Snorrrrrt. Besides the usual sniffling sounds as well. I do understand how self-centered this reaction is but it is like listening to nails on a blackboard. And yes, I wear my headphones but I can still hear the noises over my music. Poor Pam. I know how much I hate it when my sinuses are uncooperative but I am not sure I have ever produced noises like these.

This last weekend, the MM and EM got Nintendo DSs and it has been very interesting to watch. The EM got a set of adult brain games to go with hers and the MM got a Mario game. While there have been issues about mongols playing them when they are supposed to be reading, sleeping, and doing homework, the positive side effects actually outweigh these problems. Because the DSs communicate with each other over a span of 50 feet or so, the EM and MM talk to each other from their own rooms without arguing. They can play each others games without actually having the cartridge. And I have caught them each practicing multiplication problems for some timed thing on the EM's game.

Surprisingly, the YM did not get upset about the fact that he did not get a DS as well. Mostly because the MM and EM paid for most of their systems. To earn the rest of the money, they cleaned carpets, mowed the lawn, cleaned bathrooms, and folded clothes. It also helped that he got the new Star Wars Legos game, which is just about the coolest game I have seen yet for his age group.