The kind of amusement that gets old quickly

I actually thought I would make progress on my paper tonight.

I am hosting Bubba for what I thought was one night but they have informed me that Bubba is actually staying all weekend.  I am waiting for confirmation on that, but it would be interesting to be the last one to find out.  I am already not amused.  If that's the case, I think Chris will be getting them out of my hair for several hours tomorrow so I can do homework.

I think it's a lost cause tonight, but maybe I can conk out, wake up early tomorrow, and get some work done before anyone else is up.

I just got interrupted again because Ant was digging through Chris's studio.  He's looking for the TV that was once in his room so they could watch a movie.  As I called to the boys, Bubba answered:

"Yes, Mother that I always wish I had but can't?"

Now I can only sit here in silence, contemplating that comment.  Okay, it's not in silence- who am I kidding, there are two boys who only stop moving when asleep.  But wow...

Of course, when he said that, my heart melted and I went to hug him and tell him I love him.

"I know," he said.  "Everyone loves me who knows me."

Then I walked into Ant's room and had a minor coronary.

"Fix this.  Fix this now."

They cleaned up the avalanche, I brought in the TV, made popcorn.  I have my water and

Goddammit, I keep getting interrupted.

I spent the evening listening to these boys talk about zombies.  This is a serious discussion that includes periodic slapping and violent sound effects.

"How many zombies can you kill, max?" asks Bubba.

"Probably forty," says Ant.


I really don't get people's fascination with zombies.  Tonight I realized it must be that everyday people stand a chance against a zombie, as opposed to a vampire or werewolf or whatever other nonexistent creatures... we may... end up fighting some day?  I am still confused on that part of the fascination, obviously.

I took them to get a movie and cheap pizza and had this conversation:

"Jenny, how late can we stay up?"

"What do you think I'm going to say?"

"Four?"

"What?  No, what do you think I'M going to say."

"Oh, wait.  You don't care how late we stay up as long as we're quiet."

"Bingo."


During dinner, Ant starting imitating the MadTV "Can I Have Your Number?" skit, which some people find hilarious.  He kept it up for a full half hour and Bubba kept telling him to stop.  When that didn't work, Bubba would start slapping him in the face.  Then they would wrestle and screech like monkeys.  Whenever they'd stop wrestling, they'd giggle and catch their breath.  Then Ant would turn to Bubba and say:

"Can I have your number?"

Let's pretend like I'm not procrastinating.

I am trying to find the motivation to write my rough draft.  I only finished the book this afternoon and now I need to write a paper about it.  Each week it gets harder to keep up.  I volunteered to bring the food this week, since TWO finished papers are due next week.  I'm baking zucchini bread and I'm already exhausted.  I haven't missed class at all this term and now is sounding like a really good time.  :D  No, I'll finish this and I'll go.  I already know I'll have an A in this class because I'm there every day, I've gotten A's on everything so far, and I participate a lot in class.  Sometimes I wonder if I have room to slack and still get an A.  I could use a nap day.

I will be starting dinner soon.  It's a good thing because I am hungry.  Why, yes I am putting off going back to my paper!  Ughhhhhh.  Before I forget, I do want to tell you that I told my boss my last day would be next Wednesday and he said they'd been discussing it and decided I should put in a new contract anyway.  He said they wouldn't count on me and I would not need to provide a schedule- I can work when and if I have time.  They just thought I should leave that option open in case I end up with more time than I expect.  Besides, they sometimes need help for events on weekends and evenings and maybe I could help with that.  I am really grateful that they are welcoming me to stay- even though it won't benefit them much.  I have the warm fuzzies.

...it is also informally known as "Jennyway"

So Ant is finally home.  I got a little upset at the airport when only one of us was allowed past security to meet him at the gate.  I was banished to the Wicked Stepmother Waiting Area.  Sniffle.

We went to his school to buy his uniform shirts, meet his teacher, and pick up his supply list.  This is the first school year that we didn't need a list.

"Two binders, two notebooks, and a pencil," she said.  Whew!

We went to locate the items and some more dark blue Dickies at Wal-Mart.  Pant selection was thin, so we'll be scouting this week.  We came home to work on our individual projects: Ant unpacked and picked up all the caca off his floor, I bathed Riley and tried to burn through the novel that must be read and responded to by Wednesday morning, Chris worked on whatever the hell he's doing in his room.  It was almost 8 by the time Ant was done.  We dragged Chris away and took the dogs to the park.  Chris threw the monster for Jasmine while Riley and I walked the loop.  She met four little doggies.  We hit Little Caesar's on the way home for some cheap pizza.

We talked over dinner about the new objects in the living room like the crazy little monkey I found at a thrift store.  I must get a picture of that for you.  Ant said he'd also seen the "cactuses."  Chris and I looked at each other.  Huh?  Ant went over and picked up my unfinished-but-fired-anyway hands from the Ceramics class.  Chris and I looked at each other again with wide eyes and furrowed brows.  One of them might be unfinished, but it is quite obviously a hand.

"See?" Ant asked.  "They're cactuses.  This one is a cactus and the other one looks like one of those rollie things that rolls through the desert."

Tell me you don't REALLY want to see them now.  Don't worry, I'm getting there.  I just have to FINISH THIS FRIGGING CLASS FIRST!  We have two papers to go- one is the regular deal where we do a workshop on Thursday and turn in the final draft on Monday, but the last one is due on a Thursday!  Allow me to translate: That means one 5-7 page paper is due on Monday and a 6-8 page paper is due that Thursday!  AND the last paper is accompanied by a PRESENTATION!  If that isn't crazy enough, the last paper is using a CRITICISM THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE UP OURSELF!  If you have any ideas for that, incidentally, pass them along.  I would probably be a lot more interested in that.  Maybe I should create tangental criticism.  Ha ha ha hmmm.  I might be onto something.

OH and (Sorry for the yelling, but I had a beer with din-din.  It makes me louder than usual.) I remembered during dinner that I want to take Ant to the yo-yo competition in wherever the hell I read about that.  I googled random yo-yo related things until I found the yo-yo museum in Chico, California.  That is where I used to go with my crazy boys at Edwards to visit John's family.  It was 8 hours from Edwards but only 2 hours from here!  I'm planning to take him this year and I wrote it all over the calendar.  That seems really crucial to me.