Thursday, December 4, 2008

It's a Love/Hate World

Things I Hate:

*The sound of an electric pencil sharpener when I'm trying to teach a class.
*Guilt.
*Burned-out teachers who won't retire.
*Yelling at my own kids, or the feeling that they'll only truly listen when I do.
*When people slow to a near stop before they take a right turn.
*My students' misplaced apostrophes.
*Innefficiently run faculty meetings when I know the dog hasn't peed in nearly ten hours.
*When I thought I had set the coffee maker for 5:15, but I actually hadn't, so I have to wait ten minutes after waking up before I can have my first sip of joe.
*My deeply seeded, irrational reaction to some issues surrounding food.
*Guilt.
*Having secrets. Therefore I don't.
*Parents of my students who don't have jobs outside of the home, and who insist on hovering around the classroom and my email inbox as though it were a full-time, paying gig.
*The polar opposite of the above. Hello...your kid is hungry by 8:30 because you didn't make him any breakfast. Also...you might want to ask him every once in a while if he has any homework. Just a thought.
*This recession. It scares the living hell out of me.
*The smelly and greasy old man Depression who lurks in my house, lonely, waiting to attach himself to me because I'm sometimes overly accomodating to him. I don't yell at him to get the fuck out of my house the way I should. I hate that motherfucker.


Things I Love:

*When my kids burrow in to me, wrap their arms around me and squeeze.
*One-on-one time with either one of my kids. I don't care what we're doing. I love to be alone with just one of them.
*A fire in the fireplace, hot chocolate, and a book.
*This heavenly town.
*Catching a glimpse of a wild animal in the woods. If I can spot a moose, I'm golden for weeks.
*An earnest student asking a question.
*The greeting my dog gives me when I come home.
*Singing. Loudly. Preferably in to a microphone.
*A great pair of jeans. And by great I mean flattering, stylish AND comfortable.
*Tall skinny cinnamon dolce latte. Mmmmmmmm...
*A well-constructed essay. By me or by a student.
*Spilling the beans on myself.
*Going to bed knowing I've done the best I can do. This is a rare gem.
*My daughter's deep, and very old soul.
*My son's curious, and very new soul.
*Comments and commenting.


How about you?

15 comments:

Kari said...

Things I hate: My commute back and forth from Marin to San Francisco to work, one hour each way.

Things I love: My commute...across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, when the sun peeks up and I can see the fog rolling away from the hills.

Great post!

Jen W said...

The sound of my kids laughing is what I love. That side splitting, hysterical laughter.

And the smell of Evergreen trees at Christmas time, burning leaves in the Fall, and fresh cut grass in the Summer.

Anonymous said...

'*This recession. It scares the living hell out of me.'

Yeah, me too. Great post!

Vodka Mom said...

THings I hate: That my husband has been out of a job for three months, and I'm beginning to feel like one of those families at our school that's needs the canned goods at Christmas.

That my daughter left her NEW retainer (that I COULDN'T AFFORD) at Verizon and it got run over by several hundred vehicles in the last 24 hours. Crooked teeth, here we come.
THings I love: nothing right now. nothing.

DKC said...

Things I hate: How ridiculously political my job is - and the fact that the biggest jerk has no one to police him.

Things I love: The anticipation of Christmas.

And, to steal one from you and one from Jen W: Alone time w/one kid = awesome. The laughter that only my husband can get out of our kids. Sheer joyful laughter.

Also - blogging! And how damn cool it is to have all these new friends!

Lilly said...

I love Clever and witty blogs and yours is fantastic. I hate nothing at all as I am still on holidays - that will change I am sure.....

jen said...

love the love/hate thing.
i too hate yelling at my kiddos.
and sometimes ... i find that whispers get me A LOT more attention.
crazy huh?

patty said...

I've been trying to boot that old motherfucker to the curb. He keeps slithering back in through the cracks, like a mouse who contorts his bones as he seeks the warmth inside.

Vodka Mom said...

okay. Things I love:
That my kids are alive and well, sleeping in their beds.
That I have a job I love.
That we are all healthy, and relatively happy.


okay. happy now???

Leslie said...

I hate that I love both my life and my job but that both of them make the other miserable.

I love Christmas...when it gets here. The prep is a little bit much though.

Zip n Tizzy said...

Great lists, both of them...

I had a burnt out teacher who wouldn't retire when I was in 2nd grade and she greatly diminished my love for school. So, I would have that at the top of my list too... and my irrational reaction to my kids aversions to food, and yelling too much to be heard... and lurking threats of depression... you've pegged a lot of mine.

Things I love: family who's unfazed by minimal gift giving over the holidays, reduces all of our stress and makes it a time to just spend together. My kids spontaneous crazy laughter... I'm with you on that.
My kids unique and individual natures. Simple activities that bring them great joy, but are easy and free to do, like painting an egg carton and giving it to their grandparents. The joy they get when their grandparents tell them it's just what they've always wanted.

MsPicketToYou said...

right now? i lurve you.

The Grandpa said...

Your post made me smile. One of my favorite things to do.

Lipstick Jungle said...

Things I hate:
Parents who talk through Christmas concerts. Lying. Pain. Money (especially when its hard to come by). This recession.

Things I love:
I think you hit them all for me... I especially love your Recession anger. Make it a bumpersticker and I will buy a case!

anymommy said...

I love blog posts that bring tears to my eyes. You got me with alone time with your kids. And also, movie star jeans. God I love really good jeans.

I love nap time, the end of nap time, flip flops and grande nonfat chai tea lattes. I love that my kids say 'do you need coffee, momma' when we get in the car.

I might have to do one of these lists.

I hate nausea. A LOT.