Surrealism @ MindSay

So last night I don't think I made it to bed until sometime after midnight, and I didn't fall asleep until 1.40. This may not sound too bad, except for that I had to get up at 3.00 to drive jewfroart to Logan Airport in Boston... her flight was supposed to leave at 6.05. Actually, her flight did leave at 6.05 but she wasn't on it... even though we showed up at the counter at 5.20, they didn't have enough time to get her through the screening. For some reason, she always gets tagged for a special screening (I think it's the hair... plus, she was carrying two carryons and no checked luggage) and this time they had to wait ten minutes for a woman to come do her patdown. Apparently, it wasn't even an in-depth patdown... no flashlight, rubber gloves, and makeshift TSA-approved stirrups or anything that really neccessitated a woman for the screening. But rules are rules, apparently.

Just got off the phone with her. Because United made her miss her flight to DC and her subsequent connection to San Juan, they put her on I think Delta to JFK in New York and reserved her a seat on an American Airlines flight to San Juan. Of course, she got patted down and inspected again, and then when she got to American, they showed a reservation for her... but no ticket. Of course, the ticket that she had was for United, but they needed something that actually said that they were being paid for the flight. After an hour of the AA clerk trying to get word from United, she was finally told to go back to United... which is in another terminal separated by a commuter-type subway. She was almost at the United terminal at 12.20 and her flight leaves at 13.30. Wish her luck and I'll update.

Oh yeah, and in about ten minutes I have to drive to another airport... Providence... and pick up another friend who's flying back from a two-day 'not-a-date' with a friend in DC. Yes, I'm getting gas money (and coffee money) for these things, but I'm just about ready to curl up under my desk.

So... more later.

Be they irrational or valid, we all have fears. Many of us hate to talk about them. We often believe admitting their existence makes us weak, especially if they prove to be irrational or debilitating. I've decided to share four of my phobias with my Mindsay friends. I'm also double - dog daring them to share their own.

1) Driving on the freeway / Driving in Unfamiliar Territory -- Let's face it, I live in Houston where we admit to being some of  the worst drivers in the United States. The trick to surviving rush hour in H-Town is to throw 90% of the things you learned in the Driver's Ed manual out the window.  For example, if you want to get over when you're on the interstate, put your blinker on.  Not because the person next to you may be kind enough to let you in, but so they can speed up. This way you can get behind this jackass and still be in the position to make your exit.

As far as driving in unfamiliar territory goes, I have the absolute WORST sense of direction.  I could get "turned around" in a breadbox. Poor Environgirl always ends up being my navigational system when we go somewhere we've never been before.  I also hate when people give directions like "Go west on 15th Street". That means absolutely nothing to me! I need landmarks!

2) Dying in a Freak Accident -- This is probably in the category of an irrational fear, but I don't care. I would be PISSED OFF if I died in a freak accident! Not that it would matter because I'd be dead, but I'm sure I'd be one angry spirit!  A couple of years ago a man in Houston sat outside on his porch like he did most mornings.  This time however, an 18-wheeler on the overpass about a quarter mile from his house jack-knifed. One of the tires flew off and fatally hit this man in the head.  I coudn't get over this story!  Today, a boy was killed by some swords that he had on the wall  displayed over his bed. Yes, I know that this wasn't a good place to display sharpened swords, but you have to wonder how long they'd been there before this happened.

3) Heights - I'm not afraid of heights if I'm in a some type of enclosed vehicle.  I actually like glass elevators. :)  I'm afraid of open heights, balconies and even ladders.  Once during a class field trip to the symphony I almost hyperventillated when I learned our seats were in the balcony of Jones Hall. Sure, because of the acoustics, the balcony is the very best place to sit at the symphony, but in this case, I would have rather been in the pit! The balcony of Jones Hall has graduated seating.  I think I would have been okay if  I was seated on the second or third level of the balcony, but the usher hurriedly led me to the lowest level in front of the railing!  I was actually sweating in fear. I turned to my co-worker who was sitting in behind me and repeatedly asked him to switch seats with me.  Inccidently, he is deaf in one ear. He just kept smiling and nodding at me! I felt like throttling him! Meanwhile, I had to keep my hyper students in line because I just KNEW one of them would tumble over the railing. I recited every prayer and creed I knew: the Lord's Prayer, the 23rd Psalm, the Apostle's Creed, the Nicene Creed -- songs by Creed.  I don't remember any of the pieces the symphony performed that day. I just remember the sigh of relief I felt when the concert was over.

4) Psychologically Damaging My Daughter -- let's face it, not every parent is the blame for their child's behavior or how they turned out. Most parents do the best they can, however they blame themselves when their children have a hard time growing up well adjusted. There are things that we do unconsciously that influence our children. These things can be good or bad.  For example, my mother never pressed me to read as a hobby, I just noticed that she read constantly.  As a result, I'm an avid reader, too. Of course I like to read pure fluff because it provides a delicious escape.

What about the bad habits we pass along to our children -- especially ones of which we aren't cognizant? I have a student who's mother is more of a worrier than I am! That's saying a lot. As a result, her son is constantly panicking in class.

THINGS THAT JUST GIVE ME / GAVE ME THE WILLIES:

1) Remember that children's show called Vegetable Soup?  Wasn't that the creepiest show ever?  They had a segment called OuterScope with eerie marionette puppets. Their heads would bob around as they walked around exploring worlds they'd travel to via a spaceship made of junk. Let's not even talk about their eyes! They also had a segment called Nigel. Nigel was a six foot long boa constrictor and the best friend of a some kid who would ask him where he'd been.  Apparently Nigel liked to get out and visit people and places!  There was also the one episode where they did the John Henry song. I don't know what singer sang the song for the segment, but imagine Chaka Chan or Aretha Franklin singing the last part of the song where John Henry laid down his hammer and DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIED, oooooh yeaaahhhhhhhhh! 

 If you're wondering why I remember so many segments of a show that scared the living daylights out of me it is because sometimes I didn't quite make it to the television to change the channel before the show came on. By the time the opening credits and the theme song came on, I was too paralyzed with fear to change the channel. LOL!

2) The picture of the trigger fish in my Children's Time / Life Encyclopedia.  -- When my mom decided to order these encyclopedias for us I was so excited.  The first one we got was the one about animals.  I couldn't wait to read that damn book from cover to cover. I read about mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. When I got to the chapter titled "What is A Fish" I was greeted by an 8 1/2 x 11 photo of a fish that looked very much like this:

I don't know why this picture freaked me out, but it did. To make matters worse, my cousins would chase me around the house with this picture!

3) Cirque du Soleil -- Haunting, mesmorizing music. Performers in uni-tards who look like they are constantly pitching a tent.  Avant garde themes. Cirque du Soleil hardly feels "sunny".  Its too surreal.  I find some surrealism disturbing.

the product of isolating yourself in your room, ahahaha.

s'abit more abstract than normal, but whatever. If anyone can find the head, you're just that special.