Things we said today

Today I finished my tenured as a coffee whore. For the second time. This time is probably the last time. Would certainly hope so. Too educated to serve coffee-I can see thru the ruse. There's plenty of people with the same problem, but they haven't done it for 5 years so it's not quite so painful. 5 years (over the course of 4/5 of a decade) wearing a green apron and pushing pound cakes on people that already need 2 seats on the bus. What a relief to not do that anymore.
School started today. Or, we had our wee meeting of the minds today. FUN FACT: the only people (so it seems) w/out the good grant money are: me, the woman with severe vision impairment and the woman with 5 kids. I think there's a little bit of discimination there. But that's alright, ma, I'm only bleeding. Probably a dozen or so people are starting the program this fall. My guess. My guess is that half of them will be around come T-giving. MAYBE. Course, they all have assistantships. It's the people that don't that don't make it. I'm the only one to return-clarify-the only one to return that doesn't have a decent full time job that pays the bills. I must have a very high tolerance for pain.
F-lorists have potluck suppers. Like Pentecostals-only with more alcohol. Lots more alcohol. My God-who can blame us-we're in debt for fairy tales and food traditions. Drinking is the only POSSIBLE reaction. That or maybe running our heads into the wall until we enter a coma that causes us to forget we decided to get a degree in the lore of the folk.
SO-between the oh so exciting morning meeting and the oh so fascinating get together I had 5 hours to kill. And I wasn't lucky-I didn't have any pot. AUGH!! Bad-and yet I told this joke more than once. What was I thinking. Mummy was helpful-she told me to get a platter-buy some hummus, some grapes and some bagel chips and it would be a hit. I was nervous because this clearly was not my own cooking creation. But I went to Wal-Mart bought a fifty cent tray and what I was suggested and grabbed a spoon from the deli. I put the set up together in the parking lot and just sat it on the table. When there was food to eat (salads and sushi and BBQ and all that) no one touched my tray and I was embarrassed. This is why I don't bring trays because I don't know what people want. SO-I wander off and have a discussion about heavy metal in Akron, OH (in Akron, OH people really like heavy metal-approx 30 people and the editor of JAF, I probably know all of these people). Went back into the kitcken and the hummus tray looks like it was attacked by hungry wolves. AH HA! It's nosh food to be eaten whilst conversating. Mummy is a genius.
Speaking of wolves, I saw the Brothers Grimm today. It was quite brilliant. Tho I spent much time trying to figure which tale was being referenced at the time-because I'm paying to know this shit. That took away from some of the charm. But that won't bother most people. Most people aren't as misguided as am I. Lovely imagery and Heath Ledger-yeh, I find him to be quite pleasant. Hell, I even thought Matt Damon was likable and skilled and he is forever tainted by his association with that tool Ben Affleck. (Why is Ben Affleck still allowed to make movies? Everything he touches is such shite. Makes one wonder if there is in fact a diety.)
The funniest moments of the evening-in nutshells...
Talking to a girl about-something-liquor stores I guess tho I don't know why.
Girl: "I'm still trying to figure out the drive thru liquor store."
Me: "Oh, how I miss the drive thru. We don't have them in Nsahville. It's one of the greatest injustices of all time."
Prof: "And hello M______"
Me: "Hello"
Prof: "That seemed like the best time to chime in." she had that look of familiarity that is amusing if you see if but I guess it's fairly easy to imagine.
Me: "Well, having to get out of my car to buy beer is terribly unfair."
Prof: "Of course." She's either comraderous (a new word I just invented probably) or condescending.
Then we talked about a book I'd loaned her one million years ago when the earth was still molten lava and an event I will regrettably miss in order to garner new and exciting swag.
Other fun moment:
Me: "That was one of the books I remember reading when I was first allowed over to the adult book section in the library."
Prof (another prof not the same one from the other convo): "The funny thing is I can see you sneaking over to the contraband section of the library to get a book on folklore."
Me: "I was a very cynical 10 year old. I rocked."
Was good to see the people from last year and to be a "second year" which is kind of like being a senior in high school. Yeh-obviously-but you know what I mean don't you? From the kewl POV.
One funny moment (the last one I promise-it really wasn't a party high in hilarity-it was a social) was when someone walked by and said something about not being good at mingling. I was standing by the drinks nursing a beer talking to B about music.
"I wouldn't know about mingling. I'm talking to B____, just the same way I was doing this time last year."
"Yeh, that's pretty much it." he said.
No one's mingling. You go thru an ackward time when you get to know people. Then after that 20 minutes you know who you can talk to and for the rest of the time you're in a situation when you might see those people you know who is safe and with whom you have nothing in common.