7/4

Happy fourth. My laundry hanging outside smells like it's been freshly barbecued. Why did I pick today to wash clothes?

This morning we all got up bright and early to pitch in at the 'partment. We raked the rectangular backyard and I groomed the rubber tree. My dad said I could have the 7'x7' corner for a small garden, and I've already put E's B in charge of the arborstone wall. I just love the little wall he made in his own yarden, he didn't have to use mortar or anything. It's kind of a portable wall. Because of the shape of the bricks (which I'm not allowed to call them in his presence) he was able to make a nice wave-shaped wall tht acts as a seat and a shelf for potted plants. I want one in my garden too.

It's a 40-unit building and I don't kid myself into thinking the tenants won't come by and steal vegetables. In fact I think that will be okay with me, I'll think of it as giving them vegetables and stuff. Just as long as they pick stuff and don't destroy my plants. I have to decide how much I'll let E's B help. (This all was inspired by his yarden, which he is so intent on finishing this summer.)

One of my classes got cancelled. This is really bad. It was an intensive course which means the whole thing would be over in 7 days. That's 7 days of 9:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. I was all psyched for this but now there's no alternative which means I could possibly be taking only one course this summer. Actually, it's good and it's bad. It's good because the term runs till September, and my full-time job starts in August. I've never worked full-time and gone to school full-time at the same time so maybe one class is not a bad idea. Wouldn't want to have a breakdown around finals time. But it's bad because of course this will set me back a little. There is an assessment course which might be considered an elective which I might be able to take along with the course I'm still signed up for (music and movement) but it's listed as hours TBA so I'll have to speak with the advisor about that. If only she would answer my e-mail.

Monday is the Sea Life Park field trip. Wednesday's trip to the Children's Discovery Center was pretty good. Mart came along and he said he enjoyed himself. He always seems to enjoy the kids whenever i coerce him into coming to work with me to help out. SLP will be a little more stressful though ... a longer bus ride both ways, sun beating down on us (if it doesn't rain) and the dreaded brown-bag lunch. Plus the three diaper kids. At least they're all in Pull-Ups, which have side-seaming that can be torn apart for easy removal. But putting on a fresh Pull-Up still requires taking everything off (shoes, pants) and I'm none too fond of public restrooms (at least in the classroom we have a clean, partioned-off changing area.) And the diaper kids are not small. The twins are 60 pounds apiece (they are large 3-yr-olds) and the other boy is smaller but not tiny. Oh well. I love Sea Life Park but I've been on enough field trips with K and Pre-K to know not to expect to enjoy the dolphin show on Monday.

Jolt of the day: I missed Bella's kids. Mart and I were at MMP picking up lunch and I noticed that Mommy Pastrami had finally opened (it used to be Pili Wraps.) S & S and I used to walk around MMP a lot and we would always pass the old Pili Wraps which now had a sign in the window that said "Coming Soon: Mommy Pastrami," and we would always say the same thing: Me, in an excited voice: "Hey! Mommy Pastrami!" S & S: "What's that?" Me: "I dunno." And they would convulse with laughter, they thought it was hilarious that I didn't know what it was but was excited about it. Anyway I didn't go in but I assume it's some kind of sandwich place or a deli or something. I know if they were here we would go in and say ah, so this is Mommy Pastrami. I thought of them, not unpleasantly. That was my jolt.

Can't decide what to do tomorrow. Sleep in? Get someone to go to the beach with me? I've been debating cutting my hair and maybe correcting the color but I doubt I can get a walk-in with anyone I like. Maybe I will insist that E's B take me to see "Matrix:Reloaded" in IMAX. I hope no one yells at me tomorrow. That's all I want for my birthday.