passepartout [void where no one likes us]

In terms of bang-to-buck ratio (hereafter #/$, although it will not be referenced again), applying for a passport is exceedingly low. Eight dollars for two 2"x2" pictures, in which I look quite scary, someone not to be trifled with, and thus I did not quibble about them being somewhat unflattering; fifty-five dollars to the U.S. Department of State for deigning to recognize that yes, I am a citizen of this country, payable with check or money order only; and thirty dollars to Hunter College, for the terribly onerous service of having a girl at a window to take my papers and ask me if I was lying (if I was lying, do you think I'd tell you?), payable, in an exciting twist, with cash or money order only.

"OMGWTFBBQ?" I said, upon reading the sign, and ran away to find an ATM to supplement the pathetic $3 remaining in my wallet before anyone could ask me why I was muttering letters to myself.

When I returned, I found a couple applying for a passport for their daughter who were so woefully optimistic that they had been seduced by the State Department website into believing that they could pay any fees whatsoever by credit card. Haha. Hunter College exists firmly in perhaps the 1920s. Being rich, and busy, they managed to cough up some cash for the Hunter fees, but had no means to pay the State Department fees, so I wrote them a check for $55 and a check for $40 and they gave me a hundred dollar bill. So I did get something out of the whole affair after all.

Today we took the third graders to the Natural History Museum, where they literally spent ten minutes in the Asian Mammals, ten minutes in the African Mammals, and half an hour in the Butterfly Conservatory (we've got our own monarchs in the classroom, currently ensconced in their chrysalises).

We were fortunate enough to have exactly seven adults and twenty-one children, such that each of us took charge of precisely three kids and pretty much turned them loose. My three boys were darling, especially Seid, who amuses me immensely as he desires most vocally to be a pimp, reads Nancy Drew books, and is afraid of butterflies.

Hahahaha! Of all the profoundly harmless things, right? Butterflies! I actually sheltered him and two other girls from the oh-so-scary butterflies that were flitting madly about the conservatory. This other girl, Lauren, was so lepidophobic that she wouldn't even go in the conservatory, but then she announced that fact up front at the beginning of the year, so we were prepared for as much.

I'd rant about the ECLAS assessment garbage that took up the rest of my day, but I can't even think about it. Don't worry, you'll hear about it again; these assessments have to be completed by Halloween and they require extensive labor to administer, process and tally.

satyadasa and I are having Midwestern Pizza Night tonight. I sent him off to some Papa John's in Harlem just now. The mere thought of the garlic dipping sauce is making me drool at this very moment.

passepartout [void where no one likes us]

In terms of bang-to-buck ratio (hereafter #/$, although it will not be referenced again), applying for a passport is exceedingly low. Eight dollars for two 2"x2" pictures, in which I look quite scary, someone not to be trifled with, and thus I did not quibble about them being somewhat unflattering; fifty-five dollars to the U.S. Department of State for deigning to recognize that yes, I am a citizen of this country, payable with check or money order only; and thirty dollars to Hunter College, for the terribly onerous service of having a girl at a window to take my papers and ask me if I was lying (if I was lying, do you think I'd tell you?), payable, in an exciting twist, with cash or money order only.

"OMGWTFBBQ?" I said, upon reading the sign, and ran away to find an ATM to supplement the pathetic $3 remaining in my wallet before anyone could ask me why I was muttering letters to myself.

When I returned, I found a couple applying for a passport for their daughter who were so woefully optimistic that they had been seduced by the State Department website into believing that they could pay any fees whatsoever by credit card. Haha. Hunter College exists firmly in perhaps the 1920s. Being rich, and busy, they managed to cough up some cash for the Hunter fees, but had no means to pay the State Department fees, so I wrote them a check for $55 and a check for $40 and they gave me a hundred dollar bill. So I did get something out of the whole affair after all.

Today we took the third graders to the Natural History Museum, where they literally spent ten minutes in the Asian Mammals, ten minutes in the African Mammals, and half an hour in the Butterfly Conservatory (we've got our own monarchs in the classroom, currently ensconced in their chrysalises).

We were fortunate enough to have exactly seven adults and twenty-one children, such that each of us took charge of precisely three kids and pretty much turned them loose. My three boys were darling, especially Seid, who amuses me immensely as he desires most vocally to be a pimp, reads Nancy Drew books, and is afraid of butterflies.

Hahahaha! Of all the profoundly harmless things, right? Butterflies! I actually sheltered him and two other girls from the oh-so-scary butterflies that were flitting madly about the conservatory. This other girl, Lauren, was so lepidophobic that she wouldn't even go in the conservatory, but then she announced that fact up front at the beginning of the year, so we were prepared for as much.

I'd rant about the ECLAS assessment garbage that took up the rest of my day, but I can't even think about it. Don't worry, you'll hear about it again; these assessments have to be completed by Halloween and they require extensive labor to administer, process and tally.

satyadasa and I are having Midwestern Pizza Night tonight. I sent him off to some Papa John's in Harlem just now. The mere thought of the garlic dipping sauce is making me drool at this very moment.