potentialities

Today, one of the squid entered the classroom with a frown on her face and a hot pink cast on her ankle. During meeting, the Squidmistress explained to everyone how she had sprained it when she tripped at the park and she would have to wear the cast for three weeks, and then asked if anyone had any questions.

One hand shot up--the bright and articulate young gentleman who was, as per usual, sitting with his fiancée. "What can we do to make you feel better?" he asked.

The lady stopped pouting as she considered this question. "A kiss," she replied cunningly.

"Er, all right, you can give her a nice kiss on the cheek," the Squidmistress interposed, as the gentleman got up and smooched her prettily. The wounded one beamed triumphantly.

The gentleman returned to his seat and kissed his lady friend, who was as happy and unruffled as always -- evidently they have an open relationship.

~~~

In other news, my mom is in town with me for a week and a half. We are watching the X-Files, or, as she calls it, "Mulder and Scully". She's deep in denial about the existence of seasons eight and nine.

Today at work during Center Time, I was sitting with three of the squid who were playing with Legos. One of them announced that he was building a snowblower, so of course the other two had to build snowblowers, too. They pretended to blow snow for a while, and then they decided that they could use them on a larger target--namely, me.

This is how three four-year-olds came to announce that they were going to blow me.

It took some doing, but I finally managed to get the speakers, printer and ethernet all plugged into my AirPort Express and living in appropriate locations and now I can stream my music to them from all over the room and you have no idea how exciting this is to me. I swear, the Julliard String Quartet is in my room right now, playing for me while I study. Yes.

The affianced squid are as affectionate as ever. They sit together on the carpet at every possible opportunity, gazing into each other's eyes and holding each others tentacles and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears until the Squidmistress is forced to break them up. The second, or possibly third, time this happened, there were tears on the part of the gentleman, who is clearly the angstbunny of the two. They are adorable and I secretly root for them to stay together.

I wish it were Thursday night already and all my midterm work was done and I were flying home for spring break. Especially since I just realized that the original plotbunny I've been kicking around six months now would work so much better if I started with the scene in the hospital and then did a flashback, and I'd really rather be writing that or in fact doing pretty much anything other than that which I actually have to do at the moment. Odd, that.

Some people on my floor think that everyone wants to listen to their music.

Some people on my floor are mistaken.

Some people on my floor are going to be sorry when my new speakers arrive on Monday.

Some people on my floor are going to find themselves listening to ... Bach.

~~~

Today two of the morning squid announced their impending engagement. The precocious gentleman, who also helped the lady into her coat, also informed me that there was a possibility that, rather than actually getting married, they would simply live together.

They're so adorable when they pretend to be human.

~~~

In a shocking violation of the Law of Conservation of Bad Rules, our library has actually stopped demanding to see what we have in our bags when we depart. Like a beaten spaniel, I am grateful for small favors.

When I was at said library, I checked out all the books about T.H. White. Do these have anything to do with the two essays I have to write and the midterm I have to take? Do they bollocks.

~~~

( Brief Lost/Alias commentary )

Being inspired by the meteorological conditions, I wrote a Bloody Awful Poem. As one does.

On Winter
Frozen flakes are falling from the sky
And a strong wind is driving them into my eye
If I stand out here much longer I will get the shivers
It's a good thing that Fresh Direct delivers.

~~~

I don't think that you're actually supposed to let four year olds help you cut squares of card stock with the paper cutter, especially since, unlike non-metaphorical squid, four year olds do not regenerate severed extremities.

They were good helpers though. They held the handle up until I told them they could bring it down, and then they carefully compared the results to see if they were square.

Until the boys came over. They wanted to chop all willy nilly and that was the end of squares.

But that was okay, because we had more than enough squares by then anyway.

~~~

I am endlessly fascinated by English Cut, the blog of bespoke Savile Row tailor Andrew Mahon. Part of the appeal is, of course, that Mr. Mahon's enthusiasm for his profession is utterly contagious, but I think mostly I'm lusting after the suits.

Ah, the suits! It's no doubt a good thing that I wasn't born male, because I would be unable to resist the temptation to buy absurdly expensive suits for absolutely no good reason whatever and end up living in a cedar-lined wardrobe in the gutter, admiring my £2000 suit in shop windows.

As it is, I shall just have to go on wearing jeans every day and lusting after men in really nice suits, I suppose.