Memories from CJHS/BHS

So, you want to hear what a genius does? A genius gets up and goes outside in her pajamas and coat to warm up the car so that it can de-ice the windows while she is getting ready for work. However, upon discovering that the car did not ice over, the genius returns inside and begins getting ready for work. And it must be remembered, of course, that the genius gets up with only enough time to rush. So the genius is ready to go and her roommate (who gets up early for no good reason, bless her heart) says, "Wow! You get dressed fast!" And the genius chuckles as she packs her nutrigrain bar, her bottle of water, and her cherries (which she is not eating at home, so she is going to take them to work and see if she eats them there, so they don't get wasted) and heads out to her car and leaves for work. And then, only after putting the cherries in the fridge and sitting down at the computer to work, only then does the genius realize that, in her huge rush, she didn't even pack an actual lunch. That's what a genius does. In case you were wondering.

Having recently been reminded of something that happened in 7th grade, and with the help of my remembering all my teachers yesterday, I think I will share some funny stories from my younger years...

CJHS = Curundu Jr. High School
BHS = Balboah High School

Okay, first off, we'll start at CJHS when I was in 7th grade. In my Geography class, taught by Mr. Hanson, we sat at long tables. Three students per table. Not because this detail is important to the story (or to you, for that matter), but I think I will also add that the tabletops were black. Anyway, I sat between Joanna and Aaron, and behind me was my friend Jose and also a girl named Amber. One day, I was standing up, turned around, talking to Jose. The bell rang, so I went to sit down. Well, I am not entirely sure if I looked to see if the chair was actually there or not. But I must not have, because as I went to sit, I ended up falling, very hard, on the floor. Okay, so I was at the very front of the class, so everyone was facing that way when it happened. And good old Jose cracked up laughing. I kept blaming poor Aaron beside me, saying that he pulled the chair out from under me. And half of me still believes that :). I can just remember Mr. Hanson looking at Aaron and saying, "It's always the guy's fault, isn't it Aaron?" Well, there you go. Mr. Hanson figured it out and was teaching Aaron at an early age one of the most important lessons ever: the woman is always right ;)! Anyway, I had forgotten that story. Now hopefully I will never forget it again. Oh, coincidentally, Mr. Hanson also taught us the very fine art of the "proper way to blow one's nose." Yeah, that's the lesson I learned in 7th grade Geography that has stuck with me 14 years. That, and that the lake named Lake Choggagogmanchoggagogchabundagundagogg (I have NO idea if I spelled that right, and every attempt to Google it has failed) means: "I'll fish on my side, you fish on your side, and no one will fish in the middle."

Random input: I just overheard that there was a little bit of sleet coming down outside. Nothing that will stick, though, so no hopes of going home (DARN). Yes, they close stuff down down here in Alabama when there is snow. Alabamians (and probably everyone else in this general area, and myself included, at least for the next 7 months), don't have a clue what to do with snow, so everything comes to a grinding stop. So, if you want to help me in wishing for some snow tomorrow (which actually HAS been in the forcast...)...

Okay, another memory. Well, this is a couple, but they all occurred in the same class at BHS. It was 10th grade Biology, and Jose and I were, once again, in the same class. We sat by each other. We started writing notes to each other during class. I don't know how it was started, or by whom (like my use of passive voice here :)?). But, somewhere along the way, we started teasing each other. Perhaps Jose one day said that he had a big head. Or perhaps I told him he had one. And so I told him that I saw his commercial on TV the night before: Big Heads R Us. And that I saw him on the commercial saying, "Not only am I the President, but I'm also a member." You know, like those old "Hair Club for Men" commercials. We laughed so hard about that. Coincidentally, (and this is a flash-foward, if you will), while at my Aunt Mary Jane's for Christmas, we were watching some of the Atlanta Christmas parade. And, lo and behold, these people in huge celebrity head-masks came walking across the screen. And do you want to know their group's name? If you have already guessed "Big Heads R Us," then you are right. There actually is a "Big Heads R Us Association." How great is that??!!?? Okay, back to 10th grade Biology class... The other thing I remember Jose doing that year was this: Okay, there were all sorts of gross pictures in our Biology book (as one might well imagine). Well, there was this one picture (and it was in the upper left hand corner of whatever page it was on) of this brown slimy fungus. Have you ever seen Ghostbusters 2? It was kind of like that pink slime stuff in the bathtub scene, only it was brown and slimy looking and shiny looking, from the slime. But same basic roundness shape as that slime stuff in that part of the movie. Anyway... So, Jose turns his book to that picture, leans over to me, and says, "Hila, this is what I picked out of my toes this morning." So gross. So, I leaned forward to Cheronda, who sat in front of me, told her to flip to that page, and told her what Jose had just told me. She turned back to Jose and gave him the nastiest look. Then she turned to the person on her left, told that person. That person told the next person. And within a few minutes, someone on the other side of the classroom called across the room, "EW Jose! That's gross!" Ah. High school. I used to think I was glad to be done with it. But you know, I wouldn't mind going back. Especially if I could take with me what I know now.

Oh, and I am pretty sure I still have the notes Jose and I used to pass. I might know where they are (only not which box that box in which they are is)... Ah, life in boxes. Such joy :).

I have class at 9:00. So, I may surprise you with another post today, if this class turns out as badly as I anticipate. I talked to April last night and we discussed those vague questions we had to answer for that crazy website assignment I told you about. Ugh.

Quick update: *Both Julie and Elka have now guessed the movie quote correctly.*