First Day Of School!
My Note has two friends now, and I can make the thing make notes each time I pick it up. I ought to be happy, but it sounds, if anything, worse now that I can play three notes. Kind of the opposite of progress...(Congress? I slay myself!)
Apparently, it takes longer than two days to learn these Bag Pipes. I will give myself at least a week.
I spoke to Spacedlaw today via Skype, before my first French class, to kind of warm up, as it were. The only thing I had to work with was "French For Cats" and the only thing I managed to pronounce well enough for her to understand was "I do not want to be neutered" (Je ne veux pas etre chatre) which I am sure will amaze and impress any French people I speak to.
French is kind of wacky. Today I learned a good rule of thumb is don't pronounce the last half of any word, it's only there to look cool, and has no bearing on how the word is actually pronounced.
One good thing, this class is on the 4th floor of an old building. Between those stairs every day and Doggie Boot Camp, I am going to start getting FIT.
If Doggie Boot Camp doesn't kill me. Doofus cut in front of me tonight instead of going for the jump, chasing the hand with the chicken no doubt, and I went OVER him, in a most beautiful tuck and roll maneuver,landing on my back, with a few more rolls to finish it off. A perfect 10 from the judges, after they got done laughing.
Spoke to Kitty on a rare day off for her today. She sounds much better as the tour is nearly over, and she will be out here by the end of the month, then back again in October, which will be wonderful fun. Boss will be home again in about two weeks too.
I will amaze them both, and sooth their tired traveling spirits with my mystical Irish Bagpipes, and whisper gently to them in the only French I know....
Je ne veux pas etre chatre.....
Love, French, Pipes and Dramatic Falls,
Lorraine
posted by FabulousLorraine @ 7:20 PM
50 Comments
50 Comments:
Oh Fablo, you made my night! And my day tomorrow, I betcha, as I will still be giggling then. Thank you, thank you, thank you. And I hope there aren't any real bruises or injuries from your tuck and roll thing! October . . . I have fall break in October, which I'm already dreaming about. Need I mention that my new teaching job is in the process of killing me off? Okay, not really. I really love the students, but wow are teeangers loud and talky!! :-) And there are times when dealing with students who have experienced so much failure that they perceive an offer of help as something bad and to be rejected if not outright fought against makes me sad and discouraged. But you help, Fablo. You give more than maybe you realize. And I don't really have anything to give back to show my laughing gratitutde! One of these days, maybe, I will think of something wonderful. But my brain will have to find its way back home to do that, I think. Anyway, that's my longwinded way of saying, thank you for the laughs, the smiles, and the garden of artists' dreams!!
You just gave back everything I could ever wish for.
I am thinking you probebly do the same thing for your students.
Merci.
Lovely Lady Lorraine; you made my miserable day so much brighter by making me laugh. Thank you!
Love & googlybear kisses to you!
I'm not sure which is worse for getting yourself into falling: a cat underfoot, an enthusiastic dog, or a child. I hope you aren't seriously hurt after your fall, even if your description of it made me laugh.
I can say three things in French, though not necessarily type them. "Quel et le date des votres naissance?" Which I may, or may not, have correctly spelled all the words means "When is your birthday?" It's been over 30 years since I had any French. I took German in high school, and German and Latin in college. Both of those languages you pronounce all the letters. So, now you have another sentence to say in French, at least, until next class. ;)
Hi Stacy, I can relate, it was a long hard day for me too, and I sure didn't ge it all done. It is good to laugh at it tho, and try again tomorrow.
I didn't get hurt at all, I am a good fall-er. I was a figure skater growing up, and one learned. Quickly. I seem to get hurt worse with the Kiities, than the Dog.
And I never ever try and walk down staires in harem pants.
So was the teacher the person you thought she was?
Clever Cabal, going straight for the chicken (he must have read Patrick O'Brien quoting the admiral Nelson saying something like "never mind the manoeuvres, go straight at them"). Poor you. Did he take advantage of your fall to get the treat? Or was he a good boy and clap at your acrobatics instead?
love the last bit Lorraine- bagpipes whist crooning you don't want to be neutered in french....snort, giggle, I am sure Kitty's travel weariness will disappear in a sec! funny, funny...Il est morte. that's bout it for me in french - oh, and comment t'ailez vous, i think? first is he is dead, second is how are you? but i am digging pretty deep here. hope you enjoyed your class, glad you didn't get hurt with Cabal - you remind me that i need to make some calls for Rocket to get her enrolled in some classes - she is energy plus. I had my first day of school too - both classes looked very positive, good vibes, good energy, should be a fun semester. Hang in there Grace, I'm sure you are doing a splendid job!
I hope your first class was bunches of fun. I know 0 French. Well, merde. That's it. And I don't know how to spell it.
I am really glad that you didn't get hurt when you fell! My back hurts just thinking about it.
Bulfinch's aglaia (Grace?) you do one of the most important jobs in the world. I hope someone reminds you of that at least once a day. You may not see the results of your work from day to day. But some of those kids will feel the results of your work for the rest of their lives. Good luck to you!
I, too, am cracking up at the end of this post. You really need to write something for me to post to the boss' blog!
Hee hee! Thanks. I needed the morning giggles. :) It's threatening to be One of Those Days. (Sounds like I'm not the only one, either...) May I borrow your fire extinguisher? Gah.
Hang in there, everybody! Aieee!
LOL
"Congress" *snicker*
I'm glad Cabal didn't cause you any damage. Nothing is more single minded (or more underfoot) than a dog with treats on the brain.
"And I never ever try and walk down stairs in harem pants."
LOL So. Very. True. Dangerous things they are. Very good for tripping UP the stairs too.
Aglaia -- you'll do a wonderful job teaching, I'm sure. Hang in there!
Hurray for Kitty nearly being done with her tour. :)
Quiche, good thing you know how to fall! A useful skill, for sure -- it's saved me many times. Can bagpipes really soothe a spirit? Hrm. I hear pipes, and immediately feel the urge to grab the nearest weapon and start hacking an enemy. Failing that, I drink. That's sort of soothing, I suppose…
Okay, noted. If bagpipes are to be played near pantagruel, remove all sharp and or heavy blunt objects from the room and replace them with scotch. Got it.
Glad to hear you are not injured Q. Good thing there weren't any ottomans around or things could have been much worse. ;)
Bulfinch's aglaia, you give a great deal and for what it's worth, you have my personal thanks for doing it. Like Gayle said, your work should be acknowledged every day.
I don't know any useful French but if I did I would say that I am done moving and I have a merde-load of stuff piled in the middle of my living room.
School has indeed started again and my youngest just started kindergarten and the campus (where I work) is crawling with freshmen looking like Hanna-Montana-Zombies. What a world.
Paul, dude -- isn't it awesome to be done moving? I still have about 8 boxes to unpack, and then I'll be done… Fods, it's a slow process. Also, the annual Undergrad Arrival always makes me feel ancient -- it'll be starting here at Saltmine U. in a couple of weeks, ugh.
Glad to hear your working out the kinks....and the kitties....
And because I can think of no other place to suggest this...
Are you coming to the Book Fair in D.C. with the boss? And if so, is there any chance you both might get away and pay a visit to us at the Maryland Renaissance Festival?
If you've never seen MDRF, your missing one of the loveliest and best Renfest in the country. That Sunday, 9/28 is part of our Pirate Weekend. If you do decided to work it in and see a new festival, let me know and I can clear my scedule and give you the 50 cent tour.
Kubiando~!
Shane "Wildwose" Odom
www.mythicalmasks.com
Morning all!
The Teacher WAS The Lady With The Red Hat who Mads and I used to see walking every morning on the way to her elemantry school. We are going to be good friends, I think.
Cabel hasn't read Horatio Hornblower, tho I have been meaning too for some years....
Sue, you will go far with your French! Way handier than mine.. "He's dead, how are you?"
The only thing I can think of for Boss's blog would be "If one more person asks how I am enjoying "Having nothing to do" while the Boss is gone, I will clobber them"
I'll think about it tho...
No, Jess, you can't have it, I am going to need it...
I so need more tea....
Glow in the dark flesh eating zombies - must have!!!!!! With special guest, Cabal-as-glowing-zombie-dog! Oh Fods!
Do you have class every day? I learned that same lesson about the ends of the words in french. I did not do well in french. Spanish I can speak a bit and read a bit but French... not so much.
Can't wait to hear the pipes!
Always something here to brighten my day. That last image will be one of those things that makes me laugh when it pops into my mind at random times throughout the day.
Oh Oh and I am getting the recipe for the chocolate cake with beets tonight at my book club! I'll share it tomorrow!
have fun at school.
I'm with you, gaypet, on french knowledge. The extent of mine is like Foux du FaFa from Flight of the Conchords..."baguette oh ho ho...baguette!"
Glad class began well!
woops, screwed up the URL...you wouldnt' think i use to do HTML for a living!
take 2: Foux Du Fafa
Hacking an enemy to bits and drinking can also be very soothing, you know...
Hi Widewose, No, I will be staying here. Kitty will be traveling with him some of the time, I can do more good keeping the rest of Boss's life going here, and she likes the on the road bits better than I.
I've heard nothing but wonderful things about MDRF tho, and would love to see it someday. The MN one is falling to bits. There is no longer any pretense of doing period costuming or music....And you get shot if you try and do a bad (OR Good) English accent.
Phiala, you are either avoiding work, or have too much time on your hands, hee-hee...(OK, I need them too)
I have class Monday to Thursday, an hour a day. I've already Skyped with Nathilie and Boss and recited my lesson, which did not include "I do not want to be neutered ....
You are right about Ottomans Dr Score, sneaky things. One could break ones arm falling over one....
Glad to hear you are done with Moving and in the new Place! Have Pantagruel over for some scotch! I will play the pipes, and all will be serene....
Fancy them teaching you French and NOT teaching you how to say that you don't want to be neutered. It does rather seem like a crucial bit of information, doesn't it? Suppose you were to travel to France and all these wicked froggies tried to do harmful things to you? Like force you to drink red wine and eat smelly cheese? You can't get very far with just "comment ça va? Pas bien."
Okay Chantrelle... award for the most random French thing EVER!!!
Enjoyed that. Thanx.
Bulfinch's Aglaia, I would like to add my voice to those in support of teachers. I have always thought that teachers are wonderful because they devote themselves to helping others... so selfless, so admirable... and such an important force in a child's life. I know that 25 years after elementary school I still remember my teachers and their kindness... I still remember my highschool teachers with fondness and still correspond with (at least one) uni prof. Teachers make more of a difference than can even be expressed here in one posting.
We had such a big school related blog a while ago and I didn't feel I had anything to contribute because I have been lucky, I have had good, creative and supportive teachers and I have been filled with gratitude my whole life for the gifts they gave to me.
Every day I think of ways in which my teachers left lasting impressions on me... for example my CompSci teacher was the one who introduced me to Douglas Adams' books.. which (with the help of my Uni teachers) eventually lead me to Neil's books, which lead me here.
Go teachers. You are loved. Even though your students may never say it. You are appreciated. Even though it may not feel like it.
Thank you teachers.
Je n'aime pas les champignons.
Je ne bois pas.
Je voudrais faire pipi.
These are truly essential.
Ah yes, Flight of the Concords. Very funny stuff! Some of their songs make me laugh so hard it hurts.
I would like to second the, "Hacking an enemy to bits and drinking can also be very soothing," sentiment. True, true...
Bonjour mon petit bureau de change! I love it. :D And Nathalie: Sign me up for that trip to France! Mmm, compulsory cheese and wine.
Bring on the beet cake! \o/
You're on!
Smiling again; indeed I am.
I used to read "French for Cats" until I realized I would probably never ever have to use it; but this was two or three years ago and I might enjoy it more now.
French used to be my least favorite language until I realized that I simply didn't like the way it sounded broken up -- it is lovely when spoken fluently. I also recall that I had never really heard a French accent, so my French was incredibly forced. My favorite language has long been Dutch ....
Gelukwens op het spelen van de pijpen!
~Emily
Dutch I found difficult - in particular the pronunciation, the g used to drive me mad.
There is a site somewhere where you can listen to some sentences in French. I had sent the link to Lorraine, I'll try and see if I can find it again. It's not only French but all sorts of languaes including welsh if anyone is interested...
That was easily found!
Omniglot
Fods that was funny! AH..Baguette!!!!
Hopefully, as I go on, I will learn some more relevant phrases.
No Mushrooms! I don't drink! I have to pee!
Now those will GET you places!
Must practice bagpipes.
Welsh might well drive me over the ledge..
Don't miss out on the last of the "useful" phrases in French! It's almost as good as "Je ne veux pas être châtré"...
I need to write the song "Je ne veux pas être châtré"...
Thanks SO for all your help today, Nathilie, you should know, I may drive you crazy...
Spacedlaw, I've heard that many people hate the Dutch G, and that only a Dutch tongue -- well, a Dutch throat -- is capable of producing the sound perfectly. Have you ever heard the true story of how people entering the Netherlands in World War II (although it might have been the first World War; I can't recall exactly) had to undergo a language test to determine whether they were German soldiers? They were told to recite "acht honderd achtentachtig" (eight hundred eighty-eight) and rejected if it didn't sound quite Dutch enough.
I had a Dutch woman listen to my Dutch accent once and was positively thrilled when she said the G sounded very Dutch!
~Emily
No risk: I am already crazy.
OK, Mon aéroglisseur est plein d'anguilles IS definatly every bit as useful. I spit tea!!!
I will wander the French countryside muttering "I do not want to be neutered, my Hovercraft is full of eels..."
They were also often requested to pronounce "Scheveningen", which can be tricky too. Less so than "acht honderd achtentachtig", but still.
Good on you for mastering the G. A lot of people also have problems with the UI sound like in "uitsmijter".
Yep, I can just see you, Lorraine...
(Thank Fod I am not drinking)
I definitely find the UI sound much more trying than the G. The hardest language for me has always been Mandarin Chinese, because it's such a tonal language. It got to be less overwhelming once I had a grasp of some of the tones.
Here in Rhode Island is the most horrendously obnoxious regional accent. Ever heard the Boston accent? It sounds like that -- only thinner and less refined; frankly, it tends to make people sound lazy and unintelligent. My mother is from Pennsylvania and never picked up the RI accent, so neither did I! I once took an American Accent quiz -- and am supposed to have come from Wisconsin.
~Emily
In my own defense, I was neither avoiding work nor do I (ever) suffer from too much time on my hands (I wish!). I found those linked from somewhere else (SF Novelists I think), and thought y'all might appreciate them.
As evidence of my working-hardness I am now completely done with all the grant proposal nonsense, having written my reviews over the long weekend, spend this morning reading others' reviews, this afternoon on an insanely long conference call, and written up my final report already and sent it in. So hah!
I read a teeny bit of French, but don't ask me to pronounce any of it! I'd like to learn, but it's much lower on the priority list than many other things.
Hurrah on the grants being done, Phiala!
(and just so things are clear, I was attempting humor, and not in any way did I mean to imply anything else...Please forgive me if it came out wrong....You are truly as busy as I am, and would never avoid work, or have any extra time either)
I am beat. What a day, it never stopped. It hasn't stopped in weeks, but I think it got busier...
I need some serious help with this class, and not with the French bits either. New Blog later, I am just glad many of you are English Majors.
I hope all are having a pleasant evening. I didn't go to class. I took a mental health day. I also just didn't have enough $ to buy the art supplies needed for class. Oh well. I will catch up this coming week.
I can't wait to hear more about your class, Lorraine. English major here. :)
Oh, I need you alright....
Chanterelle thanks for the Conchords:) Now I have new nonsensical phrases to spout in another language.
One of the languages I'd really like to learn is Icelandic, because I just love the way it sounds.
However, I think I'd better learn a Latinate language first so as not to sprain my brain. Surprisingly, I still remember the important stuff from my one year of Spanish in 9th grade, things like "what time is it?" "what's your name?" "where is the bathroom?" I think it's because I had a very very good teacher.
Good teachers really DO make a difference, she says, brining things around full circle.
I would so love to go to Iceland, pony treking sounds like the best idea ever....
Don't worry, Q! I know what you meant. :)
Okay folks, I know it's bad when you have flames in your toaster, but can you still eat the toast afterwards????
If the fire is just caused by a crumb catching on fire, probably. It it is something electric, plastic and/or metal elements might have been vaporised onto you toast. Not nice.
It was whatever Nick spilled and didn't clean up. It's a toaster oven, not the slot kind, so it could have been anything.
I tried eating it, but it tasted like burnt toaster-bottom. I wouldn't have bothered but that was the last of the bread!
Now... what can I eat that will get the taste of toaster-bottom out of my mouth???
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