Happy (late) Mother's day to me!

My mom just left after a long weekend visit.  She finally got her (late) mother's day gift: a bouquet of flowers which I picked out and put together myself (special, from the supermarket), complete with new lilies opening each day she was here.  

We went to a Cubs game on Friday.  The Cubs won, with Soriano hitting 2 home runs, and the weather was perfect.  Then on Saturday we were off to Oak Park with tickets to tour Frank Lloyd Wright (and other historical) homes that are privately owned and rarely open to the public.  We hit 6 out of the 10 homes, and were about as tired as we've ever been by the end of the day.

On Sunday I came down with some awful virus and I ended up staying home from work on Monday.  My mom, who was going to go to museums while I was at work, stayed home and took care of me which helped make me feel about as good as I could have under the circumstances.  Maybe not my mom's favorite vacation, but I sure enjoyed a little mothering.

after all, Everybody Poops

So I teach at my students' homes, which makes for a more casual learning environment than the one I had when I was first taking piano lessons.  I know the names of younger siblings, dogs, and have seen family members in different states of undress.  Yet, this was a first for me:

Tonight, I arrived at my student's house for my final lesson of the evening.  Her dad let me in and said "she'll be down in a minute; she's in the bathroom." 

So I get myself settled, look through my student's assignment notebook, in order to remember where we left off last week, open her books to the right page, etc.  Five minutes later her mom comes downstairs and says "she'll be down in about five minutes," then mouths "she's pooping."  Well, five minutes later (a full 10 minutes after our regular lesson time and only once her mom yelled upstairs that she had to "wrap it up, no matter what") my student comes downstairs (unsatisfied? victorious?) and begins her lesson.  

Happy Mudder's Day Cubs Game

I was lucky enough to get some free tickets to yesterday's Cubs game, which my friends and I almost didn't go to because it looked like it was going to be rained out!  At the last minute we changed our minds and went a little late, only missing the first inning.  

Things we did see:  the guy sitting right in front of us wearing head-to-toe yellow foul-weather gear, who got up and danced every time a song came on the loud speaker (that's him in the photo).  And a fan jumped onto the field around the centerfield bleachers and was tackled by the grounds crew before being arrested.  It inspired me and Ruthie to go home and watch Fever Pitch after the game is over.  We also got free pink baseball hats that they were giving out to all of the ladies in honor of Mother's Day.  

They were pretty good seats too; very close to the field.  No need for my binoculars at this game!

Balloon Tree

Q: what grows on trees?

A: not money, or candy (unfortunately!).

But apparently balloons do.  

I came home from errands today to find that the tree on my back porch had sprouted something.

No matter what, we're still who we were in high school.

I was driving up in the 'burbs the other day behind an SUV with a cartoon family on the back windshield.  Clearly, this is meant to represent the family inside the car: mom, dad, two boys and a girl, and a dog.  No wonder they need a big car.  

Yesterday, as I was driving on the highway back to the 'burbs, I ended up behind another huge SUV, this time there were just 2 cartoons: on the left side of the windshield, a football helmet and "Jake" written under it; on the right side, a cheerleader with "Katherine" underneath.  High school sweethearts?  The old cliche of football hero and head cheerleader?  I had to get a better look, and so when I went to pass the SUV I glanced over to see whether Jake or Katherine was driving.  I assume it was Katherine, about 35 and on her cell phone.  How long ago did this football and cheerleader lifestyle end? 

On a completely unrelated note, I caved today and got a Gap card.  I went to the Gap because I'm going down to St. Louis this weekend and of course I have "noooothing to weaaaaar."  I do actually think this is true because since I graduated college, I no longer have any desire to go shopping for clothes. 

Anyway, my 20% discount goes for the rest of the day.  Hmmmm.  Shop or teach?  Shop or teach?

Totally un-professional softball

This spring, I've joined a softball team with some friends.  We played our first game yesterday; it was a typically cold and windy day in Chicago, on some softball fields right by Lake Michigan in Old Town.  

Now, I haven't played softball, or anything like it, since I was on my school's team in 7th grade.  I remember two things from that experience:

1. playing right field, and making one catch, when the ball was hit right to me, and all I had to do was reach right out in front of me and catch the waist-high ball.  My coach later told me that it was "a lucky catch."  I replied that "I live on luck."  and

2.  the only time I ever got on base, when I was hit by a pitch.  A normal person could have probably jumped back and avoided contact with the ball, but not me.  I saw the ball coming, froze, and got hit in the side.  I doubt that I ever made it past first base.  

Well, my experience yesterday was surprisingly better than that of 13 years ago.  I should mention that I requested number 19 on my jersey, in honor of my beloved Matt Murton (see my last post).  Like him, I played right field and made one almost-catch, where I managed to run to where the ball was in time, get it into my glove, then have it hop right back out.  I had 2 at-bats, and grounded out both times (in true Matt Murton fashion, at least so far this season).  I consider this a small victory, since it does mean that my bat made contact with the ball both of my at-bats.  It was a short game, however, ending after 5 innings, as the other team had beaten us 15 to 4, or something like that (it was really hard to keep track).  

Looks like it's time for some batting practice!