Uvalde

Steven Whyte "Comfort Women" Column of Strength

My writing class assignment this week was called 7 x 7 x 7.  For seven days, write seven lines,  one every hour for seven hours.  Then pick 2 of these to revise and share.  

I kept coming back to the shooting in Uvalde over this week.  Here are 2 sad poems about this tragedy. 

Uvalde 1

 

Penultimate Day, my teacher called today

sad about leaving my friends, happy for the pool

 

my teacher walked to lock my classroom door like in drills

my shooter shot her and he kept on shooting

 

now my grandmother can't see my gold trophy for personal best

and all summer my little brother will swim alone

 

 

 

 

Uvalde 2

 

my cousin called 911

but the police were already at her school

 

my cousin survived

but shrapnel got in her head

 

my cousin needs an operation 

but leaving the house scares her too much

 

my cousin hides when neighbors knock

but things will get back to normal soon

The KnowHow

Wedding is a week away, and because 30 Something and K-Man have organized the heck out of these nuptials, we are able to pack in fun times on the daily.  KUDOS to the WEDDING PEOPLE.

Yesterday we walked through the Mission to our favorite burrito place, La Cumbre.  Husbandman is concerned because the sign above the door has broken and now only says, "La."  He plans to set up a Go Fund Me to replace it.  The burritos were fantastic, just as I remembered them. 

Then we had coffee with 30 Something and visited cool shops in Rockridge and soaked in the view from the Oakland LDS Temple.  We ended our afternoon at a lovely wine bar.  

  I agree with Dr. Seuss, "It is fun to have fun, but you have to know how." Today more fun will be had. We do know how and we have proven that time and time again. 

The Left Eye

 Yesterday we walked along the Embarcadero with Good Friend CB.  On Pier 15 the Exploratorium offered opportunities for scientific exploration at no charge.   We spun sediment discs, lifted barnacled pilings from the bay, held hands to connect two poles to get the energy working to hear a classic song by The Doors. At noon on the dot, we walked along the Fog Bridge. The Fog Bridge was created by Fujiko Nakaya, an artist who makes fog sculptures.  I love the fog bridge and have frolicked in Nakaya's fog twice this week.  

BTW, did you know that barnacles are 80% rock and 20% squishy stuff?

On an unrelated note, I winked my left eye repeatedly this week.  I've never been able to wink with my right eye which bothers me, but isn't uncommon. Many people can't wink at all so I'm one of the lucky ones.  

The Onggi

This week my writing homework involved looking out a window and writing notes for a week and then crafting those notes into a poem.  I rarely write poetry.  Maybe once every decade or so, so this class will be a little weird for me, but you know me.... do my best forget the rest. 

We are staying in M/B's apartment in San Francisco.  Thank you M/B!!!!  I've spent some time looking out the window down on to a busy restaurant kitchen.  Here's the poem I finally wrangled down to the ground. Why don't you read it if you feel like it?

inside 7C

on Hawthorne Street

coffee does its thing

 

eye spy 

with my little i 

a restaurant kitchen

 

lone chef 

slices green guava

juicy red circles

 

rows of onggi 

clay pots 

housing fermenting alchemy

 

afternoon tea inside 7C

eye spy with my little i

bustling kitchen brigadiers 

 

before dinner rush  

chefs eat brussels sprouts and chicken

and drink from chunky mugs

 

the plates they serve

 cost 350 dollars

let's eat in tonight

 

In 7C it's time

for bed

eye spy with my little i one last time

 

the gibbous moon 

lone chef 

at the sink

The Aging

 I volunteered as a field trip chaperone for K-man's class yesterday.  30 Something and K-man's mom also volunteered. We ventured into the Academy of Sciences.  FYI: I brought my first grade class there for a field trip in 1987, so the Academy and I go way back.  

Talk about aging well.  This place has upped their game considerably.  We walked up through the rainforest, admired the moon jellies and poison frogs and clownfish and stingrays, got shaken and stirred in the earthquake exhibit and talked awhile with the penguins.

I supervised a group of 5 fun fifth grade girls.  It took a little while, but they warmed up to me as we moved through the museum.  I loved hearing them call me over to various exhibits with "Miss Lee!  Miss Lee!" I reacted with vibrant vim every time they pointed out a marvel with comments like "I can not believe I'm seeing this right now," and "My whole life I've wanted to see one of these and I guess today is my luckiest day" and "I'm going to remember this place for the rest of my life."   In other words, I got into it.

Field trips are a fun hassle, and maybe I'll do more of them.  I'm not sure, though, because I felt so beat when we got home.  I almost fell asleep during the Warriors game.  Will I have the stamina to return to 3rdLand? Only time will tell.  I hope, like the Academy, I will be able to up my game and get ready to make each day memorable and intriguing and pleasant. In any case, I vow to do my best and forget the rest. 

The News

 

Dears,

So much has happened since I last wrote. Let me mention some fun activities we have enjoyed:

Elvis Costello at Jazz Fest

Whitney Plantation Audio Tour about slavery 

Great restaurants:  Zasu, Peche, Bywater American Bistro, 

Music at Snug Harbor, Zony Mash

Fun with #1Son and Rachel and Joe.

Swamp Tour

Visiting with Eve and Bill in NOLA

Walking at Big Branch Boardwalk

Driving back to Bloomington.  

Flying to San Francisco

Lunch AND dinner with 30 Something. 

I also started another writing class.  Our first assignment was to write some haiku and then embed those into a flash fiction.  So here's my entry.  I hope you'll read it if you feel like it.

Swamp Tour in Slidell

by Lee Heffernan

 

Guy with tattoos

brings a bag of hot cheetohs

on the swamp tour

 

out on the bayou

raccoon snatched that crayfish up

wet wood dinner plate 

 

marshmallows on sticks

alligators snack and pose

wildlife photographers

 

marshmallow bribery

other captains throw hot dogs

how'd this get started?

 

spinning swallowtail kite 

Captain Colin slows the boat

Blue heron guards the dock 

 

 

 

            Sheila paid her twenty-five dollars, cash only, and boarded Captain Colin's swamp tour boat.  She sat next to a man with tattoo sleeves holding a bag of hot cheetohs.  Sheila had not thought to bring food along.  

 

            The boat zipped down the Pearl River past the shack houses and the grand mansions.  A woman reeling in a writhing catfish.  At a turn in the river, the boat slowed and drifted down into the narrowing bayou. When Captain Colin stopped the boat, two raccoons appeared. They walked out onto the roots of the gum tree and Captain Colin tossed marshmallows, which made Sheila a bit uneasy. The closest raccoon ignored the marshmallows, and snatched a crawfish up from the murky water.  The crawfish fought valiantly, but in the end the raccoon pulled it apart limb from limb.  

 

            On the way back to the wideness of the Pearl, Captain Colin hoped to lure Big Bruce, largest bull gator in the bayou out to the boat.  Big Bruce was a no-show, but smaller alligators snapped up the marshmallows he held out on a skinny branch.  So many alligators came to snack that Sheila successfully captured a series of phenomenal photos with her phone.  "I'll crop the marshmallows out later," she thought. She wondered if she should mention the marshmallows in her insta caption.  

 

            On the way back, she asked Captain Colin about the bird spinning above and he slowed the boat for all to see the swallow tail kite.  A new bird for Sheila's list.  A heron stood on the dock at the tour's end, welcoming them back.  A true lagniappe, the heron flew past Sheila, skimming the water. She had gotten her money's worth, so she tipped Captain Colin ten dollars before heading to the parking lot. 

The War Museum

 New Orleans hosts an incredible WWII museum.  The impressive building was designed by architect Bart Voorsanger, born in Detroit.  

We toured the museum yesterday with #1 Son.  We learned stuff in every room.  If you haven't been there yet, I suggest you go as soon as you feel like it.  

I was sad to find out that Ernie Pyle died as a result to a bullet to the head while on an island near Okinawa.  Ernie Pyle, fellow Hoosier and journalist extraordinaire, shared real stories about the suffering and chaos of war.  Inspired by Ernie, and by the museum, I'm considering looking for work as a war correspondent. 

The Speaker

Have you ever been on speaker when talking to someone on the phone and not know it?  It's awkward when someone finally says, "You know you're on speaker, right?"

Quick question: How would anyone know that they're on speaker when they haven't been told they're on speaker? 

I've spent some time this afternoon worrying about a few things I said on speaker. Wasn't horrible, but wasn't great either.  

From here on out I will start every phone call with the question, "Am I on speaker?"since some people think it's okay to put phone calls on speaker without telling you about it. 

The Wishing

 When we left on this big adventure last summer, I knew there was a chance that I might not get my spot in 3rdLand back.  That's the thing with taking a leave.  A teacher who takes a leave will get a job back, but not necessarily at their same school.  I'm not sure why this is, but we have to accept facts.  I accepted this fact because I wanted to go to France and New Orleans and California this year and didn't care diddly-squat about the consequences.

But then... as the year rolled along... I did get to thinking from time to time that I would very much like to be back at my school.  Last month I found out that in actual fact I would be back at my school.  Hoorah, Go JAGUARS! A few weeks later, I got to thinking that I would really really really like to be back in 3rdLand if at all possible.  Come to find out, BossMan told me yesterday that I would in fact be traveling back to 3rdLand in August.  Glory be and the saints be praised! 

Today I got to thinking that I would really like to be back in my actual classroom, #200.  Not sure this is going to happen, but I hope everyone can just stop playing this cruel game and let me have my room back.  Come on, People.  You know how much I love that room.

Today is Teacher Appreciation Day.  I appreciate all the teachers I know and have known.  It's not easy educating our nation's youth, but teachers do a bang up job of it and I personally know how hard they are working.  Teachers rock.

The Neighbor

 Our neighbor, Jordan Hanssen, left yesterday. If you don't know about Jordan, you probably should.  First off, he and his friends hold a world record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean.  Also, he hosts a series of tiny boat sessions where he films people in rowboats singing songs and playing instruments.  Next, he has written a successful memoir.  Recently, he moved to New Orleans for a few months so he could research his latest novel.  In addition, he carves useful objects out of wood. Last, but not least, he did us a solid by taking our recycling to the recycling center before leaving town for his return to Seattle. 

In conclusion, Jordan's a fascinating guy and a great neighbor. We will miss him.

ps I wish I could have an interesting, memorable story to share when meeting with new folk.  Something to work on, if and when I feel like it.