Monday, August 27, 2007

Back to School

My son began his senior year of high school today. We will celebrate his 18th birthday Sunday. I don't know where the time has gone. I could swear it was just yesterday that I was wishing he was older and more independent.

Ah, public school. My son's French IV class had no teacher today. The teacher has been hired, pending the standard background check. Problem is, no one bothered to run the check until yesterday and it takes a week to complete, the class has been told. Another teacher supervised the class and spoke to them in French to verify they were in the right class. My son was amused that she swore in French and he understood what she said. She was giving her opinion of the hiring process. My tax dollars at work.

The list making has begun. We leave Saturday morning and head to New Orleans. Then home on Monday, Labor Day. I see every politician in the country will be there this week to commemorate Hurricane Katrina. I am hesitant to see my former favorite city yet really curious. As a little lagniappe, I tuned into the muffeletto throw down with Bobby Flay and two brothers in New Orleans last night as I was trying to get to sleep. Yum. I hope Central Market is still there and open. The best in the city there.

There is a certain parade we will watch. It's New Orleans in the French Quarter, so I'm not talking a Macy's parade. I'll write about it later.

Laissez les bon temps rouler.

8 comments:

Paul is a Hermit said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Paul is a Hermit said...

With you too, cher coeur!

Swearing or not, at least the teacher knew some French.
Darn! You are joining my friend SW in driving me crazy running to a language translator, which is far from perfect and can really butcher meanings. Beats nothing though.
You may as well re-acclimate yourself with the music. Dancing too.

Incognito said...

New Orleans... interesting city.. though beautiful, not my favorite.. strange energy.. but I pick up on stuff like that.
Have a wonderful time and Happy Birthday to your son!!

Beverly said...

I hope you enjoy your son's senior year with him. Savor every moment, because you know, mom, when he goes away and then comes back home, he's visiting.

I went to New Orleans once, and I don't think I ever wish to return. I found the atmosphere around Jackson Square with all the card readers, etc. very oppressive like I sometimes felt in places in Haiti. As incgnito said, "a strange energy." Maybe that works.

srp said...

Have a great time!
Nyssa has been at W&M for over a week. We moved her in on August 17th and her RA meetings began the next day. Freshmen came Friday... you could not have paid me to be in Williamsburg that day! Her upper class dorm opened on Saturday.
She is a senior as well... looking into grad school. I remember all those schools that sent reams and reams of paper recruiting. These same schools then get very selective with their students. It is harder to get into the first choice college these days. Of course then there is the paying for it!

It never ends... now, the angst and stress starts again... graduate school. More standardized testing. But a different way of going about it. Nyssa has been studying professors at various institutions and checking on things such as... number of grad students, funding, area of research. Then they told her to e-mail the professors she was interested in and see if they have funding for a new grad student. Hope so... this will be up to her... or her father... as he has not helped at all with college.

As for the political scene.. I have been isolated a bit.. over at this new house with no cable and no time anyway.... you know.. it has been really nice not to have to see Hillary or hear her voice for days..... rest for the mind.

Frasier said...

The first foreign word I learnt was a cuss word in French!I dont know why but I have the sudden urge to learn French and it has been growing for the past few weeks so thats what I am doing right now !!
No cuss words though!
Have fun In new Orleans

AC said...

Hey, is the Central Market Muffeletta Shop the one where the ingredients are on a big sign over the counter and when each and every customer steps up and asks the guy "whats in a muffeletta" he growls "read da sign!" over and over? If so, I can attest that the sandwiches there are top notch. We bought a bunch of hot sauces there too. Wherever we were.

"read the sign" became one of those family jokes between Terry and I.

roll on, good times!

(I'm back from our mini vacation, still in mental vacation mode - I like it there!)

Paul is a Hermit said...

Karen, do you mean I must go see what has happened in the world on my own?
Phooey. That's depressing.

I wonder what has happened?