Sleepy Sunday

O

utside, the sky was azure, the air was crisp. In the distance, kids squealed as they played with their friends in front of their homes. On the coffee table was Sunday's Washington Post ready to be read; on the TV was a football game. Except for the fact that the Redskins lost to the Jints at the Meadowlands--with seven turn overs, that's to be expected--it was a perfect autumn Sunday...

Wait, I need to rephrase that. It would have been a perfect autumn Sunday if I didn't have a quiz to grade, another to create. But that is the life I chose. So its not big deal. But I also have a stepson who is 23 going on an undetermined age.

I don't mean to rant, and if you don't want to read a whiny post, then stop now. I try to be as patient as I can, but it is really frustrating at times, and Xanga is my only outlet...

Anyway, he can do nothing unless told, and he pouts if he needs to do things unexpectedly--like write a brief statement on why he wants to attend a local community college. He also has to complete an application online for a student F-1 visa. I am privileged to answer his questions--like how to how to enter a line break--or to check his work after completing a page, as I try to do my own work. I could fill it out for him--indeed, it would be faster, and M actually expected me to do it--but I suggested he do it himself. He is going to school for his own good. Shouldn't he fill out his own applications? For school? For visas? How many of you had your mommy or daddy fill out applications for you AFTER you turned 18... or 17... or 16? Okay, his community college application was in English, so I helped him. I can live with that. But the visa application is from the US Embassy in Tokyo. The instructions are in JAPANESE. But of course, M claims that it would be horrific if there was an error in the application thereby preventing him from coming to study. It would be horrific because we already know that he can't survive by himself in Japan. But he is too old to come to the US as a dependent, although that is only an official, bureacratic description, not based on actual circumstances...

Ah, motherly love, Japanese style.

Anyway, he has finally finished, and I think I'm developing an ulcer...

But there is good news! My boys in blue won yesterday. What a game. I thought I was gonna die. The offense is pretty good, but the defense totally sucks. The ending was outrageous. UCLA leads 37-31 but the Huskies are marching down a short field. 6 seconds left, 4th and to-close-for-comfort for a touchdown. Paus completes one to number 10 (3 seconds) at the five yard-line. No. 10 spins around in an attempt to dive for a touchdown (2 seconds), two, three, five Bruins grab him (1 second), they tackle him at the 2 yard line even as he stretches his arm out in a futile attempt to reach the goal line (0 seconds). Game over. Whew! If I had a bad heart, I would have keeled over.

Yes, I love good news...