Friday Five: The Summer Has Come
1. Can you share a tale of a favorite summer cookout/get together? No. I’m not much of an outside person, so any time spent outdoors is usually only in transit to someplace indoors.
2. What is a favorite summer ritual of yours? Sometimes I sit on the porch and read. I don’t stay out for very long, though, because it’s hot.
3. After a long hot summer day, what is your favorite way to quench your thirst? Water. When I was little, I drank a lot of Kool-Aid. Randomly (or at least that’s what it seemed to my seven-year-old mind), she’d decide I’d had enough Kool-Aid and should drink water if I was still thirsty. I hated that. Now I realize that nothing quenches thirst better than water. We don’t have have any (unflavored, bottled) water right now, which makes me very upset. And my mom did the grocery shopping last week.
4. The 4th of July is coming up, what plans, if any, do you have? None, as usual. My favorite Independence Day in recent memory (which is kind of the only kind I have) was when I spent the day at home alone reading Draco Dormiens. It took hours, but it was so worth it, and a lovely way to pass time.
5. What are you looking forward to doing most before the summer ends? Writing. Every summer, I promise to work on my writing, and every summer, I don’t do it. So far, I haven’t actually written anything, but I’ve read three and a half books on writing, and I’m working on a fourth. That counts, sort of.
There’s a mosquito in my room. It won’t go away or die. This makes me upset. It’s bitten both of my hands, the left one in that weird almost-web spot between my ring and little fingers. I think it also bit the side of my neck; there was this big, itchy bump there, like pencil-eraser size. Freaky. Bugs suck.
In my quest to find some Catholic blogs to add to my list, I came across Catholic Ragemonkey, where I found this cartoon. Very interesting. I also found Catholic Girl Talk, whose writers go to UMD.
In my very mundane prophetic way, one of the tutoring centers did in fact call me on Wednesday. I made an appointment to interview and test on Thursday. They apparently give all potential tutors an old SAT. Slightly freaked, I Googled for practice questions. I didn’t do very well, but practice questions from anyone who’s not the College Board are always iffy. Unfortunately, my appointment was in Columbia. That’s quite far from here. So I went from “Ohmygosh, finally, something!” to “Crap.”
I slept horribly that night. I guess my body’s not used to going to bed so early. There’s something relaxing about watching double Degrassi at 2am, then going straight to bed. Relaxing and slightly deluded. I think the characterization has me hooked. Anyway, I woke up super early, but still after a snooze. I left early, figuring that I’d rather get there early and have to sit and read in my car than get there late.
I was expecting horrible rush hour traffic, but it wasn’t bad at all. I followed my easy Mapquest directions, but I had to turn around twice before I got to the right place. I had time, though, and I found good places to turn. And I did find it eventually. I went up to the suite, and spent the next two and a half hours taking the SAT again. I could have gone without that. After I finally finished the test, I sat waiting for the program director to finish meeting with a parent. When that woman left, I still found myself sitting in the waiting area. Being too patient has cost me before, so I went up to her door after about five minutes of silence. Then I continued to wait as she looked for my résumé. I was floored. I know I sent them my résumé. I faxed it, and I called to make sure they got it. How else did they know to call me? She finally just gave up and wrote down the information she wanted. My parents and I had been worried that I’d only be hired in Columbia, which is much too far to go if I want to make any money. She asked me which center I wanted to work at, though, eliminating that problem. After what felt like no time at all, she said she’d get back to me, so I came home. I hit minor traffic near the Andrews exit, and my air conditioning is perpetually screwed up, so I was really hot.
After I ate, watched Trek, and took a lovely nap, I sat on the porch with a book for a while. I don’t know why I go out there. It’s hot, and there are bugs, and I can never be comfortable for very long. It beats being cold inside, though the a/c hasn’t been as bad lately.
I need something to do. That’s the only good thing about school or work. It gives you a reason to get up in the morning. A reason to leave the house. Something to live for. I shouldn’t be bored. I find things to do, and I don’t regret how I spend my time, but there’s definitely a strand of boredom running in me lately.
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