Homeschooling at the End of the World

Rich reminded me of this poem that we wrote back in ’06, and then I found it on my computer. Without further ado:

EVERYBODY HAS SOME STUFF:
A poem by Evann L. Gastaldo and Richard B. Hammond

We all have some stuff.
Some people have BAD stuff;
Other people’s stuff is not so bad.
Stuff can come in many forms:
Some stuff might cause us to sport really bad hairstyles.
Other stuff might force us to listen to horrible music and wear tight pants.
Some stuff might cause us to urinate in an unseemly position.
Other stuff might prevent us from having meaningful, worthwhile relationships.
But, some stuff is just stuff. Maybe it’s stuff that causes us to be awesome.
Some people have some stuff that cancels out their other stuff.
It’s like a stuff algebra equation. It’s an algebra equation full of stuff!
Stuff is good because it allows us to say,
At the end of a very bad relationship,
“It’s okay that it ended: That guy had SOME STUFF.”
It also probably allows that guy to say,
“I’m glad I broke it off. She sure had some stuff!”
One thing is for sure: EVERYBODY HAS SOME STUFF.
But some people aren’t aware that they have stuff.
It’s like stuff is a big booger in their nose, and no one will tell them it’s there.
Some people parade their stuff all around town;
Everybody laughs at their stuff. People make fun of their stuff. Everyone knows they have stuff
Except them. It is sad.
Behind their backs, other people say, “That person really has SOME STUFF!
“I wonder why they don’t do anything to fix all their stuff!”
But they don’t know. We should pity these people.
We should all ask ourselves, “What do you DO with your STUFF?”
And the answer of course is,
If everyone could embrace the stuff that they have, the world would be a better place.

THE END.

One of the reasons I have been such a failure at posting lately is that, since we got back from Alaska, I have been doing a lot of exercising. Well, not “a lot of exercising” compared to, say, the Olympic athletes. Or, for that matter, a high school football player, Little League outfielder, or, like, an infant involved in “Mommy & Me” jazzercise classes. But definitely “a lot of exercising” compared to the amount I was doing before, AKA, none. I’ve also been on a diet (sometimes I call it a “lifestyle change,” but then it kinda sounds like I’m pregnant or undergoing a gender reassignment process), which means that (a) I have been eating a lot of cherries and (b) I have only had alcohol on 2 occasions in the past 7 weeks.

Today was not a great day. It ended up getting better, but at the time this conversation occurred the ultimate outcome was not yet clear.

Which is why I IMed Steve about my desire to reunite with some gin, followed quickly by my realization that I have dance practice tomorrow morning and thus cannot get drunk tonight.

His response: :( if you start early enough you can.

That’s the spirit!

(But I’m still not actually getting drunk tonight. Insert inspirational quotes here about finding better coping strategies and not being an alcoholic.)