Backpacks on the front of the body. The backpack, by definition, is worn on the back of the body. Is wearing it in the front more comfortable? More stylish? More secure? Surely this cannot be good for anyone’s posture or health.
Belly-button bling. Alas, still a thing.
Socks and flip-flops worn together. Socks keep feet warm and dry, but flip-flops keep the feet cool and can even be worn in water, ostensibly. So we are at cross-purposes here, right?
Knit caps, hoodies, and shorts, all worn concurrently. So, these kids are preventing heat from escaping from the tops of their bodies, but not from the bottom halves. This is not logical. And before you, dear reader, think, “Oh, maybe these students are layering their clothes for those cool spring mornings,” let me stop you. They are not. Those caps and hoodies stay on all day.
Long-sleeved, high neck, midriff-exposing tops. Yes, Ladies, show off those flat stomachs while you have them, but why aren’t you also showing off your toned arms, or your lovely, non-crepey necks?
Tube tops. I don’t want to be accused of shaming anyone’s body, but let’s think about comfort and support. Some of the better-endowed girls are sagging and then yanking at the edges of the tube tops. This is annoying to the rest of us.
Micro-shorts. These will undoubtedly ride up butt-cheeks and yanking may also occur. It’s not a pretty sight when you are walking behind the students in the long hallways.
Fleece-blankets worn as capes. Is this for warmth or for attention? Are they going for a superhero vibe here, or simply being a Linus?
Starbucks iced coffees, clutched in hand as an accessory. I would mind this less if the students weren’t tardy to class since the line at the drive-thru was so long.
Sequined tops and/or shiny metallic dress shoes. Granted, the lanyard I wear daily is glittery, but I am almost four times older than these kiddos, so I have the poise and confidence to carry off this look. I do, I really think I do.
Flesh-colored leggings with short tank tops. No, please, no.
Listed on the menu: Yes, as “1881 Old Fashion” (sic).
Ingredients: Four Roses Bourbon, Aromatic Bitters, House-Made Porter Syrup, with an orange peel and a maraschino cherry.
The occasion: When I learned that my son and his fiancée were traveling to my sister-in-law’s home for the solar eclipse, I promptly decided that we needed to join in the fun. Happily, my sister-in-law and her husband were sweet enough to accommodate all of us, so I started planning our trip to Indianapolis, which was in the path of totality. How fortunate for us all! I wanted to break up the nine-plus hour drive with an overnight stop along the way, and perhaps a bit of sightseeing. Chillicothe, Ohio, seemed like a perfect location, since we wanted to see the Leo Petroglyphs and to tour the Westcott House (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) in Springfield, Ohio. Chillicothe’s charming historic district had several interesting options for supper and a drink.
My rating: **** out of 5. I picked this restaurant since it advertised thirty beers on draft. I was not surprised, therefore, that this cocktail used beer in its signature house-made simple syrup. The deep porter flavor plus the always-lovely Four Roses bourbon made the drink taste rich and almost creamy. I would have awarded an extra star, however, if the bartender had rubbed the orange peel around the rim and if the cherry had not been a maraschino.
Final thoughts: We really do need to visit more small Midwestern cities. Downtown Chillicothe, for example, contains lovely architecture and fun places to eat and drink at very reasonable prices. (Full disclosure: our first stop of the evening was a bar called “Steiner’s Speakeasy” and I paved the way for this Old Fashioned with an award-winning margarita made with Mexican-street-corn-flavored simple syrup. So good. Seems like Chillicothe’s bartenders are creative with simple syrup!) Oh, and the total eclipse of the sun? We had clear skies and a clear view. Worth the trip for this once-in-a-lifetime, breathtaking event.
We have a new roof! It’s been almost a month of waiting for estimates, for insurance authorization, for a slot on the preferred roofers’ calendar, and for a non-rainy day. At 7 am this morning, the weather forecast looked promising, so the crew arrived. I chose to stay in the house, but maybe I shouldn’t have–those men worked for hours as they stripped the old roof, repaired the numerous holes left by the fallen tree, and added brand-new shingles. A cloudburst at about 2 pm did not slow them down, thankfully, although I fretted about their safety up there. (The gutter crew comes tomorrow, weather permitting.) Needless to say, there was consistent hammering, heavy footfalls of the six guys up there, and the occasional THWUMP as a crew member moved a stack of shingles to another location. Noise, there was so much noise! I didn’t like it! And there were so many vibrations, which even caused pictures on the wall to tilt and glasses in the cabinet to clink together. It was a long, long day, but now, as I write, I hear a thunderstorm approaching, so I am grateful the roofers worked so quickly! I promised myself a drink at the end of it all to soothe my nerves.
Of course, Dear Husband had to go out of town on business, so I am drinking alone. He hopes this is his very last overnight business trip before his retirement, and I don’t blame him. I don’t blame him one bit! He was scheduled to arrive at his final destination at 1:30 pm yesterday, but Mother Nature had other plans which resulted in major flight delays and re-routings, so he arrived at his hotel room at 1:30 am. Yup, a twelve hour delay. It was a long, long day, indeed.
Last week I made candied grapefruit slices, since I had purchased too many grapefruits that I stopped eating when I realized they did not sit well with my allergy medications. I was left with a small jar of grapefruit simple syrup, so I put it to use today.
Husband is not home, as I said, so this drink (loaded with fruit, right?) serves as my “salad” for today. I think my supper is going to be Easter leftovers. Truly, the only good part about being home alone is that I don’t cook at all.
In a lowball glass, stir together 2 ounces of vodka with 2 ounces of grapefruit simple syrup. Add fruit, ice, and maybe a Luxardo cherry. Stir and enjoy.
Monica Lists 