Straight No Chaser

Life On the Edge

lady called me this morning at like seven o'clock, fully waking me up, to freak out about her english paper.

"shannon, i just, i'm sorry for calling so early, i know i have an appointment with you tomorrow, i just, i really need to get myself together--i, this paper is due tomorrow at five, the response paper is due with it, and i just, i can't get my thoughts organized--"

i guess when i gave her my number, i assumed she'd only use it the one time. just to let me know whether she'd managed to make the edits i suggested before class. but no, she calls me of her own volition these days, and not even with specific questions, just to freak out. "i, um," i said. "well, it's only wednesday now, our appointment is tomorrow at eleven, and i have classes today--"

"no, i know, i know you're very busy, and that's why i feel just terrible about calling you like this"--so why the fuck did you, what do you want--"but i was looking over my papers and i just, i know i've got to get myself together, i can't write three pages about baby nursing, i can't get my thoughts out that way, i always need more time than all the other students because i work, you know, i work full time--"

she reminds me of that a lot, the fact that she works "long hours" (ten to four, three days a week), and that hence it's better if we work around her schedule, proofing and typing these papers smack in the middle of the afternoon, pushing my own deadlines extremely close. "i'll have to talk to you about this tomorrow morning," i said, rather firmly, i thought. "did you have a specific question or something, though, that i could answer before then?"

"no, there was no question, i just, i need to get my life together--"

i sighed and started getting dressed as she continued chattering. my dad and i are very much alike in that people perceive us as good listeners, and they, random strangers even, will absolutely break their backs trying to tell us their life stories. when my dad was flying to the philippines, which in case you don't know is a million-hour flight, some woman sitting next to him verbally changed her mind seven times as to whether she was going to break up with her fiancee, thanks, she said, to my dad's guidance. he says he didn't open his mouth once after the initial hellos. i say people just like to talk about themselves. and if you'll shut up long enough to let them, talk they will.

i got to work and my boss immediately asked if i wanted to take on another returning student. i said sure. i am very, very stupid.

shopping and donnie darko today. the former with just krystle, the latter with everybody. and then i'm going to spend the rest of the night exercising all manner of willpower not to open the wrapped ipod my parents sent me.

kailani is sooooo big.