Go Mizzou

In half an hour, my alma mater, University of Missouri, will take on a major rival, Kansas Jayhawks, for what could be a run for the Big 12 title. Normally, I don't care at all about sports, but it seems fortuitous that this year, for once, our football team is blazing a glory trail. Now when I say I'm a Mizzou graduate, people will think "winner" instead of "who?" In all the catalogs that offer collegiate merchandise, it's easy to find Michigan everything (and they have had a horrible season). It's easy to find LSU everything (though they were sadly defeated last night by Arkansas in triple overtime). Many if not most Texas schools are represented in jerseys, clocks, rugs, etc. But to find Mizzou was impossible. Maybe not after this season....

It's been a gloomy day, not so much weatherwise but certainly spirit-wise. One of my online students called early this a.m., interrupting esteemed one's regular Saturday-morning conversation with his mother. I found out for the first time that this student is female, not male, as I had been thinking all semester. (She's from another country, and her name was not one I'd ever encountered before. And somehow in her writing she had never identified herself as female.) It upsets my world weirdly to have thought of someone as being male all semester, only to find out she was female. It doesn't matter in terms of grades or anything--just changes the mental picture I'd had. Yet another reason to feel uncomfortable with online classes. Not like I'm getting out of it, though.

I talked with my sister who is a couple of years younger than I am. She's doing well. They had all gone over to my brother's house (the house that used to be my parents' house) for Thanksgiving. I found out that my niece is back in school fulltime now after having suffered so terribly with West Nile virus this summer. Another niece, age 15 or 16, who was pregnant, has lost the baby. Sad but likely for the best. I guess the planned shotgun wedding is postponed. If I were Jeff Foxworthy, likely I'd be able to make something out of that, but it's just too damned depressing.

In a brief conversation with my older son today, I was happy to hear that he has a chance at a position with a law firm in Kansas City. The firm prosecutes white-collar criminals. I told him that at least he wouldn't have to worry about any of MY relatives--they're all BLUE-collar criminals. That is, unless esteemed one or I decide to take up a life of crime. Actually, no criminals among us--at least not of the usual sort. My sister's ex-husband is in prison for child molesting, but we don't count him as part of the family. I saw a funny sign that said, "Better to have loved and lost than to have lived with a psycho for the rest of your life." I thought of my sister and told her so. She was amused. When people ask her if she ever plans to remarry, she tells them, "The first husband was a wife beater. The second one was a child molester. The way I'm going, the next one would be an ax murderer, so I'm going to quit while I can!"

I ordered this little decorative plaque that says, "Do not mess in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and good with ketchup." For some reason, that just cracks me up. Old Lady Tannehill used to be affectionately known as the Dragon Lady. She would have liked that sign. I can't read the story of Hansel and Gretel without thinking of that woman. I'm quite sure she would have made a great gingerbread-house proprietor. No doubt she kept the oven toasty hot, just in case.

The game starts shortly. Fingers crossed. I'm such a superstitious person at times that it feels silly to admit that I fear if I watch the game, they'll lose. Oh, well. If they start losing, I can always change the channel. Dr. S.