Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Fluffity Fluff Fluff...

Okay. Today I had my first real class and I must say that these kiddos warmed the cold, dark, cockles of my heart.

(Tangent: what the hell is a cockle? Is it some sort of mollusk? Do I remember a folk song about a chick who ended up dying and singing "Cockles and Mussels! Alive, alive, oh...." And do I want to have just claimed a memory of that song?...)

Anyhoo. They did very well today - there are many of them. It's up to 42 now and it's an awkwardly shaped classroom. But I think they were engaged and so I'm pleased.

BUT, even more important (than my career) - I've finally found some cute, dress-'em-up, dress-'em-down knit tops in nice colors and in a nice fit (i.e., it doesn't cut off the blood circulation to my appendages). These tops seem to be made for real people and not stick figure aliens with zero body fat (they know who they are...). And when I teach I can wear them with my black capri pants and cute sandals (with rhinestones on them for added edge!) - Joy! This is so much better than having a good class today. Really. All that comes and goes - it's ephemeral. But knit tops are here to STAY!

Who do I credit with this joyous discovery? New Kid! I read this post the other day and I suddenly remembered: Eddie Bauer is the only store on the planet I haven't visited in the last 4 days looking for hot weather teaching togs. For some reason I always associate their clothing with bark and plaid flannel. But this is completely not true! Thank you for reminding me!!! I bought this, and three of these, and this in blue, and this in pink.

Joy, joy, joy.....

6 comments:

Tiruncula said...

Thank you for the pointers to those tops! I think I may get myself one of the wrap-front ones.

On cockle: because I am procrastinating, I checked the OED, and there are 8 separate headwords for cockle nouns! (1 is a ghost, but still!). The abbreviated answer is that it is a mollusk and the OED associates the "c. of heart" idiom with the mollusk, prob. from the resemblance in shape between cockles and hearts. The whole list is:

1. a plant
2. a mollusk
3. a pucker or bulge
4. a curl or ringlet
5. a kind of stove
6. Black Tourmaline
7. A disease of wheat produced by a nematoid worm
8. explained as ‘a little or young cock (obs.)’: an error in Johnson founded on a misprint of cocke

It's a veritable game of Dictionary all by itself!

Hilaire said...

I had the mollusks, cockles, once. (A few years ago, when I was briefly eating seafood.) I was in Wales, visiting with my Welsh friend, and she insisted that we try some. We were at a market and so she bought a bag. It was like a bag of tiny, slimy snail-like things. It was disgusting!! I think r and I could stomach one each.

yay for clothes you're happy with!

Sisyphus said...

Hooray for clothes!

The last time I was in an Eddie Bauer store, I found the fabrics to be really harsh and rough. (and, as you mentioned, very heavy weight flannel) Are your new things nice and soft?

But, I could always go shopping and verify for myself! Mmmm yes.

New Kid on the Hallway said...

Hooray! So glad I accomplished something else with my shopping besides me looking hot! ;-) I actually really like Eddie Bauer - yeah, there's a lot of outdoorsy stuff, but they also have pretty decent "business casual" stuff too. I want to get some of the short/long-sleeved tees you got, except that I've developed an obsession with having collars to my shirts (now that I have short hair, so it hides my short neck!), and am holding out for some of their wrinkle-resistant blouses instead, which I think are fabulous.

And Sisyphus, I find their fabrics pretty good, but then, I can't wear wool, so I only go with their cotton/poly/rayon stuff.

heu mihi said...

Oh my goodness, I need clothes! Somehow I thought that this problem would take care of itself, and amazingly it hasn't. Recommendation noted--thanks!

(Speaking of noted, I have changed my name! Please note!)

Notorious Ph.D. said...

I've decided not to buy any clothes this year, except a few second-hand sweaters. I'm on leave, after all.

However, I make no promises with regard to shoes.