Observation
Monday, March 14, 2011
Bit of a shocker out the window that morning.
Snow.
Two and a half inches or more at 6:30.
And that was St. Louis.
So… Collette was intended to have been dropped off by 7:30 in the morning at the house to accompany Francis and Linnea-Irish out to Illinois to observe Linnea’s Classical Conversations class, whose students she would likely be teaching in the autumn.
She arrived at 8:25 after an hour and twenty-five minutes on the road.
First, a stop for breakfast for the kids: sausage McMuffins.
A slushy drive through the city; rain in Illinois.
Once arrived at the Lutheran church, Collette was briefly introduced by Juliet Tecumseh to the sibling pair, whom she first thought were twins, and reintroduced to the other boy and girl she had formerly met at the Zoo and Linnea’s birthday party, respectively. For a total of five students, minus one other boy who was out for the day.
Five hours passed quickly, as the first hour had been missed due to the weather.
Onto Science…
The heart was studied: resting and active pulses. Of all times for Collette to visit…
Cake for dessert following a box of corned beef and colby jack for Collette. Minus the cake. The ‘twins’ had crossed the street to Little Caesar’s for a pizza. And the boy who nearly microwaved his macaroni in a Styrofoam bowl before Collette had stopped him…
Collette spoke with Juliet for awhile where she learned that Louis was nearing completion of his degree in Historical Preservation, which could not have been more perfect for the old chap.
Class resumed. Linnea came back from the gym with a root beer from the vending machine.
Goofy skits for rhetoric.
Geography.
Art. Oil pastels.
Awards: wind-up penguins and filled M’nM tins.
The class seemed to very much like Juliet Tecumseh.
Mid-afternoon.
A drive through Old Town Belleville under the gray.
Target for snacks: salted peanuts (Collette), King Size Reeses Peanut Butter Cups (Francis), mini Ben & Jerry’s mint chocolate chip ice cream (Linnea).
The mall to look for a ‘Kiss me; I’m Irish’ tee for Linnea. Quiet walk-about. Nothing green anywhere, let alone bearing shamrocks.
Five Guys Burgers & Fries.
Sleet through old Florissant-like neighborhoods.
“Hey,” said Francis, “I can take you guys over that big puddle I went over earlier.”
It was a sizable puddle, and made a satisfying wall of water.
Back to the church where Francis and Linnea played some Around the World basketball in the darkened gym.
And the last on the checklist of the day… 7:00 parents’ meeting.
Chocolate chip cookies. Collette might just as well go crazy.
And home again, home again, the driving sleet.