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January 24, 2008 11:16 AM- sweet jeudi
For years, my favorite day of the week was Thursday.
Always Thursday. It towered over the other six as THE BEST DAY?everything seemed to roll down the hill once Thursday had pulled in its shutters and flipped the sign to ?closed.?
There?s no real mystery to how this developed. From the age of 10 (oh how earnest that little girl is with her red denim hip-huggers, the dark mass of uncombed hair down her back and teeth locked in a most unfortunate traffic jam that portends long years of orthodontia) to the age of 15 (look away! look away!) my weekly flute lesson was on Wednesday evenings.
Oh. Wait? I have failed to mention this? The strenuous years as a budding flautist does not figure into your composite of me?
*gallic shrug* Eh, alors.
So anyway, my flute teacher was the first flautist for the Philadelphia Orchestra. For those of you uninitiated in the rigors of learning a musical instrument, allow me to sum up what it means to have a teacher who is an extremely successful musician in her own right: NO FUN FOR YOU.
In fact, if she were the type to wear t-shirts (note: she was most decidedly NOT the type to wear t-shirts. Huaraches sandals, yes.
T-shirts, no.), I believe this little motto would have been emblazoned across her chest.
For five years then (five rather formative years and hey?is there anyone else out there today wondering just what my excessive use of the parenthesis could possibly mean? Psychological analysis of my random behavior is always welcome), including summers, my entire week was spent dreading Wednesday night. Hence, the joy and beauty of Thursday?the furthest distance between my flute lesson and me.
Don?t misunderstand?I enjoyed playing the flute and to this day love flute music anything from Jean-Pierre Rampal to Native American and everything in between?it?s all good. No bad associations. It was just the lesson, the LESSON, that was so tough?practicing, practicing, and in the event I didn?t practice enough (a most frequent scenario) the shame I had to endure. By the end, I had to practice hours each day to be even remotely ready and one day I just walked into the living room and told my parents I was done.
Just like that. More shame. Plus guilt. (Yum. Now THERE?s a recipe for a most delicious cocktail of self-loathing. I call it ?The Quitter?)
More to that story, I suppose?but let?s get back to wherever I was when I began this rumination on my favorite day of the week.
Right now, for this semester anyway, my long days are Mondays and Wednesdays, which run from 7 am ? 9pm with a 45 minute break at noon. Assignments from Monday are due on Wednesday so Tuesday is squeezed in there tight. Ahhh, but here?s what you know where this is all leading . . .
When I wake up on Thursday morning, the whole day stretches out in front of me and I have four full days to get all my work done (not suggesting that I ever get it all done, but you know, in theory). And oh, how sweet it is.
How about you? A favorite day? Favorite underwear? Favorite hoodie?
No? Guess that?s just me then.
got 2 cents?
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Amber says:
Holy Crap! You peeked into my 11 years of piano lessons, didn't you. My teacher was exactly the same, but compound the guilt of quitting with the fact that my teacher was (still is) my grandmother. I had to attend yearly piano SATs and the stress just got to me after awhile because piano was not my artistic calling. Don't regret the knowledge I gained though.
posted on: January 24
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Chris says:
I just called my mom to thank her for never making me take music lessons of any kind, because that sounds like childhood-hell. Of course, she knew the only thing I had any proficiency for playing was the CD player, so she didn't want to beat a dead horse.
Favorite hoodie? The one attached to my rain jacket, since it rains every afternoon from June through November.
posted on: January 24
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catherine says:
THURSDAY THURSDAY THURSDAY! See, I knew we were seperated at birth. ;) My reason for loving Thursdays is wrapped up in my love for In Anticipation Of Things...I love the planning and getting ready for events sometimes more than the event itself. Thursday all through HS was the day you planned THE WEEKEND, which was always better than the weekend itself, because we were high schoolers with little funds and big ideas, with little follow-through. Too, I was born on a Thursday, I always thought this meant something, mmh? perhaps...I know that feeling of the whole day stretching before you...it's a lovely thing. :)
posted on: January 24
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bp says:
ah Ms. Slye--according to the old children's rhyme, "Thursday's child has far to go" but HEY! at least you ain't fileld with woe! Now THAT's a bum assignment . .
posted on: January 24
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bp says:
er, that would be "filled" with woe-- stupid typos, grr
posted on: January 24
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lizardek says:
I've always been partial to Thursday myself, for no other reason that that I like the sound of its name. Saying it makes me want to drink something cool and smooth. :D I'm glad I never bothered with music lessons like that. I took 3 months of clarinet in 5th grade: Mary Had a Little Lamb was my big hit. After that, it was choir and we don't need no stinkin' lessons for that.
posted on: January 24
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immersion says:
Thursday for me used to mean the downward slide (weee!) into Friday party time then the weekend. More party time. Also, I so lookied forward to my favorite show, Cheers. You know, where everybody knows your name. My favorite hoodie I bought on vacation this winter in Leavenworth, WA. I went into a store that sells every piece of clothing for $12.99. These are slightly irregular clothes that they silkscreen 'Leavenworth' onto with trendy graphics. In these piles you find tight, frumpy, crooked, SUPER LARGE, rough hoodies. But if you are a die hard shopper, you can dig and dig and dig down to the bottom whilst wearing all your winter gear, breaking into a sweat but all for naught. You just may end up with a soft as cuddly as baby bottom hoodie. There is a small logo on it. I think it's a skater dude. I should probably wash it now ya think? (kidding!)
posted on: January 24
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immersion says:
Should that have been not for naught? I'm a doof.
posted on: January 24
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otter says:
I am child of woe. Alas. And although right now, Thursdays are my rough day, they still hold a special spot in my heart, since in college, Thursday was quarter-beer night. Sigh.
posted on: January 24
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British Daffodilly says:
No way...after knowing you all of these years & you have musical talent too!
Sacre Bleu!
posted on: January 24
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Lizardmom says:
So what caught my eye was "the teeth locked in a most unfortunate TRAFFIC JAM..." so perfectly descriptive that I can actually see you then. AND, wonder if it helped with playing a flute?
posted on: January 24
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catherine says:
yeah, so what's up with that ? "far to go.." is that why I've moved over 20 times in 40 years ? I must have places to go! I remember that from childhood, right up there with Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep...and the line about dying in your sleep always creeped me out as a kid! - I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Ahh...some of the best reasons for being the youngest of 4 - no music lessons - parents are all burned out by the time they get to the fourth kid, I cried a lot, only so I wouldn't get forgotten. ;)
posted on: January 24
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Sam says:
I've always been partial to Thursdays, myself. They are just plain good, perhaps because, as so many have mentioned, it's the anticipation of the weekend - one more day to get through until those precious two days of whatever makes you happy. And I totally get waking up on Thursdays and having days to accomplish what needs to be done - I love that feeling.
posted on: January 25
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violetismycolor says:
I was born on a Thursday, so no wonder you love it...
posted on: January 25
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Lianne says:
Well, I studied flute for 15 years. One of my breaking points was when my teacher offered to place an ad in the paper to sell my new Powell flute. I hated her.
I love Thursdays now... just cause it's all down hill from here.
posted on: January 25
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lizardek says:
HA! My MOM is reading you!! Now we just need to get her to start her OWN blog! It IS campaign year...I think I just thought of a platform to back: Lizardmom on Blogger!
posted on: January 25
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Pippa says:
My favourite day, without a doubt, is Tuesday, because it is bright green. Ever since I can remember Tuesdays have been green, and that made me feel happy and free and content. The week doesn't really start until Tuesday!
posted on: January 25
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Stephanie says:
Saturday. 3 words: PBS Cooking Shows. I have no time for TV, but I leave it on in the background so that I can pick up tips from Lidia Bastianich while getting some much-needed rest, chores done, tea drunk, what-have-you.
posted on: January 28
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