This week…my husband turned 31 and I crawled out of the funk. Also, I’m apparently old.

by Janelle Hanchett

 

  1. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to write these posts on Sunday again. Hmmmm. Food for thought. It feels weird to write “this week” when really it was “last week,” but oh well. I’m sure we’ll pull through this one.
  2. Speaking of pulling through, at the risk of sounding sentimental [and potentially of shit], I have to say that after writing that “I’m in a funk and can’t get out of it” post and reading your comments about it, I found myself in a remarkably better mood. I know writing is “therapeutic” (I hate saying things like “therapeutic”), but I really think it’s the combination of letting it out and reading you people. Lately I haven’t had time to respond to many comments, but I read each one, carefully, and when I have more time I will be responding more again.
  3. I have no time. Ever. This is the middle of the semester, when I feel my own death approaching, slowly, angrily, in the form of research and writing and students who won’t turn shit in. Or turn it in but do so in this ridiculously half-assed manner and I wanna punch ‘em.
  4. Which reminds me, I mentioned the movie Fight Club to a class of freshman. I quoted “you are not your fucking khakis” – it was relevant I swear – and they all looked at me like I was from some other planet. THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT IT IS. I felt old and appalled at the same time. So powerless. I mean how is a person to sit with the idea that subsequent generations may not know Mr. Tyler Durden? How people? WHY?
  5. And the worst part is they think I’m so old they couldn’t trust me that it’s fucking cool. So I showed them excerpts on YouTube.
  6. After they saw Brad shirtless with blood dripping out his nose, they were convinced.
  7. I think we may need to watch it. That would probably be the only shit they learn all semester. Or at least, the most valuable.
  8. Yesterday I took Mac to Monterey for his birthday to get his tattoo worked on.  While there, I somehow got another tattoo (small one on my wrist). The kids were with my mom, meaning Mac and I spent a day together. The two of us. Alone. Walked along the coastline, ate clam chowder and shrimp cocktail, watched each other get stabbed with ink-dipped needles. ALL VERY ROMANTIC I assure you.
  9. But, we came back to a very, very sick boy. Strep throat. So sad. And now, I’m sure, the whole family will get it, and I’ll be back in the funk just as soon as I got out.
  10. Nah, there are antibiotics for that kind of funk.

And for the other kind?

There’s you.

Let’s make this week suck less than last…mmmkay?

And enjoy this…

19 Comments | Posted in weeks of mayhem | October 15, 2012
  • Julia

    um, dude, what do you teach? Cuz I want a degree in that.

    • renegademama

      Haha! Composition! Someday, when I’m a real professor, I will assign Fight Club. They will write about it. And they will LOVE IT.

  • Christina

    Thank you for the picture of Tyler Durden! Its been a while since I have seen this movie. Which by the way happens to be my husbands favorite movie. This means I get to watch it anytime with out question. =} Oh Tyler! ~sigh~

    • renegademama

      I admit it. I had a whole helluva lot of fun Googling “Tyler Durden photos.” Yeah, that’s not hot. Psssht.

    • Annette

      My husband too! I love “sacrificing” to watch his favorite movie.

  • Corinne

    I am more then sure I am older then you and haven’t watched it. But solemnly swear to you I WILL…before this year ends I WILL! Cheers to a suck less week ahead….

    • renegademama

      Seriously you will not be let down. At least I think you won’t. If you like this blog, I imagine you’ll like that movie. It’s fucking rad.

  • jackie

    agree, what do you teach? I want some too. the end of your post depressed me too as we have been going through lots of sickness and shit over and over and over. so i thought you were immune to feeling depressed about things like strep throat. but then i scrolled down more. and my libido went up a few notches. pathetic. but true. got me going hellya.
    😉

  • Lisa

    Ha! Once when teaching legal writing I referenced 8 Mile’s climactic rap slam where Eminem blows Clarence out of the water (the lecture was about acknowledging your weakest arguments, I thought I was being very hip), and half the class was totally blank. So of course I pulled it up on YouTube and played it. Almost a success, except I had forgotten that every other word was the F word. Awkward.

    • renegademama

      Dude! That’s BRILLIANT! I’m going to remember that scene. And that IS hip. Seriously, I’m using that for the same lesson (acknowledging your weakest argument).

  • Mom of 5

    “Listen up, maggots. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else.”…Um…yes please!!! <3 and you are still my favorite person ever….(even more now)..:)

  • carlisle

    Oh, goodness. Maybe I can offer some hope, I’m quite young, and Fight Club is my favorite book, and one of my favorite movies. Fact, the first night I hung out with my husband, he put in Fight Club. I think I pretty much fell in love right there. Also, I’m (sort of) planning on becoming a high school teacher, and I’m going to assign Fight Club. If Deliverance can can be on the motherfucking recommended reading list, I don’t see why Fight Club can’t be.

  • Shan

    Since yesterday was the single worst day of my life, I’m sure it’s only up from here for me. Hopefully for you, too.

  • Vanessa

    I think you should do your class a favor and show them Fight Club. As a public service. And then make them read Discipline and Punish by Foucault. Minds will be blown.

  • Michael Ann

    Um…. ok, I admit, I’ve never seen or even heard of fight club. I’m way old….

  • Kate C

    Sooo, I wouldn’t take the fact that a bunch of 18 year olds 4 weeks into college haven’t seen Fight Club yet to mean that your old. There is a time and place for the exposure to this kind of culture, ya know? I mean, you watch movies like Fight Club, and Pulp Fiction, and The Wall when you’re in college, in a dark dorm room full of friends you’ll keep for the rest of your life (who are all probably high). I think kids in high school just don’t have the attention span for those kinds of movies. They’ll get it all in the next four years and be fine, don’t worry.

  • Kate C

    Oh Ps – if you like bloody muscly guys, watch Boondock Saints. Awesome.