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For Kristin:

American Born Chinese (graphic novel)

Yezierska's short stories are readibly available in a collection called How I Found America.

More short stories: The Interpreter of Maladies deals a lot with immigrant experiences

Or you could show them the Mexican-American border episode of Tony Bourdain's show.

In Hanna news, the fencing club flooded (it's in a basement). The stupidly expensive electronic equipment is all mounted on the walls/ceilings, but the floor is going to be a big mess -- nobody really knows how much mess until it dries out a bit more. They've only been in this location for a little less than a year.

We are watching Ike closely here. The school already had us doing preparations yesterday. There is concern the storm is going to roll up the west side of this state and that would put us in prime area for a hit. It seems like they are expecting us to be impacted.

I just looked at the 11AM update and Ike keeps pushing further south with each update. Right now, if it keeps on its current trajectory, it looks like it's headed right towards Louisiana. Again. If it pushes further south, looks like Texas might get the brunt of it instead.

Freakin' hurricanes.

Every reference I read to Hurricane Ike, I read as "Ikea." It's a perfect storm of consumerism!

Freakin' hurricanes.

you said it.

I would like rain and barbecue, please. I would like all the other hurricanes to swirl around harmlessly but send big bands of rain across north Georgia.

Also, I would like world peace and to never hear Sarah Palin talk again. The good news, in terms of her effect on the ticket, is that my mother, who is my political opposite in most things, loathed her instantly.

I would like rain and barbecue, please.

So much this. We are in a drought, and well, barbecue.

Also, I would like world peace and to never hear Sarah Palin talk again.

But maybe even more this.

Thank you, everyone. American Born Chinese is actually the last book I'm teaching this year (and it was a Buffista who suggested it last year--thanks DebetEsse!), but I will check out the rest. One connection I can make is that I found an awesome educator awareness packet created by the government with up-to-date stats. Want to guess what percentage of the countries of the world are represented by people approved for immigrating here last year? 100%. That blew my mind. Think of all the countries in the world.

Hanna has soaked me. Went out to get my haircut and EVERY.SINGLE.TIME I had to walk outside, a rainband came through. Broke my favorite umbrella and my travel one kept threatening to collapse under gusts. (It's actually a sturdy little thing, but the wind is not great for collapsibles.)

Got a new umbrella. But I don't think I'm going out again until this passes.

It was my hairdresser's last day today! She'll be off on maternity leave until December (so only one haircut by someone else.) She's got another couple weeks until her due date, but needs to be off her feet. She promised to email me pictures of her daughter. I'm so excited for her.

I've got to do laundry at some point this weekend. But I think I'm just going to laze around today. Inside.