I liked my gifted program, which started in 2nd grade and ended in 8th grade. In fact, I am thinking now that the loss of that program in 9th grade probably contributed to my weird crippling depression that year until I started working on the school paper and doing the musical.

We did some weird things, though, like learn to play chess, have our colors done(?) and write mystery or sci-fi short stories. We also did a fake (acted) murder with a mock trial to start with (I was the defendant) and wrote plays and such. I find it odd now that it wasn't really math/scince based, but I may be misremembering things as we could have divided into groups OR I don't remember any of the math/science things because I did not enjoy them.

The funny thing was that I always went with the math team, even though I was still 3rd string as a senior. It was a social event and all my friends went!

Oh, jeez, Corwood. I was reading a report of that and it sounded like it happened in a tiny town where everyone knew each other. How devastating.

Most of the crummy rentals we lived in when I was a kid had wood paneling -- you don't have to paint it between tenants.

No, but if smokers live there the only way to get rid of the smell is to wash the yellow film off of the paneling.

OMG, Corwood! That's really scary! I haven't read much about what happened, just...that it happened. Are you freaking out? Is your family? I know when things happen somewhere I've been I'm always like "I know that place, I've been there" and it's not usually anyplace THAT small/meaningful/homey or anything THAT upsetting. Eeesh. I hope everyone you know is safe. What an awful thing.

Yikes, Cor! I felt similarly when the local bowling alley in my homwetown was the site of a spree killing back when I was in high school. It was like that doesn't happen here!

(Of course, a guy was shot dead in my parking lot this year, and my car was behind crime tape and right opposite the victim, and that doesn't seem at all out of place. WTF, brain?)

Wow, Corwood. I am so sorry.

Most of the crummy rentals we lived in when I was a kid had wood paneling -- you don't have to paint it between tenants.

I have looked at crummy rentals with wood paneling, but I couldn't take it. Although one guy told me that if I could figure out a way to paint the paneling, I was welcome to do it!

Whoa, Corwood. That's insane. And scary.

That would be unsettling as hell, Corwood. I can't imagine.

Because it belonged in a separate post:

Happy Birthday, tommyrot!!

***

Also, I just at a bunch of bacon, and now I'm going to go see Watchmen. I mean, those things are unrelated, except for being hungry and it's a long movie. So, not unrelated, actually. Bacon was because of last night, though.

The gifted program at my high school didn't kick in till I was a Junior. None of the smart kids from my class were in it, so they must have decided we were too far along or something. Damn, I was jealous of them.

I completely skated through high school and college. If I paid attention, I did pretty well. It got to the point where if it didn't come easily, I didn't bother. Damn you, reactionary "Girls don't really need math!" school administrators! I hate seeing anything above basic algebra as an utterly foreign language. I have a better shot of understanding written Slovenian or something, because I can see the connections to words in other languages. (Written Scandinavian languages or non-Roman alphabets? Forget it.)