My "no, you need to set parameters beforehand" horror story was the spelling test I failed because of insufficiently delineated loops on my ks. I never spelt a word wrong all year, but it's why I didn't come first in class. Of course this was the psycho bitch that threw things at me for reading ahead of the class, so there was no winning with her. And my parents didn't care a bit about any of my complaints, and to this day are still a bit "Whuhuh?" about the whole thing, despite having learnt she was let go from her former position as headmistress for being too hard on kids.

And Opera's spellchecker can bite me. I like spelt and learnt just fine.

Ooh. I could not have survived a teacher that didn't want me to read ahead. I read ahead in every class I ever took. Come on, some of that stuff was interesting!

I was a "set parameters beforehand" kid too, though, most definitely.

Come on, some of that stuff was interesting!

You'd think it would be a vote of confidence!

My next class teacher was absolutely wonderful and brought in books from her home for me to read when she saw me getting bored and was my favourite prep school teacher evah, so that salved my wounds.

I will always love LaJune Smith in third grade. She figured out I was bored with the math, so started throwing me harder stuff (fractions? Long division? I don't quite recall) on the side, and eventually just had me doing that exclusively, even though the testing wouldn't let me get bumped up to 4th grade for math. HAD to be extra work for her. She also warned my 4th grade teacher, and she kept me up a level off the books, too.

Neat thing is she's still in district, though part time. She's got to be near 80 now. She seemed old to me back then, but was probably just late 40s. She was very 1950s grandmotherly looking. Mom still runs into her, and she always asks about me, which tickles me to death.

When I was in fifth grade another kid and I got to be in our own advanced math thingie. But the next year there was no advanced math and we were with the rest of the class. That bugged the hell out of me - why let me go ahead if only to put me back with everyone else?

Someone offered me free tickets to a taping of SNL tonight...I wonder if they relize it's Thursday.

They do have a Thursday night thing going on, but I thought it was clips -- maybe not?

They do have a Thursday night thing going on, but I thought it was clips -- maybe not?

It's a live show, basically weekend update (the same format, just on Thursday). Last week they had a sketch, too.

There you go, then. Sue, you missed out!

My weekend is so incredibly booked, I have no idea how that happened. No sleeping in for me.

I'm just excited I don't have to "volunteer" for a work thing on Saturday.