Archive for December 1989
DT Log 110: Farewell to 80s School.
When I go back to school, it’ll be 1990! To think when I went back to school in 1980 (kindergarten), I said, “Big deal.” Here is a chronicle of the day’s events:
7:34am: Do French vocabulary before chapter test. Mauzy is in his usual festive mood: he wrote, “Bye Dan, Merry X-Mas” on my wrist. Comme toi – like you, I was right, Tanya.
7:46am: We take the test. I ace it of course, except for one question, which I put, “Elle est artiste des dessins animes.” Except she was an engineer. I think the Spanish class is coming in to sing Christmas carols. I think I lost the DT Log for Wednesday. Oh boy. That means that I have only one DT Log credit for this week.
8:27am: We (me and my English class) are rushing for the Julius Caesar exam. Going for now.
9:26am: Whoa! That was one tough test. I probably got a B (I hope). Oh well. I can’t believe Lipetsky’s freshmen got first place in the door decorations contest. I say, “No way. Lipetsky did it himself.” Mrs. Vandervort was wearing white stockings with candy canes. Her suit grade: B+, it should have been red stockings. Till is checking for homework. I have to get the addresses for everybody again. Darn it!
DT NEW RECORD: 11 hours, 15 minutes of sleep on a school night, 7pm-6:15am, Dec. 14-15.
DT OLD RECORD: unknown, probably, only 9 hours.
9:44am: I space out and write a story.
All the children of the world are awaiting the lucky night when that ole Saint comes down their chimney, spreading joy across their faces.
But brother and sister Bobby and Sally intend to stay up for the event. Patiently they wait in front of the chimney. After a few hours, the siblings get discouraged. “I don’t think he’s coming,” says Sally.
But, they hear a prancing on the roof. Could it be? Yes! Down the chimney, he comes, boots first. Bobby shouts, “It’s San-Till Claus!”
Yes, Mr. Till comes out of the fireplace and carries a bag, dropping it front of the Algebra tree. “My, my,” he says, “That is a very nice tree. I’m glad you went to Algebraland and got it.”
“Do you have anything for us?” cries Sally.
“Why yes! I do have something for you two.” He reaches into his bag and pulls out two nice, shiny, 1990 algebra books. “You need to fill out book cards!”
“Wow. Gee. Golly. Gee. Cool.”
“All right,” Mr. Till says, “Get out your notebooks, I’ll check them.” He checks them gleefully and impressed, he says, “My, you have been good children. Are there any questions?”
The children raise their hands and Mr. Till pulls an overhead projector out of his bag, and plugs it into the Algebra tree. “Okay, questions.”
“Number five,” Sally says.
Mr. Till goes into a deep train of algebra thought. “You factor the 5 from the terms and add 2/5 to level out the equation. You factor the square, x minus 2/5, so it fits the y = (x + h) + k pattern…”
After a few minutes, a power surge knocks out the overhead and the algebra tree lights. The force knocks over the tree, breaking the ceramic star.
Mr. Till quickly unplugs the overhead and the lights go back on. Sally and Bobby start crying. “Aw… don’t be sad. That star was too small to be significant. Here, I’ll give you one.”
He pulls out of ruler, and draws an star measuring 18″ by 18″, and with a touch of algebra magic, the star starts glowing! He resets the tree and places this new star on top.
With some dust, Mr. Till packs up his truck, and glides up the chimney. The children could here St. Till’s cries. “Wake up, you sleepers! I didn’t lecture to you! On Linear! On Constant, On Variable and Quadrant!
“Now, away we go into the night, Merry Algebra to you, and to all, a good Algebra night!”
