Star Spanglish Barney

Last night I slept in my new room in The Christmas Tree House on South Pine Street for the first time. It took me three days to move everything in and set it up. But... it looks great. My bed is 70s fold out couch, my walls are covered in maps, a PACE peace flag from Italy that the boys argue is actually a Gay Flag, a poster for las Corridas in Madrid, Spain (Bullfights). My front door is a window shade and a linen curtain. My closet is a rack on wheels. There is no dresser only a small stack of drawer atop which sits Hamlet the Hamster. There is an antique nightstand where Finn resides next to a candle lantern. My back wall is covered in three windows, and very little wall. There is light. There is a funky pattern on the (vinyl-hardwood) floor.

Me encanta.

I just got back from teaching my thrice weekly class of US History and Government at the USCRI center. Today, one of my students, Cecilia, informed me that to remember the name of the national anthem she thinks of three things:

1) Star... estrella. Easy.
2) Spangled ... sounds like Spanglish, so she thinks of the way in which Latinos speak in a mix of Spanish and English.
3) Banner... Barney. She thinks of that hideous purple dinosaur that we all wish we could forget.

Star Spanglish Barney.

When you say it with a heavy Chilean accent it sounds like Star Spangled Banner.

It took me a few minutes to recompose myself after hearing that.

Mike and I are going on a long errands run. I'm getting a haircut, a PO Box and a key.

I'm also buying a floor mat for the bathroom.

Apparently men have trouble "aiming" sometimes.

Ugh.

But i'm happy.