The Sagas Continue

Yesterday in my TA session we played Jeopardy. It was so much fun for me because I got to come up with categories and questions, final jeopardy stuff and prizes! The students seemed to really like it and they got very creative with their team names. CMB's team actually won. I was very proud of him. After class he generally packs his stuff up slowly and comes up to talk to me when most of the students have left. Then we walk out together. This time though, since their first big exam is on Thusday, more students had questions and hovered around afterwards. He and I chatted for a second, but then others interrupted. He kind of stood around for another couple of minutes, but then he said he had to go to his next class. I think he felt a little reluctant to leave. Maybe it was just me though. I was reluctant to see him go.

During a break we both have later in the day, I found him sitting with our normal group of friends. He was deep in conversation with two of the other guys. I wanted to interrupt them all and say, "Hey, it's my turn to talk to CMB! We haven't had a chance all day long..." But I just pretended to be busy, shuffling through my bags until they were done. Then we finally were able to talk. Nothing special came of it, but I just love talking to him. When it was time to walk into lecture, he ended up walking in front of me next to another student. The sidewalk was only wide enough for two people to walk next to each other. He looked around for me at one point and slowed down, using his hand to gesture that I should speed up to be next to him. I was all I could do to NOT skip to him. He then told me he wanted to study more with me for one of his other classes.

[Some background info: I didn't tell ya'll this before, and I most certainly will never tell him, but he and I studying together is NOT productive for him. He didn't retain a thing! It's fun--we laugh and chat in-between discussing on-topic material. But he just doesn't remember the stuff we review. The other thing you should know is that he's very smart and he doesn't actually need to study with anyone. He aggress with me that the content is really straightforward, but now he's coming to two tutoring sessions with me even though he gets it and doesn't need help. I believe he only wants to study with me again because it is fun. But since it is also fun for me, who am I to argue with him? Back to the story.]

So when he asked if I could help him out in this other subject, I was thrilled. This means two things: 1) I get to spend more time with him, and 2) he must want to spend more time with me too! I told him I'd love to help him. Then he told me he did well on an exam they just had (he had been worried). I told him I thought that was great and that now I'd have to make him another certificate (I had passed out cheesy awards to the Jeopardy Winners that day and he really liked his! Which is so cute...). He looked at me and smiled, held his hand out and said "okay" as though I had the award to present right then. Since I obviously didn't have one, I just slapped his hand in a way-to-go, high-five kind of way and said, "This will have to do for now." And then we went into lecture.

I get to see him again tonight. I am so excited. I wore a skirt and heels.

When I got home last night, Portland called and we chatted for an hour. I don't think he's bought his ticket yet, but I am fairly certain we're on for the weekend of 10/20. I asked him what he wanted to do and here is the conversation that ensued:

Portland: You don't have to plan anything. We can just do whatever you normally do on a weekend.
Me: Well...I feel like I should plan something. Do you want to go do Disneyland?
Portland: No. I did that when I was 12. Really, don't worry about it. We can figure out things later.
Me: Okay...but it's hard for me not to plan things when it involves out of town guests. I feel like I have to figure out super fantastic fun adventures.
Portland: Really, you don't.
Me: Okay...

I'm going to plan fun stuff anyway.