My inorganic, irrelevant life

Every Monday and Wednesday, before we all file into the Bobsty classroom of LL50 for talk about martyring and such, there is another group of children in the room. (Smarter, perhaps? Grad students?) Who take a little class called inorganic chemistry. Everyday the class runs over, and everyday eager students approach the prof and talktalktalktalk to him. We awkwardly stand outside, self-conscious of the fact that we have no comprehension of the class in which they sit. Last Wed, I remarked to my prof that the class before ours was "intense." When he asked what I meant, I said, "Look at the board. I don't understand any of it." It was then that my prof approached the other prof and asked, half jokingly, whether any of it was real. Unfortunately, this started the prof on a 15 minute diatribe/rant/explanation of inorganic chemistry. I could not see my prof's face, but I had to imagine it looked something like mine when I was asked if I ate the last (dog) cookie.

Then--silence. Until inorganic chem prof inhaled a deep breath and said, as if coming to this realization after quite a bit of soul searching, "What you guys are doing is JUST as relevant as what I do." By relevant, I suppose he meant to life. And the patronizing reality of being told that I'm relevant to life made me burst out laughing. The chem prof took my laughter as disbelief of my own relevance and launched into an explanation of what he presumed our class was about, and how...IT REALLY DID...matter in life, and such. Then my prof, biting his tongue, said, "We're not getting to that until next semester. You're ruining the surprise."

All in all it was awkward. All in all I now LOVE this patronizing inorganic man.

All in all I am now relevant.

All in all I have TWO (unfinished) midterm papers for martyrdom due tom!

All in all my mommy is coming to visit me this weekend for her 50th birthday!

All in all, happy birthday, mommy! Much love.