Schnizzlefritz...

 "Sie sind eine Scheiße Kopf!"

This was the first useful sentence I learned in German and I learned it while attending a Parochial school by Frau H., who was German through and through. I can't say I'm proud of that fact, but it's a sentence that has served me well over the years and has come into play again this week.

I normally try not to complain about the "unfairness" of the universe. After all, life is not fair. However, the mother bear tends to get her knickers in a knot when her cubs are treated unfairly and then the German starts to fly.

And this does center around German.

You see, my youngest daughter has taken four years of German in high school. Four. Not two. Not three. Four.  She's president of German Club this year. And yet, she cannot "letter" in German.

Why?

She asked the teacher about it and was told previous club secretaries haven't kept track of the points members have earned. And as a result, there is no record as to whether or not she has enough points to actually receive her academic letter.

Huh?
 

Far from fair.

Apparently lack of planning on other's parts are causing the "emergency" on her / my part.

The inept record-keeping has affected not only J, but another senior as well.

Begin brouhaha.

She asked to see the criteria that has to be met so she could try and accompish getting her letter jacket. The teacher was unable to locate it.  Then she was told the criteria was the same the French teacher used.

Interesting.

The French teacher retired from the school then returned to teaching at the same school a few years later. She's an excellent instructor and I'm very fond of her.

I had the French teacher when I was in school.

I earned my academic letter in French - Mon dieu!  (And another in journalism.)

I don't imagine Madame S. has changed the criteria overly much from all those years ago, but it's possible, I suppose.

So here I sit contemplating a blitzkrieg - much like the Nazis did in WW2 or a Schwerpunkt to achieve success.  (Yes, on top of learning German from die Frau, we also learned much about German warfare as she lived through that horrible time in history.)  

Either way, I believe my cub WILL get her academic letter and I will get to retire back to the den to hibernate the rest of the winter.  

Hot Stuff

"Sittin' here, eatin' my heart out, waitin'

Waitin' for some lover to call

Dialed about a thousand numbers lately

Almost rang the phone off the wall

Lookin' for some hot stuff, baby, this evenin'

I need some hot stuff, baby, tonight

I want some hot stuff, baby, this evenin'

Gotta have some hot stuff

Gotta have some love tonight...."

- Donna Summer -

(12-31-1948 to 05-17-2012)

When I was a child, I went to a Catholic school in the heart of the Bible belt. It shouldn't be any wonder that the first time I got in trouble for my musical tastes was because of Donna Summer. I don't recall how many "Hail Mary's" I had to say, but I learned it probably wasn't in my best interest to go around singing "Hot Stuff" or "Bad Girls" in the halls of St. Joseph's.   

When I was in junior high, she released, "She Works Hard for the Money." Again, I was back in a Catholic School, but by this time the rules had relaxed and neither she nor the song were nearly as taboo as Madonna who had managed to piss off the Pope and the entire Catholic Church with "Like a Virgin" which was released the following year. Ahhh... how music takes me back to my youth. 

I remember fondly of listening to Donna Summer with my sister in her Ford Pinto  while cruising around drinking cherry limes from Mr. Burger and I thought that it was the coolest thing in the world. You know what... it was. I wouldn't trade that time for anything. 

Donna Summer left this world this week, but she left behind a legacy of some of the best dance music out there. Thanks Donna.... "beep, beep, uh, uh,...... beep, beep, uh, uh...."