I had many plans for this year: a pile of books to read as research for a few stories I wanted to write, writing those stories, blogging more often, art book making, felting, etc., etc. Who knows? Maybe even cleaning the house and cooking dinner.
God had other ideas. I'd laugh, too, except his idea is that I learn Trigonometry.
This of course, is only part of the story. So, to give you the full historical perspective, let's go back a mere three weeks. That was August 21, the day after we returned from our blissful vacation to the Eden of the north: Canada, aka "Heaven on Earth". I was joyful. I saw a joyous year spread ahead of me. I didn't even care that the basement had flooded while we were gone. A tiny blip on the screen. Nothing to be bothered by.
The next day, Kit got sick. That was harder. She had lots of tests, mostly blood tests. We're still waiting for an MRI and a diagnosis (but she is much better). One car needed repair and now needs another. Bar Mitzvah lessons for Shay are starting almost two months earlier than expected. Hank had knee surgery. I had issues with Shay's school schedule. Harry had issues with his school schedule. There were issues and details and distractions too numerous to write about.
What was happening to my plans? I wasn't getting to any of them.
And, then....
Harry's math was changed. From Intermediate Algebra to Trig. Gulp. It's a stretch. We're looking for a tutor. So far, the ones I've contacted want to work with him right after school. Fortunately, God, or the universe, or whatever you call it is understanding and realizes that straddling a 16 year old with Trig., Chemistry, and a Spanish class taught all in Spanish AND taking away sports is just too mean. So, neither the almighty nor Hank or I will make him give up the team.
So I decided I'd better learn Trig. as a backup plan so I can tutor Harry.
Which is really funny as I didn't even realize that Trig. is the study of triangles (actually, now that I'm studying it, I know it is technically the study of the measurement of triangles) until decades after I finished high school. I kid you not. Hank's fond of saying, "Trig, get it, like a tricycle? or like a triangle?" To which I like to reply, "It's not a trigcycle or a trigangle, so how was I supposed to know?"
In any event, it is enough for you to know that I had two standard answers in high school. When my French teacher asked every Monday what I did over the weekend, I responded, "Rein" (nothing.) At least, that was my standard answer for about a year and a half until she informed me that I had to do better than that. So, from then until the end of my high school French experience (another year and a half), I responded, "Je vais au cinema." (I went to the movies.) If she asked what I'd seen, I responded, "Rein", or simply shrugged. (It's a good thing I'm not one of my kids, I'd be really ticked off at myself for being such a slacker!). My other standard answer was, you guessed it, in math. Any trig. question (which I now know, since I'm educated in such things, were questions about the measurement of triangles) was answered by me as "Sohcahtoa." It's amazing I ever graduated.
Clearly, God has long range plans. And since I didn't bother learning Trig. in high school, it seems I've only postponed the inevitable. I sure hope God is not quite so focused on having me learn a foreign language (although my attempts at Japanese are always good for giving Kit a laugh).
Wish me luck. And maybe after I complete my research I can write a story about a reincarnated psychic who comes to earth to save a family through trigonometry. I'm pretty sure it hasn't yet been written.
By the way, at least one website credits the above quote to a rewriting of the Biblical verse Psalm 33:10 which is, "The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He frustrates the plans of the people." Hmm. I do believe there's much truth in many ancient text, the Bible among them, but I'm not going to get all serious on you today.
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