I was going through a box in the basement, looking for my childhood address book. I found it in a box that also contained this:
That is a MATH MEDAL, baby. So if anyone wants to talk about whether pregnancy is 9 months or 10 months, or how to figure out how many months pregnant you are when you’re 28 weeks along, or what the difference is between a child who is “4 months old” and a child “in his 4th month,” you just come talk to me. Me + math = medal.
Also in that box I found my baby name list from 1995.
Girl names:
- Fenchurch (it’s from the fourth book in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy)
- Sophie
- Molly
- Quinn
- Madeleine
- Philippa
- Ivy
- Jill
- Grey
- Noel
- Maizie
- Leaf
Boy names:
- Jack
- Joe
- Sam
- Luke
- Milo/Miles
- Leo
- Ross
I also found this:
Poems. From when I was in high school. I think we’d better just back away slowly, don’t you?
I’m very disappointed at the absence of Zaphod Beeblebrox in the boy’s names list.
Or at least Ford Prefect.
Tsk Tsk.
1st – so jealous that you have a math medal! I suck at math.
2nd – So, did you use any of the names on those lists? You don’t have to tell which ones.
3rd – Come on! Share one little poem. :)
Yes! One poem. Just one? Please? Pretty please? It’ll be SO FUN for us.
I am SO CURIOUS as to whether you ended up using any of the names on that list. Or at least what you think of those names now.
Also, I am dying to see the poetry. Screw backing away slowly.
I am inordinately proud that my kid’s name is on the list. Same spelling and everything.
I am good at pregnancy maths too -I don’t get how people can’t figure it… and argue
I like to see the poems too
I’m jumping on the c’mon, just one little poem bandwagon. High school teenage angsty poems totally rock!
I’ll even contribute one of mine, if you’ll let us see! You show us yours and I’ll show you mine! ;)
And also- you MUST tell if any of those names are ones you ended up using. YOU MUST.
Please.
Oh, please.
Post just one poem and such.
Please.
Oh please! We must know, even if it’s a yes or no, if you’ve used any of those names.
I want that more than the poem. But I’ll settle for poetry if that’s all Paul will let you put out there. :)
I actually think we should hear some of those poems!
I also have a medal from the “Math Olympiads”, whatever those are.
I’m a fellow “Math geek”, but I don’t think I kept any awards or medals. I do, however, have a math minor from college. Actually my degree is Elementary Education with a concentration in Math. How’s that? I like other math-lovers.
Oh names, names, more talk about those names.
Poems? Please. If we ask nicely?
I will also totally share a high school poem (maybe by email?) if you share some of yours. Please? Wouldn’t that be a great holiday gift to your readers?
Yes. Yes it would.
I’m looking forward to “poem fridays” Maybe? If we all ask nice?
You had very 2007 taste in names back when you were 21 ;)
Ooooo. Share the high school poetry. I don’t think I saved any of mine.
HAHAHAHA.
MATH.
*cough* I mean, good for you! Women should be ::empowered:: to do well in math. (I really do believe this, it’s just that … well, I sucked at math and a MATH MEDAL is simply too much.)
I love it. And I want some of the poems. I WANT TO HEAR THE SWISTLE POETRY.
Swistle, I’m gonna have to insist that you share a poem or two. Its just not right for you to hog all that angsty teenage goodness from us all.
What I’m really curious about is if you have any Vogon poetry in that folder.
Also, I think Fenchurch and Trillian would make great names for twin girls. Always assuming you didn’t just want to tattoo “My parents are gigantic geeks” across their foreheads instead.
Hey! My first name made your list! I feel so honored :)
Yay math!
Your 21-year-old self was obviously much more sophisticated than mine. I think my tastes would have run more to Brooklyn and Brittany!
And, yes… poetry please!
I would never EVER share my poetry so I’m not going to ask YOU to.
But all these other nice people did.
I feel totally different about you now that I know that you have a math medal….
I was one of those horrible people that keep asking math-teachers WHY? Got me kicked out of a number of classes… I can Think about math but not do it. So Yeah you!
And you don’t have to share highschool poetry for my sake. Thankfully for me I burned all my journals from highschool- teeny angst now makes me cringe.
I suck at “simple” math. I need a calculator for balancing my checkbook or any numbers with double digits. But I got an A in calculus in college. Go figure.
Poems from the 80s? I think I burned mine.
I’m more curious about the “And Such”. Maybe we could get some of that?
I’m with Tessie – I want to hear more about the “& Such.” Hee!
I’m with Tessie – I want to hear more about the “& Such.” Hee!
I’m with Tessie – I want to hear more about the “& Such.” Hee!
I love the names you picked! I never did that until well until I got married the prospect of having a baby would more likely than when I thought I would never get married and have kids…
It is so nice to share ;)
I love the names you picked! I never did that until well until I got married the prospect of having a baby would more likely than when I thought I would never get married and have kids…
It is so nice to share ;)
I love the names you picked! I never did that until well until I got married the prospect of having a baby would more likely than when I thought I would never get married and have kids…
It is so nice to share ;)
back away very slowly, don’t make eye contact it might know we’ve seen it
HAAAA math medal. when i was a freshman in highschool, my math teacher called up my best friend and i in front of the entire freshman class at the end of the yaer to give us the “dynamic math duo” award. good thing i wasn’t going to get any boys anyway…
will definitely need poetry.
I think I have my “Reading for Multiple Sclerosis Cure” medal someplace in the basement. And I KNOW I have my folder of high school poetry somewhere. That is not to be thrown away, but to be drug out and read when I’m feeling too cocky.
Thanks for spelling Madeleine with the extra e. That’s my favorite spelling.
I think each week you should post a poem or some of the “& such” from that notebook. Also, I think I have that same math medal around here somewhere…
Oh no, I think you must blog some of your “Poems and Such.” You can’t mention it, much less so a picture without providing us with details. It blog rule #6589.
nikki
Ha! high school poems! They can’t be any worse than my adolescent diaries, filled with references to Teen Magazine.
Hmm, is anyone else wondering if Elizabeth is really a Fenchurch? HA!!
Hooray for MATH! Tessie must be drooling over your fancy medal.
High school poetry scares me – I see tons of college freshman poetry, generally unsolicited. Emotion, writ large (and poorly).
But elementary school poetry is always beautiful — ! All raw and open and wrong. I love that era, writ lyrically. Enjoy your stash of goodies!
MY high school journals definitely need to go in the “burn box,” that’s all i’m saying.
Man, a math medal. You are my hero. I just did not get math. Of course, I was such a high reacher, I kind of missed the boat on a lot of stuff.
You better share a poem or two! The mere fact that you have a folder labelled with said poems indicates you enjoyed writing poetry and that it can’t possibly be as bad as you think it may be.
From Here to There
Oh, and I purposely misspelled labeled, I wanted to show you how stupid I really am. Yeah yeah, that’s it.
From Here to There
I’m jumping on the Bad High School Poetry Please Wagon. In fact, you could dedicate a post to it. You show us yours, we’ll show you some of ours. It will be wonderfully angsty, angry, disillusioned, and a few other words that I’m sure we ALL were in high school. SOUNDS GREAT.
Also, I personally believe that Lists of Baby Names are the kind of thing that you can’t ever get rid of. Keep them for posterity: THEY’RE TOTALLY ENTERTAINING.
I earned a math medal too! In eighth grade… actually I earned a medal for just about every subject in 8th grade, except spanish because I took french instead (big nerd!)
and oh I know exactly what you mean about that high school poetry… scary, scary stuff
!
I have a similar folder lurking somewhere in my basement.
I still have journals from 1984, poems from at least that far back, soccer trophies from like, 1983, and God knows what all. I have a music trophy; math has never been something I medal in.
I have a box like that somewhere…I think in my parents attic.
Also, I will share a high school poem if asked.
You post one and I’ll post one.
Teenage angst in a crappy poem, or perhaps much, much teenage love for some loser. That’s what I could share.
Math medal. Woo hoo!
Yay! I love finding old stuff, and you got a medal! Good for you. Although I suck at math, and I have to say I’d be quicker to back away from the medal than the poetry book.
I was… not a math nerd. But I did take Tons of math and science courses in high school- even precalc and physics.
Also, here’s the names from your list that have also been on my list(s) at one time:
Sophie, Quinn, Madeleine, Jack, Sam, Luke, Leo, and Milo/Miles.
In fact, Milo/Miles is my leading boys’ name right now. If I were to give birth to a boy tomorrow, he would probably be Milo. I love Miles too, but our last name starts with an “S”, so it’s a little tongue-twisty…
Also, I agree with Erin- just give us ONE poem???? Please??? =)
Have you ever heard Sarah Vowel read from her diary from Jr. High/High School??? HYSTERICAL. I think maybe it was on one of her This American Life gigs…
Noel is my middle name and I love Quinn!
I would completely understand if you wanted to put your poem folder in your “burn when I die” box…not that your poems suck, but I know that any poems I wrote in high school or EVER would belong in my “burn when I die” box.
When do we get a post of the top poems?
Most sappy…
most heartbroken
most dramatic
most WTF
Forget the poems. I WANT SUCH. :-)