In Which I Prove That I am Good at Math, and Also That I Save EVERYTHING

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?

55 thoughts on “In Which I Prove That I am Good at Math, and Also That I Save EVERYTHING

  1. d e v a n

    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. :)

    Reply
  2. Jess

    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.

    Reply
  3. K in the Mirror

    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. :)

    Reply
  4. Mommy Daisy

    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?

    Reply
  5. Kelsey

    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.

    Reply
  6. jonniker

    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.

    Reply
  7. Beth A.

    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.

    Reply
  8. LoriD

    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!

    Reply
  9. Emblita

    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.

    Reply
  10. AndreAnna

    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.

    Reply
  11. Welcome to our World

    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 ;)

    Reply
  12. Welcome to our World

    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 ;)

    Reply
  13. Welcome to our World

    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 ;)

    Reply
  14. Alice

    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.

    Reply
  15. Linda

    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.

    Reply
  16. JMC

    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…

    Reply
  17. nikki

    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

    Reply
  18. Mary

    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!

    Reply
  19. Natalie

    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

    Reply
  20. Whimsy

    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.

    Reply
  21. Pann

    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.

    Reply
  22. Brooke

    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.

    Reply
  23. Omaha Mama

    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!

    Reply
  24. amber

    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.

    Reply
  25. Marie Green

    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??? =)

    Reply
  26. Jennifer aka Binky Bitch

    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.

    Reply

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