Overheard at Work, vol. LXXXI

Guys. That was a crazy week.

Honestly, it's been a crazy month, full of coordinating phone interviews and demos and reference calls and trips to Florida and Friday events and special events and field trips.

Fewf.

But I MADE IT!

And at 3 AM on Monday morning, I will be on my way to Brighton to pick up 7 teenagers for their first trip to Disney World and, for two, their first trip on a plane.

12-year-old boy, to a woman about to run a demo lesson and try to get a job: Could you do that over there? I'm doing something here.

During a conversation about whether or not the club is haunted, two young ladies told me a story of a young boy jumping out at them in the hallway.
Me: But he's 7 years old!
12-year-old: So? 7 year olds can have demons!

11-year-old, singing to herself as she took tiles out of a Bananagrams bag: Y is for you to stay out my bizness. M is for I'm so mean!

Me, amused, to a 16-year-old boy exclaiming as we listened to a recording: You're so excited!
Boy: I love music!

Overheard at Work, vol. LXXX

Since last week was short due to my vacation and this week I was swamped with administrative work--we're in the middle of a big hiring process--I only have a few quotes.

One more week of summer programming before I head to Disney World with seven teenagers and, when I return, we will be prepping for fall programming.

That. Is. Bananas.

17-year-old boy, to me, after incorrectly identifying me when I snuck up behind him and covered his eyes: You smell like a Brazilian.

12-year-old girl: Imagine if a nun said to another nun, "What are you wearing tomorrow?"

Me: What are you going to do with your paycheck?
17-year-old boy: Strip club. All ones.

12-year-old girl: Ow! My blood pressure!...Who's got gas? Whoever has gas, go to the gas station!

Overheard at Work, vol. LXXIX

It's been a harrowing couple weeks at work. Last week nearly broke my resolve. This week was just three days for me, as I'm about to have a 5-day weekend and spend some time lounging by a waterfall, if all goes well.

Hopefully, I return to Boston rejuvenated and ready for the rest of the summer (which is FLYING by).

9-year-old girl, during an intense card game noticing a 3, then a 4, then a 3 being put down: That was a sandwich!
Me: YOU'RE a sandwich!
Girl: How is that an insult?

8-year-old girl, in a singsong voice: Elderly! You're elderly!
Colleague: YOU'RE elderly! How DARE you?

Me, to a 13-year-old girl with an identical twin: How are we going to tell you two apart when your braces come off?
Girl: I'll be the one with pretty teeth.

16-year-old boy, during an intense game of Charades: I thought the clue "Gran Torino" was Quentin Tarantino!

9-year-old girl, during an intense game of Connect 4, when somebody had won but nobody called it out: We were thinking about more complicated theories so we didn't notice.

Overheard at Work, vol. LXXVIII

Oy, what a week. So glad that it's Friday and that I have no plans tomorrow. I intend on doing very little. Need a serious recharge day. And I get a little vacation at the end of next week, which I am very much ready for and looking forward to!

7-year-old girl: A choreographer is someone who digs up dinosaur bones.

11-year-old girl to my newly engaged coworker: You're married?
Coworker: No, I'm engaged.
Girl: So, you like him?

8-year-old girl's clue for someone to act out in Charades: Twilight braken a bone
(She meant Twilight: Breaking Dawn.)

12-year-old boy, to my insistence he spit out his gum: Gum is the only thing that's cool to me though!

Coworker, to 17-year-old boy: What's a synonym?
Boy: Synonym toast crunch!

17-year-old boy: I had to get my HPV shot. That thing hurts! I thought it was only for girls!

Texts on a Train

En route to Providence yesterday, S and I exchanged this correspondence:

A: I'm due in at 11:10.

S: Awesome.

A: I was thinking about it last night. I rated the outfit I packed for dinner on a scale from casual to fancy not on a fancy scale...

S: I don't know what you mean. But it doesn't really matter now! With this weather, I'll probably just stay in what I'm wearing anyway.

A: OK.
Like. On my rating of 5, 1 was jeans and a tshirt and 10 was cocktail attire.

S: I think a 1 on the fancy scale would be super casual, right?

A: As opposed to 1 being a denim skirt and a tank and 10 being a ball gown.
Hahahahahaha. I crack myself up.

S: Hahahahahahaha
This is hilarious. Yeah my 1 was like a dirty skirt with a hole in it. And my 10 was a ball gown.

A: See? Our scales are askew.
I packed a simple black skirt and a detailed tank.

S: I brought a simple shirt and a detailed skirt! We're made for each other.

A: Exactly
On the train! And there is a man on it making hacking sounds unlike anything I've ever heard.

S: Eeeeew. Public transportation is the worst.

A: It sounds like he's dying.

S: Just saw a guy eat his booger.

A: OMG. Horrible.

S: Just drove by a big pink building. Cheaters Gentleman's Club.

A: Classy. We should check it out, find me a date.

Overheard at Work, LXXVII, and other things

It's been SO LONG!

I turned 30 in a grand two-day long fete, including a massage, cocktails, dinner, tarot card reading, and brunch.

Work was closed to kids the week after my birthday while we prepared for summer programming.

Then we had a three-day week, followed by a four-day weekend.

And I've just survived my first full week of summer programming. It's been a big adjustment, waking up 4 days a week at 6:45 AM, being in direct service most of the afternoons, supervising our weekly Friday events...

I'm headed to Providence for the weekend tomorrow and I hope it feels a little like a mini-vacation!

16-year-old, singing "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls: I wanna...I wanna...I wanna...I want you to shut up so I can go to sleep!

Colleague A: As I get older, I feel like I'm losing my touch with children.
Colleague B: I feel like I'm losing my touch with adults!

Me, to teen running in the hall: Why are you running?
Teen's friend: Why AREN'T you running?

9-year-old girl, commenting on a photo I took of the group making an R with their bodies: That looks like a couple of thongs.

Me, to a 16-year-old boy: Have fun!
Teen: Don't tell me what to do!

12-year-old girl, to my coworker: I want to know what your future husband looks like. Is he tall? Broad? Good stamina?

She had lots of other questions this week, including, "What's a diphthong?" and this exchange:
Her: I have a question. I don't know if it's appropriate.
Me: OK...
Her: What's a cougar?
Me: ...Why do you ask?
Her: I was watching this talk show and there were like 55-year-old women and 21-year-old men.
Me: And what does that mean?
Her: They were dating?
Me: Uh huh.
Her: So, which one's the cougar?
Me: The woman.

Just another day on the job!

Overheard at Work, vol. LXXVI

I thought I wasn't going to be posting this week because I figured it would be just as busy as the last few were. Turns out, after the special event we had on Wednesday, during which my kids performed our masterpiece Celebrity Fear Factor to rapt audiences, things calmed down quite a bit. I even managed to get a TON of administrative work done. Just in time for our after-school program to end and our summer program to begin.

Damn, this year went quickly.

Volunteer to a 12-year-old girl, as they walked down the hall: Why are you so good at soccer?
Girl: I'm Brazilian, that's why.

8-year-old girl, a propos of nothing much: It's cool to be outside.

Colleague A, to 9-year-old boy: Where are you going?
Boy: Up your butt.

17-year-old boy: The best movie in the world is Space Jam.

11-year-old girl: M&Ms are like...my husband.

11-year-old girl, recalling the poem she wrote about me: Annie loves creativity, hates when you touch things that aren't yours, is my best friend.