Heavy on the granola

• Boys went to Spanish school today, and loved it. ::crossing fingers:: Pleasepleaseplease let it work out this time.
  
  
• Aboriginal Law is tough, yo. Not so much the readings (though they're long and intense) but the moral soul-searching and constant examination of deeply held beliefs. Also? I expected a lot of it to be difficult and to engender feelings of anger and disgust, but not active nausea.
  
  Some really interesting stuff, too. Like, for example, the Algonquin speaker who told us her grandfather had always told her she should welcome strangers, so she welcomed us to Ottawa, "unsurrendered Indian land."
  
  Not sure how to feel about that. I know what my initial gut reaction was; now where to go with that?
  
  Reading about the Akwesasne raids from the 80's from the Native point of view has also been intriguing, and more than a little frustrating, especially as I remember how the media painted the events back then. The two points of view don't merge well.
  
  Also... no, I'll write about Native Creation stories (which I bit my tongue when I called them Creation myths, ouch) later, because that's been interesting too. And the Jordan case... nope, some other day.
  
  
• Becoming mildly terrified at the thought of home schooling Justin, as the start date looms ever closer. Especially when, as today, he's been happily screaming and thumping around in his room for about 90 minutes.
  
  
• Boys watched Star Trek (Old Series) for the first time yesterday.
  Chris: So what did they think of it?
  Me: Well, they liked it, but they also thought it was kind of goofy in parts.
  Chris: Which one was it?
  Me: The Apple. [Chris looks blank, so I describe it.] So yeah, they were right.
  Chris: Well, you know, they can't all be Spock's Brain.
  
  
• Finally watched An Inconvenient Truth. Myeah.
  
  I love how ExxonMobil is now concerned about global warming. After funding anti-global warming science efforts to the tune of $16 million between 1998 and 2005, after saying in an internal 1998 memo (warning: pdf file) that Victory Will Be Achieved When ... uncertainties in climate science become part of the conventional wisdom" for "average citizens" and "the media", and many other words of comfort of joy, now they claim that ExxonMobil takes climate change extremely seriously. We recognise that the risk of climate change and its potential impacts on society and ecosystems may prove to be significant and that actions are needed to address this issue.
  
  Yeah, thanks, guys. I'm sure glad I didn't go all hysterical and believe that global warming phooey y'all were trying to protect me from for the last eight years, and now I feel all warm and gooey inside to see that you're men enough to about-face as if nothing happened admit you were wrong show you care.
  
  Oh wait - it's the Rideau Skateway that's feeling all warm and gooey. My mistake.
  
  
• In other news, there's no snow outside.
  
  Y'know, I hate winter. I hate the cold. I give thanks to my parents for having had the wisdom to immigrate to Canada when I was a kid, and I'm a fiercely proud Canadian, but every freaking winter I wonder what the hell they were thinking as I dig my car out of the snow and ice, and I grit my teeth through from November to March and rejoice when everything melts in the spring.
  
  In the spring. This is January. I shouldn't see grass.