I put the rats in the bathtub (or the bats in the wrathtub) while I cleaned their cage. I thought it was a brilliant way to keep track of them. Are you aware that rats scale bathtub walls as though they’re Green Beret boot camp trainees? Pencil perched demurely on the rim waiting for me, while Toenail went on walkabout. I made my way through the house calling, Toenail! Toenail! but I didn’t hear a squeak.
Later there was a rustling sound where there shouldn’t have been a rustling sound. Toenail was tucked into a bookcase, shredding a roll of toilet paper, as you would have done in his place.
I’m correcting papers. I’ve been trying to teach my students to paraphrase. That’s hard enough when you speak English. As of today, I give up:
The Titanic began to cross the Atlantic ocean but the winter was warm and the Arctic started to float.
The Titanic began began on Apriil. The winter was very bad, but he don’t worried.
the Atlantic Ocean has the Titanic what began to cross the ocean system. this time was April 10, 1912 long time was good. But many ice in the water captain think about that’s ok.
In my other class I’m not having much more luck. I thought it might be easier to teach people to speak if I brought in a horse.
UPDATE, five hours later…
Eleni suggested I find the picture I took of Emmy in mid-November 2010. Em was but a rosebud. I’d decided it was time for her to learn horseback riding.
Holy shit that kid’s huge! I’d love to see a picture from the time we put a newborn Ember on the back of that horse, for comparison.
I think that only exceptional rats scale bathtub walls. You should be very proud.
You’re a bat in a wrathtub.
That’s MY horse.
I don’t have much to say, otherwise, but I just wanted you to know that I found your language and phrasing extra-brilliant in this post. So there.