Sardines

For those of you who are looking at the time of this writing, please don't worry. I realize it's a Friday night and a prime time to be out enjoying good company and/or quality entertainment of some kind. I assure you, I still have junior-high anxiety about being home alone on a Friday night because that's not the "cool" thing to do.

However, this evening I have forgone hanging out with friends so that I can get myself caught up on life and into bed at a decent hour. Tomorrow morning will greet me before I know it since I'm rising at an unearthly time to go skiing with my brother and perhaps some of his Denver posse.

While I have been successful at getting some mundane tasks done thus far tonight, I couldn't resist the lure of my blog. This week has been full, entertaining, and prime fodder for blog posting. For example...

Have you ever had sardines? They have to be the most frightfully hideous-looking food that is sold in the grocery store (pork rinds would be a close second). Thankfully, they are strategically packaged in cute little tins so that the naive shopper might take a fancy to buying the little critters. Otherwise, the sardine business would be broke. Even I would probably refuse to buy them if I were reminded of what they look like at the grocery store.

Well, for as medieval and mucky as they are, I am crazy about the little fish. I don't know where the disconnect is, but the disgusting look and smell of the creatures flee when I taste them. Yum. (Have I lost anyone? Are you stomaching this?). Here's to sardine-lovers out there! My grandpa is a sardine-lover and he tops the ranks of awesome men, so I have no shame in this.

Anyway, so yesterday I began to plot what delicacy I would pack for lunch while readying for the day. Being slightly low on supplies and creativity, I decided to grab a tin of sardines. Yes, I did contemplate how much they smell and that
I might offend someone at work, but I chose to brave the dangers and tote the little guys to work with me.

As the morning wore on, I grew hungry and decided to eat my lunch early (around 11:00). Disregarding the possible consequences of indulging in a fishy meal within my classroom, I pulled out the sardines and ripped open the can. Sardine odor engulfed my senses. No worries, there were no students in my room...yet. But, I had a guitar class coming in about ten minutes. Surely they won't smell this, I thought. They're middle schoolers...they're used to foul smells. That was denial if ever there was. I snarfed down the sandwich I made and then hurried to get rid of any signs that I had just eaten.

The bell rang and 7th graders poured into my room. "Ugh! What's that smell?" some kid cried. "It smells like sushi!" came a student's incredulous reply. I bit my lip and tried to ignore it all.

As I took attendance, I almost lost it when I spied two students with their noses in their shirts. "Miss Naramore, what's that smell?" Oh no, I couldn't ignore a question directed at me. As nonchalantly as possible, I shrugged my shoulders. "If it's a fishy smell, it was probably my lunch because I had fish in my lunch." The nonchalance wasn't erasing how red my face felt.

How is it that I can be embarrassed in front of 7th graders...over fish? Goodness. The comical look on one of the boy's faces as he looked at me in almost pity or amusement didn't help. Ugh!!! I hate it when they can read me so well.

Anyway, I don't care how much I like sardines or how awesome they are nutritionally (it's true...they are). I will never again pack sardines as a school lunch.

And...the next time you want to come see me, perhaps you should call in advance and make sure that I haven't opened a can of sardines in my place...unless you like sardines too. Anyone out there willing to admit your love of sardines?