First Day of School
Posted on August 30, 2010 Posted by Kate Baker 44 Comments
From John:
Today’s the first day of school for Athena — sixth grade this year — and normally I post a picture of her on the first day, so here you are:
Yes, she’s quite the fan of Gir and Invader Zim. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Today is also the day I’m off to Australia. I have 25 hours of plane rides awaiting me. Joy. Dear Australia: You better be AWESOME.
Athena’s taste in Invader Zim is impeccable.
That show is made of awesome.
Awesome?
We’re way beyond awesome!
All the best for Athena this year and have a great trip to the very best country in the world!
Any land with egg-laying mammals and more things that can kill you per square kilometer than any other continent is pretty much guaranteed to be awesome.
Also: I’m gonna sing the doom song now!
Great, Now I’ll be thinking about Invader Zim all day.
Weird Invader Zim synchronicity. I named a fantasy football team “Mongoose Dogs”. And now this. Weird.
Athena totally rocks, btw. But you knew that.
25 hours of plane rides… will you be doing more reading, more writing, or more sleeping?
I hope Athena has a good day at school, and isn’t too stressed out by the end of it.
All I really need to know I learned from Invader Zim. Like using tacos as a motivational device.
I hope you enjoy your time in the winged toothpast tube, John. Just think, it’ll be winter by the time you get off that thing! (How’s that for jet lag?)
I hope Athena has a great year this year in the sixth grade. Wow! First year in middle school! Time flys. We started school on August 12th. Does anyone start school after Labor Day anymore?
John, have a wounderful trip and good luck with the Hugo this year. I wish I could be there, but alas, no. See you in Reno next year (if not sooner).
Go John!
Go Athena!
Go Railroaders!!
I hope you enjoy your trip to Melbourne. Be prepared to be accosted at the airport with the immortal question “What do you think of Australia?” It’s traditional to ask this question of all visitors before they’ve had a chance to take a breath.
You’re doing a writing panel with Stephen Dedman who is a friend of mine, so if he hugs you inappropriately it’s probably second-hand from me.
John’s kid obviously goes to a cool school. My district’s allowed to the public schools to impose uniforms, and they have done so with a vengeance. The hair color is kept “natural” by most schools, too. I don’t really like the situation, but most of the parents in my neighborhood seem to be over the moon for khakis and three colors of polos.
I like the red streaking in her hair. Very pretty!
Oh, can you say that to middle school girls these days? I’m such an old fuddy-duddy. (Ask my daughters. They’ll tell you.)
What a fantastic pic! I wish I could get my boys to smile like that!
The Monsters are both in high school now – Elder Monster is a Senior, Younger Monster is a Freshman. The time just FLIES.
Dude, they have liquor on those planes. That’s how I got through my flight to Australia.
And rest assured, the Aussies will keep you filled with liquor once you get there.
What a cutie. I almost bought that shirt. I’m also a huge Grr fan, and got several Grr-relate shirts yesterday.
Good luck in 6th grade, Athena!
Agreed, it is awesome that Athena can go to school in central Ohio with multicolor hair… oh, for the time when these accepting kids grow up and take over the world…
John, you are blessed with a lovely daughter.
Australia is pretty nice, but wait until you see New Zealand! That’s worth the time in a metal tube in the sky.
Today I took my kid to her first day of Kindergarten. I hear that if I blink a few times, I’ll be taking the sixth-grade picture of her. Better keep my eyes open then.
Congratulations Athena. Sixth grade was a fun year for me, hope it is for you, too.
Invader Zim for the win!! I hope Athena’s first day was relaxing and easy.
When my hair starts going more gray than other, I think the color in Athena’s streaks is going to be one of my testbed colors. Best wishes to her for a good first day.
Australia is full of win, but getting there is a drag, even in the days when it involves a day-long plane flight, rather than a several month long sea voyage. I hope you have some fun activities planned and get to do some touristy stuff. Residents usually pooh-pooh the touristy stuff, but it can be really enjoyable.
Yes Gir! I hope Athena has an awesome year.
And yes, Oz is fantastic; well worth the time in the tube (we visited Sydney last October). I’d go again tomorrow if I could. Eat some TimTams for me.
B-b-but… it’s August! America is so weird. I’ve always started school the day after labour day, and this year the start date’s been pushed back to the day AFTER that. September 8. What is wrong with you people?
Athena Scalzi, starring in:
The Sixth Grade… OF DOOM.*
*everything sounds cooler with “OF DOOM”
I’m digging the fabulous red strips of hair. Way to be BOLD!
All your bags are packed, you’re ready to go . . .
Cool red streaks.
Australia is far beyond merely awesome!
And now for something completely different.
I saw this and thought of you: http://www.calamitiesofnature.com/archive/?c=315
How did I miss watching Invader ZIM ? (No, being in my 40s has nothing to do with it !). I’ll have to check the episodes out online.
I’m sure Athena will do quite well in school. Enjoy yourself kiddo!
(and I’m envious of you, John. Australia and Japan are the two places I most want to visit…but finances are preventing it so far.)
Shes a cutie!
Also, I have an inexplicable desire for a Zim plushie and a gluten-free cupcake. My birthday is in 3 weeks. Thank you.
Awesome shirt. For an awesome gal. Have fun in Australia.
lovely picture of miss athena. :)
safe journeys sai scalzi.
If we don’t want to be awesome, we won’t. If we’re not awesome, though, we shall be unawesome while singing the Doom Song (Gir is one of my favourite characters anywhere, anytime).
Hope this first day of sixth grade was full of win!
Gir is pure awesome! I can hardly eat cupcakes, tuna or tacos without thinking Gir.
Have fun, John. 25 hours in air travel sounds like torture to me, but bringing home a Hugo might relieve the pain.
@ Charles K. Bradley–Michigan schools start after Labor Day–BY LAW. To protect the last weekend of tourist season, the legislature five years ago made it unlawful for all but year-round schools to start before Labor Day.
Dear John,
Australia currently has no government, so feel free to go nuts. It’ll be like Mad Max! Except with planes out when it stops being fun.
The plane flight of DOOM
We’re all going to sing the DOOM song all flight long!
Doom! Doomie doom de doom
Doom doom doom de doom
Doom!
Doomie doom de doom…
Doom DOOM de doom
Doom doom doomie doom doom
Doom doom
Doom doom
DOOM de DOOM
Doomie doom DOOM de DOOM
Well, don’t eat anything that tries to crawl off the place, and tell Athena to be wary of sandwiches found under rocks… or should that be the other way around? :-)
John you are going to need a moat and pikes to keep the boys away in just a couple of more years.
Maybe you really ought to get some bigger kitties – say like North America cougars. :)
your daughter is awesome.
@George William Herbert: I was looking through the recent comments , had Invader Zim on my mind was humming EXCTLY what you wrote saw your comment and laughed out loud!! Just freaking awesome!!
Awesome shirt. Best of luck to Athena in sixth grade. I kinda think she needs another one, given her lineage:
Front: “Why is there BACON in the soap?!”
Back: “Ah MADE IT MYSELF!”
That is all.
I am a new fan, just finished “your hate mail will be graded”. A little afraid to comment as I fear grades but couldn’t resist when I saw your lovely daughter’s pic. In two days I will send my lovely daughter off to her senior year in high school. Her brother started college this year. So, enjoy your year, Athena. John and Krissy: enjoy every stinkin’ day. You obviously made a pretty cool kid.
Nice callback!