4.26.2006

Biffle's gone, and one tiny rant


Since Biffle has headed back to Massachusetts to do some last-minute grad school things, I thought I'd do a little photo essay about his time in Charleston--but we didn't take very many pictures. So here's one of Biffle doing yard work, with his shirt on, for once.

If you can't tell from this photo, he's vaguely annoyed. He often gets vaguely annoyed when we do yard work together, mostly because I have a partly natural, partly cultivated uselessness when it comes to physical tasks. Biffle is incredibly handy with almost every physical task. I am great at paying the bills, making dessert, and writing books, but not so good with bodily labor.

Speaking of making dessert, here's a good story. Biffle and I had a small group of students over to the house last week for dinner (which Biffle made). After dinner, I asked if they wanted cookies. The answer, of course, was yes, so I went into the kitchen, whipped up a batch (I can make a batch of cookies in no time flat), and came back out to the back porch with the bowl of cookie dough, spoons, and cookie sheets. Charlie Shipley was amazed. He said, "Where did those come from?" I informed him that you mix some sugar, flour, butter, etc, together, and you get cookies. I think he was a little shocked that not all cookies come from a tube. After we baked them and had each eaten several, Charlie said, "You've got to give me the recipe for these. I want to post it on my blog." I said, "I'd be happy to, but the recipe is actually on the back of every bag of chocolate chips. They're called 'Nestle's Toll House Cookies.'" Ah, the things I can share with my students.

And finally, the tiny rant: What is it with these anti-feminist women who have incredibly active careers but argue that women are supposed to stay at home and be subordinate to their husbands? Phyllis Schlafly, "Dr." Laura, and one of the latest--Caitlin Flanagan. These women have made careers out of sexism and hypocrisy.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

And what's with our WGS minors dating assholes, AP? I thought feminism was supposed to teach us to value women (INCLUDING ourselves) as whole human beings...

Charlie said...

I have lost soooooo much of my secret Martha Stewart-wannabe cred due to this posting.

Meghann said...

Charlie had Martha Stewart related cred?

Charlie said...

Hello! SECRET martha stewart WANNABE cred is much different than ACTUAL martha stewart cred. The former is a personal fantasy, while the latter requires backup and the validation of external sources. Get it right, future mother of my child!

On almost all of the Desperate Housewife tests I take, I am Bree. So THERE.

Charlie said...

And now my faux pas is officially the subject of public ridicule at Lowcountry Blogs.

Biffle said...

Wow, Charlie, you're famous! I'm sorry I destroyed your reputation--I thought it was a nice story, actually. It endears you to me.

And Slittle, this is a big subject. I may have to marinate for a while and weigh in with a whole posting.

Anonymous said...

From the peanut gallery: What's with Biffle and his (lack of) shirts? Is he being repressed by being forced to keep his shirt own? Or, is he just generous and gives the shirt off his back [frequently] to those he meets?

Dee

Anonymous said...

I so love Stephen Colbert. It was great when he had her on, though I think he should have roasted her more. I find almost every major stance the conservatives take to be highly contradictory. Anti-abortion and anti-welfare. Girls are too young to decide whether to carry a pregnancy to term but they're responsible enough to raise a child. Those are the most obvious examples. What really makes me angry, though, is that the Dems are letting them get away with it. Why does the party keep rolling over and playing dead? Why haven't we been able to reframe the debate? They keep calling and asking me for money, and I definitely want the Repubs out, but I have very little faith that the money will go to good use in the hands of the Dem Party. *sigh* It's all so depressing.
--Mel

Meghann said...

Alison, Biffle's posts are too long and I get distracted when reading them. Can someone paraphrase? Will LowCountry Blogs paraphrase for me?!!?