Whatever

43 Responses to First Day of School

1. Stephen Watkins August 30, 2010 at 10:14 am

   Athena’s taste in Invader Zim is impeccable.

   That show is made of awesome.
2. asms August 30, 2010 at 10:16 am

   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!
3. Jason August 30, 2010 at 10:21 am

   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!
4. ben August 30, 2010 at 10:30 am

   Great, Now I’ll be thinking about Invader Zim all day.
5. Charissa August 30, 2010 at 10:47 am

   Weird Invader Zim synchronicity. I named a fantasy football team “Mongoose Dogs”. And now this. Weird.

   Athena totally rocks, btw. But you knew that.
6. Sam M-B August 30, 2010 at 10:51 am

   25 hours of plane rides… will you be doing more reading, more writing, or more sleeping?
7. K.W. Ramsey August 30, 2010 at 10:51 am

   I hope Athena has a good day at school, and isn’t too stressed out by the end of it.
8. Dave H August 30, 2010 at 10:52 am

   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?)
9. Charles K. Bradley August 30, 2010 at 10:56 am

   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!!
10. stephbg August 30, 2010 at 11:11 am

    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.
11. Sihaya August 30, 2010 at 11:33 am

    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.
12. Cassie August 30, 2010 at 11:43 am

    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.)
13. Maggie August 30, 2010 at 11:51 am

    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.
14. Steve Hatle August 30, 2010 at 12:09 pm

    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.
15. Jance Hard August 30, 2010 at 12:10 pm

    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!
16. GlennS August 30, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    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…
17. Matthew in Austin August 30, 2010 at 12:24 pm

    John, you are blessed with a lovely daughter.
18. Richard August 30, 2010 at 1:10 pm

    Australia is pretty nice, but wait until you see New Zealand! That’s worth the time in a metal tube in the sky.
19. A.J. August 30, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    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.
20. Penny August 30, 2010 at 1:36 pm

    Invader Zim for the win!! I hope Athena’s first day was relaxing and easy.
21. TheMadLibrarian August 30, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    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.
22. Joyce August 30, 2010 at 1:54 pm

    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.
23. Blitzen the Demoralizer August 30, 2010 at 2:14 pm

    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?
24. MasterThief August 30, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    Athena Scalzi, starring in:

    The Sixth Grade… OF DOOM.*

    *everything sounds cooler with “OF DOOM”
25. Kathryn Leigh August 30, 2010 at 2:28 pm

    I’m digging the fabulous red strips of hair. Way to be BOLD!
26. Johnny Carruthers August 30, 2010 at 2:39 pm

    All your bags are packed, you’re ready to go . . .
27. DrMEOw August 30, 2010 at 2:59 pm

    Cool red streaks.

    Australia is far beyond merely awesome!
28. Nathalie (spacedlaw-spacedlawyer) August 30, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    And now for something completely different.
    I saw this and thought of you: http://www.calamitiesofnature.com/archive/?c=315
29. TomG August 30, 2010 at 5:21 pm

    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.)
30. Rachel August 30, 2010 at 6:33 pm

    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.
31. crayonbaby August 30, 2010 at 6:57 pm

    Awesome shirt. For an awesome gal. Have fun in Australia.
32. turtlesong August 30, 2010 at 8:05 pm

    lovely picture of miss athena. :)
    safe journeys sai scalzi.
33. Gillian August 30, 2010 at 10:05 pm

    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).
34. alightningbug August 30, 2010 at 10:47 pm

    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.
35. Eileen K August 30, 2010 at 11:18 pm

    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.
36. Merus August 31, 2010 at 2:32 am

    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.
37. George William Herbert August 31, 2010 at 3:29 am

    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
38. David Harmon August 31, 2010 at 7:58 am

    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? :-)
39. Jerry A Taylor August 31, 2010 at 10:41 am

    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. :)
40. Mel August 31, 2010 at 6:00 pm

    your daughter is awesome.
41. Penny September 1, 2010 at 1:43 am

    @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!!
42. Greg September 1, 2010 at 2:42 pm

    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.
43. canmetcalf September 5, 2010 at 11:35 am

    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.