There Will Be a Test Later

Did your spouse or significant other conduct pop quizzes while you were on a date, or otherwise out and about? The topic came up in my Wishing for a Wormhole post last week. In the comments a friend mentioned getting quizzed on types of old cars. That got me thinking.

How many of us were subjected to pop quizzes outside the schoolroom?And what is the driving force behind these non-school pop quizzes?

[Ticking clock sound here]

Have no clue. I’m trying to remember if I ever “did” pop quizzes. My kids could better answer the question (and might pop in if they see this), but I honestly don’t remember having a test at the end of a road trip, vacation, long drive—or any activity associated with having fun. I can bore on for a long time about how crazy publishing is…but no, no quizzes.

There are two things I know about the hubs. 1) He is a natural born teacher; and 2) He is a very good teacher. I’ve learned a lot of stuff living with him. Life stuff.

I’ve not learned much geology, however. [More ticking clock sounds] Yeah, I might be able to identify a fault line. If it’s really really obvious. And there’s an  arrow that says “Fault line.”

This has nothing to do with the hubs skill as a teacher and everything to do with the way my brain works. I can remember books I read in the sixth grade, plots and characters. I don’t even remember what that elements chart thing is called. The one they made me memorize in high school.

I remember one (brief) moment when the hubs thought he had taught me something. We were driving through Wind River Canyon in Wyoming, heading home or back to school. I forget which. Note: I’m a fast reader, even if I’m not a long rememberer. So I see this sign that identifies the rock as Cretaceous or something like that. I said, “Oh, look—” and then basically read the sign. By the time the hubs looked at me, we were past the sign.

I got SUCH a look of approval.

It lasted until the next sign popped up. LOL

Luckily for me he was so in love he thought it was cute.

Don’t get me wrong. I very much enjoy it when the hubs points out interesting things when we are journeying from a point A to a point something else. He’s a fount of knowledge, and it’s really cute that he thinks I’m science teachable after 39 years together. It was great for our kids who were teachable (for the most part). I’ve mostly broken him of the pop quizzes. If he forgets, the Look reigns him in pretty fast.

Do you or your significant other feel compelled to teach? To give pop quizzes after? Do you like the quizzes? Feel challenged by them? Or do they give you nightmares of being back in school and unprepared? Not that I have this problem. That often.

You know that comments are entered into my monthly drawing for an AnaBanana gift basket ($25 value!) that comes without a pop quiz. I would not lie about this. A winner will be announced the first blog post of the new month. 🙂

Perilously yours,

Pauline

“If you have ever read Pauline Jones’ work, I won’t need to say anything more than “she’s raised the bar once again.” Beyond good, excellent, and all the rest of my store of superlatives, Do Wah Diddy Die had me recommending it to all my email friends before I had read more than ten pages.” Four crescents from Patricia White, Crescent Blues

You can buy it right now at your favorite online bookseller!