July 7, 2008

1. I decided to drop the class.  I’m too old for half-hearted teaching, especially when I am excited about the subject and the readings I have already done.  I am going to go through the text myself and use the time I would have spent in class working on lesson plans.
2. My debate is about writing either the instructor and or the college to complain.  It’s not just me, think of the children, and by that I mean the chuckleheads in class who were excited about the easy A and coming late and leaving early.  I was them once, but I know better now, and when you are paying for a class, there should be an expectation that the teacher will be prepared and that there is some small amount of rigor in the class.
3. I’ve worked very hard this past weekend on my large room, going through old papers, sorting all my craft supplies, putting things away.  The job isn’t done, but it is coming along nicely.
4. While working on the above project I was watching season 1 of the West Wing on DVD.  I really like that show, though they are all so prefectly timed in their brilliant and morally straight comebacks that it is not realistic.  We all know that in real life, you never think of what to say until much later.  Alone. In front of the mirror.
5. July 4th saw the brilliant execution of a 7:30 departure, down to the Virginia side of the river on bus and metro, return after the fireworks maneuver, that really went flawlessly, except for the rain and the evil cloud of thick smoke that obscured the view.  You could tell that the crowd was really trying to make the best of it, but their disappointment was palpable.  I appreciated what I saw, and used my imagination for what I couldn’t.  It will be interesting to try this plan in good weather to a)see if the crowds are as light before and after, and to actually see the fireworks.  Since the fireworks were obscured, that means my favorite moment was sitting with Paul reading our books while we were waiting.  I had The Tipping Point and Paul had a weighty tome about Martin Luther King Jr.  It was a nice place to sit and read a book.  There were cheetos, strawberry shortcake and ice cream for snacks.

July 3, 2008

1. The sociology class seems to be leaning towards being awful.  The professor has been late by 30 minutes or more each time, and the solution is now we are starting the class later.  I was inclined to give her some room after the halfhearted introduction on Tuesday, but today’s lecture consisted of her vaguely going over the textbook provided powerpoint.  I’m very disappointed.  I thought the chapter was great and and was really looking forward to going into it.  But it was pretty terrible, and believe me, I know what bad teaching looks like, because I know when I am half assing it, and it looks alot like what I saw today.  The more I think about it the more upset I am getting, and I don’t know that I want to spend the summer this way.  It might be just me and the book for the summer. 
2. On the plus side I had a really good time going to the folk life festival and the newseum today with my Big Brother.
3. Grumpy.
4. Bed.
5. Now.

July 2, 2008

1. Beautiful weather
2. Great visit with Paul’s family last night.  A nice trip to the folklife festival too.
3. A very diverse group in my sociology class. A girl from Ghana, a man from Morocco, a former Air Force Guy, a future marine, an extremely confident (arrogant) young white man, an atheist, an aging high school social studies teacher, oh wait, that’s me.
4. Thinking about Marx, postmodernism, functionalism, other theories.
5. Good dinner out with Chris and Melissa tonight.  Conversation about computers, Spinal Tap, etc.
6. A walk through Arlington Cemetery today behind Dick Cato’s caisson.  (a dear friend of the Berry’s and a friend after meeting him at their house)  Passing tourists who remove their hats, or put their hands on their hearts.  A band, a firing team, the riderless horse with the boots turned backwards in the stirrups, an incredible rendition of “How Great Though Art: the most uplifting and joyous thing I have ever heard. 

June 4, 2008

1. Well, I’m a punk.  I was too slow registering for the distance learning Sociology class, and it filled up.  Duh.  So I signed up for the actual got to go to it class, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-12.  I suppose it won’t kill me.  The structure will probably be good for me.  Also, it is only six weeks, unlike the other one, which I could have, and probably would have dragged out until the last minute.  October.  So all for the best, I think.
2. The power went out at the house, so I am at Rappahannock, killing time until the school chorus concert tonight.  Our chorus teacher is leaving to pursue a doctorate of all things.  I am really going to miss him, he is completely hilarious.  I think the school will miss him too, he is really involved in town meeting and other such things.
3. Hooray for David!  He is discerned!  Or at least, finally done with our part of the process.  Awesome.  It was a really neat experience and I feel lucky to have been a part of it.  Go forth!
4. I got pretty soaked in the storm earlier.  Knees down. (I had an umbrella.)
5. Today after a week and a half of weird schedules, I finally got to teach a class again.  Sometimes on the fly I discover something I didn’t before.  This time it was the contrast between Papua New Guinea and Australia.  Physically pretty close, but PNG very mountainous and Australia almost completely flat.  The influence of the tectonic plates I think.  Earthquakes and volcanoes all along PNG, but none in Australia.  We also had a good look at Easter Island.  Google Earth has some good photos, contributed by others of the moai. 
6. Looking at these places makes me really want to go there.  I must see all these wonderful things and places, and people!

May 26, 2008

1. The question at a party last night was, “If you could take time to learn anything, what would you do?   My choices, Embroidery and change ringing.  Best answers were from AC – Opera singing, Steeplechase riding and Downhill Skier!  But this got me to thinking, since one of the keys in the question was, “if time was not an issue,”  and for me, in the summer, time is not an issue.  People have been asking me what I am going to do this summer, and that got me thinking…
2. So I signed up for an abstract painting class. (Painting was also on my short list, though I didn’t say it out loud.)
3. I’ve been seeing things in an odd way lately, so I think abstract would be good.  Maybe I am evolving.  I felt very strongly about the life force in a little batch of trees I passed last night.  These little patches of land are jammed in among all the buildings and roads, but they are alive, even though we ignore them like end tables.  (See, I think the abstract is needed here.)
4. I’m also taking sociology from NOVA.  Online course.
5. Saturday – a baby shower, surprise dinner invitation from Paul’s professor friends, a walk in Adams Morgan.  Also bought my stitch and pitch tickets.
6. Fruit is good.