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December 29, 2005

Observations and Lessons

Observations:
When the snow comes, especially when it sticks to the pavement and covers the stripes that define parking spaces (what an odd concept anyway, really), drivers determine for themselves what a comfrotable distance is from the next car over. Not surprisingly, this is about half a space more than the striping allows. Isn't it stupid that cars are still getting bigger and parking spaces are getting smaller? I think there's a story in that somewhere.

Shopping, particularly holiday shopping, is a strange and bizarre social activity. Reports of traffic back-ups along major arterials because the very large parking lot is already full to the brim, check-out lines snaking through the stores (or in the case of the small little Apple store at Carousel Centre, out the door and into the mall aisle), ten check-out aisles at the liquor store in Buffalo and a cop directing traffic in the parking lot - it's madness. And then after the holiday, the crowds still come. The shopping never ends. Mind-blowing.

Toddlers are a blast at Christmas.

Lessons:
Teaching two different courses each with a new syllabus is much harder than it seems. Combine it with taking three classes, and it's just goofy nut-so. The semester is over, grades turned in but possibly not really finished, and when I take the time to reflect on it in my teaching journal, I will have many lessons to record. Mostly about being disorganized and unfocused, and about the importance of turning the "idea notes" into an actual calendar when I first think it up.

Chores:
The room I laughinly refer to as "my office" at home is a disaster, as it has been all semester. I'm working on it. Really I am.

Oh, and if anyone is still reading this blog after such long silences, I owe letters, cards, and other greetings to: my Aunt Phyllis, Dad, Elana, Nick, Rich, Colleen, Rosemarie, Bridget, Emily, and Ann. I also need to re-enter the blogosphere instead of just lurking there.

I predict writing in my future. And fortunately, I got some very cool new writing tools for Chrismas, including a Sensa fountain pen, and a great little tote filled with important items like post-it note and flags, a small magnifying glass, tiny pencil, eraser (useful indeed for all those library books full of selfish people's leftover pencil marks), and a great book weight to hold books open while I type up my notes. Very cool stuff.

More to come. Stay tuned.

Posted by cageyer at December 29, 2005 09:46 AM

Comments

Posted by: senioritis at December 29, 2005 12:55 PM

Posted by: Marcia at January 8, 2006 10:10 PM