Feeling the burn
Last week, grad classes started up again. Of course, I missed 2 of my 3 classes because of my bronchitis, but my professors kindly emailed me the syllabi for their classes so I would be behind. I'm in the midst of doing readings for my Tuesday night class on intelligence testing, and already I want to throw the book at my professor. He assigned close to 300 pages of reading for us to do - I'm not exaggerating here. Now, I know, I'm expected to do more work in grad school than in undergrad. But I've had this man in class before, and he always gives WAY too much reading to do, especially with all the other tasks he expects. The first time I ever had him for class, he announced that we would be reading the same amount he had read for his doctoral courses. Um...hello! I didn't sign up to get my PhD (yet), so how about you recognize the fact that I have two classes in addition to yours, plus three jobs and a practicum? How about that for a change? Plus, he always picks the most dreadful books to read. Unfortunately, he's the only one who will offer this course, so I'm stuck. There are lots of times when I really enjoy the readings for my classes, so much so that I'll do the homework right after the class, just to get it going. Not for this class, friends. I suppose it doesn't help that deep down, I really don't care about intelligence testing. I don't think it proves a whole heck of a lot most of the time, and it's not something I'm interested in. Still, Dr K, who I'm working for, strongly recommends having knowledge of it and the ability to test, and that makes sense.
Today, I went and spent an hour with my grandma. No special reason, just thought it would be nice. I brought her real coffee (she only gets fake stuff at her assisted living place), and we just sat around talking. I really like visiting with her without the rest of my family around. Sometimes, I feel about my family like that line in The Pirates of Penzance. "Individually, I love you all with affection unspeakable; but collectively, I look upon you with a disgust that amounts to absolute detestation." Not that I detest my family! And I do love the times when it's a great big group of us, like at Brenna's for the holidays or Passover and Thanksgiving at my uncle's...but there are times when we're in a group and it's so difficult to get a word in edgewise or I feel like my grandma is getting ignored or passed over a bit. Sometimes, the one-on-one is the best time...but then, I've always been better at individual stuff, I guess. It's hard, with my grandma - she's older, so she forgets a lot, and she doesn't hear so well which is exacerbated when we're in a group because my family tends to talk loudly, all at once, over top of one another, and she's lately taken to repeating the same stories over and over again. But when it's just the two of us, it's so simple. Sure, she asks me the same questions she always does, but when I can get her to talk about her past and what life used to be like, it seems like things are easier. She seems happier...or maybe I'm just happier then and projecting it on to her.
I'm definitely feeling better this week. I'm still congested, but I'm always that way. (I do need to see an allergy doctor.) Sometimes, I still feel like I can't draw in a breath properly, so I'm skipping the gym till the end of the week at least.
I feel like there was more to say before I sat down, but maybe there wasn't. Maybe, as usual, it's me and the kittens, yawning towards sleep and looking forward to it.
Today, I went and spent an hour with my grandma. No special reason, just thought it would be nice. I brought her real coffee (she only gets fake stuff at her assisted living place), and we just sat around talking. I really like visiting with her without the rest of my family around. Sometimes, I feel about my family like that line in The Pirates of Penzance. "Individually, I love you all with affection unspeakable; but collectively, I look upon you with a disgust that amounts to absolute detestation." Not that I detest my family! And I do love the times when it's a great big group of us, like at Brenna's for the holidays or Passover and Thanksgiving at my uncle's...but there are times when we're in a group and it's so difficult to get a word in edgewise or I feel like my grandma is getting ignored or passed over a bit. Sometimes, the one-on-one is the best time...but then, I've always been better at individual stuff, I guess. It's hard, with my grandma - she's older, so she forgets a lot, and she doesn't hear so well which is exacerbated when we're in a group because my family tends to talk loudly, all at once, over top of one another, and she's lately taken to repeating the same stories over and over again. But when it's just the two of us, it's so simple. Sure, she asks me the same questions she always does, but when I can get her to talk about her past and what life used to be like, it seems like things are easier. She seems happier...or maybe I'm just happier then and projecting it on to her.
I'm definitely feeling better this week. I'm still congested, but I'm always that way. (I do need to see an allergy doctor.) Sometimes, I still feel like I can't draw in a breath properly, so I'm skipping the gym till the end of the week at least.
I feel like there was more to say before I sat down, but maybe there wasn't. Maybe, as usual, it's me and the kittens, yawning towards sleep and looking forward to it.