(no subject)
My serious lack of updating here has been caused by a combination of Facebook addiction and navel gazing of a non-productive manner (navel gazing in the figurative sense - physically looking at my navel while I am 6 months pregnant weirds me out).
So where to begin? By category I suppose.
TEACHING:
Two more classes and I will have officially completed my first semester as a college professor. Considering I was a complete neophyte when I started, and that most of my students' writing skills have considerably improved, I feel quite satisfied with the semester. I am sad that I will have to fail several students because they never showed up or did their work. In many cases I could tell there were problems that went beyond simple apathy - family problems, mental illness, lack of proficiency in basic English language skills - and these were beyond my ability to help, as much as I tried. I did have one or two students who did have a case of apathy. I'm hoping that we will be able to discuss this in the new adjunct salon that my cool friend and colleague Lis is organizing.
Next semester I am teaching Comp II, as I've mentioned probably about a thousand times. I'm both excited and scared - I want to be sure that I teach the students the skills they need to know. I guess teaching any new course comes with a bit of anxiety. I received my review copy of the Music and Culture book from Pearson, and I'm sad to say I'm not as thrilled about it as I thought I would be. I've definitely ruled out the Counterculture Reader - while it has some fascinating accounts of the sixties, I'm not sure a DSP class is going to connect to or care about this reader. I also got the Little, Brown Reader, which seems okay, but I guess I was hoping to avoid a "traditional" reader. I have to order my books soon - so I'd better hurry up and decide what I am doing.
BABY:
Oh, he makes my belly visibly move around, and he kicks all the time. I've never been so excited and so scared about anything in my life. Andy is thrilled, and already a proud daddy. I couldn't ask for a finer husband and father for my child. Work on the nursery will soon begin in earnest - we're going with a Hawaiian/ocean theme, since that's where we made the little one, and the marine animals there are so colorful and fun. My father-in-law is making the baby a cradle in the shape of a peapod boat! I can't wait to see it when it is finished - the plans looked amazing. Did I mention that I am huge, and that certain activities like shoe tying or getting out of bed involve unintentional physical comedy? It's starting to happen when I try to put on my pants, too.
CATS:
Poor Piper has somehow contracted cytomegalovirus (kitty herpes!)in her right eye. We had to take her to a cat ophthalmologist at a hospital in North Andover. Fortunately, it isn't transmissible to humans. She's on an eye steroid and lysine and is getting better. I'm relieved that we finally know what it is (albeit two months and $300 later), and that she doesn't have kitty eye cancer. Sadly, it's something that will probably recur for the rest of her life, especially under conditions of stress, which Malcolm is certain to provide.
SOCIAL LIFE:
HAHA. We haven't seen anyone or done anything in MONTHS. Thanksgiving when we saw the family has been the extent of our interaction. Tonight we are actually getting out to celebrate our friend Harmony's birthday with drinks (none for me) and board games at her house in Salem. I can't wait! We owe a TON of people invites: Tom & Jill, Joe & Elise, and many, many more. I promise, they are still coming. It would be nice to have some furniture in our apartment so we could actually have people over. I want a sofa & love seat. Is that too much to ask??? :)
HOUSE:
I have to finish painting the bookcase I started - I ran out of paint and need to find the same color again. We have tons of items to put into storage, and we need to organize Andy's work area. I'm still drooling over the dragonfly floor lamp from Home Decorators. But right now, we need curtains, rugs, and furniture. The nesting instinct has really kicked in, and I'm hoping for a productive day tomorrow.
Be well, all! :)
So where to begin? By category I suppose.
TEACHING:
Two more classes and I will have officially completed my first semester as a college professor. Considering I was a complete neophyte when I started, and that most of my students' writing skills have considerably improved, I feel quite satisfied with the semester. I am sad that I will have to fail several students because they never showed up or did their work. In many cases I could tell there were problems that went beyond simple apathy - family problems, mental illness, lack of proficiency in basic English language skills - and these were beyond my ability to help, as much as I tried. I did have one or two students who did have a case of apathy. I'm hoping that we will be able to discuss this in the new adjunct salon that my cool friend and colleague Lis is organizing.
Next semester I am teaching Comp II, as I've mentioned probably about a thousand times. I'm both excited and scared - I want to be sure that I teach the students the skills they need to know. I guess teaching any new course comes with a bit of anxiety. I received my review copy of the Music and Culture book from Pearson, and I'm sad to say I'm not as thrilled about it as I thought I would be. I've definitely ruled out the Counterculture Reader - while it has some fascinating accounts of the sixties, I'm not sure a DSP class is going to connect to or care about this reader. I also got the Little, Brown Reader, which seems okay, but I guess I was hoping to avoid a "traditional" reader. I have to order my books soon - so I'd better hurry up and decide what I am doing.
BABY:
Oh, he makes my belly visibly move around, and he kicks all the time. I've never been so excited and so scared about anything in my life. Andy is thrilled, and already a proud daddy. I couldn't ask for a finer husband and father for my child. Work on the nursery will soon begin in earnest - we're going with a Hawaiian/ocean theme, since that's where we made the little one, and the marine animals there are so colorful and fun. My father-in-law is making the baby a cradle in the shape of a peapod boat! I can't wait to see it when it is finished - the plans looked amazing. Did I mention that I am huge, and that certain activities like shoe tying or getting out of bed involve unintentional physical comedy? It's starting to happen when I try to put on my pants, too.
CATS:
Poor Piper has somehow contracted cytomegalovirus (kitty herpes!)in her right eye. We had to take her to a cat ophthalmologist at a hospital in North Andover. Fortunately, it isn't transmissible to humans. She's on an eye steroid and lysine and is getting better. I'm relieved that we finally know what it is (albeit two months and $300 later), and that she doesn't have kitty eye cancer. Sadly, it's something that will probably recur for the rest of her life, especially under conditions of stress, which Malcolm is certain to provide.
SOCIAL LIFE:
HAHA. We haven't seen anyone or done anything in MONTHS. Thanksgiving when we saw the family has been the extent of our interaction. Tonight we are actually getting out to celebrate our friend Harmony's birthday with drinks (none for me) and board games at her house in Salem. I can't wait! We owe a TON of people invites: Tom & Jill, Joe & Elise, and many, many more. I promise, they are still coming. It would be nice to have some furniture in our apartment so we could actually have people over. I want a sofa & love seat. Is that too much to ask??? :)
HOUSE:
I have to finish painting the bookcase I started - I ran out of paint and need to find the same color again. We have tons of items to put into storage, and we need to organize Andy's work area. I'm still drooling over the dragonfly floor lamp from Home Decorators. But right now, we need curtains, rugs, and furniture. The nesting instinct has really kicked in, and I'm hoping for a productive day tomorrow.
Be well, all! :)