Finally, I am home--at my folks' house--for the holidays.
Sadly, thus far I have mostly been dealing with my out-of-whack sinuses, decorating the tree, and sleeping. But those are my regular "first days' home stuff," in fact, where I catch up on what I've been missing: sleep, regular meals with nutritional food (Fig Newtons and pickles are not approved!), and TV.
I admit: mostly bad TV, which occasions comments and sighs from parents sitting in the same room.
No, they don't like the Kardashians. They are horrified by RHBH. The Vampire Diaries make them wince, as do NCIS marathons, What Not To Wear, and various other pop culture shows I love--in small, moderated doses. But since I am sharing the consistent round of news and game shows--hey, I figure we're even, since those are at the bottom of my list along with sports and talk shows. Part of the holidays is remembering why we love each other but don't live together: TV is one big reason.
Of course, we all love The Closer.
Good news: three TVs in-house. One downstairs, one in living room, and one in master bedroom.
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Winding down: the Final 48 and a Hanukkah Treat!
I am definitely winding down, both in terms of energy/accomplishment and this semester.
I only have two tasks ahead of me for the "official" teaching semester left, and both will be done today. Then I have a handful of tasks for tomorrow (Sunday) before I leave town, cat in hand, for the holidays.
My local gifts have all been given. Having coffee now with one great friend and lunch today (or, hopefully, tomorrow) with another couple.
Social obligations: check!
Housecleaning. Is there anything as irritating as coming home to a sloppy, dirty house? Don't think so, so everything needs to be whisked through (at least) so that the house smells good, sparkles, and the trash is out, the laundry done, the dishes put away, the fridge emptied out.
Of course, I have a list.
Resolves for vacay:
1. Have fun!
2. Finish novel for editor
3. Write 2 book reviews
4. Go to the gym or work at-home treadmill everyday: build up stamina!
5. See family and friends as much as possible!
6. Prepare syllabi for spring semester
7. Consider goals for 2012: specific and general
8. Read a lot!
9. Watch TV: bad bad bad reality shows, NCIS, The Closer (final season!), and generally revel in having full access to the tube for 3 full weeks... it's like heroin to me.
And yes, I LOVE this!
I only have two tasks ahead of me for the "official" teaching semester left, and both will be done today. Then I have a handful of tasks for tomorrow (Sunday) before I leave town, cat in hand, for the holidays.
My local gifts have all been given. Having coffee now with one great friend and lunch today (or, hopefully, tomorrow) with another couple.
Social obligations: check!
Housecleaning. Is there anything as irritating as coming home to a sloppy, dirty house? Don't think so, so everything needs to be whisked through (at least) so that the house smells good, sparkles, and the trash is out, the laundry done, the dishes put away, the fridge emptied out.
Of course, I have a list.
Resolves for vacay:
1. Have fun!
2. Finish novel for editor
3. Write 2 book reviews
4. Go to the gym or work at-home treadmill everyday: build up stamina!
5. See family and friends as much as possible!
6. Prepare syllabi for spring semester
7. Consider goals for 2012: specific and general
8. Read a lot!
9. Watch TV: bad bad bad reality shows, NCIS, The Closer (final season!), and generally revel in having full access to the tube for 3 full weeks... it's like heroin to me.
And yes, I LOVE this!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
I admit it: I'm crazy
It's a seasonal thing. Perhaps if My U had trimesters instead of semesters, the entire November-to-January holiday season wouldn't bring on a fit of vapors and waves of resentment, but it does.
Why?
My own fault: I overscheduled meetings with grading and evaluations and reading plays and friends. Every year I wonder why I don't learn, but I never do. Or... one friend suggested I was too conscientious: just buzz through the exams. Just whiz through the plays and papers. Just whip out the end-of-semester evals.
On some level I know she's right: students barely read and register their written evals at this stage: they're too tired, burnt-out, or hyped for exams to log the very real suggestions made about their attitude or growth, unless it is unequivocally positive. Even then, their internal self-critique suggests we're a/ lying, b/ stupid, or 3/ whizzing thru the writing... It is a challenge to get them to take positive criticism gracefully.
On another level: people in administration (above our individual chairs) seriously do not get what we do during this period--and by "do" I mean giving exams and all that goes with it but even the varying nature of the coursework that demands different methods of evaluation. For example: in the theatre history course, it is appropriate to give a 3-hour final to test their knowledge of terms as well as their synthesis of concepts. In playwriting, however, it is appropriate to ask them to write or revise previous exercises in writing (beginning: ten-minute plays, advanced: full-length plays). In neither case, can an electronic Scan-tron test be given: so the notion that 48 hours after an exam period is enough time to evaluate, grade, and post grades for all comers is, well, stupid.
But there you are: the divide between faculty and administrators.
It is also ridiculous to ask professors--who do not choose the time of their final and cannot change it--to grade finals under the duress of time, which only leads to stress. When grading finals, the fact is that one should read no more than 5 essays or papers or short plays in a row before taking a break... because if you're asking students to think, you cannot grade their work like a short-answer true/false exam.
The conundrum is that we professors are asked to address students with rigor--high expectations, complex concepts and skills, prepare them for the professional and adult world--but not at the expense of timely posting of grades.
Sigh.
Makes me realize that, again, I'll have to adjust my timetable next semester to avoid the Maytime frustration of this same deal. Final plays due earlier. Final papers (in my drama lit course) due earlier. Plan for others' parties, final meetings, and so forth by avoiding the crush of time... And makes me realize--again--that faculty are now operating in a consumer culture where the administration is most interested in the customers' happiness--and not, in fact, any of the things they say they are interested in. But in this economy, when the customer is paying $50K per annum for the product, one can see why their complaints might be louder, their voices might be heeded, and we might just be becoming a service industry.
Why?
My own fault: I overscheduled meetings with grading and evaluations and reading plays and friends. Every year I wonder why I don't learn, but I never do. Or... one friend suggested I was too conscientious: just buzz through the exams. Just whiz through the plays and papers. Just whip out the end-of-semester evals.
On some level I know she's right: students barely read and register their written evals at this stage: they're too tired, burnt-out, or hyped for exams to log the very real suggestions made about their attitude or growth, unless it is unequivocally positive. Even then, their internal self-critique suggests we're a/ lying, b/ stupid, or 3/ whizzing thru the writing... It is a challenge to get them to take positive criticism gracefully.
On another level: people in administration (above our individual chairs) seriously do not get what we do during this period--and by "do" I mean giving exams and all that goes with it but even the varying nature of the coursework that demands different methods of evaluation. For example: in the theatre history course, it is appropriate to give a 3-hour final to test their knowledge of terms as well as their synthesis of concepts. In playwriting, however, it is appropriate to ask them to write or revise previous exercises in writing (beginning: ten-minute plays, advanced: full-length plays). In neither case, can an electronic Scan-tron test be given: so the notion that 48 hours after an exam period is enough time to evaluate, grade, and post grades for all comers is, well, stupid.
But there you are: the divide between faculty and administrators.
It is also ridiculous to ask professors--who do not choose the time of their final and cannot change it--to grade finals under the duress of time, which only leads to stress. When grading finals, the fact is that one should read no more than 5 essays or papers or short plays in a row before taking a break... because if you're asking students to think, you cannot grade their work like a short-answer true/false exam.
The conundrum is that we professors are asked to address students with rigor--high expectations, complex concepts and skills, prepare them for the professional and adult world--but not at the expense of timely posting of grades.
Sigh.
Makes me realize that, again, I'll have to adjust my timetable next semester to avoid the Maytime frustration of this same deal. Final plays due earlier. Final papers (in my drama lit course) due earlier. Plan for others' parties, final meetings, and so forth by avoiding the crush of time... And makes me realize--again--that faculty are now operating in a consumer culture where the administration is most interested in the customers' happiness--and not, in fact, any of the things they say they are interested in. But in this economy, when the customer is paying $50K per annum for the product, one can see why their complaints might be louder, their voices might be heeded, and we might just be becoming a service industry.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Apologies... and a treat (hey, it's the holiday season!)
I've been neglecting the blog posts, because I've been:
But in the spirit of giving, here's a treat.
- writing and delivering 40 individual evaluations for my undergraduate students, as well as wrangling 3 sets of evaluation meetings between faculty teams and 50 individual students
- giving a review and final exam for 29 students
- collecting, reading, and grading plays by 10 adult students, 9 juniors, and 3 seniors (total of 36 short plays and 3 long plays)
- reading and evaluating 100 applications for 1 job opening
- ordering books for next semester's classes
- creating end-of-semester handouts to demonstrate to students what skills and knowledge they have accrued over 15 weeks
- developing surveys for each course to help me plan improvements for next fall
- oh, and attending three holiday parties...
But in the spirit of giving, here's a treat.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Past posts, this blog + Holiday Treat!
Previous posts, this time in years past. I notice big gaps: could that be because of the mix of exams, evaluations, and simple overwhelming end-of-semester hoops to jump through? Could be.
Today I am at the coffee shop, working on grading the final exercise of my sophomores, reading and evaluating the work of my adult writers and compiling/posting their grades, and writing the first few of my evaluations for my sophomores (to be given Monday). Oh, and answering questions from same about their grades/standing and/or what will be on final.
2008: Christmas decorations in Paris, end of my sabbatical.
2010: My wish list for last year. I actually ended up with most of these, bought for myself.
My Christmas shopping is nearly done:
Treat = Bruce singing Christmas song!
Better watch out!
Today I am at the coffee shop, working on grading the final exercise of my sophomores, reading and evaluating the work of my adult writers and compiling/posting their grades, and writing the first few of my evaluations for my sophomores (to be given Monday). Oh, and answering questions from same about their grades/standing and/or what will be on final.
2008: Christmas decorations in Paris, end of my sabbatical.
2010: My wish list for last year. I actually ended up with most of these, bought for myself.
My Christmas shopping is nearly done:
- DFW friends -- complete! including hostess gifts from Dude, Sweet Chocolate (Bishop Ave. District)
- Distant friends (to be sent by mail) -- in process
- Nephews -- yes, more gift cards bought with acquired "reward points" from various accounts
- Dad -- not yet done
- Mom -- done (including birthday)
- Sister -- done (including birthday)
- Brother-in-law -- gift card, done
Treat = Bruce singing Christmas song!
Better watch out!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Giving gifts: for minimalists, connoisseurs, and those who have everything
I was al-most a complete non-shopper on Friday. Living in DFW--the Land of Happy and Endless Consumerism!--I avoided the malls, and (although I thought about it) Costco and Ikea. I ended up buying only a little something in CVS.
Nowadays, in any case, I do most of my shopping online. I buy gifts through sites like Etsy, Heifer, World Vision, and drugstore.com, not only to take advantage of getting them shipped to the recipients directly, but to stay the heck out of the malls. Really, as a person who hates crowds, why would I go shop at the banal and annoying landscapes of local malls when I can stay home and run up my credit balances in peace and quiet?
There is no compensation.
Seriously, pepper spray? Midnight openings? Trampling people? Sigh.
One of the great problems is that Dallas for all its malls and outlet malls does not boast an urban area like New York, Chicago, or Paris that includes a holiday spirit of lights, decorations, and gorgeous windows. Or even people watching. The malls do feature constant choirs, bands, and other groups, but there is little to no opportunity to simply sit and watch people go by; the only cafes (like Starbucks) are always crowded and short of seats, with people impatiently waiting by your elbow. Yikes!
So strolling from shop to store to study the decorations, to watch families or shoppers enjoy is impossible. Ugh--it is hideous. The entire notion is to buy, as quickly and thoroughly as possible, to spend and save at the same time, and to get back into the SUV and drive home. In this situation, the flaneur (or flaneuse) is wasting her time.
Now, on the other hand, I highly recommend Etsy for shopping locally or simply "small businesses" --shoppers can buy vintage or handmade, and the crafts for sale are myriad. From computer cases and decals, to jewelry to knitted scarves, mitten, hats, to handmade books and ties, to photographs, prints, and sculptures, to soap, the beautiful things about Etsy is that one buys directly from the artist, thereby supprting creativity and craftsmanship.
The other glorious thing is that if you have no idea what to buy, Etsy can help you find the right thing. Or, on the other end, you can create a list of gifts you'd like yourself (as I did this year and send it to your family and friends. Hah! No more hairdryers.
If you want to give something to a minimalist or someone who has everything (and seriously needs nothing more), try World Vision or Heifer. My father wants nothing: every year, he gets a goat, given directly to a family in African. My mother gets to sponsor a woman starting a small business. Give a goat or chickens, give a child a backpack full of school supplies, give a piece of a well for a village, sponsor a child for three months... whatever. These two organizations are legit. No matter what your notions, you can give locally or globally, gifts for families, women, girls, children, or villages, and feel great without contributing to the clutter or chaos of our Western world.
Another way to give is through Kiva, an organization where you lendmoney that is given to small entrepreneurs as start-up funding and so forth. You can put as little as $25 in on a shrot-term loan,a nd when it is paid back, loan it out again to another small business; surprisingly, that is a HUGE amount in parts of the world... and you'd just spend it on one hardcover book no one will read! Or a gift card your nephew will use for one video game.
And there's no pepper spray involved.
Nowadays, in any case, I do most of my shopping online. I buy gifts through sites like Etsy, Heifer, World Vision, and drugstore.com, not only to take advantage of getting them shipped to the recipients directly, but to stay the heck out of the malls. Really, as a person who hates crowds, why would I go shop at the banal and annoying landscapes of local malls when I can stay home and run up my credit balances in peace and quiet?
There is no compensation.
Seriously, pepper spray? Midnight openings? Trampling people? Sigh.
One of the great problems is that Dallas for all its malls and outlet malls does not boast an urban area like New York, Chicago, or Paris that includes a holiday spirit of lights, decorations, and gorgeous windows. Or even people watching. The malls do feature constant choirs, bands, and other groups, but there is little to no opportunity to simply sit and watch people go by; the only cafes (like Starbucks) are always crowded and short of seats, with people impatiently waiting by your elbow. Yikes!
So strolling from shop to store to study the decorations, to watch families or shoppers enjoy is impossible. Ugh--it is hideous. The entire notion is to buy, as quickly and thoroughly as possible, to spend and save at the same time, and to get back into the SUV and drive home. In this situation, the flaneur (or flaneuse) is wasting her time.
Now, on the other hand, I highly recommend Etsy for shopping locally or simply "small businesses" --shoppers can buy vintage or handmade, and the crafts for sale are myriad. From computer cases and decals, to jewelry to knitted scarves, mitten, hats, to handmade books and ties, to photographs, prints, and sculptures, to soap, the beautiful things about Etsy is that one buys directly from the artist, thereby supprting creativity and craftsmanship.
The other glorious thing is that if you have no idea what to buy, Etsy can help you find the right thing. Or, on the other end, you can create a list of gifts you'd like yourself (as I did this year and send it to your family and friends. Hah! No more hairdryers.
If you want to give something to a minimalist or someone who has everything (and seriously needs nothing more), try World Vision or Heifer. My father wants nothing: every year, he gets a goat, given directly to a family in African. My mother gets to sponsor a woman starting a small business. Give a goat or chickens, give a child a backpack full of school supplies, give a piece of a well for a village, sponsor a child for three months... whatever. These two organizations are legit. No matter what your notions, you can give locally or globally, gifts for families, women, girls, children, or villages, and feel great without contributing to the clutter or chaos of our Western world.
Another way to give is through Kiva, an organization where you lendmoney that is given to small entrepreneurs as start-up funding and so forth. You can put as little as $25 in on a shrot-term loan,a nd when it is paid back, loan it out again to another small business; surprisingly, that is a HUGE amount in parts of the world... and you'd just spend it on one hardcover book no one will read! Or a gift card your nephew will use for one video game.
And there's no pepper spray involved.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Fourth Fireworks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzcBxLEvxVE
Happy Fourth!
I love fireworks--why, I do not know, but I am awestruck by the whole event. This year, I am celebrating vicariously, thanks to YouTube.
Pearl
Happy Fourth!
I love fireworks--why, I do not know, but I am awestruck by the whole event. This year, I am celebrating vicariously, thanks to YouTube.
Pearl
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Xmas in the 'burb
About two weeks ago Christmas lights went up here in the 'burb. I've been meaning to take pictures of them, but either haven't been out at night or haven't been out at night with my camera.
The lights are pretty, but not nearly as bright or sparkly as American Christmas lights in most places. This one hangs in the cross-street just south of the studio.
I think this one is my favorite. The design looks like big dandelion puffs, and again they flash. This one hangs in the next cross-street. Unlike all the other ones, it has gold lights. It's a bit unfocused.
None of the lights have a specifically "Christmas" design or feel, beyond appearing late in November. No Santa Claus, no red-and-green, etc. This is the main street:
You can also see how many pharmacies there are within a three-block walk. The green crosses mark their locations.
Pearl
But here they are. This one is outside my studio. It also has flashing white lights that cycle through the design and Flash! constantly. I couldn't catch those flashes on this picture or any of the others, either. But in fairness, you really have to be watching closely to catch the flashes.
The lights are pretty, but not nearly as bright or sparkly as American Christmas lights in most places. This one hangs in the cross-street just south of the studio.I think this one is my favorite. The design looks like big dandelion puffs, and again they flash. This one hangs in the next cross-street. Unlike all the other ones, it has gold lights. It's a bit unfocused.None of the lights have a specifically "Christmas" design or feel, beyond appearing late in November. No Santa Claus, no red-and-green, etc. This is the main street:You can also see how many pharmacies there are within a three-block walk. The green crosses mark their locations.Tomorrow I'll be out and about again, and I'll look for more signs of the holiday season here in Paris.
Pearl
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