So, I was SO PUMPED to have my grading caught up that my mind was whirling over what to work on this afternoon... so, I tried to dive into more of the Creative Writing prep for next semester, but I really didn't know where to start or even where I had left off a month or two ago when I got to work on it. Very confusing. I think that course will take a lot of my time once Finals are over with. I'd like to set up my eCompanion shells to cut down on the time I have to revise them every semester, too. There's gotta be an easier way since dividing it by weeks is too small; the semesters's lengths/dates/holidays change too much. Huh.

One nice thing I noticed about my CW prep I did earlier in the semester - I had many helpful handouts printed off and scanned. Lovely. I think I'll have everything that I'll want to discuss or have students read; it'll just be a matter of ORGANIZATION. Yup.

I just got a text from the parental unit. Right now, hopefully, they're in a plane to Mpls from Chicago. Then they are driving home in this MESS of a storm. Ew. I hope they take their time.

SNOW! Already? Huh. They are just flurries, no need to panic.

After some help from my mentors (and the wracking of my own brain), I think I've concocted a presentation for the GPACW, if they'll have me. It'll focus on blogging (duh), specifically my teaching blog & how it allows me to reflect upon my teaching theories & practices as well as how it allows for information sharing/networking. And, in the background, will be a pecha kucha PPT. Wonderful.

Notes from morning run/walk - How come people are warming up their vehicles when it's 60 degrees out? And, how come vehicles won't move over when I have no sidewalk, being forced to run on the hard street concrete? Lastly - Why doesn't this town have more sidewalks? Especially in residential areas!

It was actually nice walking over today.
Cool air. Windy conditions. Massive, thunderstorm-producing clouds overhead.

It recharges a person.
I recall the drive to DL when I taught through NorthWest Tech
back in the day,
and that drive to and from there on Monday and Friday mornings
allowed me to reflect on what had happened in class or what I needed to do.

The walk to NDSCS,
towards the S building, under the chubby, white watertower and over the football team's practice field,
is similar.

It's official.
It's too hot/muggy/humid/sticky/warm to think.
Welcome to a typical ND summer.
It also gets too hot/muggy/humid/sticky/warm to eat.
Bodies are using all energy to stay cool.

"Fun" fact: On average, North Dakota's summers are warmer than Florida's.

W-I-N-D-Y day. Whoa... got some exercise walking against the wind up to RibFest only to discover that they closed up things today due to the crappy weather.

Just took a peek on PeopleSoft... my 2-105 classes for the fall are at 10 & 9 students; 2-110 classes are at 24 & 6 students; online 120 has 8; poetry is struggling at 3 students; and World Lit online may go this time with 10 students! Who knows what'll happen from now until the middle of August, though...

At the office again today. I hope to wrap up this online class.
p.s. My throat is feelin' funky - probably has something to do with our constantly changing weather. Ugh.

What a messy-looking day it is.
Wasn't it just 60 degrees outside days ago? Now we may get 6" of snow? Weird weather.
Must be global warming. [Doesn't anyone remember how "they" warned us of this problem like a decade ago? I remember hearing about it all in high school.]
And speaking of controversy, sounds like Rosie's been speaking up again on The View- only this time, it's about what one of my students did his PPT MusicVideo on: the 9/11 Conspiracy. Very interesting.

{Maybe I should be videoblogging, like Kevin?}

I've decided that since I am here & we have classes as scheduled, that the whole excuse of "I went home early because the storm was going to hit" isn't going to be an excused absence. Therefore, I don't think I'll allow those students to take the test next week. I may change that, but, right now, I am frustrated that students seem to think that that's going to "fly" with me or with their other classes. The college isn't closed up. They wouldn't have gotten "stuck" here over the weekend anyhow... Ugh. Plus, that gives students extra time to read since I know not everyone finished up the book when they were supposed to.

The look on my cat's face (in the banner above) is the attitude I am channelling today.

"A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water." ~Carl Reiner
"Weather forecast for tonight: dark." ~George Carlin
"Don't knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn't start a conversation if it didn't change once in a while." ~Kin Hubbard
"Snowflakes are kisses from heaven." ~Author Unknown
"The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches." ~e.e. cummings