The Glass

Today's glass is half full:
I brought the diss out on the deck for some fresh air and the last few pages I've written look pretty good in the light of day.
Teen daughter and I brought lunch to the park while the Pumpkins in the Park celebration was in full gear. Music and a lot of lame games for little kids.
Then we headed over to Elizabethtown, the new Orlando movie. Some dumb parts, but Orlando shone like a beacon throughout.
And now we're heading over to hear Ira Glass talk. Maybe he'll ask for volunteers from the audience and I can be on This American Life. That would be the perfect end to this pleasant fall day.

The List

• Why I'm in a Bad Mood
  
  My whole family's out having fun and I'm writing 60 report card comments.
  
  Small gnat like bugs keep flying around me and getting into my wine glass.
  
  I watched CNN for 5 minutes and found out that bankruptcies are way up this month and so are the number of wounded kids in hospitals in Iraq.
  
  My eye keeps twitching and I think I'm going to wake up with Bell's Palsy tomorrow.
  
  We haven't had a frost, probably due to global warming, so the fall foliage sucks this year.
  
  Need I go on or do you get the picture?
  
  

The Braces

Teen daughter's braces came off today. So I took one last brace foto because we had all grown fond of them.
I went to my first union meeting today, fairly geared up about participating in the politics of schooling. After an hour and 20 minutes when we were still only on item 2 of a ten item agenda, I was sagging. Happily, we adjourned quickly there after. Teen Daughter asked if I felt like Joe Hill, and honestly, I don't. Maybe that happens next time.

The Culture

I've been doling out apologies like they're going out of style lately. My friend G was incredulous about how much apologizing I'm doing. He says he's been noticing too many people living in a culture of apology. I get his point, but when I inconvenience someone, or hurt their feelings, I work up a pretty good apology. Sometimes I even buy the person a gift or two. G asked if I was apologizing so much because I had a need for people to like me. I'm sorry to report that the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

The Basics

I think my students think I'm blind. Last week, while I was teaching a kid walked across the room toward the tissue box. On her way, she flipped a note onto the desk of another girl. In clear sight of me and everyone. Today two kids traded off making the weirdest faces while I was reading a fascinating book. I decided to give the class a little chat about vision. I tried to help them understand by stating clearly, "You're directly in front of me and I can see you. I can see the things you do."
I don't want to promote sneakiness, but I do think they need to gain greater proficiency at basics like note passing, mimicry and assorted tomfoolery before they move on to junior high.

The Groups

The last 2 lit. groups, I've been behind on the reading. For Zlata's Diary, kids starting the group talking dramatically about an injury the dad sustained. I was like, "What?" He hurt his hand? Did that happen after p. 70, cause that's where I stopped." And today, for Sign of the Chrysanthemum, the kids were asking for clarification of a particular scene and I responded with, "Well I didn't read any of the chapters so I have no idea what you're talking about." A few others were behind as well, so one kid suggested that we all catch up tonight and meet again tomorrow. So now I have to read 3 chapters before I go to bed. Aargh.
I'm a little surprised they don't hassle me about slacking on the reading. I like to think it's because I give them extra time when they slack. But maybe they're nice because I'm an authoritarian representative of the state. I'll probably never really know.

The Pandemic

A sparrow has been hanging out at the feeder all week, just sitting there, not moving as I walk by to get to the car. I'm pretty sure that bird has avian flu. It seems lethargic and apathetic. Maybe I should stop putting seed out. But won't the still healthy birds just get stressed and be possibly more susceptible to the avian flu if I stop helping?
A few years ago, I assisted a kid with a research project on pandemics and ever since then the mere mention of the word brings me anxiety. The 1918 pandemic killed about 5% of the world's population. That's a goodly amount of folk. The vaccine for the flu is only made in one place in Switzerland. Don't you think they'd have a bunch of this stuff stockpiled somewhere just in case? Especially if there's any truth to quotes in the NY Times today that the pandemic probably won't occur soon, but it will surely occur sometime in the future. Pandemics are major dissertation distractions. I really don't need this right now.

The Prize

Congrats to the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, Mohamed ElBaradei. He and his organization, the International Atomic Enegy Agency, work to curb nuclear proliferation. The Bush Administration has been at odds with IAEA, so that's more evidence that they're doing something right. Today's AP article states, "ElBaradei suggested winning the world's most prestigious award vidincated his methods and goals---using diplomacy rather than confrontation..." Good choice this year, I say.

I wrote 2 new paragraphs this week, so I will be seeking out some prizes of my own this afternoon. Maybe the new Viggo movie is in my future.

The Chiton

#1 son needed a chiton for Greek Day tomorrow. So I did what had to be done. Called on the person who made Teen Daughter's chiton for Greek Day 3 years ago. The person who can take a piece of wire and a marble and bend it into a yard sculpture. Who brings over cakes decorated with wild flowers. Who makes purses and jewelry in her spare time and writes poetry in the wee hours of the morning. She whipped this awesome chiton out in no time flat. Kudos, to One Woman! We did help with a cardboard shield and Husbandman's going to make a Greek Salad for the feast. Stick a fork in it. We're done.

The Reasons

I'm probably not working on my dissertation for a number of reasons. First, I graded papers and worked on midterm grades all weekend and am desperate for a few moments to do nothing. Next, I spent 3 hours yesterday working on 3 hours of subplans for today so I could attend a meeting about teaching reading. And third off, I keep waking up at 3 in the morning and that makes me tired during the day. These are not good reasons, but they are reasons. I feel a lot of guilt and anxiety and sadness about the diss this week. I wish I could be more resolute.

The Future

Los studentes responded to a piece by M.T. Anderson last week about maturing. Anderson, as a kid, worried constantly, and looked forward to an adult life with less worry and paranoia. Los studentes all wrote that they felt the opposite. They anticipated adulthood as a time of increased worrying, and most mentioned items like taxes, paying bills, and getting to work regularly. I should console them by telling them that adulthood's not too bad. My dad still does my taxes and husbandman does all the bill paying. I get myself to work on my own and haven't missed a day yet this year. I have a huge stack of sick leave piling up so I will probably take a day off soon, just for fun. Maybe they'll just have to learn about the perks on their own.