Dollar & A Dream

I just realized today that I have a better chance of winning the lottery than I do of actually getting the money I was supposed to earn this year at my ft job. Oh, they managed to flim-flam again & I am the one getting screwed. I am so tired of this. I'm not talking about getting paid what you think you are worth. I am talking about actually getting money that was to have been in my contract. It's the equivalent of slave labor, I tell you. I have to figure out what it is that I want to do when I grow up, because that it happening faster than I would have liked. Drat!

Why Do They Take Everything Personal?

What is it with students today? They speak however they please, interrupt a class because they can, refuse to turn off cellphones because something (anything) may be more important than your class, will flat out tell you, to your face infront of the rest of the class, "I wasn't talking to you. I was telling the person next to me something". How about you shouldn't be talking while I am...got it? Or, my class & the education of the other 29 in the room IS more important than your phone. And, if you think otherwise, do not sign up for a class. Or, how about learn how to write an email appropriately and do not expect an answer back immediately. How's that float your boat?

I have an 8:25 am literature class on Mondays & Wednesdays. They were told to begin reading Night Fall back in January because we were going to spend only three dsya discussing a 360 page book. I had it broken down into three installments. But I did advise them to start early because it is a lot of reading. We finished discussing the book in class today. Out of 27 students, only 7 finished the book. The remaining 20, you ask? Are somewhere between still having to purchase/borrow the book to read & some are half way through the book. One genuis wanted to point out that he hasn't finished the book yet. He's on pg. 102. Ummm...you have a lot of catching up to do, buddy. He wanted to ask questions about things he has yet to encounter & wanted to interject with his opinion even though he has not read the book. I told him to keep quiet because he is unprepared. This is when he decides to take it that next step. "I work, Miss." "That's nice. So does everyone else." "No, Miss, I work a lot." "I told you to buy the book on January 19th and begin reading. It is now February 27. What is your point?" "Why do you have to make me look stupid infront of the class, Miss? This is why I don't participate. Because you make me feel dumb." I make you feel dumb? Me? Good! Tehn my work here is done. Is what I wanted to say. What did I say? "I am not making you feel anything. You are unprepared and that's it." Notice how it immediately becomes a personal issue.

Next up was the gentleman who came in 35 minutes late. My syllabus states that no student is to enter the room more than 15 minutes into the class. If they are late and it is past the initial 15 minutes, they are marked absent. That's it. So, I make eye contact with said gentleman and shake my head and nod towards the door. Very discreet. I did not say his name (maybe because I have given up learning their names) and I did not call attention to him in any way. That was it. After class I was moving from my shared office to my shared cubicle when I hear "Why'd you do that to me, Miss?" See why I don't learn their names? I have 11 classes of students. They have four, maybe five, professors. I am always "Miss". So, they are all "student". I raise my head and say "Excuse me?" He says "Why wouldn't you let me in? That was embarassing". I reminded him of the policy & he said "But I have car trouble this week & have to take public transportation." I have to now say "Thank you for informing me, but you still must be on time." Notice how I have to thank HIM. Why? Because these are the types of individuals who actually go to the chairperson and cry saying how their professor does not like them and proceeds to humiliate them in class.

Why is it that I make them feel dumb? Why is it me who embarasses them? Do they stop to think that it is their own actions that do this? No. It's easier to blame me. And why does this all happen in the first class?

In my next class I have a young woman who has been absent six times. Seven if you count the "hall pass" she tried to give me two weeks ago. I asked her what she was doing in my class today. I got the same old song of how she can't help it & she has to graduate & can't I just let her try once more? Oh yeah. All true. Fine! I will let her back in. But one more lateness or absence and she fails. Not my policy. That's the school. And it is the one thing I love there. How did she make it this far when she can't pass my Critical Thinking class? She failed it in the Fall with me & here she is again. Note the name of the course. Now, what is it that she has yet to do? Ah...maybe this is why she will not be graduating in May as planned. But, why is it me that this willf all on? Where are the other professors in all of this?

Sorry. I had to vent. I am on my way back into the abyss for another 7 hour run. Wish me luck!

Happy IVGLDSW Day

KDP sends me an email wishing me that jumbled mess above. It stands for International Very Good Looking, Damn Smart Woman's Day. Hahaha! I had to look at it three times before I could match up the letters. Don't ask. But now I wonder if she sent it to my by accident since it took me that long to figure it out! SO, I am passing it along to all of you! Crau, candyman, Scojen, Frenchie Bombshell, Tink, the shopaholic, and all of the others!

Have you noticed that there is a day for everything? In my opinion, we should be able to celebrate these days, for we never know when we may never get to again. I believe that our jobs should observe these days. "I'm sorry. I have to observe my (fill in the blank) Day. And, if you do not let me, it is an infringement on my civil/religious/insanity beliefs." I could have a job that I do not even bother to attend and still get paid? Score!

I Have Traveled Far And Wide

and did not leave the Javits Center. Peof Crau & I went in for their Travel Expo today. We got there at 11 and were not prepared for the experience at all. First of all, she was dressed all cute in a sweater and boots. Yes, Crau, I am calling you out on this. The last time we went in to the city together, I showed up in boots & all because I anticipated her doing the same. She had giggled and said "I wear sneakers when I come in for the day & shoes when I come in at night." Well, this was a "day" activity and I put on my trusty sneakers. Arriving at Penn (to find her reading The Devil Wears Prada...did I mention I loved that book?) I find her in the boots that I covet every time I see her in them. I point to them and say, "Hey, thought you were wearing sneakers?" She says, "No, I figure we are only going to be in the Center all day & not walking around the city." Well, even though I looked clunky, I am so glad I had on those sneakers. We WALKED! I also showed up with my "frenchy bombshell" purse (from the Frenchy Bombshell herself) and figured it is a great "city" bag because it fits over my shoulder (not like all of my other bags that I must carry by hand) and it holds A LOT of stuff. Not today.

We get to the Javits & find a plastic bag with a bunch of goodies in it. Yippee! We love free stuff. Let me start by saying that the Javits is HUGE and we could not figure out where to go to enter the show. That may be because there was a comic book convention going on there today, as well, with all of the freaks & geeks out...some even in costume. Poor Crau with her fear of characters. I do not do too well with them either, but she has a phobia with them. We actually had to wind through the maze of comic creeps to get to the travel show where we do find the bag of free stuff previously mentioned. I figured that bag would be enough to hold whatever we find along the way. To say no would be a major understatement. We each ended up with four bags filled with brochures & books & pencils & stickers & cookies. My hands are literally ripped apart from carrying those bags. And we did not pick up 70% of the brochures that one could have taken. I am planning trips to Hawaii, Tahiti, Belize, Japan, China, Costa Rica, Italy, Ireland, England/France, and Africa. I think that's it for now. Cowboy & Tink, got a couple of little things for you for Hawaii. And, KDP, found some Berkshire stuff for you! Oh, I was picking up all sorts of stuff for others along the way. A migraine began to kick in during our rounds at the convention and I had to eat to stave it off for a bit, so Crau plopped down at a massive table with some odd-looking people while I got on line to order a crepe. It was yummy. But such a tease because it did nothing to fill me up. I love crepes & this sent Crau & me into a memory moment of the Crepe Show in Paris. Yummy crepes.

After three hours of looking at destinations & balancing bags, it was time to go. We decide to stop at the ladies' room before heading back to Penn (because I have yet to enter a ladies' room there.....you all know my issues with public restrooms). While Crau was in ther first, someone had to watch all of our bags, I got to see Captain America take pictures with ever freak along the way. The poor guy just wanted to go down a flight of stairs, but each time he took another step, someone said "Hey! Captain America! Could you pose for me?" C. A. was nice enough to oblige. Crau comes out & it's my turn. As I finish washing my hands, I see a woman come out of the stall, grab the door handle, and walk out! YUCK! What is it with people & not washing their hands? I wash my hands religiously. With everything I do. It's not a compulsive thing, it's just cleanliness. EW! I always use a paper towel to open the door anyway, but having seen the germs land there myself this time set me off. The walk back to Penn was quite the task. Every escalator & staircase was taped off so that you could not go back up to the main level where you came in off of 11th Ave. I asked the guard how to get out. He told us that we had to actually exit out there & climb up the stairs outside of the building. WHY? I have no idea. I had to stop three times on the way back because I had too many bags & hands that were screaming in pain from those dumb plastic handles. Crau & I were both freezing & sweating at this point & she kept pointing out that this is how people get sick.

Finally we crawl into Penn & were so far from where we needed to be. Stop #4 took place right in the middle of the station so we could remove 1/2 of the layers we had on before we dropped on the floor. I don't know how we made it to Starbucks, but we did. Oh such a good iced caramel macchiatto! I manged to catch a train home & even got a seat. This is a big deal because the train was packed! Who the heck is heading back out to the Island at 4:15 in the afternoon on a Saturday? Apparently everyone. So I grab a two-seater for myself when, all of a sudden, this stout woman and her skinny husband stand there and she looks at me and clears her throat. She wants me to move. She actualy wanted me to move to the seat with the two gentlemen across the aisle so that they could sit together. Ummm, no. I can't feel a darn thing & she should have gotten on earlier. I slide over to be nice. She sat on me. Literally. My left leg was under her. I said she was stout. I was being nice. She weighed a ton. And I am not exaggerating because my left leg took most of the impact. Not the most comfortable ride home. But, thank goodness I am home. All this traveling has made me tired.

I Wanna Be A Part Of The Drew Crew

Okay, corny name, but a that's what it said on Nick Lachey's tie last night during the finals competition of Dancing With The Stars. I love that show. It's the only show I actually watch all week long. I deliberately set time aside so that I do not miss a single turn, ball-change, or shimmie. The competitors are fun to watch & their professional partners are so talented. The routine that Drew & Cheryl performed last night to "Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy" was amazing! And their outfits were hot. (And, I know my cowboy is probably cracing up at that comment...so stop it!) I miss dancing. I danced for 13 years & wish I could get back into it. I'd love to be one of the groupies & sign up for ballroom dancing, but I have to find a partner. If any of you know of anyone out there who'd like to give it a try, send them my way! The suspense is killing me, as the results are going to be announced on Sunday night during a two-hour finale. So don't bother me between 8-10 that night, go it?

The Pony Express

I got an email from Cowboy that he is flying back on the 28th of this month and staying for a week. He has had it with the Oregon Trail & misses the "big city" life. So, he will be back to try and find a job and resart his lfie that he left off with here.

The downside of this is that he just uprooted himself and went out there for a month. He has allowed himself to be backed into a corner and is now starting out further back behind the starting line than he had before.

The upside of all of this? He will be back (yippee for having a best friend again), he will be away from the negative energy that plagues him on a daily basis, and he will be happy. That is the main factor: his happiness. Now, if we can get him on the road to success & to a place in life where he belongs, all will be fine. Cowboy's a great guy, as many of you know, but he is so thick-headed. He knows this. It's no chock to him. But, you think that he would get it by now that his stubbron attitude only hurts him and takes him two steps back.

See you in a week, Cowboy. May your pony be quick!

The Puma Has Become An Endangered Species

Okay, I know I am a bit too focused on shoes lately. That may be because I I do not want to focus on the things that really need my attention. I mean work, love life (or lack of), and projects "to be completed" have mounted up and are just now nagging at me. I do not respond well to nagging. So I focus on shoes. And I have been meaning to buy a new pair of sneakers for a long time now. I found a pair right before Christmas but refrained from purchasing them because the holidays were fast-approaching. So I waited. I went back after the holidays to find them only to be told that they no longer carried these coveted sneakers. I have looked high & low, near & far, and have yet to even find one store where I may try on these cute little walking shoes. I finally found a store that had the right size (oh so Cinderella) to try on & they fit beautifully! "Do you have them in stock?" I asked, ever so hopeful. "Nah, we have a mismatched pair" says the unenthused clerk. So I ask if he can order them for me & have them shipped. "Nope. The system's down. Try Roosevelt." UGH. I head on over to the mall & drag poor KDP with me (she only wanted coffee). We went in and out of four more stores, all of whom had some excuse as to why I cannot have my pumas. I think the universe is trying to tell me that I was not meant to have a cute, yet comfortable, ensemble.

I Adore Dior

Continuing to "walk in my shoe" obsession, I also have to point out that I bought the cutest pair of Dior clogs to go with my pink & white saddle bag. Oh they are so pretty & I can't wait for the temps. to warm up a bit, the season to change to spring, and for me to be able to rock this adorable set out there on the streets. Watch out, Carrie, there's a new shoe gal in town!

Heart & Sole, I Fell In Love With You

"It's really hard to walk in a single woman's shoes -- that's why you sometimes need really special shoes." (Sex & The City)

Oh I am such a HUGE fan of shoes: stillettoes, heels, espadrilles, mules, clogs, and even sneakers. I love them all . And there is a pair of Delman's haunting me for a week now. They are absolutely adorable. And that is all I can think about. I have tried grading papers, but all I see is the cute outfit of Citizen jeans with these caramel suede shoes and how good I'd look going to the concert in two weeks. What to do, what to do...............if they have my size tomorrow, I think I shall get them.

I just had to put that out there.

Living In A Material World

Oh, frigid temps. make for a difficult day shopping in the city. But when you are a determined & veteran shopper as I am, this is taken in stride....right into the door of every fourth shop you see to thaw out! KDP and I went into the city for some fun & serious shopping. We got a late start bc she's a work-a-holic and I can't get my act together lately. But, oh Bloomies was the first stop & I only get to the "mother ship" twice a year. This was an event. And a chance to dawdle and try on shoes. Oh the shoes. Beautiful shoes that looked great on us. It was then onto Coach where KDP became a member of "high society" (or the dark side as some may refer to) and bought a smashing little beige purse. Very sweet, very pretty, and will serve her well. We then checked out Lacoste, where I found a tshirt (or three) that I would like, but cannot see spending $50 for a single tee. Yup. $50. Do you know why? It has a little gator on it. Bloomies had the same exact shirt for a lot less. I will have to make a special trip back to the ship soon.

Build-A-Bear has become a stop of our's, as well, as Abby & Adam need to add to their wardrobe for the season...(this is KDP adding for them, as they do live with her). I love looking at all of the new items that they come out with & stand in awe wishing they had such a store when I was 3. Oh, don't get me wrong. I have done my share of shopping there. Bearamy has his Bavarian outfit on and ready to go to Munich in April. Today was just a browsing day, sadly, as the styles for the upcoming St. Pat's Day did not impress.

Keeping with the Irish theme, we were starving at this point (and beyond numb I must point out) and had no idea where to eat. We found a great pub on 47th & Madison that was quiet, smelled delicious, and had immediate seating. The pub is somewhat separate from the restaurant itself & the whole place has a very mellow atmosphere going on. There's music, playing low in the background, and the seating is a bit tight, but the soothing surroundings make for a great place to stop and eat. And the food was yummy. I had the chicken pot pie. Oh so good. And warm. And filling. It was a great meal on such a night. It warmed me inside and out. And I even had a piece of their Irish Soda Bread. I am very picky about ISB and usually can't find one that I like. This was so good I could have just had them toast a loaf and let me sit there with the butter & enjoy myself. (Can you tell I am just a bit Irish & German?) So nice.

We then high-tailed it back towards the car (all the way on 61 & Lexington). This isn't normally a long hike, but when you can't feel a darn thing because you are so numb from the wind, the nearest Starbucks isn't near enough. We finally find one that is about 4 blocks from the car and stop to sit, thaw, and drink. All was fine there except for the "off-balanced" guy in the corner seat against the windows. He was just...odd...and seemed harmless as long as you didn't make eye contact with him. KDP did, ofcourse, while I was adding milk to my macchiato, and he smiled at her. Now, this isn't such a big deal, but this is the kind of guy who may end up sitting at your table even when you decide not to move at all in hopes that he will not notice you sitting there. Thank god all he did was smile and forget about her. We tried to talk & thaw out, but I could see him clearly & kept an eye on him, just incase. He had about five layers of shirts on that he decided he needed to fix. So, off came three. And each one had to be lain across the top of a chair just so...in a manner that if it wasn't exactly how he wanted it to be there'd be heck to pay. He then turns to face the window, oh so discreetly so that the women sitting next to him, and KDP and me, would not notice that he unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, pulled them down below his butt and tucked his two shirts in. Now, thank god we couldn't see anything but the back of him & his shorts, pants & two shirts. But the people passing by on 57th got an eye-full. I think he forgot (or just didn't realze) that those were windows and not a solid wall that he was facing. You know, that people could see in just as well as he could see out. Well, that Starbucks is now off-limits for me.

We raced back to the car on 61st and saw a cute guy get into a very nice car. He made a bit of small-talk with the two of us, but it was such a waste because all he did afterwards was get into his cute car & leave us there waiting for our's. What a let-down. KDP wanted to follow him out but that's hard to do when you don't have your car yet. Slow attendant.

Size Does Matter

I was able to take a gander at the new office area built (because NYS said it had to be) to house the overflow of full-timers & adjuncts. The "cubicle" is literally a cube. About 22 inches total: 18 for the desk length and two on each side so that you do not bump into the person at the cube next to you. There are no drawers, no shelves, no space. How do they expect me to fit 7+ years of accumulated crap that goes with the job to fit in there? If you don't believe me, ask crau. She can vouch for this teeny-tiny contortionist's dream to which we have been sentenced. Let's just see how long this lasts.

Valentine's Day Surprise

So, I don't really have a boyfriend at the moment. Cowboy & I are, ummm......well we are.....ummmmmm...........I don't really know what we are. I can tell you that we are on different coasts with three timezones between us (not making the phone conversations easy) and we do talk. A lot. Everyday as a matter of fact. Which is nice because he is my best friend and I miss him. A lot. And he will always be "more" to me, even if we aren't together. But, I haven't mentioned the whole "V-day" thing because I am not his girlfriend. And, I am old-fashioned. And I don't think it's right for me to bring it up nor should I have to. If he wants to do something, he'll do it. If not, well, he doesn't have to because we are.......... yeah.

But, I must say that it was so nice to turn my phone on this morning & get a text wishing me a "happy valentine's" & then I came home from my (pointless) office hours and flowers had been delivered. Very pretty pink & white (I am such a traditional girl...flowers & candy do it for me every time) and came with a note that made me smile. That made my day. He has made my Valentine's day for the last four out of five years (don't ask about last year's catastrophe). He's such a good guy & has that "sweet" quality. I didn't expect anything, but I am so glad that he did what he did.

Thanks, Cowboy. You done good.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Saturday night into Sunday was the "Blizzard of '06" and what a blizzard it was! 20 inches of tranquility blanketing everything. Oh it was beautiful...until I had to find my car and the sidewalk. I loved it really. My one problem with it? It should have happened Sunday night into Monday. Mother Nature always has a way of interrupting the weekend & then making everything right with the world again for Monday morning's disasterous commute. That's why I called in. ;)

The DInner That Wasn't (and other stuff)

Let's back-track to Thursday. I spent time over at the Sunny Farm. It's so nice there. Working there reminds me of what my job is supposed to entail. Knowledge. My lit. class has been assigned a novel of 670 pages for the first two weeks of March. I'm excited. When they saw the book on the first day, they were not. However, two students stayed after class to talk to me about the book. "Prof., I want to tell you that I do not like to read. And when I saw you hold up that THICK book, I thought this is going to kill me. But, I bought it & once I started it, I couldn't put it down. I finished it yesterday. Just wanted to tell you that & say thank you because this is the first book I have actually read and finished in a long time & now I can't wait to go and get more books by this author."
Do I really have to tell you that my head was spinning from this?

On Thursday night I spent two hours at the fabulous B&N drinking coffee & looking up Munchen stuff. So excited! The only dowsnide to this whole trip is that every time I see the word 'munchen' I think of 'munchkins'---as in Dunkin Donuts---and I become hungry & crave those wonderful miniature creations in chocolate glazed & jelly. Mmmm......yummy. Anyway, Happy Khoury went with me because he is, well, happy & wanted to have coffee & talk. Fine by me. So we talked & looked up stuff & he actually liked the bookstore. Yippee! From my perspective, I can't figure out how one wouldn't like it there. They have books, Starbucks coffee with a friendly staff & even serve cheesecake from the infamous Cheesecake Factory itself. How can you go wrong?

Yesterday my mom and I went up to the Harriman outlets. I love going up there. However, my wallet wasn't too pleased as it turned into (to quote the frenchie bombshell) "a pretty woman" experience. So many things that I did get & so many more that I want to go back for. OH--evil winter clearance sales you have caused me great issues of inner struggle (that would be the inners of my wallet).

For the evening event, KDP & I had a non-dinner. The Cheesecake Factory was the destination & we like to order the fun stuff on the menu. So, we had drinks, appetizers, and dessert. She had a raspberry martini & I had my favorite candy apple martini. For our "meals" we enjoyed avocado eggrolls & tamale corn cakes. FANTASTIC is all I have to say. The waitress suggested we polish it all off with a slice of white chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. A bit too peanut buttery for me, but still good.

We then shopped for shoes, which is always a good time for me. KDP decided that we would finish off the evening at our favorite starbucks where the little gay barista always recognizes us & then proceeds to make us the best caramel macchiatto there is. He wasn't there. Some other guy made a lame attempt at it & got it wrong. Evil bitter coffee is how we ended a tasty time. Ignoring that lapse in time, Thanks. KDP for a yummy evening!

Newsflash...This Just In....

Khoury is happy! You read it correctly. He came into my office last night, smiling, and said he is happy! I have known him for over five years & this is the first time I have actually seen & heard him say that he is experiencing this emotion. I was speechless. Thank goodness I was sitting down for that news. K~if you read this~I am so glad you are happy!

And I was okay with my classes & students. They seemed to be on task this semester. And then yesterday hit. In my first class I had one on his laptop screwing around. I instructed him to close it. By the third time I just said "Stay after class & if you open it again, I will make a wish with it". Then, some genius sitting three rows up decides to write him a note and hold it up (for everyone sitting between them to see) about the "girl on the other side of the room who is on her labtop". I asked him "What are you doing?". The response? "Oh, I had to tell him something." (choking/stuttering sound here)..."You had to what?" "Well, I had to tell him something & didn't want to interrupt the lecture." Genius, isn't that what you did anyway by holding up a stupid note? So I tell him to stay afer as well. "Why?" is what this einstein asks me. "You'll find out after class" is my response. So, then the note-writer gets up and makes a production of crumbling the note to go and throw it out. I growl "Sit down and flatten that note out". "Why?" I forgot that I was teaching five-year olds. "You'll find out when you stay after."

Then I get to teach my afternoon class. There are 18 present. Only one is participating. I instruct them to close their books and take out a piece of paper. They are to write a 7-10 sentence summary of the essay that had been assigned for homework. How many were able to do this task? One. That's right. One student was able to write a summary of the essay. The other seventeen wrote an explanation as to why they hadn't read it.

My first evening class was just as tragic. I found two students plagiarized their projects off of a website on the internet. Many others did not write the minimum required amount. And still others had at least 20 grammatical errors on the first page of the project alone. What class is this, you ask? Critical Thinking. So, as you can tell, a majority of that class will fail the semester. I went in there raging. I even used the "b" word--which I despise. I berated them for thinking I am stupid and wouldn't be able to find their ripped-off work on the internet. Then I pointed out that I have heard some of them try to suck up in class yet call me that "b" wod in the hall. I reminded them that they are only fooling themselves & it is pretty pathetic that I care more about their grades than they do. I also pointed out that I have graduated and do not need the class, yet some of them will not graduate because of their lack of effort in this class. Oh well. The Briar reality has fully set in. How many days until May 5th?

I Just Said That

A five minute lecture of directions about the assignments (and the specifications) due for the next two classes. Questions asked by a few for clarification. Diagrams on the board of the cover sheet & the "happy staple". Oh, I did it all. I wrap up the session as I always do with "Questions? Comments? Concerns? Any suggestions for next time? No? Okay! See you all on Thursday." The class clears out. I am set to walk out the door and to my car to go home to my comfy pajamas & relax. And there he is. That student! You know the one. He sits in class and doesn't say a word. Better yet, he doesn't hear a word said either. He's standing in the hallway & as the last person leaves, he is aiming himself to come right back through the door into the classroom that he just left without paying attention or asking questions.

What is the first thing out of his mouth? "So, what do we need for Thursday?" ?!?!?!? What do you mean "what do we need"? How can you ask that NOW? So, I patiently explain to him that we just went over this & I even had a list & a diagram on the board. "Oh yeah?" is the response from the student. "Yes" I reply. "So, I need to look stuff up for this essay? About what?" AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGG You have got to be kidding me. So I remind him that we just went over it (again) on the board & I just summarized it for him there in the doorway. "Oh yeah?" is what my ears hear again. "Yeah," I say again, "See you Thursday!" and I left him in the doorway.

This is why I become so frustrated with family and friends who want me to repeat things. I believe that I have intelligent relatives & friends. I expect them to listen the first time. Why? So that I am not having my classroom simulated in my social life.

On to better things! I had a pointless two hour session of office hours that my students have yet to utilize. But that's okay because I can sit and chat with all of my coworkers. Fun for me. And I get paid for this. Then, lunch with burnt sienna, which was interesting. I have never had a chance to sit with him & chat extensively before. Boy can he talk. I don't think I said more than 20 words in an hour. I know! I'm shocked at me too! Then it was back to the building for birthday cake for (as crau puts it) the Blessed Mary. Yummy cake was provided by our very own "Dr. T". The way to make any Tuesday better is to have a slice of really good cake & all is right with the world again.

Debates aren't just for politicians

Why do my students feel the need to debate what I stated three time and have in writing? First projects (with first grades) went back into their greedy little hands tonight and all I heard was "What the..." and "Why did you give me...?"

First of all, if you can't follow basic directions, I shouldn't have to grade it at all. Second, I didn't give anyone anything. If anyone was giving anything tonight it was the students giving me an ulcer. Word of advice: read the directions!

All I can say is that I have taken some college classes before and if the professor said it once, it was the law. He or she did not care if you were there to hear it. The point was they ran their class the way they saw fit. And, there was no debate. My students can bend and twist anything to serve their purpose. They should run for office.

The Weekend In Review

I am trying to watch the Super Bowl, but the Seahawks are not doing well & my attentions need to focus elsewhere, otherwise I will get all stressed out and won't be able to sleep. So far, the only impressive play was the 70 yard run by the Seahawks. Other than that, there hasn't been anything impressive. Even the commercials were not that great this year. The only one I have enjoyed was the clydesdale trying to pull the team's wagon.

Cowboy's gone about a week now. He arrived in Portland on Wednesday night. I miss him. How could I not? He's my best friend & was my all for the last 3+ years. And now that we are just friends (we'll always be friends) it's still hard to not have him around. Yes, I know I didn't see him for two months & barely spoke to him because he really ticked me off. But the reality was that he was still in Commack & I could drive by and throw rocks at him if I wanted to. I cannot drive to Oregon just to throw rocks at him. We've spoken every night since he's left. I think it's because he's lonely. And I am, too. To sum it up~~this sucks.

The little brother moved out this weekend. He's renting a house about 10 minutes away with four other guys that he works with. I really can't figure out why he would do this. I asked him and all I get is "I have to." Umm...no you don't. I think he is afraid he will miss out on some inside thing and that's why he went. But, he moved out to have more space. There were four of us here, including him. He had the whole basement as his domain + his room. No rules/regulations/restrictions. And now he is living with four guys (+himself) and two of them have girlfriends (who we all know will have their own keys to the hosue in no time. But, hey, that's not my money or business).

My Kappa Delta Pi sister & I went out Saturday night for a bit. I needed an escape from the "working Friday" and the moving of the little bro. So we tried on clothes because KDP needs a sparkly outfit for when we do "Girls' Night" again. Then, after complaining about the sizes we were wearing & fitting into, we went to good old Coldstone Creamery. Like that's going to help. And in it's own odd way, it did.

KDP and I went to the city today to look at apartments. She wants to buy and try and expand her social circle to include dateable men. Wouldn't we all? So I accompanied her and we saw some really nice places. I'd love to do something like that. But, I can't pay that kind of $$ to look out onto the top of a roof of the buidling next to me and see a lot of crap. The one selling point that really had me hooked was the one realtor who said "Oh, and you can look out at the Park". (That's Central for those of you who don't know.) And, KDP asks me "Where is the park?" And I point to about four blocks away where you could see the tops of some trees. Yes. You read correctly. Tops of trees. In the distance. That's the view of the park. WHAT PARK? Better yet, WHAT TREES? How do I know that these aren't trees that some buildings have on those rooftop terraces? There was another great one (walk up though...ugh--I will not come to visit you at a walk up) that had no closets. I mean it. How do you buy a place with no closets? It is currently owned by a man who has his bed built up off the groud so he can have a rod hang underneath and hang his shirts off of that rod. He even has a small 5-step staircase at the foot of the bed so he can literally "climb in". After walking up to the fifth floor, does one really need to climb more stairs into bed? So sad. The things people will do to say that they live on the upper west side. The only good thing to come out of this hunt was the one realtor. He was cute. And nice to talk with. KDP plans on calling him to see what else he has to "show" her. Heeheehee. Sorry.

And, the Seahwaks have lost. DRAT!

Addictions & Advil

Hi. My name is Tanya & I am addicted to the internet.

I never realized how bad it is, but between having to check four email accounts (before you jump on me I will point out that three are for work), working on the online class that I am teaching, another online class I am developing, trying to piece together a trip that isn't in English, and this blogging thing, I now have a flat butt. And this is not because I work out (see reference to m&ms in the next paragraph) but because I have been sitting here looking up stuff, responding to emails, and, once in awhile, shopping.

This weather is killing me so I am loaded up on advil. I am not a fan of taking any kind of pills, but when the pain is that intense, sometimes you must give in. The drawback to taking Advil? They taste like m&ms to me. So what do I do? Buy a bag of those new Mega M&Ms & begin eating. I'm sure that this will help with the migraine I am running with all day.

"F" 'Em

Ridiculous Friday make-up classes crap! Who in the world decided that we should come in on Friday to make up classes?!? The students do not show up anyway...so I sat there...for no reason. It's bad enough when Monday rolls around so quickly, but what is a person to do when you have TWO Mondays in one week? And, if you only knew the Mondays I wake up to, then you would understand why I have written this. UGH!

And to those who did not show up today...their grade is in the title.

Punxsutawney Phil Makes His Annual Debut

The results are in and we will have six more weeks of winter! Thanks to Phil & his trusty shadow, I know how to dress for the remainder of the season.

Whoever decided that pulling a poor, chunky rodent out of his den to predict the inevitable had way too much time on their hands.

Go back to sleep Phil. Your job here is done.

And so it begins

Okay, so I've been pounded with the word "blog" from every angle possible. Friends have them, AOL connects you to celebrity blogs, and I just realized that half of the info provided on the USA Today website is from bloggers. I thought, "Hey! I can write like that!" So, here it is.

The title is an inside thing...thanks to crau & the candyman. Apparently, there was an author in Russia who wrote a book very similar to the J.K. Rowling series, but named the young wizard-in-training "Tanya Grotter". And since I share the same first name with the lead character, I have been dubbed "Grotter" by a very select few (thank god). OH! As for the author ripping off stories? Yeah, sued and the book (printed in Russian only so I will never be able to read it) was banned.

I have always written things: greeting cards, poems, short stories, but never bother to take it that next step. I have yet to figure out why. Confidence issue & all of those "failure" things, I guess. But, the times are a changin' and I want to do more than what I currently do (EEK! and they let me teach English--go figure.) And this seems to be a harmless way to start writing, if this is writing, and sharing thoughts, opinions, and general antics with those who are interested (or bored) enough to read it.

I must mention this: I read an article in Newsday yesterday about a woman who just published a book called "The Year of Yes". It focuses on her dating rut & how she decided to say yes to every date that came along. Oh yes--men old & young (a 28 yr old woman with a 70 yr old man? hmmm....who am I to pass judgement when I am not dating anyone?), a homeless man, and women. Her perspective is that we can learn something from everyone we meet & should not close the door of opportunity. Good point. But, she managed to have approximately 150 dates that year. I don't think I can even find 150 people to .............. do anything with. This is one of my missions for the year: to find anyone who may be dateable. Good god, what am I getting myself into?

So wish me luck & enjoy!