At least I do right now if what I think is happening really is................
Back in March, the Dept. sat together to create our summer schedules. We've done this for years. And whatever's left goes to the adjuncts. This summer, not much is running. And there may not be any classes for adjuncts.
Until now.
We had to "put in our wish list" to see if the dean would approve it. The decree came this evening. Of the four (minimum) I need (for financial purposes), I got two.
This is not acceptable. I need the classes for money. I need the classes so I do not go broke. I didn't take them for the fun of it. I took them because I need to live. And what they pay me as a full-timer is criminal. Forcing me to work in the summer.
Ummmm...........that's every summer until now.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Disturbing.....................On So Many Levels
The President's Correspondants' Dinner was held this weekend. In attendance were many politicians, hollywood stars & starlets, press, and "The Hills"?
Oh yes. Heidi & Spencer. And Lauren. This irks me.
These are people who have no clue as to what goes on beyond fashion, bickering over who leaked what lies to which paper/blog site, clubbing it & parties, and MTV. And here they were--hobnobbing it with some of the Nation's most powerful and influential people.
Something is definitely wrong with this country.
Oh yes. Heidi & Spencer. And Lauren. This irks me.
These are people who have no clue as to what goes on beyond fashion, bickering over who leaked what lies to which paper/blog site, clubbing it & parties, and MTV. And here they were--hobnobbing it with some of the Nation's most powerful and influential people.
Something is definitely wrong with this country.
Defeating the Purpose
The geniuses-that-be have done it again. It was registration time and that is always a nightmare from which one can barely recover. We have, for the last nine years, done what is called "mass registration" where we sit like targets behind a long row of tables and wait for the student to approach.
Now, normal schools would have students show up with degree maps filled out, a selection of classes and codes that they need and are running at times that they have chosen, and financial aide papers completed.
Notice the use of the word "normal".
Our students have shown up, year after year, with none of the aforementioned papers. They sit down with the papers handed to the by the Regsitrar and then push the papers across the table to the poor advisor and say "Uh....Here". Many just take the papers and hand-hold the student, asking them how classes are going, what they think they need, if they want this class or that, and what days & times they'd like to attend. So many times, I would say "Hey! Why haven't you done this? Why am I supposed to be more interested in your future (and finances) than you are?" and I would slide the papers back to them and tell them to go pick out what they need and I would double-check it to see if they did it correctly.
Many many (many) schools have moved to phone-in or online proccesses and yet we still do it with face-to-face meetings and hand-holding. This semester, the College decided to divide up all of the students by the number of faculty and assign us each a group. We were given the list of names March 7th. Registration was to now work as follows: Email the students that registration has begun, they need to print their own degree map and fill it in, and then select classes. They were to email back and set up a time to meet so that I could verify that all papers are correct. They had from March 13th until April 10th to do this. I had 31 students which whom I had to meet.
I heard from five and met with three. What happened to the others? I don't know. I sent out three emails detailing times, dates, and procedure to expedite the whole thing and I got NOTHING in return.
What were we told last Monday? Take all remaining students who had not registered from our groups, fill in the degree map for them, look at their previous schedules to see if they have taken summer classes or not, and then register them for summer and fall classes, respectively.
So we just took all ownership out of their hands completely? They had to do NOTHING to continue their future as I had to be considerate of it for them? Are you kidding? And we had until that Friday to submit all of the papers. It took me ten........................yes 10.............hours to do all of them by myself.
So much for making the students responsible. I guess we showed them!
Now, normal schools would have students show up with degree maps filled out, a selection of classes and codes that they need and are running at times that they have chosen, and financial aide papers completed.
Notice the use of the word "normal".
Our students have shown up, year after year, with none of the aforementioned papers. They sit down with the papers handed to the by the Regsitrar and then push the papers across the table to the poor advisor and say "Uh....Here". Many just take the papers and hand-hold the student, asking them how classes are going, what they think they need, if they want this class or that, and what days & times they'd like to attend. So many times, I would say "Hey! Why haven't you done this? Why am I supposed to be more interested in your future (and finances) than you are?" and I would slide the papers back to them and tell them to go pick out what they need and I would double-check it to see if they did it correctly.
Many many (many) schools have moved to phone-in or online proccesses and yet we still do it with face-to-face meetings and hand-holding. This semester, the College decided to divide up all of the students by the number of faculty and assign us each a group. We were given the list of names March 7th. Registration was to now work as follows: Email the students that registration has begun, they need to print their own degree map and fill it in, and then select classes. They were to email back and set up a time to meet so that I could verify that all papers are correct. They had from March 13th until April 10th to do this. I had 31 students which whom I had to meet.
I heard from five and met with three. What happened to the others? I don't know. I sent out three emails detailing times, dates, and procedure to expedite the whole thing and I got NOTHING in return.
What were we told last Monday? Take all remaining students who had not registered from our groups, fill in the degree map for them, look at their previous schedules to see if they have taken summer classes or not, and then register them for summer and fall classes, respectively.
So we just took all ownership out of their hands completely? They had to do NOTHING to continue their future as I had to be considerate of it for them? Are you kidding? And we had until that Friday to submit all of the papers. It took me ten........................yes 10.............hours to do all of them by myself.
So much for making the students responsible. I guess we showed them!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Stop Me Before I Do It
All I can think of lately is Cowboy. I wake up to thoughts about him. I listen to songs on the radio and immediately relate them to him. I hear something funny and think of how he'd appreciate it. All I want to do is call him.
And I have been so tempted to all week. Our last contact was March 17th when I texted him that I want my money. That was it.
I haven't contacted him. I probably won't. Because he wasn't a good friend to me when I needed it. And hte last thing I said tohim (his voicemail) wasn't very nice. And he's probably engaged to the latest girl in his life and I just can't hear about it.
I do believe that he will be back in my life one day. I'm not sure how, but he and I did have a connection that is rare and should not be tossed aside.
And I am not sure a relationship, in general, would solve my cravings to call him. Its beyond that. I just feel so icky going as long as I have without contact. Why did he have to be so lousy.
And I have been so tempted to all week. Our last contact was March 17th when I texted him that I want my money. That was it.
I haven't contacted him. I probably won't. Because he wasn't a good friend to me when I needed it. And hte last thing I said tohim (his voicemail) wasn't very nice. And he's probably engaged to the latest girl in his life and I just can't hear about it.
I do believe that he will be back in my life one day. I'm not sure how, but he and I did have a connection that is rare and should not be tossed aside.
And I am not sure a relationship, in general, would solve my cravings to call him. Its beyond that. I just feel so icky going as long as I have without contact. Why did he have to be so lousy.
Greatest Line Of The Week
"Panty-line-molesting-dress"
That is a quote about "The HIlls" Heidi Montag's new fashion line. What that girl knows about fashion, I have no idea. She attended FIDM for one day. Yes. One day. And that was to go into Public Relations work. Not fashion. And yet, here she has clothes that look as if they came from an old '80s hair band video shoot.
Who in the world would actually buy the pieces? Unless it was Halloween, I don't know. Heidi should stick to what she knows: falling for loser guys and screwing over the people she calls her friends all for the sake of a few dollars.
That is a quote about "The HIlls" Heidi Montag's new fashion line. What that girl knows about fashion, I have no idea. She attended FIDM for one day. Yes. One day. And that was to go into Public Relations work. Not fashion. And yet, here she has clothes that look as if they came from an old '80s hair band video shoot.
Who in the world would actually buy the pieces? Unless it was Halloween, I don't know. Heidi should stick to what she knows: falling for loser guys and screwing over the people she calls her friends all for the sake of a few dollars.
Big Money No Whammies!
Crak and I have yet to settle our TN plans and need to get moving on that train before the Chattanooga Choochoo leaves without us. I found myself heading out there Tuesday afternoon so that we could sit and look up sites, airfare, and hotels together. Again, hard to do this now that she had to go off and get a real job ............... I may survive. We'll see.
We made some plans..........nothing written in stone yet...............and then we drove over to the Franklin Square Theater for a free showing of "21". Free because she has that cable pass and gets two tickets on Tuesdays. I loved this. Money is tight and free is good.
I loved the movie. I am not going to break down the details of the film but would love to go to Vegas. And I'd love to learn how to count cards. They had such a cool system going.....with their "sweet", "paycheck", "paper" and other code words to tell how high the deck count was when the ringer came in to gamble.
The main character, Ben (played by Jim Sturgess), was not only sweet and likeable, but very goodlooking to watch on screen. I didn't get how the girl he had a crush on, Jill (Kate Bosworth) could tell him she wasn't interested, then all-of-a-sudden like him enough to seduce him and invite him to her comped suite, and then when things get rough, disappear and hold it against him for not contacting her sooner. It lost me there. But the movie was GREAT!
The theater, however, was not. It was hot. I don't mean warm and a bit uncomfortable. I mean "Welcome to the Equator in June" hot. I thought I'd pass out and told Crak that if I happened to fall out of my seat, it wasn't because I was sleeping. It'd be heat stroke.
Top the heat off with the senior group that invaded the theater. They can't see, can't hear, and bring their own snacks in a ginormous bag. In our aisle, a husband had to tell his wife what was happening in the film. It was cute. It was comical. And it was predictable to the point that, at the end, I said practically the same thing to Crak. We laughed.
As we left the theater, we talked about counting cards & how we may not be able to work out such a system and revisited the discussion about blowing on people's dice. We'll have to try and put that plan into action this summer.
We made some plans..........nothing written in stone yet...............and then we drove over to the Franklin Square Theater for a free showing of "21". Free because she has that cable pass and gets two tickets on Tuesdays. I loved this. Money is tight and free is good.
I loved the movie. I am not going to break down the details of the film but would love to go to Vegas. And I'd love to learn how to count cards. They had such a cool system going.....with their "sweet", "paycheck", "paper" and other code words to tell how high the deck count was when the ringer came in to gamble.
The main character, Ben (played by Jim Sturgess), was not only sweet and likeable, but very goodlooking to watch on screen. I didn't get how the girl he had a crush on, Jill (Kate Bosworth) could tell him she wasn't interested, then all-of-a-sudden like him enough to seduce him and invite him to her comped suite, and then when things get rough, disappear and hold it against him for not contacting her sooner. It lost me there. But the movie was GREAT!
The theater, however, was not. It was hot. I don't mean warm and a bit uncomfortable. I mean "Welcome to the Equator in June" hot. I thought I'd pass out and told Crak that if I happened to fall out of my seat, it wasn't because I was sleeping. It'd be heat stroke.
Top the heat off with the senior group that invaded the theater. They can't see, can't hear, and bring their own snacks in a ginormous bag. In our aisle, a husband had to tell his wife what was happening in the film. It was cute. It was comical. And it was predictable to the point that, at the end, I said practically the same thing to Crak. We laughed.
As we left the theater, we talked about counting cards & how we may not be able to work out such a system and revisited the discussion about blowing on people's dice. We'll have to try and put that plan into action this summer.
Would You Care For A Spot Of Tea?
Sunday:
I found myself in the back of dad's car with KDP, on our way to the NYC's Third Annual Coffee & Tea Festival. I'm lovin' these festivals and want to go to as many as I can (at least that my wallet will allow). I enjoy tea. I like sampling flavors of tea. I am not a fan of drinking a full cup of it hot, but can sip it. And, many of them make great iced teas when the warm weather comes around.
I have attended the Chocolate Show for the last few years at the Metropolitan Pavilion and know the space they have and the amount of vendors and patrons they can handle, so I was looking for row after row of teas & coffees that are available to both the public and to restaurant establishments.
We got there around 11:30 and found no line outside. Weird. There's usually a line for anything you do in the city. We walked in and got our goody bags which were filled with coupons and bags of samples. I am looking forward to trying them later on this weekend.
We enterd the main room and found.....................maybe 30 people and thirty vendors. What? This is not what it sounded like on the site at all!
Anyways, we made the best of it. Because there were so few people milling around, it was easy to get a sample..........or four.............and speak with ease to the vendors. The first lady we spoke with was from Harrisons & Crossfields and she was extremely interesting! I learned a lot about teas, styles, and even how to brew the proper pot of tea.
We had liquid chocolate............mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. D. Licious.
I had espresso from three different companies. I found that I do not like espresso and it took me two hours to blink again.
We sat through a seminar about "cupping" and how to tell the difference between quality of fresh leaves. Needless to say............we left wenty minutes into the hour-long session.
Now I have a mission to go to Alice's Teacup as soon as possible!
I found myself in the back of dad's car with KDP, on our way to the NYC's Third Annual Coffee & Tea Festival. I'm lovin' these festivals and want to go to as many as I can (at least that my wallet will allow). I enjoy tea. I like sampling flavors of tea. I am not a fan of drinking a full cup of it hot, but can sip it. And, many of them make great iced teas when the warm weather comes around.
I have attended the Chocolate Show for the last few years at the Metropolitan Pavilion and know the space they have and the amount of vendors and patrons they can handle, so I was looking for row after row of teas & coffees that are available to both the public and to restaurant establishments.
We got there around 11:30 and found no line outside. Weird. There's usually a line for anything you do in the city. We walked in and got our goody bags which were filled with coupons and bags of samples. I am looking forward to trying them later on this weekend.
We enterd the main room and found.....................maybe 30 people and thirty vendors. What? This is not what it sounded like on the site at all!
Anyways, we made the best of it. Because there were so few people milling around, it was easy to get a sample..........or four.............and speak with ease to the vendors. The first lady we spoke with was from Harrisons & Crossfields and she was extremely interesting! I learned a lot about teas, styles, and even how to brew the proper pot of tea.
We had liquid chocolate............mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. D. Licious.
I had espresso from three different companies. I found that I do not like espresso and it took me two hours to blink again.
We sat through a seminar about "cupping" and how to tell the difference between quality of fresh leaves. Needless to say............we left wenty minutes into the hour-long session.
Now I have a mission to go to Alice's Teacup as soon as possible!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Day Three: The Wind Has Yet To Subside
It rained. Again. Why? Because we were traveling today. And we had to walk -- originally -- four blocks to the subway & go down a set of scary-slippery stairs to the Red Line. We got there.....wet......and found yellow police tape at the entrance. All it siad ws to "Catch The Shuttle". But where was the shuttle? There were no signs anywhere!
We met a man who was almost as disgruntled as we were who told us to walk six block further and pick up the Purple Line. We had no other choice. Well, we did. But it would have been a $40 cab ride. $2 a person sounded better. And we left with time for errors to occur. Still raining and cold, we hauled it the six lengthy blocks. Where we had to climb three flights of stairs......slippery and suitcases........and the phrase "out of breath" doesn't begin to explain the feeling. The Purple line came, finally, and we got on with way too many other people. Flashbacks to Crak & me holding the doors to the metro open while pitching our way-too-bulky/heavy suitcases into a crowded car where nobody would help came to mind......and we now had to figure out where this would link to the Orange Line to head back to Midway.
Becasue it was Saturday, fewer trains were running and there really wasn't a time schedule to follow. We got out at a station, hurriedly took the elevator (first one I saw at a station this whole time) and went down one level to hop in another and ride it back up to the platfrom on the other side. 15 minutes later, the Orange Train arrived and we began the run back to the airport.
We made it with a half hour before boarding. Not much time but enough to get on line and have our bags checked. We hustled it to the gate & hopped on the plane.
Take-off was a bit rough with the.........don't make me say it...........wind and rain, but the pilot did just fine. We were back to ISP in no time at all.
I was so tired & all I wanted to do was go home and crash. Fat chance. Dad, who met us at the airport, was hungry, as it was 6:00, and wanted to go get dinner. He went to Chilis on Rte. 110. We had a 45-minute wait. While sitting there, I noticed a student waiting tables in the bar section. So I scurried out of sight because I was tired, cold, and had just gotten off a plane. I was in no mood to see a student. We were seated and our waitress came over to take our orders.
I sat there in our section and watched another waitress who looked awfully familiar. But, I couldn't place her. All of a sudden, it hit me: she was the evil woman from the fall who was furious over her grade and literally went screaming up and down the halls until someone would listen. Drat! I can't stand her. Thankfully, it didn't seem as if she saw me, so I ate & told my parents to hustle it up a bit.
I went home tired but happy that my stealth moves kept me off the radar. I'd go back to Chicago in a New York minute, but only if it is after Memorial Day.
We met a man who was almost as disgruntled as we were who told us to walk six block further and pick up the Purple Line. We had no other choice. Well, we did. But it would have been a $40 cab ride. $2 a person sounded better. And we left with time for errors to occur. Still raining and cold, we hauled it the six lengthy blocks. Where we had to climb three flights of stairs......slippery and suitcases........and the phrase "out of breath" doesn't begin to explain the feeling. The Purple line came, finally, and we got on with way too many other people. Flashbacks to Crak & me holding the doors to the metro open while pitching our way-too-bulky/heavy suitcases into a crowded car where nobody would help came to mind......and we now had to figure out where this would link to the Orange Line to head back to Midway.
Becasue it was Saturday, fewer trains were running and there really wasn't a time schedule to follow. We got out at a station, hurriedly took the elevator (first one I saw at a station this whole time) and went down one level to hop in another and ride it back up to the platfrom on the other side. 15 minutes later, the Orange Train arrived and we began the run back to the airport.
We made it with a half hour before boarding. Not much time but enough to get on line and have our bags checked. We hustled it to the gate & hopped on the plane.
Take-off was a bit rough with the.........don't make me say it...........wind and rain, but the pilot did just fine. We were back to ISP in no time at all.
I was so tired & all I wanted to do was go home and crash. Fat chance. Dad, who met us at the airport, was hungry, as it was 6:00, and wanted to go get dinner. He went to Chilis on Rte. 110. We had a 45-minute wait. While sitting there, I noticed a student waiting tables in the bar section. So I scurried out of sight because I was tired, cold, and had just gotten off a plane. I was in no mood to see a student. We were seated and our waitress came over to take our orders.
I sat there in our section and watched another waitress who looked awfully familiar. But, I couldn't place her. All of a sudden, it hit me: she was the evil woman from the fall who was furious over her grade and literally went screaming up and down the halls until someone would listen. Drat! I can't stand her. Thankfully, it didn't seem as if she saw me, so I ate & told my parents to hustle it up a bit.
I went home tired but happy that my stealth moves kept me off the radar. I'd go back to Chicago in a New York minute, but only if it is after Memorial Day.
"Stormy, Husky, Brawling, City of the Big Shoulders"
Sandburg's poem makes somuch more sense now.
Day Two in CHi-town was proving to be much better than Day One.
It was almost 60degrees and sunny! Hurray! We were planning on visiting the Sears Tower and thought it best to take one of those trolley/double-decker bus tours to see the city & be able to get on and off as we like. We hopped the first bus at 9:30 and were whiksed all the way to the opposite end of the city for that first stop. Which would be The Sears Tower.
On the way, we saw all sorts of sites pointed out by the guide. I convinced Mom to sit up top for just this portion of the trip so we could see things better. They were predicting rain for later and I wanted to do this once while we had the opportunity. I had a great ime up there & loved ducking so that I wouldn't lose my head on the traffic light fixtures. OUr guide, Brad, was so funny. He told us such interesting facts & really bad corny jokes. But he kept it interesting.
We hopped off at the Sears Tower at 9:50 and went inside. The first run up to the 103 floor was at 10 and my mom thoguth we may be too early, as the lobby of the building was empty. But we took an elevator down two floors to go through security and begin the tour and were met with a line of 100+ people. Still, we didn't stand long and got to see a movie about the building's hostiry and how, when finished, the Sears Corp. was only in there 14 years before they had to sell it off. So sad!
We got in the elevator and were delivered to the top in no time flat. My ears popped only three times on the way up. When we exited the elevator, I was expecting to be inside but have the opportunity to walk outside too. Nope. The entire viewing floor is indoors. Here I was thinking Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building but this is nothing like those. It is 100% enclosed.
Because it was a clear day, we could see up to 50 miles away. So cool! And the Chicago River and Lake Michigan were right there, too. Loved it.
We went back down and waited for a bus to continue the tour. This next bus we caught was not as intersting as our first host. This guy told us some facts, but he was so flat about it that I didn't find them interesting. Stop 2, for us, was Millenium Park, where we saw the Amphitheater and "The BIg Bean". "The Bean" is a silver, massive sculpture that reminds me of a kidney bean. But HUGE. I took some cool pictures of it and the city and blue sky reflect off of it into the shot that it is so pretty. I even took a picture of it with my mom & me in the reflection. Nice!
We hopped onto another bus and somehow got our original host back! Yippee! He took us past the Museum of Modren Art, where he said its better known as "I could have done that". I laughed so hard when he said "They paint three lollipop sticks orange, glue them into the shape of a tirangle on a big white board, and then hang it up. When I ask 'What's teh meaning of this?' hey sao 'Oh. It's too deep to explain.'" He was hysterical.
We drove past the Chicago river....which flows backwards. Apparently, they used to dump waste into the river....................all waste..............and never thought twice of it, even though the river was their water supply and drank from it. When people began to get sick, they decided that they had to build dams and levvies (spelling?) and were sending he water into the Mississippi to St. Louis. St. Louis tried to block the movement, but didn't do it in time and Chicago scored one. St. Louis got them back. According to the guide, they bottled that water at their Budweiser plant and sent it right back to Chicago. Nice!
On to Navy Pier. It was so cold walking down by the Lake and we tried to stay inside as best as possible. Here's where I had my first taste of Chicago's famous barbeque. I had a pulled pork sandwich that was pretty darn good. And I don't even like pulled pork. Go figure!
We grabbed a trolley from there to finish our tour at the opposite end of the MAg. Mile from where we werestaying. We passed the Wrigley Building along the way and heard even more cool facts from our new driver/guide. We got off and began the walk. The architecture of the buildings was so pretty and classic. I enjoyed the detail and how it varied from one structure to another. They ahd a sculpture of a moose on the street that was made from the bumpers of cars in accidents in that area from last year. Cool moose!
We wanderd back to the hotel around 7 and went to dinner. I had the classic Chicago Pie (pizza). I also had the fresh berry crepe with hazelnut chocolate (nutella...but they didn't say that on the menu).
It was a bit windy out but not yet raining so we took a walk to the stores on the Mag. Mile and got some souveniers for people. I really couldn't find much but I did find this great chocolate shoppe in the middle of the 900 Shops. It's called Ethels and they sell chocolate pieces and even make desserts, coffee drinks,chocolate drinks, and fresh fondue right there. Like a chocolate Starbucks. I bought chocolates for everyone! The pieces were a bit pricey, but I got each person 2-pieces. They were from the cocktail collection and are to die for. I already ate my two and if I don't give the others their pieces, I may eat them as well.
Day Two ended with another run for a cup of tea and collapsing.
Day Two in CHi-town was proving to be much better than Day One.
It was almost 60degrees and sunny! Hurray! We were planning on visiting the Sears Tower and thought it best to take one of those trolley/double-decker bus tours to see the city & be able to get on and off as we like. We hopped the first bus at 9:30 and were whiksed all the way to the opposite end of the city for that first stop. Which would be The Sears Tower.
On the way, we saw all sorts of sites pointed out by the guide. I convinced Mom to sit up top for just this portion of the trip so we could see things better. They were predicting rain for later and I wanted to do this once while we had the opportunity. I had a great ime up there & loved ducking so that I wouldn't lose my head on the traffic light fixtures. OUr guide, Brad, was so funny. He told us such interesting facts & really bad corny jokes. But he kept it interesting.
We hopped off at the Sears Tower at 9:50 and went inside. The first run up to the 103 floor was at 10 and my mom thoguth we may be too early, as the lobby of the building was empty. But we took an elevator down two floors to go through security and begin the tour and were met with a line of 100+ people. Still, we didn't stand long and got to see a movie about the building's hostiry and how, when finished, the Sears Corp. was only in there 14 years before they had to sell it off. So sad!
We got in the elevator and were delivered to the top in no time flat. My ears popped only three times on the way up. When we exited the elevator, I was expecting to be inside but have the opportunity to walk outside too. Nope. The entire viewing floor is indoors. Here I was thinking Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building but this is nothing like those. It is 100% enclosed.
Because it was a clear day, we could see up to 50 miles away. So cool! And the Chicago River and Lake Michigan were right there, too. Loved it.
We went back down and waited for a bus to continue the tour. This next bus we caught was not as intersting as our first host. This guy told us some facts, but he was so flat about it that I didn't find them interesting. Stop 2, for us, was Millenium Park, where we saw the Amphitheater and "The BIg Bean". "The Bean" is a silver, massive sculpture that reminds me of a kidney bean. But HUGE. I took some cool pictures of it and the city and blue sky reflect off of it into the shot that it is so pretty. I even took a picture of it with my mom & me in the reflection. Nice!
We hopped onto another bus and somehow got our original host back! Yippee! He took us past the Museum of Modren Art, where he said its better known as "I could have done that". I laughed so hard when he said "They paint three lollipop sticks orange, glue them into the shape of a tirangle on a big white board, and then hang it up. When I ask 'What's teh meaning of this?' hey sao 'Oh. It's too deep to explain.'" He was hysterical.
We drove past the Chicago river....which flows backwards. Apparently, they used to dump waste into the river....................all waste..............and never thought twice of it, even though the river was their water supply and drank from it. When people began to get sick, they decided that they had to build dams and levvies (spelling?) and were sending he water into the Mississippi to St. Louis. St. Louis tried to block the movement, but didn't do it in time and Chicago scored one. St. Louis got them back. According to the guide, they bottled that water at their Budweiser plant and sent it right back to Chicago. Nice!
On to Navy Pier. It was so cold walking down by the Lake and we tried to stay inside as best as possible. Here's where I had my first taste of Chicago's famous barbeque. I had a pulled pork sandwich that was pretty darn good. And I don't even like pulled pork. Go figure!
We grabbed a trolley from there to finish our tour at the opposite end of the MAg. Mile from where we werestaying. We passed the Wrigley Building along the way and heard even more cool facts from our new driver/guide. We got off and began the walk. The architecture of the buildings was so pretty and classic. I enjoyed the detail and how it varied from one structure to another. They ahd a sculpture of a moose on the street that was made from the bumpers of cars in accidents in that area from last year. Cool moose!
We wanderd back to the hotel around 7 and went to dinner. I had the classic Chicago Pie (pizza). I also had the fresh berry crepe with hazelnut chocolate (nutella...but they didn't say that on the menu).
It was a bit windy out but not yet raining so we took a walk to the stores on the Mag. Mile and got some souveniers for people. I really couldn't find much but I did find this great chocolate shoppe in the middle of the 900 Shops. It's called Ethels and they sell chocolate pieces and even make desserts, coffee drinks,chocolate drinks, and fresh fondue right there. Like a chocolate Starbucks. I bought chocolates for everyone! The pieces were a bit pricey, but I got each person 2-pieces. They were from the cocktail collection and are to die for. I already ate my two and if I don't give the others their pieces, I may eat them as well.
Day Two ended with another run for a cup of tea and collapsing.
They Don't Call It The "Windy City" For Nothing
My mom got it in her head that she wanted to go away for a couple of days. That's fine with me. But it's where she wanted to go that bothered me. Last year & two years prior, we went to Minneapolis, MN and I had thought we learned our lesson about going west before winter is actually over. Apparently not.
We left Thursday morning for Islip Airport. We had no trouble taking off, despite the American Air cancellations....that's why I fly Southwest! The 2 1/2 hour trip was quick and painless, but it was the holding pattern that lasted almost an hour that got to me. O'Hare was backed up with traffic (how I don't know if AA was groubding all of their flights) and the overload jammed their radar system, which affected Midway.....where we were to land. Eventually.
When we landed, we found it to be raining. I wasn't prepared for rain. I brought an umbrella, but my 'brella for one' would not withstand five minutes with the wind that they have. We found our luggage easily and started walking for the metro platform. It would cost only $2 to get from the airport to the actual city of Chicago. Nice! But it did mean transferring from one train to another. In the rain. And, I know, you'd think it was indoors, underground, or on platforms. Nope. We had to get off at one station, go down two flights of slippery stairs (wet from the rain), cross the street, and walk down two more flights to get to the next subway we needed. All this and carrying suitcases.
We took the red line to our stop and had to walk four blocks to our hotel. Again, this would be fine if it wasn't raining!
We got to our beautiful hotel and found out that we had been upgraded! Sweet! We were a half of a block from Michigan Avenue...............the Magnificent Mile.................and in the heart of everything a tourist would want. Our room was one of them on the top floors (19th out of 20) and it came with fresh chocolate covered strawberries as a welcome and a window with shutters that, when opened, looked out onto the city and a clear view of Lake Michigan a block and a half away. Stunning! We also were a part of the "Winter Warm-Up" package that gave us a $100 credit to their restaurant for anything (including the tip). So our breakfasts and one evening's dinner would be paid for. I'm all for the free meals.
Because we are in the city location, most of the sites would close by 8pm. It was already 3pm.............and raining....................and we didn't know where to go or what to do. We hadn't eaten lunch and didn't want to eat dinner too early because we'd be hungry later & it would throw things off.
We grabbed the humongous umbrella (that comes standard with each room and can fit three comfortably) and took off to see what was out there. The problem is that darn wind! I thought that, at any moment, I'd become Mary Poppins and take off. So we ducked into a building that was a 7-floor shopping mecca. I was not in the mood to shop, but I can browse. We looked at all of the pretty things and then decided to find a place to eat.
The Cheesecake Factory was right across the street and they have a special that runs during the week. For two hours each night, they have a bar menu that is all of their best appetizers, salads, and three dinners, and they are smaller portions and all range from $4 to $7. Nice! We got fun drinks and each orderd two small plaes to share. Yum.
We left there around 6pm and tried to (unsuccessfully) walk some of the Mag. Mile. Not much was open and it was still raining. So we grabbed tea from Starbucks and headed back to the room to crash.
Day One done. Let's hope Day 2 isn't as rainy.
We left Thursday morning for Islip Airport. We had no trouble taking off, despite the American Air cancellations....that's why I fly Southwest! The 2 1/2 hour trip was quick and painless, but it was the holding pattern that lasted almost an hour that got to me. O'Hare was backed up with traffic (how I don't know if AA was groubding all of their flights) and the overload jammed their radar system, which affected Midway.....where we were to land. Eventually.
When we landed, we found it to be raining. I wasn't prepared for rain. I brought an umbrella, but my 'brella for one' would not withstand five minutes with the wind that they have. We found our luggage easily and started walking for the metro platform. It would cost only $2 to get from the airport to the actual city of Chicago. Nice! But it did mean transferring from one train to another. In the rain. And, I know, you'd think it was indoors, underground, or on platforms. Nope. We had to get off at one station, go down two flights of slippery stairs (wet from the rain), cross the street, and walk down two more flights to get to the next subway we needed. All this and carrying suitcases.
We took the red line to our stop and had to walk four blocks to our hotel. Again, this would be fine if it wasn't raining!
We got to our beautiful hotel and found out that we had been upgraded! Sweet! We were a half of a block from Michigan Avenue...............the Magnificent Mile.................and in the heart of everything a tourist would want. Our room was one of them on the top floors (19th out of 20) and it came with fresh chocolate covered strawberries as a welcome and a window with shutters that, when opened, looked out onto the city and a clear view of Lake Michigan a block and a half away. Stunning! We also were a part of the "Winter Warm-Up" package that gave us a $100 credit to their restaurant for anything (including the tip). So our breakfasts and one evening's dinner would be paid for. I'm all for the free meals.
Because we are in the city location, most of the sites would close by 8pm. It was already 3pm.............and raining....................and we didn't know where to go or what to do. We hadn't eaten lunch and didn't want to eat dinner too early because we'd be hungry later & it would throw things off.
We grabbed the humongous umbrella (that comes standard with each room and can fit three comfortably) and took off to see what was out there. The problem is that darn wind! I thought that, at any moment, I'd become Mary Poppins and take off. So we ducked into a building that was a 7-floor shopping mecca. I was not in the mood to shop, but I can browse. We looked at all of the pretty things and then decided to find a place to eat.
The Cheesecake Factory was right across the street and they have a special that runs during the week. For two hours each night, they have a bar menu that is all of their best appetizers, salads, and three dinners, and they are smaller portions and all range from $4 to $7. Nice! We got fun drinks and each orderd two small plaes to share. Yum.
We left there around 6pm and tried to (unsuccessfully) walk some of the Mag. Mile. Not much was open and it was still raining. So we grabbed tea from Starbucks and headed back to the room to crash.
Day One done. Let's hope Day 2 isn't as rainy.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Skippin' School
Last Tuesday was an emotional day for me. I had "had it up to here" with a student and it escalated (on her side) to the point that I just walked out on her to keep my own sanity..........and job.
Wednesday rolled around & I love love love the Farm kids, but I just couldn't do it. And I had found out days earlier that my mother wanted to 'get away' and had booked a trip to Chicago for that Thursday to Saturday for the two of us. So I called in. And I went to the ft job to take care of some loose ends. While there, Crak texted. Weird! She never texts me that time of day..... and asked if I was at Briar..................and I was! She was in the area & I suggested lunch.
We met up a half hour later at Ruby Tuesdays, hoping to try their lunch menu. We got there, sat in the booth, wondered why it was as busy as it was and why it seems as if nobody works anymore, and began to look for the lunch section.
And you know what? There isn't one! How can that be? All restaurants, like RT, have a lunch section with smaller portions and prices. Drat. Ah well..................now we had to peruse the menu to see what was lunchy-style.
It felt so good to not be working. It felt even better to be hanging out on a whim with Crak & talking about all of the nonsense that goes on and we never get to share..............because she had to go off and work for a real school. Nope. No bitterness. But I will say that not being under the same roof with computer access on company time is not helping our travels! ;)
I have to figure out a way to make money and have an even more flexible schedule than I already do. Because, as I have been saying, working is getting in the way of living.
Wednesday rolled around & I love love love the Farm kids, but I just couldn't do it. And I had found out days earlier that my mother wanted to 'get away' and had booked a trip to Chicago for that Thursday to Saturday for the two of us. So I called in. And I went to the ft job to take care of some loose ends. While there, Crak texted. Weird! She never texts me that time of day..... and asked if I was at Briar..................and I was! She was in the area & I suggested lunch.
We met up a half hour later at Ruby Tuesdays, hoping to try their lunch menu. We got there, sat in the booth, wondered why it was as busy as it was and why it seems as if nobody works anymore, and began to look for the lunch section.
And you know what? There isn't one! How can that be? All restaurants, like RT, have a lunch section with smaller portions and prices. Drat. Ah well..................now we had to peruse the menu to see what was lunchy-style.
It felt so good to not be working. It felt even better to be hanging out on a whim with Crak & talking about all of the nonsense that goes on and we never get to share..............because she had to go off and work for a real school. Nope. No bitterness. But I will say that not being under the same roof with computer access on company time is not helping our travels! ;)
I have to figure out a way to make money and have an even more flexible schedule than I already do. Because, as I have been saying, working is getting in the way of living.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Neuroses on DVD
I was trying to fall asleep last night and just couldn't do it. So I popped in a dvd that I had bought ages ago for $5. "Because I Said So" almost drove me to a therapy session. It was just the oddest thing I ever tried to sit through! Basic plot is single mother with three daughters. Two daughters get married and she is worried about that last one because she can't pick the right men. So, meddling mother goes to the internet and screens potential men for her hopeless daughter and ofcourse does not tell her.
The daughers and mother have an odd relationship. They talk about kissing "down there" on a conference call, go to a naked massage parlor (with Piper Perabo in a thong), and a sort of discussion about the "Big O" between the mother and hopeless daughter.
There are some cute parts and there are plenty of parts that mothers and daughters can relate and see themselves.
But all I felt was a slip in my IQ and a taste of what ADD is like.
The daughers and mother have an odd relationship. They talk about kissing "down there" on a conference call, go to a naked massage parlor (with Piper Perabo in a thong), and a sort of discussion about the "Big O" between the mother and hopeless daughter.
There are some cute parts and there are plenty of parts that mothers and daughters can relate and see themselves.
But all I felt was a slip in my IQ and a taste of what ADD is like.
Mission Accomplished
I emailed the beerfest guy. Why? I don't know. I feel bad because I only did it yesterday. Almost a full week after he gave me his card. If I were him and a guy did that to me, I would be less than thrilled and not too eager to go out with him. I didn't wait that long deliberately, but I have been the proverbial hamster on the wheel and only found the card yesterday.
Let's see if he responds.
Or even remembers.
Let's see if he responds.
Or even remembers.
It's Hard To Say It, Time To Say It
Little brother left yesterday to begin a new chapter in his life. And, while he does this, it kicks off a new one for the family left behind. I am not sure what will come of this or how we will learn to deal.
Wish him luck, success, and that he wakes up and dumps the gargantuan.
Wish him luck, success, and that he wakes up and dumps the gargantuan.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Awkward Encounters of the Hopefully Never Again Kind
I got hit on today. By a student. Blatently and obviously hit on.
Now I have been hit on before by students. I have had numbers flirt with me thinking that this will do something for them..................I guess.
But this was the oddest one yet.
He always hangs around after class to chat. To 'find out' my 'real' thoughts on subjects. To bounce things off of me. It's all harmless and innocent. But it can be annoying.
Anyway, he has the final project coming up soon and it requires that they do something new. Something that they have never done before. And they have to take a picture of themselves doing whatever it is that they choose. So he asked me if he could ask a girl out. I said, "Sure. If you have never done this before." He replied "well, I have, technically, but not like this. So would you like to go on a strictly platonic, non-sexual date with me next week?" To which I burst out laughing. I said "I don't think that counts, but thank you for asking. And, you have to take a picture of the action.......facial reactions..........responses............and I can not be in a picture for a project that I have to grade. It'd be a poor grade then!"
He laughed and said "Well, okay. But at least you know I have good taste." And he walked away.
I left laughing and shaking my head........................but then I felt bad. I hope he didn't think I was laughing AT him. I was laughing out of shock, discomfort, and denial. So now I have felt bad all afternoon.
Drat!
Now I have been hit on before by students. I have had numbers flirt with me thinking that this will do something for them..................I guess.
But this was the oddest one yet.
He always hangs around after class to chat. To 'find out' my 'real' thoughts on subjects. To bounce things off of me. It's all harmless and innocent. But it can be annoying.
Anyway, he has the final project coming up soon and it requires that they do something new. Something that they have never done before. And they have to take a picture of themselves doing whatever it is that they choose. So he asked me if he could ask a girl out. I said, "Sure. If you have never done this before." He replied "well, I have, technically, but not like this. So would you like to go on a strictly platonic, non-sexual date with me next week?" To which I burst out laughing. I said "I don't think that counts, but thank you for asking. And, you have to take a picture of the action.......facial reactions..........responses............and I can not be in a picture for a project that I have to grade. It'd be a poor grade then!"
He laughed and said "Well, okay. But at least you know I have good taste." And he walked away.
I left laughing and shaking my head........................but then I felt bad. I hope he didn't think I was laughing AT him. I was laughing out of shock, discomfort, and denial. So now I have felt bad all afternoon.
Drat!
I Met HIm On A Monday And My Heart Stood Still
Okay. So I actually met him on a Saturday and I wouldn't have even noticed him, let alone stopped to talk had he not engaged me in conversation. And its not because he was good looking or ugly.........he was nondescript and I just didn't even see him. But I heard that song on the radio and it was in my head so I figured I'd use it.
Saturday I went to the Nassau Coliseum Beer Fest. KDP & I had gone to Beertopia at Pourhouse and then I attended that wine fest at Javits, so why not go to the local one? My brother went last year and said he had a great time. I had asked about the men/women ratio thing and he said there were very few women. So I had made it a point then to go. I may as well up my odds of meeting someone.
We drove to the Coliseum and found a LONG line to try and get in. When I say long, I mean that we stood on line for 20 minutes. It. Was. Freezing! The wind just kept blowing and I wondered why I had bothered to brush my hair in the first place.
The guy who matched our names on our tickets to our ID looked at me and said "Okay. I don't believe it, but okay". Hey! Thanks Buddy! Feelin' good now & going into a room of men. Not too bad.
The fest was set up on the two long outer walls of the room. Not what I pictured at all. I thought there'd be aisles and rows and stuff. Nope. All tables were on those two walls and the event space between was just empty and HUGE. They need help planning and recruiting next time.
The men and the setting you ask? Picture every hole-in-the-wall LI bar............Jackie Reilly's, Mulcahys, McCanns, Meehans..................and all of the others and put every tacky guy in the same room. Quality. Yeah.
Well, we had worked our way through all but two of the microbreweries and were headed back to try out those last two. As we walked, a guy said "Hey! Where ya' going?" I said "This way". He said "Me too. Have you tried Hoegaarten yet?" I said I had and he began to say how that is his favorite and was so happy that they were at the fest. He then grabbed my wrist and asked if I wanted to try ..............some other beer that escapes my mind. So, off we went. He talked and gabbed for quite awhile. He works in the city as some 'global something-or-other manager' and travels a lot for his job. He lives in ?W. Babylon? and commutes. He had lived in the city for awhile and never said why he moved.
With that, we were surrounded by a group of guys. One leans in and says "So, you picked up a stray"............referring to me. I glared at this young guy and said "What?" and he said "Oh, I mean lady". I looked at him and said "You don't speak anymore" and turned away. Global guy said "Yeah. That's my brother." Brother leaned in and said "Do we even look alike?" and I said "Yes, in the eyes and the shape of your mouth" and he used a vulgar comment to describe his mouth and lips back to me. I nodded and said "Well, that's my cue to go" and walked away. Seconds later, Global guy was right behind me talking again.
He went on about the countries he's traveled to and how he loves Disney and fantasy football. I stood there and nodded.
Finally I said that I had to go meet my friends and he said "Well, I don't have my phone with me because I came light. But I really want to talk to you again so if I give you my business card, will you email me and we can continue?" I said "We'll see" and he put his hand out to shake mine and said "Well, it was really nice talking with you Melinda".
I said ......................'who is Melinda'.................................and he said "You" I said, "My name is Grotter". "Are you sure?" "I think I know my name." "Then why did I think that it was Melinda?" "That was the girl you were talking to before me." "I wasn't talking to a girl before you." "Sure. On the other side. You gave her your card." "What are you, stalking me? Hahaha. I didn't talk to any girl but you. Nice try. But, seriously. I hope you don't hold it against me. I mean, this is a beerfest and I have been drinking. I hope you do email me."
And I shook his hand and walked away.
I did not find him attractive. Don't get me wrong.....it's not that he isn't goodlooking for some. But................He is younger. 4 years to be exact. And I said I swore off younger. Done. Finito.
So I have not emailed yet. KDP, Blonde, Sassy, and Crak told me to email him. This is '08 the year of the date...........and only one of us has had any dates in the three months. I am supposed to go just to live up to the slogan.
I don't know. We'll see.
Saturday I went to the Nassau Coliseum Beer Fest. KDP & I had gone to Beertopia at Pourhouse and then I attended that wine fest at Javits, so why not go to the local one? My brother went last year and said he had a great time. I had asked about the men/women ratio thing and he said there were very few women. So I had made it a point then to go. I may as well up my odds of meeting someone.
We drove to the Coliseum and found a LONG line to try and get in. When I say long, I mean that we stood on line for 20 minutes. It. Was. Freezing! The wind just kept blowing and I wondered why I had bothered to brush my hair in the first place.
The guy who matched our names on our tickets to our ID looked at me and said "Okay. I don't believe it, but okay". Hey! Thanks Buddy! Feelin' good now & going into a room of men. Not too bad.
The fest was set up on the two long outer walls of the room. Not what I pictured at all. I thought there'd be aisles and rows and stuff. Nope. All tables were on those two walls and the event space between was just empty and HUGE. They need help planning and recruiting next time.
The men and the setting you ask? Picture every hole-in-the-wall LI bar............Jackie Reilly's, Mulcahys, McCanns, Meehans..................and all of the others and put every tacky guy in the same room. Quality. Yeah.
Well, we had worked our way through all but two of the microbreweries and were headed back to try out those last two. As we walked, a guy said "Hey! Where ya' going?" I said "This way". He said "Me too. Have you tried Hoegaarten yet?" I said I had and he began to say how that is his favorite and was so happy that they were at the fest. He then grabbed my wrist and asked if I wanted to try ..............some other beer that escapes my mind. So, off we went. He talked and gabbed for quite awhile. He works in the city as some 'global something-or-other manager' and travels a lot for his job. He lives in ?W. Babylon? and commutes. He had lived in the city for awhile and never said why he moved.
With that, we were surrounded by a group of guys. One leans in and says "So, you picked up a stray"............referring to me. I glared at this young guy and said "What?" and he said "Oh, I mean lady". I looked at him and said "You don't speak anymore" and turned away. Global guy said "Yeah. That's my brother." Brother leaned in and said "Do we even look alike?" and I said "Yes, in the eyes and the shape of your mouth" and he used a vulgar comment to describe his mouth and lips back to me. I nodded and said "Well, that's my cue to go" and walked away. Seconds later, Global guy was right behind me talking again.
He went on about the countries he's traveled to and how he loves Disney and fantasy football. I stood there and nodded.
Finally I said that I had to go meet my friends and he said "Well, I don't have my phone with me because I came light. But I really want to talk to you again so if I give you my business card, will you email me and we can continue?" I said "We'll see" and he put his hand out to shake mine and said "Well, it was really nice talking with you Melinda".
I said ......................'who is Melinda'.................................and he said "You" I said, "My name is Grotter". "Are you sure?" "I think I know my name." "Then why did I think that it was Melinda?" "That was the girl you were talking to before me." "I wasn't talking to a girl before you." "Sure. On the other side. You gave her your card." "What are you, stalking me? Hahaha. I didn't talk to any girl but you. Nice try. But, seriously. I hope you don't hold it against me. I mean, this is a beerfest and I have been drinking. I hope you do email me."
And I shook his hand and walked away.
I did not find him attractive. Don't get me wrong.....it's not that he isn't goodlooking for some. But................He is younger. 4 years to be exact. And I said I swore off younger. Done. Finito.
So I have not emailed yet. KDP, Blonde, Sassy, and Crak told me to email him. This is '08 the year of the date...........and only one of us has had any dates in the three months. I am supposed to go just to live up to the slogan.
I don't know. We'll see.
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