Monday, March 19, 2007

Quarter, over

It was a decent last week of classes. I ended my PWR class with a screening of Donnie Darko (which was an entirely democratic choice: somehow we went from The Little Mermaid or Feris Beuler's Day Off, to a film that actually had something to do with BOTH "The Sky is Falling" and "The Rhetoric of Fear"). I'd forgotten the motivational speaker's character, and his "fear ---- love" spectrum. I'd also forgotten about the scene in which there is a discussion over smurf sex and gangbangs. Hence the R rating. Unfortunately we ended the quarter as we began, with a nomadic hunt for a DVD player and unoccupied classroom. The diehards ended up sitting around a student's laptop in the dark to see the end, as the teacher who next uses the classroom sat outside waiting on us.

I sat in the sun over the weekend writing a paper. And I've begun the research/reading for the second. And I've completely caught up on Real Time with Bill Maher (I love youtube. The 3/16 "new rules" was perfect: "I mail myself a copy of the Constitution every morning on the chance [the Bush administration] will open it up and read it").

I'm leaving tomorrow morning. And this is how I'm feeling, despite the fact that I have 1) another paper to write, 2) PWR papers to grade, & 3) a syllabus to revise before the new quarter starts. And despite the fact that I'm leaving CA for the midwest, in a lifelong pattern of spending spring break in places with a chance of snow:


Saturday, March 10, 2007

Birthdays & colds

I'm tired of being sick. Viruses suck.

I have my suspicions as to why I have a cold:

1. Too much fun over last weekend. Watched a movie. Stayed out till 2 am on Saturday night (during which, at one point we ended up in the wrong meet-up bar: which had a mechanical bull). Did the usual Desperate Housewives get together on Sunday.

2. PWR. Because it's the source of my sleep deprivation. And because this week I read umpteen rough drafts and met with everyone individually for at least a half hour conference.

3. Spring fever. I can't help it, when it's sunny and near 70 I wear skirts. And then I sometimes get chilly when the sun goes down.

4. Paying dues. For another year without catching the flu. (knock on wood)

But I still had a lovely birthday! We had a cohort lunch, and EM made a beautiful "B" chocolate and oreo cake to celebrate our year's double birthday (Bri. & me). Had two conferences that went well. Opened present from Mum (homemade jam! a nearly indestructible potholder! food & chocolate! promise of clothes shopping over spring break!). Enjoyed cards from Mum (baby photos) and Mer (flying squirrel: it's complicated). Watched a little "British Beat" on PBS. Downloaded "Groovy Kind of Love" by the Mindbenders for old time's sake. Watched Medium -- which was pretty good this week.

And now I'm fighting off this cold... Meredith brought kleenex & frozen chocolate banana bars from Trader Joe's (still eternally grateful! there's nothing worse than running out of kleenex when you're sick). I slept over ten hours last night, and took a nap today. This is getting *ridiculous.*

And still my students are emailing me last minute drafts (you know, if I have time, take a look). I think that teachers must seem like parents: capable of everything.

Back to Benjamin's Arcade Project... which seems like strangely appropriate reading for when one's sick. Although The Awkward Age was better at taking my mind off it.

Any suggestions for miracle cures? I might try a little brandy before bed.

Friday, March 02, 2007

My mother

My mother* has this tendency to send emails and cards filled with a series of non sequiturs. But today she outdid herself:

Hi Becky,
I've been having some fun buying yellow towels on ebay...as you see!
Also, are you seriously thinking about meeting up with friends this summer in France?
Do you have a passport yet?
Tim & I are going to apply for a passport very soon, we have the forms, in case we want to go to Canada or Mexico. You'll want to apply for one soon. You may as well get one regardless.
It's been snowing here, but by this weekend it's suppose to be sunny and 60.
Talk to you soon.
Love, Mum


Yes. Just in case they decide to pack off to Canada or Mexico.

And a link to this towel set on ebay:



The potholder is a peep. You know, the styrofoam marshmallow peeps that show up in the stores around Easter, and which no one that I know of -- except my sister -- actually likes? And the towel is indeed patterned with a tesseration of peeps (at first glance it might look polka-dotted, but don't be fooled: those dots are in fact the eyes of peeps).

* In case you're thinking I'm a bad daughter for pasting my Mum's email: I did actually alert her to my intentions.