Jeannine Gailey — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:57:00 +0000

Thought I’d throw out a quick post in the middle of learning a byzantine grading system, similarly byzantine teaching software, unloading boxes, futilely trying to find the most ordinary household items…
Last night we went out and walked on the beach right at dusk. We saw three snowy egrets fly overhead, while the thin moon shone down through clouds. It’s been achingly hot here – who would have thunk southern Cali in October would be running in the high eighties every day? Meanwhile, I have no clothing for a warm climate, and I had to order a pair of reading glasses, because, ahem, at my 35 years, it turns out I, um, need bifocals, which I refuse to wear, so the reading glasses (which are regular reading glasses + my mighty astigmatic prescription, so of course they are expensive) are my concession. So I’ve had to put a kibbosh on reading anything closer than arms length, which leaves out books and magazines. Good thing I have all those student poems and discussions to grade! LOL.
Teaching online is a bit of a challenge for me, because it reveals that I rely on personal interaction more than I thought, especially in workshop. Workshops just flow much more smoothly in person where you can bounce ideas around more easily and just communicate much faster than you can online. Plus, I joke around a lot, which it turns out, you can’t do that much online. I have to learn a new set of skills to get points across kindly but firmly (every word is open to misinterpretation by sensitive souls!) And I still have to finish up that essay on Rachel Zucker and Beth Ann Fennelly which has become difficult because of the aforementioned trouble reading books. I can’t wait for my new glasses to get here.
Meanwhile, the American financial system is in collapse, the election is drawing near, leaving the new president to deal with a war and a 700 billion dollar bill for a very expensive bailout. Good luck with that, poor guy! I’m trying not to watch too much news, but I did sneak in some of the debate last night, gosh darn it! (That’s a little Palin humor there. She must have said “gosh darn” about sixteen times in the transcript I read.)
Anyway, not quite settled yet, but getting there, slowly…

vision – Webbish6