I am ready for adventure!

• Flying out of University City tomorrow around 3:00 p.m.
• Short layover in Capital City -- and off to New York City!
• Taking a shuttle to the hotel and then meeting with a friend.
• Two full days of adventure -- told to bring comfortable shoes.
• I am sooooooooooooo excited!!!

Oh, yes, I still have so much to do before this semester is over. My laptop is traveling with me, of course. However, it won't be opened until I get to the hotel at night. At the moment, there are no absolutely critical deadlines that I am not meeting so things look OK. This trip might change my life forever so work is on hold.

Am I crazy??? Am I just following the White Rabbit? Maybe. Maybe not. Will see, I guess.

Let's advance research!!!

This guy is attempting to measure the speed of memes, so let's help him out. Link to this post in the name of science. Ask others to do the same. Results to be announced during the "Meet the Bloggers" panel at MLA 2006.

Specific rules:

1. Write a post linking to this one in which you explain the experiment. (All blogs count, be they TypePad, Blogger, MySpace, Facebook, &c.)
2. Ask your readers to do the same.
3. Beg them.
4. Relate sob stories about poor graduate students in desperate circumstances. Imply I'm one of them. (Do whatever you have to. If that fails, try whatever it takes.)
5. Ping Technorati

It's not easy to collect relevant data (and, yes, I am a grad student myself -- here goes my plug) so please take a minute or two.

As shared by Profgrrrl.

Last day of classes -- well, almost!

I am teaching two F2F courses (not counting TA courses) this semester and one met for the last time this morning! We had a great discussion of various types of insurance, had a quick review, and now all they have to do is take the final exam; since it's posted online, we exchanged season greetings and probably won't meet again until next semester.

Tomorrow is the final day for my other course. And grades are due by December 8th. Lots of grading (seven courses total, three of them online) but things are moving fast!!!

Of course, I have one more week of my own classes plus finals. Still, it feels good. This semester was the worst ever in my college career, no doubt. Even combinining student teaching with a full load of courses and full-time job wasn't as tough. But I have survived so far!!! And I don't give up! :)

On rude students...

One student emailed me a couple days ago, requesting a transcript review. I promised to take a look as soon as possible and respond via email. She insisted on coming over to my office, preferably on Monday or Wednesday. Well, Wednesdays are absolutely crazy for me and so I don't have time for any office hours. Mondays are usually OK but not next week due to a number of reasons. So I offered to meet with her on Tuesday or Thursday. Um, she was not so happy. When I checked her information, I found out that I am not even her advisor. So I politely told her to go see her own advisor. I am usually glad to help but asking someone who is not your advisor to spend a good deal of time perusing through files and then complain because they couldn't accommodate you right away? Come on, stop pouting and be an adult!

Ideas, anyone?

Anybody wants to name this photo? Mom and I saw this figurine last night at a discount store and burst out laughing. Why are they headless, do you think? No, don't give "some careless fool dropped it" explanation. ;)

You know what is funny? I kinda feel like that girl right now. Maybe I should go back and buy it. I can see the cashier's expression...

Update: I did buy that figurine, even though the manager at first refused to sell it, saying that "sharp edges can be a potential hazard." She relented and gave me a 25% discount, though. Who knows, it might be a very valuable souvenir indeed! I am cautiously optimistic. ;)

Hello, New York City!

I will spend the next weekend in New York, being a silly and excited tourist! Although I have changed planes there many times (and even spent a night at the hotel once when my flight was delayed), I am rather embarrassed to admit that I have never really "been" to NYC. I will arrive on Friday night and fly back early on Monday morning (6:00 a.m. flight -- need to be back by 1:00 p.m., so no choice, really) Yes, one short weekend is not enough to even get a glimpse of what the city offers. Still, it will be a start and I sooooooooo look forward to this adventure.

Any suggestions as to what I *absolutely* have to see and do? Most likely, I will be accompanied by someone who lives there but I may have to wander on my own, so any advice is greatly appreciated.

Live Christmas Decorations!

I put together my pre-lit Christmas tree today. In about five minutes, both of my cats were sitting inside, having a maaaaarvelous time! Grrrrrrr! Go away!

Shopping Craziness

Absolutely nothing will get me into any store today -- I abhore huge crowds of people, grabbing things only because they are apparently on sale and then returning stuff in heaps. I prefer relaxed shopping, with plenty of time to window-shop, try things on if I like them, preferably with a friend to keep company. Why people are willing to elbow through crowds is beyond me.

What do you think about post-holiday shopping craziness?

On students, rewards, and warm feelings

Oh, it's so nice when students are actually thankful for what you do. My mailbox was full of Thanksgiving wishes this morning, mostly from students. It's just an e-card, right? Maybe I am being silly and overly sentimental but those cards mean a lot to me. Thank you, students! You are the reason I love my job.

Now I know how it feels...

to be a D student! Having maintained 4.0 most of my life, I am now joining my lagging students. Hey, could have been an F! ;)

Thanks for sharing the link, Seeking Solace!

A whirlwind of emotions, feelings, and events...

Happy, worried, smiling, tired, hopeful, doubtful, excited, despairing, determined, questioning, laughing, crying... Ah, what's happening to the calm and poised Ms. Alice my students know?

OK, a deep breath in... out...

• This semester is almost over -- one more week for my students and two more weeks for me, then finals;
• Although stats course is still a huge question mark, hanging precariously over my head, projects are falling neatly (um, eventually) into nice piles;
• I am caught up on grading so there won't be a mad rush to grade, grade, grade;
• I am treating myself to a cool trip in December;
• Conference paper submission deadline has been extended and I will be able to submit my paper after all -- Hooray!
• Above-mentioned paper is almost ready -- another Hooray!
• It's cold outside but I will make a cup of hot chocolate as soon as I get to my office;
• Oh, did I mention that I love my office? All that space? And a window?

Let's say "Thanks!"

If you go to this web site, http://www.letssaythanks.com/ , you can pick out a thank-you card, Xerox will print it, and it will be sent to an anonymous soldier who is currently serving in Iraq.

Yawning...

• I wanted my students to do as much as possible last night so we went shopping and then ate at Joe's Crab Shack; it was packed but we had a good time; we didn't get back until 10:30 p.m.
• And then I had to work, of course; deadlines don't wait. :(
• Made myself get up at 6:30 a.m. (I treasure a chance to sleep in on weekends; alas, not this weekend)
• Had breakfast (I had a delicious waffle smothered in whipped cream -- guilty as charged)
• Took care of the bill (ah, they always forget to deduct taxes; government agencies don't pay taxes in their home states)
• Drove to Tiny Town
• Taught a student how to create an interactive PowerPoint presentation -- we were bored, so she took out her laptop and I guided her through the first set of slides; after that, she was doing great and I only provided additional hints/corrections.
• Other two girls happily supplied facts for the project. She created an interactive game so they chose South America as a theme and the came up with categories. We learned some Spanish in the process.
• Came home and collapsed -- so tired. Thought about lunch and decided it was too much trouble, so took a nap instead.
• And what am I doing now? Um, working; evil stats homework is due on Wednesday night. Yes, we have a class on Wednesday, until 5:45 p.m.
• I sooooooo look forward to Thanksgiving, even though I couldn't care less about turkey, stuffing, etc. I just need some quiet time. And my parents are coming over on Friday night to spend Saturday with me. Mom is still complaining about my absence on Thursday but I don't feel like spending 8+ hours on the road.

Yes, I am nuts...

just in case you are wondering. I found a great place to work -- um, in a hotel bathroom. No, I am NOT sitting in a stall; not THAT crazy. They actually have a huge spotless area with marble counters and several comfy armchairs and little tables. And it's sooooooooo quiet... only an occassional visitor; one gave me a strange look but who cares. ;)

Armed and dangerous...

to any serious accomplishments, I am afraid.

• students are taken care of -- check!
• wireless connection is working in the hotel lobby -- check!
• Vesti Mocha Valencia has been delivered (ooh, need that sugar and caffeine after a long week of too much work and not much sleep) -- check!
• Laptop is open and ready -- check!
• notepad and pen -- check!
• noise level -- can't do anything about that

Now I need to at least try to accomplish something by 4:00 p.m. when my students will be back and babysitting duties will resume. Come on, brain, kick into a high gear! Move, fingers!

At least my students are having fun and learning so much. They were bubbling with excitement at lunchtime. Although I didn't plan it, I have a fairly diverse group -- White, Black, and Hispanic; one of each. All girls, though; couldn't find any guys interested in spending a long weekend attending conference presentations. Maybe next year. They have a variety of sessions to choose from, all very interesting and relevant for students.

Another reason I am willing to give up my entire weekend is an opportunity for my students to escape their limited lifestyles. We are staying at Marriott Courtyard, not fancy at all. Yet, one student was awed by the "motel." Two other students didn't say anything but I could tell they weren't used to "luxury." I take so many things for granted... Eating at Olive Garden-type restaurant? Big deal! Oh, it IS big deal for them, apparently. We also had an interesting conversation about appropriate attire and they look nice but are still comfortable today. Baggy (or skintight) jeans and T-shirts are gone and these girls look professional. I am so proud of them.

This is one way to show my students that I care about them beyond their coursework and "news" about Ms. Alice's caring attitude is passed down the "grapevine," often prompting other students to open up during class discussions and/or ask for help when necessary.

Group Work

I love group work. And I hate group work. Depends on many factors such as group members, project, course, etc. I am involved in one project right now that requires my entire supply of patience. Several girls are "running" around like chickens with their heads cut off, worrying about nothing, making plans that are totally worthless. Stop, pay attention to directions! Yet, having dealt with them before, I know that it's better to let them boss around and then quietly pick up whatever portion is assigned to me and do my best with it. Otherwise, I won't be so popular when it comes to evaluations. Am I a coward? Not really. I just know from my prior experience that any suggestions will be ignored or, worse, taken as mutiny. Crazy, huh?

Anyway, too tired to think -- a long, long day. Put out several "fires" in the morning, barely made it to my noon class (phew, glad all cops were somewhere else), "flew" back in time to pick up a state car and meet three students I am taking to the conference, drove to Capital City (Friday night traffic is so annoying), fed my little flock, and finally collapsed. Oh, still so much to do...

Attention panda fans!

Select a baby panda name!!!

Lost in translation tool -- go play with it!!!

Using Lost in Translation Tool, I got these, um, "gems." Shhhhh, don't tell my mother -- she might be upset. ;)

Original English Text:My mother is a wonderful lady.

Translated to French:Ma mère est une dame merveilleuse.
Translated back to English:My mother is a marvellous injury.

Translated to German:Meine Mutter ist eine erstaunliche Verletzung.
Translated back to English:My nut/mother is an amazing violation.

Translated to Italian:Il mio nut/mother è una violazione stupefacente.
Translated back to English:Mine nut/mother narcotic violation is one.

Translated to Portuguese:A violação narcotic da mina nut/mother é uma.
Translated back to English:The breaking narcotic of the mine to nut/mother is one.

Translated to Spanish:El romperse narcótico de la mina a nut/mother es uno.
Translated back to English:Narcotic breaking itself of the mine to nut/mother is one.

Oy, oy, oy! What happened to my wonderful mother?!

The level of frustration is mounting...

I can't stop thinking about what happened in our stats class tonight. We just finished a rather complicated unit, although most of it actually made sense to me. However, many people who were doing great during the first part of the course are confused now. I was able to process information better only because I hired a tutor.

With about half an hour to go, our professor stopped and, oh my, asked if we would like to have a Q&A session. Wow! Sure! She usually plows through like a T-rex in a hot pursuit of its dinner. One person asked a question and our "esteemed" professor attempted to answer, meandering in every which direction, muddying up rather than clarifying an issue. Another person attempted to rephrase the question, obviously hoping to get a better answer, and, poor thing, set off a siren, literally:

Professor, suddenly: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" She was so loud, most of us jumped in our seats.

Then, sweetly: "Do you have another question?"

The poor student, in a barely audible voice: "Nnno."

"Anybody else has any questions?" Total silence...

"OK, then we will start the next unit." Several of us, fed up with this treatment, spoke all at once (yeah, strength in numbers): "Wait, we just finished this unit and need time to process the information and apply it to the homework."

The evil witch just cackled and declared: "Of course not! We still have twenty minutes of class and I am not about to waste that time. You will find a way to sort out this information over the weekend. If anybody objects, you are free to leave."

Ouch! If you think I am just mad and making this up, I am afraid its truth and nothing but the truth. If she hates explaining things, what is she doing in education? Yeah, what a naive question...

Yikes -- moving too fast!

As I am waiting for my class to finish an activity (two graduate students are conducting it for their research and I was told to sit quietly so not to influence students in any way), I am thinking that this semester has flown by so fast. In fact, we will meet only three times after today (well, really only twice since many of them may not be in class next week due to travel plans)!

I like this group of students -- they are bright, motivated, and inquisitive. They ask good questions and are not afraid to probe deeper, sometimes even forcing me to stop and really think because I don't always know the answer right away. They are moving beyond the basics and it's wonderful! You know, I would love to see them in action once they graduate and start teaching. I am also nostalgic about my middle school days.

They are working in groups for the next two meetings so I think I will bring some munchies for them. We can't eat in the lab but things can be set up in the lounge. Many of them were asking questions about one of my international trips so I might bring some ethnic finger foods.

OK, looks like they are almost done. Back to work!

Articulation Meeting

We met with our service area high school teachers (three counties) in order to articulate our courses, hoping to find at least some high school courses that can be used for college credit. It's a great program since students can earn college credit while still in high school, pick up any remaining courses, and graduate/move on to the next degree faster.

In our program, I was able to prepare three agreements (wow, these teachers are good and they are teaching necessary skills). As we were wrapping things up, another teacher approached our table, talked briefly with my colleague (who is new and was observing), and proceeded to chat with another person -- about kids, upcoming conference, lesson plans... And here we are, waiting for her, giving her dirty looks, while everybody else is about to leave. I finally interrupted her (yes, rude -- but I was desperate) but only for a moment -- she handed me her binder with all the programs and kept on chatting!!! I looked through her programs and it appeared that she taught every skill under the sun -- do you think her instruction results in adequate coverage??? OK, another 10 minutes go by; all papers are cleared; most people are outside. I had enough -- closed her binder, packed my stuff, and turned around to leave. Huh, here she comes: "Are you Ms. Alice? I am so and so from County High School. Would you sign our agreements? We have three courses."

What did Alice do? Um, smiled and said: "Nice to meet you, Ms. SoSo. Unfortunately, we ran out of time tonight; we waited for you for the past twenty minutes and now we have to leave; college vans are waiting outside. As for your courses, please identify main areas and email me how you are teaching those skills." And left, with another smile and a wave.

Rude? Yes. Upset? Yes. Especially since one of the courses she wanted to articulate was Office Procedures -- in this course, we teach business ethics. If she teaches her kids to ignore business proceedings, it's a sad situation.

Meme of the moment -- just because I need a break

You can only type one word. No explanations.

1. Yourself: caring
2. Your boyfriend: dream
3. Your hair: frizzy
4. Your mother: hugging
5. Your Father: loving
6. Your Favorite Item: book
7. Your dream last night: fleeting
8. Your Favorite drink: tea
9. Your Dream Car: driving
10. The room you are in: chilly
11. Your Ex: weird
12. Your fear: losing
13. What you want to be in 10 years: successful
14. Who you hung out with last night: laptop
15. What You're Not: athletic
16. Muffins: blueberry
17: One of Your Wish List Items:
18: Time: fast
19. The Last Thing You Did: yawned
20. What You Are Wearing: robe
21. Your Favorite Weather: sunny
22. Your Favorite Book: unpredictable
23. The Last Thing You Ate: apple
24. Your Life: rushing
25. Your Mood: hopeful
26. Your best friend (s): supportive
27. What are you thinking about right now? work
28. Your car: mustang
29. What are you doing at the moment? resting
30. Your summer: short
31. Your relationship status: looking
32. What is on your tv? blank
33. What is the weather like? cold
34. When is the last time you laughed? now

Better than goats???

Check this out!

Oops, I think I forgot... back in a couple of hours

Email from our bookstore manager this morning, around 8:00 a.m: "Dear faculty and students! Bookstore won't open until noon today because I forgot my glasses at home."

Font: 30 Color: Neon green Picture: pair of glasses

Online course seats are selling like hotcakes...

I am teaching five courses next semester, three of them online. Today was the first day of registration and one course is already closed (all seats were gone by 1:00 p.m.); two other sections are at the halfway capacity. Yeah and yikes -- I don't have to worry about courses "making it" but I will be bombarded by emails and phone calls from students begging to get in.

Two face-to-face sections are doing OK but rather sluggish; hopefully, I will get enough students. Technically, it's no big deal -- if my classes don't make, adjuncts will give up their sections since I am a full-time faculty. I never had to do that and sure hope to avoid the situation for two reasons: (1) I would feel bad for taking courses away and (2) with my crazy schedule, only certain days/hours work w/out conflicts; so making changes is not fun.

What is your experience with registering undergraduate students? Getting sufficient enrollment? Working with adjuncts?

Too much work, too much coffee...

I think I will start dancing around my house if I drink another cup of coffee so I better stop. Worked late last night, made myself stop when a glance at my clock revealed it was after 2:00 a.m., slept in just a little (8:00), treated myself to fresh waffles, and returned to a pile of work again. So much to do, so little time:

• Finish conference paper (worked on it on and off for the past several weeks, too many interruptions, I really want to finish it by tomorrow so I can meet the deadline)
• Finish course preps for the next week
• Jot down notes for the curriculum alignment meeting on Tuesday afternoon (reviewing high school curriculum and preparing college credit agreements is a pain, no doubt)
• Pull out my advisee folders (Spring registration starts tomorrow so I better be ready for a steady stream of students, frantic phone calls, begging for seats in closed sections -- oh, joy)
• Start on my stats homework (at least jot down notes so I can start thinking about it)
• Read notes for the final project in one of my courses (team members want to finish early so I guess I better cooperate; it's one of the reasons I hate group work -- you have to coordinate schedules and it's tough; nevertheless, as a teacher, I know that collaborative work is important)
• I am sure there is something else I can't think of right now but will pop up on a screen when I open Outlook tomorrow.
• Oh, duh -- pack for a trip later this week; taking three students to a leadership conference, Friday-Sunday. It looks good on my annual evaluation but so boring and time-consuming.

Don't have time for meal planning?

Check out this site provided by Kraft. Although not all recipes are that good, all basic planning is done; just print out a list and do quick grocery shopping (or maybe you already have some ingredients in your fridge or freezer).

Anyway, I am going to try their suggestions, I think.

What is your morning routine?

Profgrrrldescribed her morning routine.

My weekday mornings start at 6:30 a.m. -- no lingering in bed, 8:00 a.m. students are eager to learn (yeah, sure). I usually wake up a few minutes early, even though I do have an alarm clock -- just in case! And I do have a "natural alarm clock" -- there is a crazy bird that lives in my neighborhood and starts happily (and loudly) chirping just outside my bedroom window at 6:29 a.m. every. single. morning! No, I am not making this up. Yes, 6:29 -- I checked like a dozen times, at least. So I sleep in a guest bedroom on weekend mornings so I am not rudely awakened at 6:29 a.m.

Usually, I have a few minutes to get some breakfast. If not, I grab a breakfast bar and munch on my way to work. And then I arrive -- sleepy and not very motivated to teach equally sleepy and unmotivated kids. But it's a great bunch this semester, in both MWF and TR sections. They do make my mornings easier.

My wireless adventures

This morning, wireless network decided to take a vacation. After two phone calls with a technician somewhere around the globe (Indian?), we were able to get the router talking to my laptop. Phew, back to work, right? Wrong! My print server apparently joined the union and decided it needs a vacation, too. After another hour on the phone and lots of experimentation, my wireless friends are back and nicely talking to each other. I don't want to talk to them, though -- wasted three precious hours!!!

Midland accent? Um, no.

As seen everywhere

Alas, I do have a strong accent, but it's not American English.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The South
The Northeast
The West
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Anniversary

Oops, completely forgot! My mother just called to remind me that today is our anniversary of becoming US residents! Wow, 14 years! And here I am -- US citizen who graduated from high school, earned B.S. and M.Ed., and working on a Ph.D. Hey, speaking English!

Meetings

I heart meetings, especially high school articulation meetings. Yes, they are very important. No, they are not short and sweet. We met for three hours today and will meet again on Tuesday from 3:00 to (gulp) 8:00 p.m. to work out any discrepancies between our learning outcomes and their QCCs. In addition, we need to consider different course settings, schedules, accreditations, etc.

Do you have to go through this process?

On busy week and Christmas shopping

• I feel like I am riding a monster rollecoaster, threatening to dump me off any minute now. So much to do... And my plans are being disrupted by all kinds of "stuff." On Tuesday, I was hoping to finish the paper. Unfortunately, one of my colleagues had a sick child at home and I was roped in to finish the project assigned to her. Grrrrrrrrrr... Today, it looks like I am popular -- a constant stream of students through my door...
• Overheard one of my colleagues in the hall: "Oh, I don't understand my students. How could they do so poorly on the easiest test???" Ah, sounds familiar, buddy.
• Last night, after a full day of teaching two classes and attending a class of my own, I was so tired I knew I won't accomplish anything important. So I stopped at the mall and did some early Christmas shopping. I can't stand the crowds and gift-buying frenzy and my family members have agreed a long time ago to buy only small practical (but still fun whenever possible) gifts. All of us have so many useless trinkets already! So I already bought some things online and last night purchased several tubes of body cream and this gorgeous robe for my sister (oooh, it's so soft -- I bought one several years ago and absolutely love it). Hmmm... maybe I need a new one??? What do you think?
• Maybe not. I bought two pairs of shoes!!! Stylish and comfortable! Wearing one pair today and love it!

Virtual Second Life

Fascinating and scary at the same time. Go check it out!

Hmmm...

• Number of words in the Bible: 774,746
• Number of words in the US tax code: 2.8 million

It's Saturday afternoon again...

"Tea does our fancy aid,
Repress those vapours which the head invade
And keeps that palace of the soul serene."
--Edmund Waller, Of Tea

Enjoying a cup of fragrant Lady Grey while contemplating a long to-do list:

• Paper #1
• Paper #2
• Paper #3 (in progress)
• Paper #4 (in progress)
• Advisory Committee notes and agenda (in progress)
• Learning Outcomes rubric
• Stats Homework (another 20+ pages)
• Conference Paper (in progress)
• Teaching preps
• Laundry
• Grocery shopping
• Cat maintenance
• House cleaning
• Grabbing a novel and sunning on the deck for an hour?

What are you doing today?

I need a short break so...

As shared by Profgrrrrl

bold = things I’ve done

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea - from the shore
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe -- does traveling in Europe with a backpack count?
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing -- does climbing rocks over the waterfall count?
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert” -- does a pre-taped five-minute interview count?
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark -- does taking one bite count?
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language well enough to have a decent conversation
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country -- does a narrow canal trip count?
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over -- but have done it more than once for a job
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari -- does artificial safari count?
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents -- well, 4 out of 7
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life -- well, saved one person from a very serious injury

No, I am not rich by OUR standards, but...

Discover how rich you are! >>

As shared by Dr. Brazen Hussy

I do not want to talk to you... go away...

I came to work early today, hoping to do some writing. As soon as I settled down, a student poke his/her head into my office. NOT one of my students. I don't know this person. S/he proceeded to ask me about my day (um, it's only 8:00 a.m. and I am not fully awake, what day?), telling me that s/he forgot it's not Friday yet and s/he didn't bring the homework, discussing family problems, etc.

What did I do? Went back to work, hoping s/he will go away. After about five minutes, s/he did. I think I might have been mistaken for somebody else. Or maybe I just attract weirdos? Anyway, I had to stop working and write this post. See what happens when people interrupt me???

What have I done?!

We just finished the unit on Excel in my online course. One student submitted all three projects in Word -- created tables, typed in numbers, etc. No, she didn't participate in any discussions either. Apparently, s/he lives on a different planet. A long sigh...