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Ali has been in Egypt for a little more than three weeks and is not scheduled to return for another three. Each time he goes, I make myself a list of things to accomplish while he is gone -- things that never seem to get done because he wants to take care of them himself but never finds the time. And at the conclusion of every trip, I look at the list and marvel at very few entries I have managed to cross off as accomplished. This trip is no different. I should, by now, have purchased new couches; instead, I bought a new laptop. The swimming pool pump should have been repaired; I invested in several boxes of chlorine shock instead because getting the pump fixed requires me to be at home when I have to run the show at the business. The living and dining rooms should have a fresh coat of Egyptian Nile paint on them, but the paint is still on the shelves at Home Depot. Boxes should be packed with old paperwork for which we have no immediate need, but we will begin unpacking a 40-foot cargo container filled with boxes later this morning. Life definitely has a way of getting right smack in the middle of all my plans!
And so it goes. . .
- Location:Home Office
- Mood:
working - What's On:NPR
I must have been delirious when planning the syllabi for this semester's classes. I can't think of any other rational explanation for having my students turn in an essay for me to grade over the break. The only positive outcome from that clear display of lunacy on my part is that a sweet student, who noticed my tendency to color-code grammar and style issues on essays, gave me some fantastic pens last week to use for grading. These pens are square to prevent them rolling off the desk, have a super fine 0.038 tip, come in 10 delightful colors, and are stored in a nifty hard plastic case. I've already used them on half a dozen or so essays and have decided that finding out where to buy more is a must!
On the advice of several friends, I bought a 750G external hard drive to use with my laptop. Much of the weekend was spent sorting and moving files from the internal to the external drive, but it was nice to clean up and better organize the machine upon which I depend for everything related to the many jobs I do. Wouldn't you know it, though, that as soon as I had moved files and backed up the internal drive, the damn thing took a total dump on me? My laptop is now with a friend who has a computer repair business. Apparently, something freaked out Windows (did I mention that I HATE Windows?) to the point that it won't even recognize the System Restore CD and must be reinstalled. I should get it back today and can begin restoring the software I can't live without. In the meantime, I've jacked Ali's Fujitsu tablet PC and although it doesn't have all the programs I use regularly, it is a fun machine to play around with!
- Location:Dining Room Table
- Mood:
chipper - What's On:CNN
- Mood: hopeful
Grades have been calculated and turned in, so the time for revising syllabi and writing new assignments has arrived. Since the topic of censorship in America's textbooks is such a popular topic among the students in my department, I'll stick with it; however, this semester I plan to include censorship in other areas such as science, art, and music. There's plenty of fodder from the annual textbook wars in Texas to use for reading material and with the help of my new iPhone, I've discovered podcasts that I'm dying to find a way to use as well. It's been a while since I was so excited about revising a syllabus, LOL!
Speaking of the iPhone, I'm anxiously awaiting the first bill with the usage from the new telephone on it. I have no clue just how many text messages I sent last month except to say that it probably came very, very close to the 200 limit that my account allows. One of the unfortunate joys of this new toy of mine is that it makes texting so incredibly easy that I am using the SMS feature ALL the time. I didn't learn until last week that the iPhone does not have an "official" IM service available but that a hack app is available. Considering that the phone cost so doggone much money, it's not likely that I will risk voiding the warranty on it by indulging in a hack even though I would really like to if for no other reason than to reduce the SMS usage a little bit. Because data usage is unlimited, IMs are definitely more cost effective than text messages. Hmmm...am I smelling a corporate conspiracy here? Overall, though, I absolutely love my iPhone. Now all I have to do is convince Ali that I really NEED the Vaja case for it. I won't hold my breath on that one!
- Mood: productive
- What's On:CNN
A local business was looking for help and put a sign in the window:HELP WANTED: Must be able to type, must be good on computers, and must be bilingual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Soon a Persian saw the sign and went in to apply. He looked at the receptionist, flicked his tail, walked over to the sign, and looking at it, meowed. The receptionist got the manager. He was surprised to say the least, but the Persian looked so determined that he led the cat over to a desk. The Persian leapt onto the chair and stared at the manager. The manager said, “I can’t hire you. The sign says you must be able to type.” The Persian reached for the typewriter and whipped up a perfect letter! The manager was stunned, but then told the cat, “I’m sorry, we’re looking for someone who is good on computers.” The Persian quickly jumped down and went to the computer. He proceeded to design and execute a program using advanced Java script which worked flawlessly. By this time, the manager was totally dumb-founded! He looked at the Persian and said, “I realize you are an amazingly intelligent cat with truly remarkable abilities; however, I still cannot give you this job.” At this point the Persian went over to the sign and placed his paw on the sentence that claimed the business was an Equal Opportunity Employer. The frazzled manager said, “Yes, but the sign also says applicants have to be bilingual!” It was then that the Persian looked at the manager, grinned, and said, “Bow-wow !"
*This delightful bit of cat humor came from a group that I just joined.
- Mood:
sympathetic - What's On:When Harry Met Sally
My text messaging capabilities have soared beyond my wildest dreams! No more squinting to read the tiny letters above the numbers on my gorgeous magenta Razr! The iPhone has an on-screen keyboard that makes typing so much easier and because I will now be able to text as easily as my daughter and students do, I increased the SMS limit on my account to 200 per month. Considering that it took me 6 months to exceed the original limit of 50, I think 200 will work fine for a while, LOL!
Not only am I now the proud owner of an iPhone, but I also have my first iPod which is built right into the phone! Not being a fan of those earbuds that I see attached to the heads of the younger generation, I was thrilled to learn that because the iPod is built into a phone that has a speaker, I won't have to attach my head to a wire in order to listen to music or watch videos.
With so many features to explore and become familiar with, my only regret is that I bought the phone on the Friday before I have to spend the weekend grading papers! What was I thinking?!
- Mood: ecstatic
- What's On:"Dream a Little Dream of Me," Cass Elliot
Can you see me doing the happy dance? Aside from one final exam on Monday and one on Wednesday of next week, I am officially done teaching for the semester. Believe it or not, the irresponsibility that marked the week of conferences continued yesterday when my students had to turn in their final papers. FOUR students didn't even bother to show up, although one sent me a text message to apologize and another, who was very clearly ill, called me from campus later in the day to ask where she should leave her packet. Absolutely unbelievable. . .I guess a couple of instructors in my department opted out of class yesterday, as several of the 10:00 students showed up at the 8:30 class asking to drop off their papers so that they could go home. Since the only thing I had planned for each class was a discussion of their experiences with an "official" research paper, I was only too happy to oblige them; excusing them from class meant that I, too, would be able to go home early. Instead of gabbing about their papers, students turned them in and left. Those who weren't sure if their 10:00 class was on or not decided to hang out in the classroom with me, and we had a great time discussing cell phones and text messaging while playing hangman.
I've had a cell phone for years but never got into texting -- until this semester, that is. I always give students my cell number, but this is the first semester that I gave them permission to text me. I am so glad that I did because it proved beneficial to me in a couple of ways: first, I finally learned how use the text message features on my own phone; second, I opened a communication venue to my students with which they were most comfortable, thus encouraging dialogue between us. As my recent cell phone bill indicates, it was a resounding success. For the first time ever, I exceeded the 50 messages per month that my account allows!
My fingers aren't anywhere near as fast on the keypad as my students' are, so they were thrilled to show off the phones they use and to explain why theirs is better than others. One gave a quick demo of his phone, which he affectionately calls a "Crackberry" for its addictive features. After our discussion, I came away with the conclusion that although I love my magenta Razr with a passion, it's time for me to move up to a more text friendly phone. And so the shopping begins for an iPhone, a Palm Treo, or a Blackberry Pearl. Ali called a friend of his who owns a cell store and should have prices for each today. I haven't decided which phone I prefer as they all have unique features that I like. At this point, I am leaning more towards the Blackberry Pearl only because the others are more phone than I need at this point. However, with the iPhone, I could finally have an iPod, too! Decisions, decisions, decisions. . .
- Mood:
thoughtful - What's On:CNN
Why is it that people become so blinded by politics that they can't see the proverbial forest for the trees? Yesterday, I had an interesting conversation about the writer's strike and unions with a friend whose political views are on the opposite end of the spectrum from my own. When the grocery clerks went on strike a few years ago, this friend had a real fit about the "communist leanings" of union members and droned on and on about how labor unions had destroyed the core of American businesses. Said friend spent a considerable amount of time trying to convince me that the faculty union to which I belong had no reason to strike since
(1) teachers are not educating the youth of America properly,
(2) have too much paid holiday time, and
(3) belong to an already overly powerful union.
This same individual argued that unions are never good because they are too closely related to the ideals of "communism" and are "controlled by the Mafia."
Imagine my utter disbelief, then, when this uber conservative friend of mine began to lament the Hollywood writers' strike while arguing in favor of their union! Ummm, excuse me dear friend, but aren't you the same individual who sees a commie around every union's corner? The same person who saw no need for the grocery workers' strike because the picketers interferred with your ability to move in and out of the local supermarket with ease? Where did you hide my friend who expressed shock and horror upon learning that I belonged to a faculty union poised to strike several months ago? Why do you think that a union representing the writers of your favorite television programs is so much more valid than those looking out for the interests of workers in other occupations?
Wait just a minute -- I feel an AHA! Moment coming my way. Ok, I get it now. You support the Hollywood writers' strike because your favorite television shows have gone to reruns already! That's what happens when those commie paper pushers don't receive adequate compensation for their work, you dufus; they stop producing the words that fuel your pixellated life! That you can't see the sheer hypocrisy behind your support is yet another example of life behind the Orange Curtain. . .
- Mood:
irritated
Between some especially nasty seizures and episodes of the third season of Buffy, I spent the weekend hammering out entries for our business blog, writing and emailing our December newsletter, chasing links for our Squidoo lens, cleaning photos of new products for listing purposes, listing more than 100 items, adjusting shipping times and rates on items already listed, updating the website, and managing email correspondence with customers. No sense in whining over a seizure or two, I say, and I seem to work more productively while trying to avoid having them. Ali spent his time painting the offices in both of our warehouses, lucky man!
The crunch of the holiday shopping season has definitely arrived, so much of the day at the office will be spent buried in the paperwork associated with orders needing fulfillment. Because I have slept only 3 hours, it should make for an interesting day both in class, where I will oversee peer response on the assignment for which so many students were not prepared last week, and at the business. Thank God for the office futon on days like this one!- Mood: excited
- What's On:CNN
John Donne
Death be not proud, though some have called thee
And poppy, or charms can make us sleep as well,
Meditation #17
John Donne
from Devotions upon Emergent Occasions (1623)
Nunc Lento Sonitu Dicunt, Morieris (Now, this bell tolling softly for another, says to me, Thou must die.)
Perchance, he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that. The church is Catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all. When she baptizes a child, that action concerns me; for that child is thereby connected to that body which is my head too, and ingrafted into that body whereof I am a member. And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God's hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another. As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come, so this bell calls us all; but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness.
There was a contention as far as a suit (in which both piety and dignity, religion and stimation, were mingled), which of the religious orders should ring to prayers first in the morning; and it was determined, that they should ring first that rose earliest. If we understand aright the dignity of this bell that tolls for our evening prayer, we would be glad to make it ours by rising early, in that application, that it might be ours as well as his, whose indeed it is.
The bell doth toll for him that thinks it doth; and though it intermit again, yet from that minute that this occasion wrought upon him, he is united to God. Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises? but who takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out? Who bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings? but who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece of himself out of this world?
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Neither can we call this a begging of misery, or a borrowing of misery, as though we were not miserable enough of ourselves, but must fetch in more from the next house, in taking upon us the misery of our neighbours. Truly it were an excusable covetousness if we did, for affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it. No man hath affliction enough that is not matured and ripened by it, and made fit for God by that affliction. If a man carry treasure in bullion, or in a wedge of gold, and have none coined into current money, his treasure will not defray him as he travels. Tribulation is treasure in the nature of it, but it is not current money in the use of it, except we get nearer and nearer our home, heaven, by it. Another man may be sick too, and sick to death, and this affliction may lie in his bowels, as gold in a mine, and be of no use to him; but this bell, that tells me of his affliction, digs out and applies that gold to me: if by this consideration of another's danger I take mine own into contemplation, and so secure myself, by making my recourse to my God, who is our only security.
- Mood: gloomy
- Mood: sad
This morning, I walked into my classroom ready to help my students with their research papers despite having a horrible headache. As I approached the table at the front of the classroom, I noticed something on the whiteboard that drew my attention:
We love Carleen! <insert a cutsie heart here>
Group #3
I smiled, but it wasn't a happy grin; it was one of those, I-know-what-you're-up-to smiles. "Hmmm," I said, "would I be wrong if I assume that you don't have the required drafts with you?" I queried the four young ladies who had left their mark on the board.
With sheepish grins and batting eyelashes, they replied in unison with a resounding, "No." The affirmation that I hadn't made an ASS of myself with the conclusion I had drawn was quickly followed by their individual excuses for having come to our meeting unprepared.
This first meeting of the day set the tone for the remainder of it. Of the 16 students I met with, 2 had the required drafts and 14 had excuses.
I GIVE UP!
- Mood: disappointed with my students!
The past few days have been frustrating to say the least. Classes have resumed and with it, my upset at some very flaky students! Gah -- what's up with these kids whose lives revolve around grades and not the processes required to achieve them? Honestly, if I hear one more student ask me what his/her likelihood of receiving an A in my class is, I'm gonna have to deliver a lecture on the subject. Because I carefully planned things ahead of time, I have only conferences this week. That eases some of my pain, as it means that I don't hear the dreaded grade question en masse; however, that lack of pain is only replaced by the genuine agony of preparing to help students with research papers only to discover that despite the fact they have been working on this assignment for four weeks, 75% of them came to their conferences without a draft for me to review. So what, then, I ask was the point of showing up at all?
And so it goes. . .
- Location:Not in a cave where I'd like to be!
- Mood: irritated
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. As a kid, I loved it because we didn't eat turkey at any other time during the year and being crazy for turkey, the holiday gave me the perfect excuse to indulge myself. As an adult, I love it because it means cooking the turkey and fixins to share with my family.
Later this afternoon, my house will be filled with scrumptious scents and gracious guests. I will be running amok trying to get everything finished and on the table to feed them. Despite the stress associated with preparing a large dinner, I revel in it. In attendance will be my dad and stepmom, my nephew, Ali's brother and wife and daughter, and Iman's ex-fiancee. While we are all Americans, our roots stretch across the globe from the US to Puerto Rico to Egypt, thus making for some very interesting dinner conversations.
We'll discuss the upcoming election, laugh about Thanksgiving bloopers from the past, eat until we can barely move, light up the hookahs, and play backgammon and cards while we drink coffee or tea and eat pumpkin cheescake. Ali will try to convince everyone to stay until late in the evening like he always does, while I will secretly hope that nobody takes him up on the offer so that I can go to bed. Iman and her cousins will plot their Black Friday shopping strategy as they dream of all the great deals available to them. The cats will pace the floor, purring and meowing in anticipation of the their communal plate of turkey. Carmen and I will clear the table and load the dishwasher before she and my dad take off to spend some time with her daughter's family. There will be enough turkey left for me to enjoy a sandwich or two tomorrow.
And although I still love Thanksgiving for the turkey, I appreciate it much more for the memories we make on this day.
- Mood: grateful
Dolly and Maggie want plates, too. They don't normally sit at the table with us; honestly, they are much better behaved than that. It must have been the delicious herb roasted chicken that led them to the table!
I'm supposed to be uploading photos to our website and writing descriptions of 166 different items, but I am already burned out and looking to waste time instead of being productive. Bad, bad me!
- Mood:
lazy
1. What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Ali's Old Spice body wash, my Carolina Herrera body wash, and a bottle of Pomegranate and Mango body wash (I don't remember the manufacturer of that one).
2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? None in the fridge, but I've got 5 of them still growing in my yard! We plan to pick one and amaze everyone at Thanksgiving. Who would have thunk it would be possible to eat watermelon in November?!
3. What would you change about your living room? It's time to replace the couch and loveseat. We've been looking but haven't found what we want yet.
4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? The dishwasher was emptied before I went to bed last night.
5. What is in your fridge? Ingredients needed to cook Thanksgiving dinner, apple juice, water, yogurt, condiments, milk, lemonade, and a 23 pound turkey.
6. White or wheat bread? Roman Meal Wheat
7. What is on top of your refrigerator? A large box of plastic wrap and shish-kebab skewers, really long ones
8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? A Martha Stewart design called Raja, I believe. It's a deep purplish maroon, forest green, navy blue, beige, and gold design.
9. How many plants are in your home? Lots of African violets and two orchids.
11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Comet
12. Is your closet organized? My side is relatively organized, but hubby's is a disaster.
13. Can you describe your flashlight? A large red boxy-looking thing that requires a rectangular battery.
14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Glass
15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No
16. If you have a garage, is it cluttered? The garage is definitely cluttered!
17. Curtains or blinds? Curtains
18. How many pillows do you sleep with? 4 or 5 -- ever since the brain surgery, I have to make a nest of them so that I can sleep comfortably. Before surgery, I slept with only one pillow.
19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? Not in the bedroom, but the kitchen light is always on at night.
20. How often do you vacuum? Every other day. I have 4 Persian cats with lots of hair!
21. Standard toothbrush or electric? Battery operated. Does that qualify for electric?
22. What color is your toothbrush? Purple and white
23. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? Yes, a gorgeous one with a Mary Engelbreit design on it.
24. What is in your oven right now? Two racks and a large griddle that doesn't fit anywhere else.
25. Is there anything under your bed? I keep our slippers under the edge of the bed so that we can slide them on as soon as we get up.
26. Chore you hate doing the most? Dusting
27. What retro items are in your home? Nothing
28. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? Yes, a spare bedroom.
29. How many mirrors are in your home? One in each of the two bathrooms, and the closet doors in two bedrooms are mirrors.
30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? Always.
31. What color are your walls? A peachy-pink color called "Everything Else"
32. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? Do the kitchen knives count?
33. What does your home smell like right now? A Fleur de Lis candle by Tyler Candle Company.
34. Favorite candle scent? French Market or Panache (aka Tyler) by the Tyler Candle Company.
35. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? Kosher dills and pickled lemons (it's an Egyptian thing)
36. Ever been on your roof? Yes
37. Do you own a stereo? Not any longer, but come Black Friday we plan to.
38. How many TVs do you have? One.
39. How many house phones? Two.
40. Do you have a housekeeper? I do, but she's on strike most of the time!
- Mood: cheerful
Now I need to get to work cropping and cleaning up all those photos!
- Mood: pleased with myself
- What's On:"Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
- Mood: thoughtful
The results of the blood test that I had yesterday are already available and from what I could see, everything is within normal range except for the Dilantin. That would probably explain the flurry of seizures from a couple of days ago as well as the one that I had about an hour ago. Looks like it's time to increase the dosage. I've emailed my wonderful neurologist, who instructed me to check in with her the day after the seizures, and will see what she thinks about the results.
It's back to the warehouse today so that I can cover for Ali while he attends the funeral. I'm not looking forward to going, as I have way too much to do around the house to get ready for Thanksgiving. Oh well, that's just what happens when you own a business. . .
- Mood:
okay
