Current/Recent Reading List

24 August 2009

Cue The Long March

"There's a dark cloud rising from the desert floor
I packed my bags and I'm heading straight into the storm..."
-"The Promised Land"
Bruce Springsteen


O.k., perhaps that intro. is a bit dramatic, but we begin anew at the old school house tomorrow, and I can't imagine much more of an unsettled horizon for moi, though I hope it will be mostly positive unsettling. Still, unsettling is unsettling...

Aside from moving, birthing, and infant care issues, I have been curious and concerned for a while about the work atmosphere this year. With the combination of budget cuts, salary stagnation (actually a tiny cut), increasing student enrollment, and larger average class sizes, I expected sour attitudes from the start. But, I have to say, everyone (meaning faculty) seems much happier and settled down than they were at the beginning of last year. Maybe the tough times have given some needed perspective. Or, maybe it's just because there's not some damned election this year.

I have mostly sophomores, but one class of juniors has been added, and as usual I'm also messing around a bit with what I'm going to do so as to be more effective and, most importantly, avoid getting bored with my curriculum. The yearbook needs to make money, the students need to shut up and sit down, and I need to sleep well every night (ha!). Any questions?

By the way, yes I know The Boss is coming to Charlotte in early November, and that tickets go on sale Friday. Yes, that is two weeks after the Wyfe's due date, and a couple of months into the new steroided-up mortgage payment. Yes, the boy and I just saw him in May. And yes, like a good soldier I have ignored these realities anyway and have tried to prevail upon the fair Wyfe for permission to go. Alas, to no avail. Pretty unreasonable, wouldn't you agree? Anyone want to help argue my case?

23 August 2009

I Don't Write Much When I'm Nervous

As you may have noticed... Some people feel better by writing about their stresses and turmoils while they are occuring, but as for me, I basically just turn into a big ball of weenie, close off my word-forming faculties, replace them with groans and grunts and gnashing of teeth, and wait until the storm has passed.

I'll refer you to this and to this if you are unfamiliar with the details, but in short let's just say that between a cranky, hard-to-please buyer of our home and the Byzantine process of getting a loan approved in the current market, the last month has been full of its own special torture.

In spite of all this, it appears everything is still going to go through on schedule, somewhat miraculously. Perhaps one day it will make wonderful grist for the blogging mill. With a week left, however, I'm inclined to believe one or two more surprises are in order so I'm going to let that particular dog lie a little longer. There are other matters to write on, time permitting.

Oh yeah, and school starts Tuesday. Toodles.