Sunday, September 30, 2007

depression

I feel so depressed it's hard to breathe.

My parents invited me over for dinner; that only made me feel worse. Sometimes I think I might be better off taking myself out of existence.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Woke up this morning

I woke up this morning with lesson plans going through my head. I was able to snag one of the data projectors (which are rarely available) for all of next week, so I am going to jump in and teach my classes the way I love to teach with music, graphics, PowerPoint presentations, virtual (internet) field trips, etc. I may be able to hang on to the darn thing longer if no one else signs it out.

I also have chores on my mind. I went to my basement and found a rather nasty surprise from my cats. Because my complex was painting doors, we were instructed to leave our pets closed in a room. My cats retaliated by pissing on the floor - right next to their damn litter box! Luckily, I have a standard basement floor that can be mopped or sprayed down for cleaning, but I still felt the need to scrub the entire floor and rewash clothes that were nowhere near the urine but were subject to wafts of cat urine for a day.

Jeremy will be home around 1:30 this afternoon and will leave again tomorrow. Then he will return on Tuesday. I just need to work in my reading, writing of papers, grading, and lesson planning around his schedule - he is always a distraction. Not that I'm complaining, though. I rather like that, after all these years, he still gets my full attention.

Monday

I am having dinner with Mike on Monday. Wahoo!

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Morgen ist Freitag!

I've been speaking so much more German to my students than I did last year at this time. I am trying to work in immersion-style methods, and so far, everything seems to be going well.

My grad class was decent, although I didn't complete the reading. I stopped at the theater to pay my annual dues for band and then left. I didn't feel like I could get through rehearsal tonight. I picked up a sub on the way home and I've been running around since I arrived. It's hard to believe that I've only been home for fifty minutes. I can't remember the last time I was able to get so much done - especially while nursing a cold!

Tomorrow, my German students will take a quiz and then watch a DVD. My English students will be completely several pre-reading assignments and activities for Beowulf. I feel like I am in my element lately!

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

worn out but happy

Despite the fact that I truly enjoy my job, I am constantly exhausted at the end of the day. I did just recently come down with a cold (today is the worst day yet), but I find it ridiculous that I am so tired. Unfortunately, because I cannot breathe through my nose, I cannot sleep. I cannot even focus on my homework. Instead, I've been watching Ghost Hunters on SciFi. Jeremy is on his way home with his buddy Joel, and they are supposed to be bringing me dinner and medication.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

5 options - lame post, but who cares?

Should I:

1. attend a camp-out with my relatives this weekend.
2. celebrate Maureen's birthday (a couple of days late) and go out clubbing.
3. go to Ann Arbor with Mike.
4. shut myself indoors and complete all of my homework and lesson plans for the next two weeks.
5. clean EVERYTHING again.

-OR-

6. a little of each.

Monday, September 10, 2007

...

I feel like writing, but I have nothing to write about. Someone, please inspire me tonight.

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

grad school

I attended my first class at Eastern. It will definitely keep me on my toes!!! I am not as well-versed in literary criticism/theory, but this will certainly change that. Ironically enough, high school English teachers can be somewhat trained out of using the different schools of thought when it comes to analyzing something. We are supposed to teach students to find "their own meaning", with which I've always found a problem.

Our anchor text that we will examine through thirty or so different "lenses" is Bram Stoker's Dracula! What a treat!