1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? Hot Chocolate for sure. Egg? Nog? ew, just ew
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just put them under the tree? Wrap, put them in a decorative bag or box. Merchandise under a tree is just weird to me
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? fake mistletoe, but yes, it's here. With a bell that hangs down, which bonks Kev in the head every morning.
5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually, I start early, like the first weekend of December, but then get wrapped up in the end-of-the-semester rush, and finish up on Christmas eve eve.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? My mom makes spaghetti and ravioli. I prefer that so much over turkey, and now that I go with the ILs for Christmas, I like the leftovers!
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? My sister and I used to seriously practice peeking down the stairs at our Christmas presents. In our pjs. Every night of December. And the worst part was, when I was really little I couldn't even see down the stairs, until I got glasses.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I think I started suspecting something in second grade, but by third I was secure enough in the knowledge to actually tell my mom. Actually, that is another great memory of Christmas, shopping for my sister, from Santa, with my mom. And we got four Christmases out of it, because we had to sit my sister down when she was in fifth grade and tell her. I'm sure she didn't still believe, but I think she just didn't want to get hosed on Christmas if she let on.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Kev and I used to open each other's gifts on Christmas Eve, but now that we live together we've inherited stocking duty from our parents. So now we wait till after we see my nephew open his gifts. Oh, and the gifts from my aunt, we always do those on Christmas eve.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Is it just me, or is this worded funny? With a RAY GUN. No, seriously, this year, with feather garland and sprays of pearls. Oh so pretty!
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Only love it when I get the day off school, and have no reason to leave the house. And Kev's able to be home with me too. Then, it's lovely.
12. Can you ice skate? I broke my foot by tripping over my own feet- I will never attempt this, much to my former hockey-playing husband's dismay.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Kev and I were engaged on December 23, 2001, so that was a very nice present. Platinum, round diamonds, princess cut sapphires, and my mom-mom's center stone. Very nice! And he bought me a keyboard one year, because I off-handedly mentioned once that my mom threw out mine and I was pissed.
14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? I really love to give gifts. And getting together with the family, and spending lots of time with my mom. I love being an aunt at this time of the year, too.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin pie and Aunt Sue's cherry pie. mmmmm
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas morning, opening presents at mom and dad's house with my nephew, and then breakfast followed by a nap. Heaven!
17. What tops your tree? Um? It's hard to describe, and in words sounds hideous, but really, it's cool. It's abstract, kind of like an old-fashioned ornament, that adds about 6 inches to the height of the tree. And I just got it this year, and the damn thing didn't fit on the tree. But I made it fit, oh yes I did, because we'll have our house by this time next year and can get a taller tree.
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? he. hehehe. he. he. Giving. I just don't feel like I give good enough reactions a lot of the time. And I don't really like people watching me all expectantly. My bridal shower was hell for that reason (and others!)
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Religious: O Holy Night. Secular: Santa Claus is coming to Town, by Bruce Springsteen :) And the whole Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack.
20. Candy canes? Thank you, no.
21. Favorite Christmas movie? Charlie Brown, The (animated) Grinch and Rudolf
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Submit
Am done! With the grading, with the exam-giving, with it all! My first semester as an instructor is pretty much done for.
Except, you know, the fallout from the grades. Teacher Lady wrote about the "morning after" phenomenon recently, and I must admit I have the same dread. As soon as I hit the submit button, I knew I'd get emails. So far only one, though there are a couple of usual suspects, as well as student who has dropped off the face of the earth.
But I have to wonder (like how I'm channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw?) why do students believe in things such as the finals fairy? You know, the finals fairy, the mythical being who helps all those who fuck around for the other 3 grade-carrying components of the class, comes in the middle of the night, much like Santy Claus, and bestows upon them the chance to score a perfect 100 on the final. Which will impress me so greatly that I will say, yes, I believe this little darling deserves the A! For the Final Grade! No, let's just give him/her an A on the next semester's component, too, and not waste all of our time.
I have to say, I was often surprised by the final grades I earned in college. But I went to art school, and my surprising (good, bad and otherwise) grades were always in studio classes. In studios, at least in my school, you often didn't know how you were doing until you were finished, at the final crit. But my students know what they got for the two other exams, and for their semester-long project. And they should know that if they left three quarters of the exam blank, the finals fairy must have skipped over their dorm room the night before. These kids today!
Except, you know, the fallout from the grades. Teacher Lady wrote about the "morning after" phenomenon recently, and I must admit I have the same dread. As soon as I hit the submit button, I knew I'd get emails. So far only one, though there are a couple of usual suspects, as well as student who has dropped off the face of the earth.
But I have to wonder (like how I'm channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw?) why do students believe in things such as the finals fairy? You know, the finals fairy, the mythical being who helps all those who fuck around for the other 3 grade-carrying components of the class, comes in the middle of the night, much like Santy Claus, and bestows upon them the chance to score a perfect 100 on the final. Which will impress me so greatly that I will say, yes, I believe this little darling deserves the A! For the Final Grade! No, let's just give him/her an A on the next semester's component, too, and not waste all of our time.
I have to say, I was often surprised by the final grades I earned in college. But I went to art school, and my surprising (good, bad and otherwise) grades were always in studio classes. In studios, at least in my school, you often didn't know how you were doing until you were finished, at the final crit. But my students know what they got for the two other exams, and for their semester-long project. And they should know that if they left three quarters of the exam blank, the finals fairy must have skipped over their dorm room the night before. These kids today!
Saturday, December 16, 2006
6:11 comes in AM?!
Ugh, what is art nerd doing up this early in the morning on a Saturday? When she is supposedly on vacation? Christmas shopping, what else?
Please, send coffee. ughhhh
Please, send coffee. ughhhh
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Taking the whole "vacation" idea seriously
My family, who has continued to bother me ad infinitum with their chores, their kids, and their shopping, doesn't believe that I am on vacation. So I guess, in my nerdily rebellious way, I revolted against the blogging. But really, not much has happened!
Okay, so there was my one student, who is a total calamity, who suddenly needed to take the exam a full week before everyone else. Which was annoying, because I had to go in to school. On my vacation.
Then there was my cousin, she of the multitudinous trips to the hospital to have her baby. She actually did have said baby this time (grand total of hospital visits- 5. This is her third kid, y'all. The trips to the hospital grow in number exponentially with each fetus, I swear). And she then proceeded to kind of abandon her other kids, ages 12 and 8, on us from last Monday through Friday. Between my mom, my sister and I (because that's what this house needs- more bodies! Why they didn't bring a cat or two with them, I'll never know) we had to get them ready for school every day. And since her daughter's school is a block up from Chez Crazy, she's been sleeping here every night this week, too. I have an 8 year old, didn't I tell you?
Also, there is the little matter of Christmas being 11 days away, and every time I got out shopping, I come home with dumb crap like eye drops or socks or Tylenol Sinus Congestion and Pain (what's with the highly descriptive names for over the counter drugs anymore? Also, not feeling the "cool burst" feature, which feels more like heartburn than sweet, sweet relief. Note to Tylenol- no more fancy coatings, you aren't Advil!) I have ideas for everyone, now, I think. Except for...
Oh, and also, Kev is my hero. I wear the diamond earrings he gave me to wear on our wedding day always. Never take them off, not even in the shower. They are so pretty and sparkly. Imagine my surprise when, today, I was bored and pulling on my ear and noticed that my right earring was MIA! Apparently pulling on my ear is something I do a lot, since recalling feeling them in my ear last night in Circuit City and Target helped me to deduce that the Lost One just had to be somewhere in the house. I woke Kev up and told him. I'm usually of the mind that, dude, things are things and don't be all that emotionally involved. But the thought of not having those babies any longer REALLY upset me. Really. We tore the bed apart, we found a cat we didn't even know we had (in the form of tumbleweeds, of course!) and I did a lot of praying to St. Anthony. Kev was all busting on my Catholic superstitions, and I was sure to tell Tony that he was the one saying that, not me and don't punish me, for my husband knows not what he does, and all. Of course Kev finds my earring, on the floor of our bedroom, probably where it landed after falling out of the blanket that entangled it in the first place. I hate it when he's right, or vindicated, or whatever.
So, that, in a nutshell, has been my week. A quick question for the readers, because as you should all know from reading my blog, "academic" types often have no real knowledge of the working world, appropriate behavior, etc etc.
What constitutes "full time hours", to you? And before you say, duh, 40, everyone knows that, just know that NOT EVERYONE DOES. And that shall whet your appetite for tomorrow's post, to be posted tomorrow at work. If I have a job, that is.
Okay, so there was my one student, who is a total calamity, who suddenly needed to take the exam a full week before everyone else. Which was annoying, because I had to go in to school. On my vacation.
Then there was my cousin, she of the multitudinous trips to the hospital to have her baby. She actually did have said baby this time (grand total of hospital visits- 5. This is her third kid, y'all. The trips to the hospital grow in number exponentially with each fetus, I swear). And she then proceeded to kind of abandon her other kids, ages 12 and 8, on us from last Monday through Friday. Between my mom, my sister and I (because that's what this house needs- more bodies! Why they didn't bring a cat or two with them, I'll never know) we had to get them ready for school every day. And since her daughter's school is a block up from Chez Crazy, she's been sleeping here every night this week, too. I have an 8 year old, didn't I tell you?
Also, there is the little matter of Christmas being 11 days away, and every time I got out shopping, I come home with dumb crap like eye drops or socks or Tylenol Sinus Congestion and Pain (what's with the highly descriptive names for over the counter drugs anymore? Also, not feeling the "cool burst" feature, which feels more like heartburn than sweet, sweet relief. Note to Tylenol- no more fancy coatings, you aren't Advil!) I have ideas for everyone, now, I think. Except for...
Oh, and also, Kev is my hero. I wear the diamond earrings he gave me to wear on our wedding day always. Never take them off, not even in the shower. They are so pretty and sparkly. Imagine my surprise when, today, I was bored and pulling on my ear and noticed that my right earring was MIA! Apparently pulling on my ear is something I do a lot, since recalling feeling them in my ear last night in Circuit City and Target helped me to deduce that the Lost One just had to be somewhere in the house. I woke Kev up and told him. I'm usually of the mind that, dude, things are things and don't be all that emotionally involved. But the thought of not having those babies any longer REALLY upset me. Really. We tore the bed apart, we found a cat we didn't even know we had (in the form of tumbleweeds, of course!) and I did a lot of praying to St. Anthony. Kev was all busting on my Catholic superstitions, and I was sure to tell Tony that he was the one saying that, not me and don't punish me, for my husband knows not what he does, and all. Of course Kev finds my earring, on the floor of our bedroom, probably where it landed after falling out of the blanket that entangled it in the first place. I hate it when he's right, or vindicated, or whatever.
So, that, in a nutshell, has been my week. A quick question for the readers, because as you should all know from reading my blog, "academic" types often have no real knowledge of the working world, appropriate behavior, etc etc.
What constitutes "full time hours", to you? And before you say, duh, 40, everyone knows that, just know that NOT EVERYONE DOES. And that shall whet your appetite for tomorrow's post, to be posted tomorrow at work. If I have a job, that is.
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