« April 2006 | Main | June 2006 »
May 31, 2006
On-Line Course: Some initial concerns
(Although this and subsequent entries about my on-line course are in the "classes" category, I'd like to hear comments from anyone -- students, general readers, whomever -- about my process. Any dialog will only make the course better).
This summer, I've been asked by the Department to work on developing a wholly on-line version of EDUC 670 -- Schooling in American Society. I am also teaching a face-to-face section of the course this summer as well, so that dovetails nicely.
In the past, I have been leery of on-line instruction. I've never taken a course on-line, nor taught one, but my worries stemmed from anecdotal reports and some conceptual concerns. These concetns included:
1. The impersonal nature of the course. With a lack of face-to-face interaction, the instructor would never really get to know her students, nor would the students know each other. This lack of contact would stifle dialog and discussion, as well as develop passivity in students.
2. Instructor-Centered course. Again, because of the lack of face to face contact, students would become passive consumers of information presented by the instructor in various forms. Students would accept new information, then be assessed on that information, without really engaging with the ideas and/or issues. The instructor would have all the power in the class situation. It would be the typical "knowledge transmission" format of instruction, exacerbated by the distance and impersonal nature of the on-line environment.
My concerns were exacerbated by the subject matter of the course. I'm teaching philosophy, sociology, and history of education. The primary activites of those foundational subjects are reading, thinking, talking, and writing. On-line instruction makes "talking" difficult, so that leaves reading, thinking, and writing. "Thinking" is usually seen as an indivdiual activity -- something that goes on inside the head of the student. Thus, "thinking" gets assessed or demonstrated by either talking or writing. I've already taken talking off the list, so that leaves reading and writing. It would be easy to develop a course that has the basic structure of "Student reads X. Student writes a response/critique/reflection on X. Instructor grades writing. Repeat." I don't think that course structure would be very successful.
Thankfully, there are resources (conceptual, technological, and instructional) I can draw upon to create a course that does not have that passive structure. Investigating those resoruces is the next phase of the course development.
Posted by Nakia at 10:45 AM | Comments (4)
May 30, 2006
Tuesday Tech
Don't know why, but I am in a techy mood today. Perhaps it's because I am beginning to get my on-line course together. I've got a meeting today at 2:00 with the resident on-line course guru, Becky Evers. She's helping me out with the development. We use WebCT here at Winthrop.
I also checked out Woot, an on-line store of sorts. It has a unique business model and a very cheeky attitude; it's basicly a blog that sells stuff, but they only sell one product per day.
I've also downloaded some extensions for Firefox. I got a local weather one that's pretty nice and (finally) an RSS reader. For the later, I chose info RSS. I am not nearlly savy enough yet to evaluate it well, but it seems very customizable and pretty easy to use so far.
I should also point everyone to Money and More. It's 803's newest venture -- a finanical magazine focusing on the Grand Strand region.
If I find more stuff today, since it appears I'm in a web surfing mood, I'll post it.
Posted by Nakia at 11:40 AM | Comments (0)
May 25, 2006
Lost -- Season Finale
I not MUST buy the first two season's worth of episodes, because there is no way I can make it to the fall without watching some Lost.
I really liked the finale. It did what it needed to do: answer some questions and pose some new ones for next season.
Spoilers, of course.
Comments and questions:
1. What the hell was up with the stone foot? Why are four toes important? I thoguht of Shelly's Ozymandias: "Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair." I also thought of Planet of the Apes
2. Glad we saw lots of Desmond. I like him and hope he's not dead. Still some Desmond questions, though, like why was he in jail?
3. Speaking of Desmond, wasn't his full name Desmond David Hume? This is the third Enlightenment era philosopher that has been referenced: John Locke, David Hume, and Rousseau. If Spinoza, Kant, or Berkeley show up next season I am freaking out.
4. What was with the look Jack gave Kate just before they were lead away? A fellow professor also pointed out that Jack and Michael shared a look as Michael sailed away. Was this all part of a plan to get inside the Other's camp? Are Michael and Walt going to sail and meet up with Sayid, Sun, and Jin? I don't really think they are leaving. Besides, they don't have Vincent.
5. Penelope (nice Odyessy referece with her and Desmond, btw) and her Russian spotters now know something about the Island. It looks like they've been watching out for electromagnetic surges. That's a cool development. But I wonder how they know to look for that sort of energy in the first place. Is Penelope's rich father connected with Hanso/Dharma?
6. It looks like we know why the plane crashed -- Desmond let the energy spike by not punching in the numbers, thus crashing the plane. But questions remain. The largest question is how all those interconnected people were together on the plane in the first place. Wasn't the plane way off course before it crashed? It looks like even if the plane crashing was an accident, the plane being near the island and full of people whose lives were related was not.
7. It was good to see Charlie take a strong role and good to see some lingering Charlie/Locke animosity. Charlie is still mad at Locke for Locke getting so friendly with Claire and for making him look like a fool during the whole baby baptism incident.
8. Good to see Libby again in the flashback. It will be interesting to see how she relates to Hurley and Desmond. Let's hope that thread develops.
I still like the show, although some of the conventions that were "WOW" at the beginning are now almost expected -- mainly the appearance of other Lostaways in individual character flashbacks.
Oh, and there are gonna be toys!
Posted by Nakia at 01:22 PM | Comments (1)
May 24, 2006
Jet Lag Sucks
The reason I haven't updated since we've been back from Ireland is that I've been asleep for a week. Yeah, that's it.
Seriously, it did take me several days to really recover. East-West jetlag is always worse for me than West-East. With the later, especially with an overnight flight, you can tough it out on your arrival day, stay up, go to bed at a normal hour, and be fairly adjusted by day two. Not so with the return. We left Dublin at 1:00 Dublin time and arrived back in Charlotte at about 9:00. We got home and I was in bed by 11:00. Of course, I woke up at 5:30 (10:30 Dublin time) and spent the next few days just feeling crappy. It certainly didn't help that a gang of allergies were waiting for me at my house. I thought I had ditched them by going to Ireland, but they just hung around until I got back, then forcably kicked my ass Thursday and Friday. I think I've got them under control now.
Not sure why the East-West adjustment is so much harder than the West-East, but it is for me. I can't imagine what I'f feel like if I had to fly to China or somewhere in the Pacific. I felt bad enough when I was in San Francisco last year.
I've still got some stuff to write about Ireland -- a summary of our last couple of days there, some general reflections and juxtapositions, and an idea for a paper on travel, tourism, and education (or something). Those all should be forthcoming.
(almost finished with Cryptonomicon, btw. Good stuff!)
Posted by Nakia at 10:15 AM | Comments (8)
May 15, 2006
Mr. Dubalina, Mr. Bob Dubalina
Whew! A busy day hiting the major sites of Dublin. We tried to get an early start, but I messed up our wake up call (which turns on the TV automatically like some Poltergeist film), but we still made it out by 9:30. It was rainy and dreary. Our first stop was the Trinity College Library and the Book of Kells. We were worried about crowds, but arrived at a good time and were able to get right in. The exhibit was well done. We learned a lot about early Irish Christianity, illuminated manuscripts, and Christian symbolism. The book itself was beautiful, even if you only got to see one page.
Then there was the Long Room of the Library, which deserves its own entry. Wow.
We dropped off some postcards at the postoffice, then went to Dublin Castle. The castle has been swallowed up by the surrounding city, so you couldn't see much of the castle itself. Part of the castle has been turned into Chester Beatty Library. We spent some time examining the collection of manuscripts, including a papyrus copy of the Gospels from 250 AD.
We had lunch at Leo Burdock Fish and Chips, which is desrevedly famous.
Then, we hiked to the Guinness Storehouse. Sarah was really excited! The exhibit was pretty interesting, with cool stuff about the making of Guinness and it's advertising. The view of Dublin from the Gravity Bar at the top was wonderful -- the weather had cleared up just in time.
Posted by Nakia at 12:57 PM | Comments (7)
Causeway Photo
The Giant's Causeway -- we were there last Wednesday.
Posted by Nakia at 12:53 PM | Comments (0)
May 14, 2006
Ireland Trip -- The Cider Goes Right to Your Head
Our first night out in Dublin was a pretty quiet affair. We walked down Grafton steeet to scope out some shopping for Sarah. Then, we swung through Temple Bar to see what was happening and try to find someplace for our nice dinner out (which we'll have tomorrow or Tuesday). We also found a couple of places where I could get a hot towell shave; I've always wanted one of those, but have yet to find a place in the states. We dropped into Ricks Hamburgers for dinner, because I was craving a burger. We couldn't decide if that was a tourist place or not; it was kind of a dive, had Pepsi, and called fries "fries" instead of chips. We decicded it was an attempt at an American burger joint that only partially succeded. We then stopped by the Stags Head for a pint.
A few nights ago, in Kinsale, I tried a Bulmer's Cider. It makes Woodchuck taste like cow urine and is stronger than beer. I really like the stuff, but even a pint makes my head feel a little funny. I was worried that it was a girly drink, but I've seen plenty of guys drinking it. I have to find some to take back with me.
At the Stags Head, Sarah had her nightly Guiness and I ordered a pint of Bulmers. As soon as we got our drinks, a group of rowdy guys mobbed the bar and one of them ordered a pint bottle of Bulmers and ice. I asked him if it was better that way; he promptly poured his glass and let me try it over ice. He then ordered me to try the next one over ice. Those guys got thrown out of the bar about 15 minutes later. They weren't picking fights or stumbling about -- they were just being loud. Apparently, these Dublin bartenders (especially at the nicer pubs) take no crap. But the Bulmers over ice was pretty good.
Also, the pint glasses over here have these numbers on them, one over the other: 164/05. I asked the bartender what they meant. Apparently, the top number is the batch number and the bottom number is the year it was made. The bartender explained that all real pint glasses carry these numbers because they are certified as true pints by the government. Glasses without numbers are illegal. Talk about taking your drinking seriously.
Okay, it's bed time. Big day in Dublin tomorrow.
Posted by Nakia at 05:53 PM | Comments (2)
Some more photos
Yeats' grave near Sligo
Sunset over King John's Castle, Carlingford
Posted by Nakia at 02:11 PM | Comments (0)
Ireland Trip -- Fried By Sean
We're in Dublin, hence the increased acess to the internet. We dropped some euros to have access in our hotel room for the next day or so, so we're going to try and update and post some photos.
A rainy morning saw us at a 10:00 AM Mass in Wicklow (St. Patrick's, of course). The church was beautifiul, but the mass felt hurried -- we were in and out in 45 minutes. John had to be back at the airport at 12:30, so we headed up the highway back to Dublin with a brief stop off in Bray. Not much happening there, but we just wanted to check it out.
We dropped off the car at Budget. I don't think I'll rent from them ever again, as their on-line price neglected to included LOTS of charges (some mandatory and some optional). The woman ahead of me in line voiced her displeasure at the same thing. I am very glad, however, we upgraded to the automatic. It made driving much easier. Sarah ended up drving most of the time. She's the better driver while I am the better navigator.
Dublin so far seems like lots of fun. We took a bus into the city from the airport which dropped us off only a block from our hotel. We're glad to be at the O'Callaghan Alexander. We're enjoying the space, the full-sized bathroom, and the fact that we are not in someone's home. I am not sold on the whole B&B thing, even though that's the dominant mode of lodging here. Sometimes it has worked out very well -- like in Kilkenny. Other times, it's been okay at best.
Tonight, we're taking it easy so we can hit the city sights tomorrow.
"Fried by Sean" is not some colloquial slang, nor is in an Irish punk band. It was stamped on the back of the chips ("crisps") I had with lunch. We ate at a place called "Nude" -- an organic restaurant that had great sandwiches and juice, just up the street from Trinity College and a few blocks from our hotel. The crisps we're really good!
Posted by Nakia at 01:29 PM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2006
St. Patrick Photo
Statue of St. Patrick at the Hill of Tara
Posted by Nakia at 01:29 PM | Comments (1)
Ireland -- Thursday
We're at the airport, waiting on Harper's flight from London. We've got a drive ahead of us, down to Kilkenny; our hostess may be a bit put out at our late arrival. Hopefully, we'll still get breakfast.
Today has been a lot of driving thus far, but we made some quality stops. From Letterkenny we drove to Sligo, stopping to see Yeat's grave en route. Very cool. Then we cut across Connaught, seeing lots of lochs from the road. We paused at a roadside stop to admire the view, then pushed on all the way to Kells. We had lunch at a coffee shop named Pebbles, then fought some traffic coming into Dublin to the airport.
More later, as I may be running out of time on my purchased wireless airtime!
Posted by Nakia at 01:17 PM | Comments (2)
May 10, 2006
Ireland -- from Letterkenny
Greetings from Letterkenny! We're at a cybercafe in this northern college town, so no photos yet. We'll have to find a spot with wireless next time. We drove here today from Carlingford via the Giant's Causeway, which was spectacular. Sarah and I spent a few hours there today, marvelling at the rocks, ocean, and general scenery. We could even see Scotland! The weather has been wonderful so far, with sunny skies all day. Our route from the Causeway took us through Portrush, Portstewart, and Coleraine, all in Northern Ireland.
Last night we stayed in Carlingford, a great little town right on the water. It had a ruined castle, a ruined priory, and a nice little pizza place (intact). Our hostess, Wendy, was great -- she's the one that persuaded us to see the Causeway instead of returning south.
Yesterday we arrived with little incident in Dublin, tired but ready to go after a good face wash and teeth brushing in the airport bathroom. We were offered an upgrade to an automatic transmission for only 10 euros/day more and gladly took it. Smart move, as the driving is harrowing enough without having to worry about shifting. I still got raped by the car rental people though, as the on-line price didn't include lots of things that, had I argued, I probably could have gotten out of. But who has the presence of mind to argue after 12 hours of travel?
Despite our fatigue, yesterday we did see the Hill of Tara, the Hill of Slane, Slane Castle (sight of the "Unforgettable Fire" video and other big concerts), and Monasterboice ruins. The later was full of Celtic High Crosses and very cool.
Tomorrow, we have a lot of driving, as we're headed back to Dublin to pick up Harper, then down to KIlkenny. After that, we're staying for two nights in Kinsale.
Hopefully, photos next time!
Posted by Nakia at 03:25 PM | Comments (2)
May 08, 2006
Ireland Trip: Leaving
The tickets finally came on Saturday, so that drama is over. I may have an ulcer now, which I blame wholly on Expedia. Just to remind you -- Don't Use Expedia Ever!
Now, the bags are 90% packed. Sarah has a meeting this morning with a real estate broker to talk about a job, but other than that, we're just hanging out until our ride to the airport comes at 11:30. We have a 2:00 flight to Boston, then on to the emerald isle.
We're taking the laptop, so plans are to update the blog from the road (hopefully with photos). Keep checking back to see what we're up to!
(Travel book is Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. Been wanting to read that for awhile.)
Just added: Checked the news in Ireland. This is what I have to look forward to?
Posted by Nakia at 07:41 AM | Comments (4)
May 06, 2006
Finished the Da Vinci Code
I wrapped up this book last night. Nothing in the last half of the book changed my opinion. Still porly written, still fairly predictable (though, I admit, I didn't figure out where the grail was until the grandmother drew the triangles for "chalice" and "blade". Then I was like "oh yeah! back to the beginning.") and it still kept me up until midnight finishing it.
I will offer a brief comment about the general church uproar over the book. No one tells me what I can and cannot read. I'm also of the thought that "condemning" something just makes it more attractive and gives it a degree of legitimacy. But I do understand why the church (and the Catholic Church in particular) don't like this book. It's not becase it's some unveling of a conspiracy and the Chruch is afraid of the truth. Rather, it's because the book denies the divinity of Jesus -- the cornerstone of the Christian faith. And it does so in such a matter-of-fact, non-literary way. So much of the book is just one character monologues about "historical facts" (which is what makes it a crappy book), and the non-divinity claim is presented so forthrightly, that it's hard not to take the denial of Jesus' divinity as an asserted fact and not part of a story. Couple that with Brown's "Look at all the research I did" forward and I can see why people get a little put out by the book.
I also have a theory about why the book has sold like a billion copies, but that's gonna have to wait.
Posted by Nakia at 09:55 AM | Comments (10)
May 05, 2006
Don't Use Expedia. Ever.
Because my father reads this blog, I will refrain from launching the profanity-laced tirade that I wish to lauch against Expedia and their "travel services". I'll just say this: It's almost exactly 72 hours before we have to leave the house for the airport and our trip to Ireland. I do not have any plane tickets as of now.
This is a week-long saga at this point that involved me being on hold for three hours Wednesday along with phone calls to Expedia on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It involved outright lying on Expedia's part -- an "it's in the mail already" situation. I just (15 minutes ago) recieved notice that my tickets are being expressed mailed to me. This was when I was told yesterday that they were already in the mail and would arrive today. When Sarah and I express mailed the tickets back, we put them in the mail at 4:00 on Friday and they were delivered by noon on Saturday. I can only hope the same applies in reverse.
If I don't get the tickets this afternoon or tomorrow, I don't know what I am going to do.
So, do yourself a favor and tell all your friends. Don't use Expedia. Ever.
Posted by Nakia at 11:46 AM | Comments (2)
May 03, 2006
The Da Oreo Code
I woke up at 1:45 this morning, hot, grumpy, with a sour stomach and a head full of allergy induced snot. I opened the window, turned on the fan, searched for some Rolaids, and swallowed an Allegra. By the time all that was over, I was awake.
I heard somewhere that the best way to fall back asleep was not to try too hard. You need to do something, something that will take your mind off not being able to sleep. Eventually you will get tired again and be able to slumber. Heeding this advice, I ended up reading another 100 pages of my current book.
Yes, I am reading The Da Vinci Code. To the Catholic Church, that marks me as sacrilegious. To literary folk, well, it marks me as sacrilegious. To most, it just means I've joined the uncounted masses who have made Dan Brown into one of the bestselling authors of all time and, if he were so inclined, able to buy me and sell me into popular fiction slavery. "Yes. Mr. Brown. I'll be happy to scrub the floors of your grail shaped mansion. Please don't buzz me with your helicopter again."
I'm 200 pages into this book and fully intend to finsih it before we leave for Ireland. Almost everyone I know has read it and liked it. Here, I'm putting forth the contention that The Da Vinci Code is the literary equivalent of Oreo cookies -- fundamentally not good for you, immediately tasty but ultimately of poor quality, and borderline addicitive.
On Sunday, I got grocieries for Sarah and I. For some reason probably having to do with farm subsidies and economies of scale, a gallon of milk was cheaper than a half-gallon, so I put that in the cart. I knew there was no way Sarah and I could drink a gallon a milk before we left on our normal "cereal for breakfast" routine, so I picked up some Oreos to facilitate the milk consumption, even though I knew it was a bad idea. It was a bad idea because I inhale Oreo cookies. The package was going to last two, three days tops, even without Sarah's help. Dunked in milk, dry, whatever, I go after them like Boba Fett after Han Solo, not stopping until my stomach, it feels, is encased in carbonite.
How are Oreos and The Da Vinci Code alike? Well, both are not really good for you. The Da Vinci Code is not going to send me to hell or anything. Nor am I a pop-lit snob who believes that entertainment is not a function of prose; clearly it is, and I believe that's all some prose has to be to be good -- entertaining. But The Da Vinci Code does not challenge me in any way. Certainly not on a literary level. Not even on an ideological level. I've played enough RPG's and watched enough X-Files to not be terribly surprised at an ancient conspiracy resulting in murder. The Vatican, covering things up? Wow. Never seen that device used before. Oreos are, at best, neutral in nutritional value. At worst, they put inches on my waist and fill my veins with trans-fats. At best, I'll be entertained by the book. At worst, I'll feel a little less smart after it's all over.
Oreos are, in the overall hierarchy of cookies, not really that great. They're chemicals, fats, and sugars. They're nowhere near the level of a homemade molasses or chocolate chip cookie, fresh out of the oven. Even so, there is something immediately satisfying about them, the texture of the thing as you bite into it -- crunchy chocolate, smooth vanilla creme, then chocolate again. (A texture, of course, that changes into a sublime chocolate-vanilla mush when dunked in milk. I've never been a twist off the top and lick the middle kinda guy). With The Da Vinci Code, there is an immediate satsifaction in reading it. It certainly moves, in it's own awkward fashion. But, let's face it, the writing sucks. I'm 250 pages in and have no sense about any of the characters other than what is immediately relevant to the plot. There are sentence fragments -- not Faulkner-stream-of-consciousness-fragments, but I'm-too-lazy-to-finish-a-thought-fragments. There are mixed metaphors and cliches. Half the book violates a primary rule of writing -- "Show, don't tell" -- as there is a whole lot of telling about the great consipracies. There are plot elements that make sense only as a mechanism to establish what needs to happen in order for the story to function. For example:
spolier space for those three people IN THE WORLD who haven't read the book
In the very beginning, when Silas is going to kill the Louve curator. He shoots him once, in the stomach, and then RUNS OUT OF BULLETS!!!! Opus Dei assassin, sent to kill the man who has covered up a millenia-old conspiracy to set years of planning in motion, only brings one clip, even when he's been assigned to kill four people. I guess he had to shoot each of the other Priory of Scion guys four times, leaving just one for the Louve fellow, and left the other clips in his spare cassock. Of course, the stomach wound is necessary for Louve curator to have 15 minutes to live to leave the clues that set the book in motion. All because the assassin ran out of bullets. Yeah, right.
spolier space over
The book is not well written, yet even so I cannot stop turning the pages. Just as I'll sit and shovel Oreo after Oreo into my mouth, even though I know they are bad for me and really don't taste all that great, I turn page after page of The Da Vinci Code while complaining about the writing and generally knowing where the whole thing is going. I can't help it. Maybe I have a problem. Maybe there is something in the paper. The borrowed copy I am reading, after all, is part of the 42nd print run.
I could go on, I suppose. I could talk about how, like the two parts of the Oreo, there are two parts to the book (the actual narrative and the copious amounts of "scholarly" backstory and explanation), but I should just stop here. I have some cookies to eat.
(and, yes, I want to see the movie. Tom Hanks is a good actor and has a blank slate to create the character of Robert Langdon).
Posted by Nakia at 09:16 AM | Comments (5)
May 02, 2006
Walkin' (for your love)
Today, a fine late spring day, I parked my car at the free downtown parking lot and walked to Winthrop from there. It's a little over a mile and took me maybe 30 minutes. I basically walked straight up Oakland Ave.
It was great. The weather was perfect - not hot enough to really get sweaty, but warm enough so that it felt good in my short sleeves. The route was nice; Oakland Ave is treelined and flanked by old houses that are mostly law offices and churches. I got some needed exercise. Very pleasant.
I miss walking. I walked a lot in Charlottesville. I'd walk to the downtown trolley stop from our home on St. Clair and/or home from that stop almost everyday. When the weather was really nice or I wasn't in any hurry, I'd occassionally walk all the way home from the University (about 3 miles). Sarah and I could walk downtown from our house, which we did farily frequently.
My biggest complaint about our current home is that there is nowhere to walk. I can walk around the neighborhood, or around the adjacent neighborhood that connects to the country club, but I need somewhere to walk to -- I need a destination, even if it is just to the convience store to get a Coke. It's about six miles from our home to my office, which is pretty far (that's a couple of hours) and pretty dangerous along parts of the route (no sidewalks and a busy road).
I don't know what it is, but I love walking. I remember walking from my grandparent's house to a big park nearby with my grnadfather. I couldn't have been more than four, but I remember walking up there and walking back, sometimes along the railroad tracks. There is something about the pace, the speed, the methodical right-left rhythm. You see more, smell more. There's also something romantic about it, something old and timeless and spiritual. Keroac putting back boot to road, Whitman meandering the streets of Manhattan, Jesus, as they say, walked.
Not to draw any sacreligious comparisions. It's a nice May day and I walked a mile. Call me again in January, when it's windy and rainy and cold, and see how I'm doing. Call me when my feet are the only means I have of getting to work or school, when it's uphill both ways. Let's not over romanticize things, or forget that walking is the primary means of transport for most of the worlds population. For me, it's exercise and a bit of a luxury.
Still, I like it. And I am going to do it as much as I can. The downtown parking lot is free, the sidewalks are open, and the weather is nice. Get walking.
Posted by Nakia at 12:10 PM | Comments (1)
May 01, 2006
BackpackIt
In my constant quest to find new material to make my life easier, I stumbled across this site/product:
It seems almost ideal for what I am looking for. Anyone tried it?
(Thanks to kiznit at CircvsMaximvs for posting about it).
Posted by Nakia at 12:40 PM | Comments (2)
Just an update
I haven't had a general "what's going on" update in some time, so this is one of those.
First, I am done with grading papers for the semester. One class stil has their final presentations, but those are graded immediately after they are finished. So, as of 5:30 PM today, I'll be completely done grading for the semester. I still have to figure out final averages and enter them all into the system, but not having any more papers to grade is a big weight off the shoulders.
Saturday, Sarah worked at the Pasta shop while I stayed home, graded, and did lots of laundry. Exciting! She got home at about 5:00, then we headed off to Columbia to visit John and Amelia. It was a belated birthday party for John, as well as an "end of the first year of law school" party. So there were other law students there (whom I didn't really talk to much), as well as Austin Hood -- a Furman grad and fraternity brother whom I had not seen in a long time. I ended up manning the grill and talking to Austin a lot. It was very cool to see him again and to meet his wife (also named Sarah).
After the law students left, John, Amelia, Sarah, and I went upstairs and played poker till 1:00 AM. There was a time when I could see myself getting into and getting good at poker. Not anymore. I suck. Sarah kicked my ass, took all my chips, and I stumbled off to bed.
Sunday we got up and John and Amelia cooked breakfast. John is going to England for a May term, so he booked a flight from London to Dublin and is now going to hang out with Sarah and I for a couple of days on our vacation. We're excited about that. John took us to the USC campus and we walked around the Horseshoe for a bit, then ate at the Mellow Mushroom (love the MM). Sarah and I headed back to Rock Hill.
Sarah's real estate exam is Tuesday, so she studied while I did a bit of shopping. I went to Best Buy and bought us a laptop backpack for our Ireland trip, then got some groceries to get us through the week. I crashed out way early on Sunday night, after beginning a new book. More on that later.
(Hopefully, this qualifies as an entry not remotely about Lost, so Winston will be happy).
Posted by Nakia at 12:26 PM | Comments (3)