| Me meme | Feb. 8th, 2005 @ 12:07 pm |
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Memory of Me (meme)
If you read this, even if I don't speak to you often, you must post a memory of me. It can be anything you want, it can be good or bad, just so long as it happened. Then post this to your journal to see what people remember about you.
I like to think of it as an opportunity for you to stroke my ego... ;)
Taken - simultaneously - from ![[info]](http://library.vu.edu.pk/cgi-bin/nph-proxy.cgi/000100A/http/web.archive.org/web/20050210002116im_/http:/=2fstat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) roniabirk and carpedi7 |
| Some interesting thoughts... | Feb. 6th, 2005 @ 09:58 pm |
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LJ Friends Meme by coolerq1. You must tell 7 people about this game.
2. Adrian is the one that you love.
3. Steve is one you like but can't work out.
4. You care most about Lois.
5. Mazzy is the one who knows you very well.
6. Blair is your lucky star.
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is the song that matches with the person in number 3 (Adrian).
8. Live and Let Die is the song for the person in 7 (Steve).
9. Here Without You is the song that tells you most about YOUR mind.
10. and Bring Me to Life is the song telling you how you feel about life
Take this quiz
Don't know if it actually means much, but it's interesting to see the way that the names go down. I'd be curious to know the algorithm for it all...I'm feeling a little:  calm |
| A hundred thousand thanks... | Feb. 3rd, 2005 @ 03:55 pm |
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...to whomever it was nominated my story "Girls' Night Out" in the Angelus' Party Girl category at the Fractured Fairytales Awards.I'm feeling a little:  grateful |
| Feast or famine... | Jan. 31st, 2005 @ 09:04 pm |
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...ain't that always the way? I whine for months (since November, I've been counting) about how nothing will come, and now after a weekend away on my own I have at least three and possibly four different scenes clamouring to all come out at once and I still have to finish beta-ing Frohickey's latest story and it's after 9 and I still have to colour my hair and I have to go to bed soon because the new semester starts tomorrow and I need to get up at five thirty so that I can get in early enough to fix up my class lists and my seating plans and my supplies because I couldn't do it on Friday because I had to drive to Edmonton before it got to late and... *gaaaaassssssp*
Hoo boy. But it's best to write while the hamster's hot, isn't it? If I complain about this he might run away and never come back.
( Where have I been, you ask? )
So wish me luck for both the writing and the new semester, because between the two there's only one thing that can give - and that's hours of sleep.I'm feeling a little:  busy |
| A strange thing happend to me overnight... | Jan. 27th, 2005 @ 03:42 pm |
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( Leporidae Burrow Nocturne )
A girl can dream, you know...I'm feeling a little:  silly |
| My philosophy... | Jan. 26th, 2005 @ 06:46 am |
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*sigh*
So for today I need to submit a statement of my philosophy of teaching. It has to include my belief statements, a description of what teaching in my classroom looks like, my ideas on how students learn, my view of human nature as it relates to my students (I kid you not), what distinguishes me as a unique educator and what values guide me in my decision making. Oh yeah, and then my potential goals for the year and how I might accomplish them.
Don't get me too wrong here - self-reflection is a good thing, and I've consciously or unconsciously considered all of these points in the past nine years that I've been teaching. But making it an assignment to be turned in doesn't make anyone particularly happy with having to do it and bare their souls. And the time I'm going to put into doing this could be better spent organizing materials and coming up with new activities and assignments that would help students learn - and isn't that kind of the point of why we're here? All of this for a document that will be routinely scanned and then filed away forgotten in a drawer.
I swear, if I wanted to expend energy to write fiction that wouldn't be widely read, I'd rather be working on my stories...I'm feeling a little:  frustrated |
| Science is sexy... | Jan. 23rd, 2005 @ 08:28 pm |
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( Thinking about NUMB3RS )
And nerds are sexy too...I'm feeling a little:  nerdy |
| So go and join, already... | Jan. 22nd, 2005 @ 08:50 pm |
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buffyx has started a Spuffy Kinkathon. Eep...
Oh gd oh gd oh gd... so my last post is all about how I can't write, so now I'm signing up for a ficathon? I think my kink must be masochism...I'm feeling a little:  confused |
| Why, oh why can't I write... | Jan. 22nd, 2005 @ 08:25 pm |
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Ah, my usual whine.
So here's a little cheese: ( A couple of Buffy-related quizzes, courtesy of several friends at once )I'm feeling a little: frustrated |
| I guess it's something that's going around... | Jan. 20th, 2005 @ 08:02 pm |
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| » Cry for help... |
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If anyone out there in LJland can help spikes_heart, please find it in your heart to do so. Here's her plea.
Our strength is in our willingness to reach out to others...
Jan. 19th, 2005 @ 07:31 pm
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| » Bring 'em back alive... |
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Here. Not dead yet. Unless dead tired counts.
( Tedious details of my stress EKG for the medically voyeuristic )
So tired, sweaty and with now-greasy hair - but all okay.
Jan. 19th, 2005 @ 12:55 pm
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| » Plood, plood... |
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For those who don't know, plood is the name of those little sweat droplets that come off of cartoon characters when they exert themselves... from the font of mostly useless information that is my brain.
Well, today is big treadmill day. At 11 this morning, I'll be in shorts on the infernal device, giving it my all - and finding out just how little that might be. As medical tests go, it doesn't seem all that intimidating. After all, it's not like anyone is going to puncture my delicate epidermis, or anything.
I'll have to see if I can get a copy of the EKG trace for the bio teachers, if there's anything interesting on it.
Jan. 19th, 2005 @ 06:47 am
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| » Hello. Hello? |
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This circuit appears to be working. The top sub and reference hyper levels seem okay, though there's no twodee or holo yet. Looks like it'll have to be crude voice and text for a while...
I'm going to take a chance, since a lot of other groups seem to be reactivating too. Well, here goes--
~Earth, David Brin
Well I don't know about you, but I sure didn't know what to do with myself without my friends list to watch and obsessively refresh. Read a couple of books over Saturday.
It's finally back to above freezing here, which is really just as abnormal for us in January as -30 was. We've even got a forecast of rain for Thursday, which will mess up the roads no end when it freezes at night. Lucky for me we're on exam break and I can avoid the usual rush-hour times - not that it's ever taken me more than about 35 minutes to get to work on the worst day.
Spent my day marking stuff left from last week, and gritting my teeth every time I found an assignment or lab or quiz that should have been taken care of before. It's the one-and-two of things that make me crazy - I can face doing two class sets (about 70) of something, but when I'm done with it, I want to be done! - so these dribs and drabs are frustrating.
Thought of something poetry-like over the weekend, too, on the worst of the -32 days. See if I can't post that by tonight.
Jan. 17th, 2005 @ 04:18 pm
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| » A medical marathon |
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Having a relatively restful day off, what with medical appointments and blood tests and the like today - not to mention the grocery shopping and prescription pickup and general errand-running.
I've been dealing with hypertension and stress for some time now, and just came from an EKG this morning as well as assorted blood tests. Though my total cholesterol is actually below what's considered the normal range, as is my blood sugar (no credit to me, it's all genetic), apparenty the relative balance of my HDL and LDL is still such that the doctor would like me to do a stress EKG and get some counselling for "lifestyle changes." That's doctor-code for "we're going to tell you to lose weight," which I could have told them was a good plan years ago. Of course, my particular psychology on that issue is very interesting... at least to me, so I'll spare you.
The stress EKG involves stickier than usual leads - and they're darn sticky already, let me tell you - and a treadmill, on which they make you walk faster and steeper slopes until one of a few things happens: you are gasping for breath, your heart rate is at 80% of the recommended value for your age for some amount of time, you barf, you pass out, or in rare cases... you die. No laugh. That's actually one of the listed possible risks. Geez, you'd think I was in the states somewhere, given the extent of the warning notices. But they do go on to mention that a doctor will be monitoring you within sight at all times and their advanced emergency teams are always on standby. Yes. That's very comforting, thank you.
All the same, however, I'm looking forward to trying it. Though I can be winded by a flight of stairs, I've not got too bad stamina on the level. We'll see if the sweaty fat chick can raise their eyebrows a bit. Could be fun, even. Minus the dying part.
Yeah, exercise feels really good. When you stop.
Jan. 11th, 2005 @ 01:21 pm
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| » Good news |
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We just received word that my foster child's community in Thailand was not one of those affected by the tsunami, though we'll still go ahead and contribute to the efforts once I get paid again.
Canada's contribution has now been increased to $425 million for over the next 5 years, as well as DART and disaster matériel. Here's hoping that politics doesn't get in the way of aid.
Jan. 11th, 2005 @ 01:06 pm
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| » Snowy, blowy and cold |
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Well, it reached 0°C for the high today, which is relatively balmy given what's been the norm lately, but then around noon all hell broke loose - that is, if hell had recently frozen over. A cold front came through, and we've got honest-to-goodness sidways blowing snow blizzard conditions and a rapidly falling temperature. Brrrrr.
I don't mind the cold so much, it's the annoying snow that blows up into your face when you're trying to brush off your car and get the heck out of Dodge before the students go crazy in the parking lot. Not to mention the rush hour traffic. So I ducked out early today, instead of staying past 5 as is my wont.
As I left, and battled with my snowbrush, S, a former student called to me across the parking lot. He's studying engineering geophysics at Queens now, and was in town visiting family over their Christmas break. He was at school to pick up his sister, and said that he wanted to thank me for all the physics I taught him, because it's been so helpful to him at university.
And yesterday I saw another S and E. This S is at U of C pursuing a physics degree, with interest in quantum science, while E is at U of A thinking of specializing in chemical engineering. Both came by on their holiday to visit their teachers and to keep in touch.
It's always wonderful to get these missives from the real world (or as real as university gets), especially when you're grinding along through the last few days before the end of the semester and it feels as though no one at all is listening to you any more, just waiting for exam break. How delightful and kind of them to take the time to visit - because surely there are more interesting things to do than hobnob with your teachers - and let us know what's going on. We just keep on doing the same-old, same-old in hopes that they'll all be successful somehow, and to finally get word is very satisfying.
Which reminds me, F came by about a month ago, looking for advice on how to upgrade some of his courses before applying to Uni. He'd finished his two year mission in the States and was now ready to go on. I consider him one of my success stories, because he came in with a learning disability and definite problems in math (he'd failed a lower-stream course) and I let him stay on, rather than recommending he go into general science instead, as would usually be the case. I don't remember why I did that, at the time. But it was well worth it. He scored 98% on his diploma exam, and finished the course in the mid 90s - now he's heading for engineering as well.
This is the reason we keep on doing it, day after day.
Jan. 6th, 2005 @ 04:29 pm
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| » Good news to start the month |
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My bank sent me a letter notifying me that they've been double-charging me for services that should have been included in my regular service charge, and therefore they have deposited $170 back into my account. Whee! I'm glad they found it, because I doubt I would ever have scrutinized my statements to that extent.
And January is always the worst, having to go 9 weeks between paycheques. Maybe I can squeeze in a couple more dinners out, now. Or that service for the car. Decisions, decisions.
Jan. 6th, 2005 @ 07:08 am
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| » Just some things on my mind... |
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One of my grade 11 students, SW, is also the president of our students' council. He and the council VP decided to set up a contest at Calgary high schools to raise money for the tsunami victims. We've challenged all other schools to raise the most money per capita. As a result, they've been interviewed and pretty much all of the radio and TV stations in town. I'm awfully proud, even though I have nothing to do with it.
So Thailand fired their chief weatherman? What the hell for? Earthquakes and tsunamis aren't weather, they're intermittent geological phenomena. If anybody should have been fired, it should have been a seismologist somewhere...
And I've seen ranting and raving about how NOAA in the US knew about the quake and didn't warn the people of the area. Well (a) that's not NOAA's function, but (b) even if they make the information available, how exactly is it that the various countries are to be warned? For whatever reason, the governments of the area did not have an established warning system like that along the US and Canadian west coasts that uses television and radio broadcasts. And I think that the complainants forget that not all countries even have regular electrical service in some areas, much less television, radio and internet. Were they supposed to send someone out in a boat with a loudspeaker? We're so dependent on tech, and often so very centred in our own lives that we don't appreciate the difficulties involved, I think. Of course, the assorted resort areas would be well connected - but then one expects that there would be complaints that only the rich tourists were warned.
Well, well, well... some very interesting information on Kate (on Lost) I must say. Everybody's got interesting secrets, eh? Seems every one they reveal, another one comes up. And Alias... I'm reserving judgement. Started watching in S3, which by all opinions wasn't the greatest, so my approach has always been to make with the snark. We'll see how the Jossverse writers affect the quality. And we'll experience watching TV the UK way - all the episodes week by week, with no reruns. I'm quite looking forward to that, though I wonder if I'll feel more chained to the TV without a chance to opt to miss a week?
Jan. 5th, 2005 @ 08:27 pm
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| » Good thoughts, good words, good deeds... |
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This year I resolve to work on my issues with envy. Hey, I've got enough for the next seven years just sticking to the seven deadlies...
But seriously, and particularly in light of the tsunami tragedy still unfolding in Asia, I realize that being envious of people who have things or lives I don't have is not just a little obscene. Who cares if I don't have a house yet, or if I don't yet weigh what I want, or if I can't afford things because my credit card bill is too high? These complaints are seen as the utter trivia that they are compared to those people who have lost their homes, their families and everything they ever owned in a moment's mad rush of water - and who may yet lose more as disease takes its toll.
I sponsor a child in Thailand (and another in Ethiopia) and I expect it will be several months before we receive word if he's okay. I'll direct whatever extra I can through World Vision.
Coming so close after the Christian celebration of Christmas, we should really take the time to reflect on what's really important in our lives - our friends and family. Sitting around in the debris of extravagant gifts and empty chocolate boxes and bottles of wine, we need to think how meaningless all of that commercial foofaraw is. We have a choice in life: we can absorb the Light and make the world a little darker, or we can reflect it on those around us and make it brighter.
I have a husband (Frohickey) and a girlfriend (yes, that's you, spikegood, and I don't care who knows it) who both love me dearly, a father still living who doesn't quite understand me but loves me and cares for me all the same, and more distant family members scattered around the world. And I have the many wonderful people around the world that I've met through Buffy fandom, many of whom I've had the privilege of meeting in person as well, and many more I hope to meet someday. I have the talents of my mind, the stories I have written even if I write no more, and colleagues and students who seem to think that I'm pretty special.
::getting choked up now::
I have nothing I should envy, and everything in the world to be thankful for. I love you guys.
Jan. 3rd, 2005 @ 06:04 am
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amused