The Last Week

Thank God! We're done with summer school on Wednesday. I am starting to wonder, though, if I should have been a truck driver. I hear they make good money. People really leave them alone, for the most part. When they're done working, they're done. There isn't anything to plan, to grade, to worry about.

We're going to do Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" today. I HATE this story. It makes me angry.

We're also going to do a sensory response on "Paris Street; Rainy Day." The painting, I think, is perfect for this.

I am really worried about how I am going to grade the Research Papers for the 2nd semester group. I anticipate that they will be just awful. I know, though, that at least 2 of the 7 will be, at least, readable. Susana is doing her paper on the Trujilo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. Erik is writing his on Master P. No matter how much I can't stand that "gangsta," Erik has proven to be my surprise for the term. We started out rough, but then ... he has just surprised me and proven to be a pretty good writer. Smart kid. Too bad he just doesn't seem to be headed in the right direction. Prayer. I think I will have to pray for that kid. He might just surprise me in this, too.

Feeling good -- for 38 with MS. Lia's tail is all better after the whole "swimmer's tail" incident. Who'd've thought?? God, I love those multi-contraction, non-words.

John and I are, hopefully, doing lunch next week. Oh, and I called NIU today -- not too late for me to get financial aid for the Fall term (that I am going to have to take because I don't have a damned job, yet).

Oh, I really need to follow up with East because they supposedly have a position open in their PLATO program. Rumor has it that it's a totally cush job and that it will probably lead to a real teaching job. I'll try, anyway.

Gotta go and teach in a few minutes.