Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Hello Fellow Academics...

Are we still alive out there?

We're halfway through
the
semester.

And, I
repeat:

are we still alive out there?

9 comments:

Teacher Poet said...

Still clinging on to life... but will probably be dead by this weekend. I've never pulled all-nighters consecutively until this month. I don't recommend it.

But I don't have room to complain. Your schedule must be much worse. Oh, wait, you're getting paid! :-P

Rhetorical Twist said...

Our little blog has been rather quiet, eh? I anticipate a whole mess of post-semester stories during Winter break :-)

I'd like to echo Teacher Poet's sentiments!

I miss...
...lazy Saturdays
...cooking (legitimate cooking--heating up a can of soup isn't cooking. Neither is cereal. Or pasta. Or a PB sandwhich).
...reading for the sheer pleasure of it
...Teacher Poet's arched eyebrow
...the profs in Lytle (Dr. Shakespeare's laugh, Dr. Poet Lady's calm aura, Dr. Corner Office's eye rolls, Dr. Mother Bear's motherly admonitions, and Dr. Trouble Maker's cackles of glee)
...late night chats with Lady Audley
...Doc Hoc's laugh
...not being so anonymous
...Betty's

KGreco said...

Paid? Is that what they call it!? Oh, I mistook that for mere gas money...haha.

Yeah things have been quiet in our little academic world, but I think about you all often as I'm grading hundreds of papers and spending 13 hours a week in the car.

I miss...

...The Writing Center
...being able to stay up later because I'm not mentally exhausted from grading papers
...definitely the arched eyebrow
...having time to research academic interests
...having time for that simple phone call or few-lined email
...Lifetime Sundays
...RT's killer gangsta look that makes me laugh everytime
...and, of course, my Lytle Loves: Dr. Mother Bear and sneaking in for a visit during her office hours, Prof. Coffee Beans her extreme quarkiness (sp?) that I love so much, Dr. Hambone and her innocent smile, and Dr. Cookies and the continuous "there's trouble" look.

However, in the same breath:

I'm grateful for...

...the beautiful Fall driving that helps me organize thoughts in my head
...seeing my students grow on a daily basis, and actually enjoy English
...the words, "You're my favorite professor ever."
...the 7 classes that helped me realize I CAN do this--BUT I will never do this to myself again :)
...my family and fiance that have allowed me the opportunity to spread my wings for the semester in order to figure out my path in life, even though it has meant less time for them

Rhetorical Twist said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rhetorical Twist said...

When I first saw the "I'm grateful for..." list, my first cynical thought was, "I HAVE NOTHING!" and then I immediately followed that with, "now wait, that's just silly. I do too!"

And so...

I'm grateful for...
...seeing students' growth in their writing.
...people who call and e-mail. It makes me feel like I still exist!
...Netflix
...My lovey dove sugar pie snuggle bunny (hehe. I don't call her that, honest.)
...the nice bus drivers (NOT the mean, grumpy ones. The ones that say, "you take care, now" when you leave)
...hearing, "yo, Ms. Twist!"
...the fact that my house is bright freakin' blue
...the fact that I get to see the Lady and Mama Audley soon


But I miss...
...hugs.

Lady Audley said...

Still alive over here. Sometimes barely, but sometimes that's all you need :-) Promise I'll post for real soon.

As for the warm & fuzzy list thing we're doing, I am grateful that I got on the train tonight before I realized there was no mocha in my latte, and coffee guy should grateful be as well. Because, coffee guy, the ENTIRE POINT of a decaf mocha latte is the MOCHA, and leaving it out is NOT OKAY. You could get yourself hurt doing that.

Anyway, I'm actually grateful for... great CDs from Teacher Poet (thank you!), assignments turned in this week, *most* of my writing center students, my slightly shell-shocked but still awesome fellow grad students, library book sales, and the lady who usually bags my groceries, who is *always* contagiously happy.

Of course, there's also the not so fuzzy list. That one includes professors who send their students to the writing center to get their grammar fixed, corporations that monopolize scholarly information (I'm looking at you, Gale, with your 19th century British periodicals...), Republicans in general (and a few in particular), and, of course, the fact that I haven't been updating (or, in fact, keeping in touch with my fellow bloggistas) nearly as much as I should have been. But I promise that will change.

Teacher Poet said...

Holy Smokes! So much activity all the sudden. Well, I am currently taking a break from writing (academic writing, boo)...

First off: Rhet, sheesh. *turns all kinds of red*

Secondly, woohoo!, Audley likes the music I sent!!! :-D :-D

I am grateful for colleagues that have my back, share my passion for education, understand the value of venting, and know how to laugh. We're really banding together this semester and it's keeping us moving forward like caffeine wish it could.

Even though all this lesson planning can be a real pain, the satisfaction of having put together an engaging lesson is pretty freakin' cool!

I'm also grateful for my mentors/friends and everyone who reads this blog. You're all such a huge inspiration to me!

There is a hall in Lytle that houses (or did at one time) some of the most incredible people in this world. I'm grateful all of that was a part of my life.

I'm grateful for M5K, because he's a gem!

I love my dog. She keeps me sane.

I'm focusing on love. Thanks for the prompt, Doc Hoc!!

Michael5000 said...

I'm a gem!

KGreco said...

It was encouraging to hear some life out there, especially since I was lacking some life myself.

Mid-semester...almost done!