Munchkinland

Call for suggestions

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 01:20:07 GMT

So, I'm supposed to read any book and use for one of my classes this semester. Right now I'm reading The World is Flat but I'm not sure I want to teach that to ESL students. Could be interesting though...

Anyway, I'm looking for book ideas. I know a lot of my lj people read a lot, so hopefully someone has a good idea. I like nonfiction quite a bit, but I'm open to anything! Even an author that I should check out would be helpful.

The semester is going great thus far. I might even graduate.

Mon, 16 Jan 2006 05:12:18 GMT

Keep trying!
You scored 76% novice, 63% intermediate, and 48% advanced!

You have a fair handle on the English language. Thus, although you aren't fantastically talented in the art of vocabulary, it is probably only because you haven't put much effort into it. Perhaps this can be the motivation that you need in order to go further with your talents!

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 26% on novice

You scored higher than 41% on intermediate

You scored higher than 17% on advanced

Link: The Erudite Wordsmith Test written by triphicus on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Mon, 19 Dec 2005 00:38:43 GMT

I have a major crush on this guy:

Kai Ryssdal.

He wakes me up in the morning, with the Marketplace morning report (or at least he used to, maybe he's too good to do news briefs at that hour, even pre-recorded ones.)
I just finally went to look for his picture now. I was scared, I guess...scared that he would not be as sexy as I imagine everyone on NPR to be.
I'm in love with NPR again. I have insane radio lust.

I've been done for not quite 48 hours, and I have no clue what to do with myself. I don't go back to work for an entire month. I've already finished a book and a half, and most of a scarf, and watched oodles of Law and Order.

Meeeeow (says Frank)

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 03:52:56 GMT

Poster Session tonight went quite well. I think our poster turned out ok, even if it ended up being an All-Star Salute to Clip Art.

I jammed the Woods Hall copier no less than 5 times while trying to print a mere 25 brochures to go with our poster.

I've been thinking about the answers to my quiz. Everyone seems to think I want to go to London, and I'm starting to suspect that was my *real* answer...I just didn't know it yet.

Students are whining nonstop. I've had so many requests for makeup assignments and extra credit--I've vowed that I will not cave to anyone. There is one girl who I have for two classes that is seriously ill, as in hospitalized (not dying, but she's sick) and *she* emailed to apologize, not to beg for more time. That kept me from even considering giving in to the other losers. They had all semester...I will be strong...

I gave an informal evaluation/call for suggestions in Level 6 today, and the results were pretty good. Some people had gripes, but the overall tone was positive. That made me feel pretty good.

I have the following left to complete and my semester is done:
One project. (Heh)
One unit for computer assisted language learning (this should take an hour tops)
Lots of lesson plans
my folders for the classes I taught (materials, reflective writings etc)
Reading class final to write
Oral Skills Final to write and schedule

And right now, one massive combination literature review and observational essay--I have no other way to really describe it. It's a paper on culture shock, which is part research, and part interview with people who experienced it. I can get away with this because it is a culture class, and my prof wanted some sort of incorporation of pseudo-research into our lit reviews, if that is what we insisted on doing. I have to get this put together by Saturday morning, and I fear it will be a giant piece of crap.

I'm going to do my best and get it out of my sight.

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 05:30:16 GMT

Take my Quiz on QuizYourFriends.com!

Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:05:49 GMT

The heater is my office is broken. This hasn't been a problem except for today and Friday. Brrrr.

Blah. I want the semester to end very very very very soon.

Good things: It's almost over.
I got an extra 2 days to write my paper.
Most of my grading is done.

Bad things:
Our poster presentation is NOT READY, by far.
My final paper is barely started, and still due by midnight Friday.
My final exams are not written.
My final project for 520 is not started.
Our paper to go along with the project/poster presentation is only about 70% done.

Must work now! Wish me luck! :)

Happy Turkey Day (and many other things)

Thu, 24 Nov 2005 09:12:42 GMT

Thanksgiving Break is just what I needed. I struck a nice balance between being totally lazy, and getting some work done on my course design project. I have a rough outline for the twelve lessons I will be making, and some ideas for my paper for my culture class.

I realized on Thursday that I forgot to submit a small assignment for my computers in language learning class. Eeek. We were supposed to make a webpage outlining a lesson on ESL from one of our textbooks, but class had to be cancelled on the day we were supposed to present. I wasn't able to finish my page that day due to lack of internet, and I guess it slipped my mind. I emailed my prof about submitting the assignment (though I think by now it will be worth nothing) and I dread hearing back from her.

Frank is licking my right shoulder while I type. I guess tshirts are tasty.

I'm singing along to "No Surprises," inserting meows for most of the lyrics. Yes, I'm a teeny bit odd at this time of night.

Plans for the rest of the weekend:
Dinner with Josh tomorrow.
International Thanksgiving with whoever decides to show up on Friday.
Relax on Saturday, if possible--maybe going to the office for a focused hour or two of work, but otherwise I want to lie around the house and watch movies and crochet scarves.
Sunday: More work on various things--grading, and my own papers. I need to have 8 of my lessons for the course project completed by then, and plan for my classes for the next week.

Also to do: Find the tape that I recorded 80% of my classes' oral quizzes on--they've gone missing!

Going back to reading forums and nursing my hand wound (I put a corkscrew into my left palm, trying to open a really crappy bottle of red wine--it looked yucky but all is ok!)

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 16:22:19 GMT

You scored as Sex God. You are a master at sex. You make your partner weak in the knees, and you know it. You've had the practice, and you've read the books, but don't get too cocky (pun intended) or you'll get put into place.

</td>

Sex God

93%

A Romantic

73%

A Slave To BDSM

53%

Virgin

23%

How are you in bed
created with QuizFarm.com

seven songs from starla79

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 05:30:05 GMT

My seven songs of the moment:

1. The Killers: All these things that I've done
2. Green Day: Holiday
3. Calexico/Iron and Wine: Prison on Route 41
4. Calexico/Iron and Wine: Laid in the Reins
5. Le Tigre: Hot Topic
6. Straylight Run: Existentialism on Prom Night (yes, I'm still stuck on it)
7. I have no idea:/Scrotum, Scrotum, it's my wrinkly crinkly bag of skin (thanks, Josh)

Sing it Jerry...

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 04:16:06 GMT

Fri, 04 Nov 2005 21:11:26 GMT

Diet Vanilla Coke is being discontinued. Noooooooo!

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 19:41:06 GMT

While I'm supposed to be on Weight Watchers again, I'm squeezing room in my diet today for a cup of bread pudding from Victor's. Yum. Does it count that I walked over to get it?

Life continues on. I'm attempting to do the NaNoWriMo thing, even though I've rarely completed even a short story. I needed more to do. :)

Teaching is all right. I'm sorta stuck in routine right now, and I continually worry that my students aren't really learning anything from me, and that I'm just up in front of a class doing absolutely no good.

Class tonight, a midterm to finish, and then blessed, glorious sleep.

Rating my Life

Fri, 28 Oct 2005 19:37:52 GMT

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	6
Mind:	6
Body:	5.5
Spirit:	6.5
Friends/Family:	3.2
Love:	6.9
Finance:	6.5
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Another blazing hot Saturday night.....in my pjs

Sun, 23 Oct 2005 03:59:40 GMT

Inspired by
Tabetha
What I'm doing tonight:

Sat, 22 Oct 2005 04:58:46 GMT

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 9/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Also...

Fri, 21 Oct 2005 05:40:45 GMT

Why am I craving EVERYTHING???

I want something chocolatey-minty and potato salad, maybe not in that order.

I just had an omelet at 10pm, so it's not like I'm really hungry....

Just lusting after potato salad.

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 06:57:08 GMT

I want to relax. I want to feel like I'm actually done with something. This sounds like a negative entry, but I'm actually in a pretty good mood--just feeling a little exhausted with everything.

Frank is sleeping on my pillow. He's taken to doing that lately. Jerry is at the opposite end of the bed, with his fur all rumpled. I will join them soon, and probably just end up waking them up and making them tromp through the house again at top speed.

I don't want to go to bed, because I know it's all just going to start all over again at 7am. I want to sleep, and not be jolted out of bed before I'm ready.

Waiting for Saturday again. I felt slight hints of my former self last weekend. My creative, non-medicated, slightly sane self. Why can't I grab hold of her?

Fri, 30 Sep 2005 13:09:52 GMT

Mmm, Yahoo Radio. Never thought I'd say that, but the 1990s Alternative station has my name on it. I'm getting old.

But hearing "Fake Plastic Trees" followed by "Lady Picture Show" (a song I completely forgot about) made me happy this morning.

Back to highlighting papers, woo.

Sun, 25 Sep 2005 01:43:59 GMT

Hmm, it appears my bathtub is leaking onto the floor again. Last time I thought I just made the tidal wave myself (tub too full, maybe sat down too fast??) but this time it was leaking around the bottom of the tub before I even got in. This doesn't happen when I take a shower.

Anyone have ideas? I'm guessing it's time to get the landlord involved.

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 13:20:14 GMT

I am very very tired of being asked if I've taken my "happy pills" every time I dare to show an emotion.

I don't know what's right anymore. When I was a child, I was essentially an emotional zombie. The only emotion I knew was deep depression.

Later, I learned how to cry, how to scream, to really laugh, how to have semi-rational conversations involving my emotions and my needs.

But still, it seems like there's this expectation--I'm on pills, therefore I will always be ok.

Maybe it was a joke, but it strikes a very sensitive nerve with me. It's extremely difficult to have ANY emotion besides generically happy when taking happy pills. My happiness is flat and uninteresting, and sadness is a general blah feeling. There is really nothing in-between.

I struggle a lot with knowing what is an appropriate emotion, because I don't feel things---or thanks to drugs and doctors I've somehow found out that the way I felt was not socially okay, and I have to try and learn something else.

I want a pear.

Wed, 21 Sep 2005 04:54:10 GMT

LJ Interests meme results

big socks:
When I started this journal I was livign in a very cold hell-hole. My feet were saved by the presence of two pairs of giant wooly socks.
cemeteries:
I love cemeteries. I can't say anything else about it--I just feel peaceful and at home there.
courttv:
I love Forensic Files...Dr. Henry Lee, Dayle Hinman, all those good forensic-coated shows.
family guy:
*insert favorite family guy quote here*
kentucky:
I live here by choice. :)
law and order:
Sam Waterston is still hot.
mst3k:
God, I can't believe this show has been off the air for 6 years. I feel old again.
nair:
I like smoothness.
radiohead:
I love you Thom! I want to rub your cute little head!
soft beds:
I like my beds squishy, not firm.

Enter your LJ user name, and 10 interests will be selected from your interest list.

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 07:12:47 GMT

I am seriously in love with the song "Rock-Bottom Riser" by Smog. Eee. I need to steal more of this.

Quiet night in, with pierogies and tea. Yes, I'm eating dinner at 2am.

ESL party tomorrow, woo!

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 15:58:12 GMT

One of the guys in my first class was wearing a New Kids on the Block tshirt. Tee-hee.

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 21:13:10 GMT

Tagged by tabjunea: 20 Random things about me.

1. I am wearing my flirty skirt today.
2. I am drinking instant ginger crystal tea.
3. I taught 3 classes today: Listening, Reading, and Error Analysis.
4. I was sad to leave my kitty cats this morning.
5. I am listening to "They" by Jem at this stage of my list.
6. My office smells like yummy linen candles; however one of them imploded while I was at class and coated the writing desk in hot wax.
7. I still have a throat tumor, but I really don't know what it is or why it's there.
8. All I want to do is kiss girls.
9. As the weeks go by I am increasingly (afraid? excited? confused?) that I am very, very gay.
10. I have a boyfriend named Scott (which conflicts a bit with #9)
11. I am very afraid of the janitors walking in and seeing me making a tard face.
12. I want the leftover guacamole doritos in the kitchen, but I don't want to be seen stealing them.
13. My current ringtone is "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."
14. I am now listening to "Disco 2000" by Pulp (Media player is on random)
15. Scott's first present to me was a pair of black Old Navy flip flops. I wear them everyday--not because he gave them to me, but because I hate shoes.
16. If my house was burning down I would grab my cats and probably my vibrator.
17. I was watching the Mole People (thanks Popefelix!) until I started this list.
18. I am supposed to be writing course objectives for my class that meets in 50 minutes.
19. I actually wore makeup today.
20. I love underwear. Especially girls in underwear.

Ok, it took me about 6 minutes, but I don't think I have 6 friends left to tag...

tagging:
Popefelix, psychomatronic, sarypotter, starla79 (if any of you want to)

Thu, 08 Sep 2005 10:55:19 GMT

I am self-medicating with waffles.