Wonderful Friday Evening Spent with Fairfield County Community Foundations Networking with Wonderful People

Was great to collaborate with the Fairfield County Community Foundation to host a networking opportunity for Bridgeport non-Profits at the Hub & Spoke restaurant last nice. CWP-Fairfield did the mailings and programs, and I am forever grateful to Joanna, my graduate assistant, for finding the time in her hectic life to keep me focused on this event. It was wonderful to have her daughter, Jillian, with us, too, as well Edem, who has returned to live with me in Connecticut. The evening was exceptionally wonderful with good people, excellent company and a roof to hide the rain.

My greatest celebration of the day, however, was from watching the Louisville/Texas NCAA volleyball games, especially as Louisville (unrated) went up two games and Texas (#2) came back two games. Although we had to leave for the community event, Edem and I later learned math Louisville took the 5th match, upsetting the #2 team. So awesome. Definitely watching them tomorrow night at 11 p.m. (if I can stay up that late).

But it needs to stop raining.

Meanwhile I did a little more holiday shopping, cooked for the weekend, and graded everything that has been submitted to me thus far. Come on, graduate students, keep the projects coming.

Today, I'm heading to the Cabaret to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - a musical that I haven't seen since my college days...Ah, but it's a gathering of friends for a fun afternoon, so when in Rome I'll be Roman.

Happy Saturday, all. 

A Cartoon That Sums Up The Question I've Asked Almost Every Day of My Life

My answer. Beats the Fudge out of me. I did lousy in my freshman philosophy course, but can attest to the fact that since then, I've lived a life of questioning everything. Still do. Always will. And I am comforted in the fact that the answers simply reveal another hallway of questions I didn't even know existed. Such is the life, I suppose, of a professor (but it was the life I lived as a K-12 teacher, too).

Finding answers typically doesn't provide much comfort - only additional quandaries. And as an 'idiot upon the stage' I simply resort to asking more.

Queu George Carlin here or Stephen Wright, even. Bring on the thinkers who live similar paths.

A day away from the office turned into a day at the office working 3 hours past the time I assigned myself

I knew Chitunga was coming home for a quick weekend, and I want to have every second I can available to him (he's only got one more semester left, and this one exhausted him - I want to provide home while he's here, however he chooses to define it for the weekend).

I also have obligations to a benefit and to a show at the Cabaret I booked with friends months ago. We are fitting in the tight squeeze before the holidays.

Why am I here? Why are any of us here? What is any of this really about?

I don't know, but I try to tackle it with hard work and humor. Edem was engrossed in CSPAN when I got home, and I found myself stress cleaning to avoid the insanity of the news. Occam's razor is usually my go-to reaction. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, well, I'm pretty sure it's a duck, unless we choose to call it a swan. Then it is a swan. Or maybe it is a wren. Wrens are cool, too. Ducks can be wrens. That is, until they go to quack, and it's a wren noise. But birds don't exist - it's in our imagination.

The only truth we have is birth and death. The in-between is the chaos we call life. While I have this chaos, I'm choosing joy...my simple definition of good (which is God with an o)(but probably perceived as Evil by others - which brings us back to the chaos we call life).

Why am I here? To promote Hope, I hope.

But that, too, is an evil trapped in Pandora's box.

So, beer. That's antiquated. Bourbon. That's a perk.

What did the dolphin say to the philosopher? I'm looking for my porpoise in life. (Thanks, Alexa, for this  morning's joke)

Three Snapshots of a Day That Just Was - Celebrating the Last Classes of the Semester (Phew)

Last night of teaching at Fairfield University for the semester and this was the moonrise (full) that followed the sunset. I was on campus all morning, so came home at lunch to run and walk the dog before the last classes could be taught for the semester. Sadly, I had to miss the department's holiday party because the Dean scheduled on a night when several of us teach.

As I looked out my window in preparation of the classes, I saw the moon was huge and the winter scene was sort of beautiful (although this photo doesn't do it justice). I also loved the pink sky as I pulled in - in fact, as I drove back around 4, the sky was almost a red, white and blue. It was simply the kind of lighting that you get only a couple times a year.

It's hard to believe the 14th class of the semester has ended (I missed a week because of a conference). I also couldn't believe that as the students did evaluations and I met with them one by one in the hallway, that the entire 2 hours flew by. I was conferencing in the hallway when a couple came out to say, "We're heading home." I was like, "Oh, okay, are you done?" They replied, "It's time for class to end." I didn't even get to my final Jerry Springer moment for the season. That was the fastest two hours of teaching ever.

It's funny, too, because I began class by acknowledging that teachers like me are one blips of the radar. They will have many and already have had many. Someday, I'll only be a little flashback in their narrative tale (remember that guy who showed us the world's saddest commercial...remember that guy who wrote a script for our class we all had to act out....remember that guy who handed out tissues as some of us read our personal narratives in class).

Just like that. Blink It's over. Just a fragment of one's way of being. A glimpse.

I opened with a writing activity with the graduate students last night - the same one my senior Speech teacher did with us (he was the drama director and an English teacher at the school). It was such a powerful activity for the last day of class when he did it with us. I've been doing it during last classes of writing for my entire career. It is pretty much a 100% hit-hit activity....so much so that the first hour spent with graduate students 100% engaged in their writing. That followed with sharing, too, which led to conversation - no wonder the evening went by so fast.

I tend to be a lucky instructor. I get phenomenal students who sign up for my class and over a semester we bond over a passion of being writers and sharing our lives. It always bothers me when it ends, but it has to. I am a sunset and a moonrise.

Mr. Moonbeam.

One day, they might say, "I had this Professor once who......"

That's all we can ever be.

Definitely on the Holiday Bandwagon...Almost As If I'm Addicted, Actually. It's the One Day I Take a Break!

My older sister collaged a bunch of photos from over the years, and it sparked me to do the same. She wondered what theme I'd go with this year (and to be honest, I've only heard the theme that we should not keep the traditions alive and lighten Christmas, so it wasn't on my mind to do anything). But, the photos instigated that something has to be done, as the 24th is always spent on Pine Grove getting my sisters drunk and then having a reading of A Flake Like Mike and Cracker Dave, The Farting Christmas Cat. It's too much, which is on par for how I live my life and I assumed it was no more.

But...it's on.

Yesterday, Tuesday, was day 2 for 14 hour days and I was excited to take part in a National Writing Project call where Allison Fallon, Beth Boquet, Mary Himes and I were able to share our work (and NCTE presentation), "Unloading a Response to Gun Violence: Pens in the Hands of Writers." We all played numerous rolls on the collaboration, so it will be exciting to be in the same space to share the thinking with the entire network. 

I also got ESTP meeting minutes done and GSEAP Faculty notes sent. Why? Well, Wednesday requires 150% of me to be on task with EN 411: Teaching the Composing Processes - we have a huge night ahead and I need to get ready for all of it. It now looks like Chitunga arrives Thursday, so that will be Thursday night and Friday will have to be our shopping spree. God bless, I hate crowds but we got to get this done...together.

On another note, I barbecued cauliflower last night to go with pulled chicken and green beans. It's the little things that excite me --- that is, I found time (and keep finding time) to cook every night. Go figure. And, I am finding/making time to run! 

The older I get the more time-restrained my days - I simply got to make things happen.

I Suppose I Could Be Bah-Humbug, But I Love the Ridiculousness of the Holidays...Always Have

A few years ago, when President von Arx was at the University, Fairfield released holiday videos that wished everyone a fantastic break and that brought hilarious humor and cheer to all of us getting ready for a much needed break. I forgot about these, but they resurrected yesterday and, cough cough, so did the screen shots. Basically, a film crew came with holiday wear and we had to lip sing to a holiday song.

I, of course, had my own holiday Christmas wear and brought it in for the shoot. We did a choreographed, Radio Music Show routine, but my face was extremely animated through it all. A colleague said, "Crandall, not your best angle. That's for sure."

Still, it was fun. All of us grading and stressing and frustrated and exhausted, simply came out to the hallway to perform like foolish elves in front of the camera. Wait, I bet I can find it...

...I think I did.

I'm laughing, and excited, and happy to post this hear as December does what it does and we close out last classes for the season (then the grading, ah! the grading).

It's this, however, that gives us reason. I love the silliness and campiness of such shenanigans. Any excuse to be tacky and corny....I'm in.

Who wants to shoot a video this year?

In An Unusual Stance, Glamis the Wonder Dog Positions Herself As If She Is Ready for the Holidays in Syracuse

Although some of the gifts are under the tree, I am doubtful Glamis is ready to drive to deliver them to family. She did, however, pose in front of the tree as if she was mildly excited. I must have said the word, "Walk," or something and caught her sitting up on her bed. She is anxious in the car and she would not sit like this if we were actually heading home.

We simply have to get through this week and next: observations schools, meetings, last classes, final projects, papers, and grades - that, and a couple of holiday events to celebrate the season. The closer it gets to departure, the harder it will be to maintain the routine.

With that said, Chitunga's there now. He has finished his final projects and starts a new accounting job next week, and he simply wants to get the #$#@ out of Syracuse (it doesn't help that they are already in snow season). Yesterday, while talking to him, I totally got the frustration and exhaustion. He wants to be done. He wants the whole graduate program over. He wants to start his life. More importantly, he simply wants to be home.

So, home is where he is heading until the new job starts. He knows I'll be following him to Syracuse soon after. It's all a part of his establishing many homes for himself. I have a home in Syracuse, on in CT, and another in Louisville. I also fee the sense of home in Denmark - locations where I've spent time and taken part of with the local culture.

When a period of time ends and there's a mental space to unwind, however, it's awful not to be in your original space. That's home. I tried to tell him that throughout my Master Degrees and 11.5 hour commute back and forth between Syracuse and Louisville, I felt most at home in the car heading from one place to another. Going and coming were where my greatest thinking occurred. When he said, "I just want to get in the car and process my life," I totally understood.

Lucky for me, he's heading back this way in the processing space. Glamis will be more than thrilled. Now, if I can only get him to sit around to do nothing. Of course, I don't know how to do that, but at least I can expect it of him.

Wow, it's a Monday and a Monday it will be. Back to the accounting and Workday. I can hardly wait.

We got this. Soon it will be Christmas time.

Didn't Last To The Holidays - Officially Shaved the White Spaghetti Squash Growing on My Face. Better?

Before and After. Before, up until 9:30 p.m. and after, soon after I got out of the shower after a long day. I knew I wanted to shave, but it became easier when Leo and Bev gave me a new razor and shaving cream because someone they know works for Gillette and dropped off bags of them. I took it as a sign.

I also see that I got sun while in Tampa - I thought it was all the booze we drank at the conference. Look at that, Lizzie, it is a tan. It is a tan.

I am amazed, however, that it takes a couple of years off rather quickly. I will soon be all white, but for now it is my sides and beard that is white. As a goatee it is tolerable; as a beard however, I look like a Billy Goat. It feels so much cleaner to be shaved.

That was yesterday's major accomplishment. Actually, I caught up on grading, got groceries and picked up Edem from the bus station. He has returned home after 3 years of working in Iowa. It's a transition time for him and I feel lucky that I am here. He's such a hard worker, dedicated young man; he hasn't found the perfect job yet. Instead, he's been strung along by many crappy ones. He needs a good lead and new experience.

Glamis says, "I'm glad he's back. It's someone else I can annoy."

Looks like I'll be making pulled chicken today and doing more writing (I'm trying to resist a tempting invitation for Nashville in February - I think I'm going to give in) (like, it could be so very very cool).

Okay, I need to tackle this day with my baby-bottom cheeks. I'm off.