Bearshorty's musings

I needed to grade history papers today, but I didn’t do much, mostly because I was recovering from all that grading yesterday for my folder review. So some time off is totally justified.

( Grimm S1E20 )

Mama and I went looking for a hairdresser for the wedding hair today and we tried someone close to home. It was a tactical mistake on my part of not bringing a book. So I pretty much sat there looking at magazines (and the wedding magazines are ridiculous – who actually spends 30 hours a week planning a weeding – there isn’t that much to plan). Feels like wasted hours too, since my Mom’s hair style didn’t really hold that long and she doesn’t like it – so we’ll keep shopping. I’ll call the hairdresser Yeva recommended and do a trial with her; she is supposed to be great at styling hair.

( Grimm S1E18 )

I need to pick up cross stitch again – I haven’t done it in so long but I really want to get back into it.

Today was Easter, which we celebrated in a pretty low key way with Bear’s family. There are no small children, so I heard a lot of stories of finding baskets from Bear’s childhood, but there are not really those traditions around. We just pretty much went to his Grandma’s nursing home and played card games while watching a religious channel with the surprisingly interesting biography of an Archbishop. And we all had Easter dinner at Bear’s house in the evening.

I did finish watching the episode of Grimm with the bird egg, which I liked as usual, especially the look on Nick’s face when he realizes he sees a creature on vacation (“not again” look).

The best part, though, was going to see Titanic in the evening to get out of the house and also to see the movie. Bear had never seen it on the big screen and he surprisingly agreed to go when I asked him and I haven’t seen it in a while. When the movie originally came out, I was 17 and seen it during opening weekend, before there was even hype. And it still holds the record for the movie I’ve seen most often on the big screen. I’ve seen it three times during the original run, although the last time, I sort of snuck in after watching another movie. And watching it today reminded me why I loved it so much. (“Dirty Dancing” is still my favorite movie, but I do really like this one.) Bear had only seen it once - when we were eighteen and just started dating and he was, of course, game for anything I wanted to watch.

“Titanic” It is even better in 3D – I could see the details of the dresses and it felt even more visceral. This was actually the first time I’ve seen a movie in 3D where I felt the 3D truly added something and was so not just there. Now, Leo is not my type, so it was never about the love story for me, not even when I was 17. Besides, it is only love story because he dies – so she elevated her rebellion fling to something grander. The story for me was always about Rose and her finding herself and finding her own path. So the scene I get teary at, every time I watch this movie is the photograph scene at the end where we see her full and happy life.

Folder review was today – My director actually complimented to me several times that I was doing a great job (and she heard before that I was good) - which is always great to hear. I didn’t actually finish grading all of the papers, so I’m not always that great – I just presented those I had concern about. I did finish all the midterms for Writing class last night and I did get up at 6 to grade papers. But I will need to grade more over Spring Break together with history midterms for two classes and one response paper. Grading doesn’t end. On better news: Spring Break – no teaching next week. Yay. And I’m happy Folder Review is done. Those matter in future hiring decisions.

We went to Costco afterward and I got bottles of wine for Passover – that is coming up in a month already. How are we a third way into March already?

I found the best way to sit and fold and stuff all the invitations. I put episodes of “Angel” and “Buffy” to watch on the laptop and then just folded. We actually have three extra invites, which was unexpected. Oh, the “Angel” episode was the one about the stalker guy whose eye and hands could separate from his body and it is one of the creepiest. It is even creepier the second time.

( Grimm S1E14 )

It is my favorite day of the week this semester. Mostly because I use it to decompress after a long week. I did mark the Response Papers for Global but in general I take it pretty easy, especially after a long grading day like I had yesterday. Yay, Friday.

Bear picked the invitation style online. So we are going to order them tomorrow.

( Grimm S1E12 )

“Story of India” is a very nice BBC series recounting India from 2,000 BCE to the present. I watched Part 5 in preparation of Monday’s class on the Mughal Empire since I want to show them some clips. (It’s on Netlfix Instant and YouTube). It was pretty interesting.

I also went to the bank and to the store to get a Valentine’s Card for Bear. We don’t really do anything other than exchange cards. I did spend almost 30 minutes picking one out rolling my eyes at stupidity of Valentine’s Day Cards. Oh, the sentiments. No, I don’t need anyone to ‘complete’ me whatever that even means.

( Grimm S1E11 )

Friday is the only day I don’t have to go in to teach, so it will by necessity of long week will turn into a slow day.

( Grimm S1E9 )

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope the New Year will bring only good things.

I’m back to posting and being back online consistently – it was nice to take a short break although I did still check email and watched videos online. I also just caught up to posting the last week on my journal. I didn’t want to overwhelm anyone’s reading pages so I posted them just on my journal, in case anyone wants to read it.

But here is a short summary of my Christmas/New Year/holiday week: I had a very nice Christmas with Bear’s family where I got four books among my presents (yay), including Stephen Fry’s latest autobiography, and a pocket watch so I could pretend to be in Doctor Who universe. Then Bear and I went to Montauk for a nice relaxing vacation with hiking every morning and even time at a spa! And in the middle of this vacation on a beautiful Waking Dunes hike, Bear proposed with a lovely ring, which I thought was just perfect for me. It has an art deco design on the sides. So I got to be a bit giddy and girly.

( 2011 A Year in Review in a list )

Today itself was a low key day. While Bear set up his laptop in my room and was doing some work I read Karen Armstrong’s article “Homo religiosus” which I will teach next semester. I do love her stuff but she is dense and complex. The students will certainly be challenged.

I did go outside to go to the bank with Bear but otherwise I stayed home and read.

Of course, in the evening I had to get ready for our holiday celebration. It was just my parents and Bear but since it is New Year, we all dressed up – with yellow and orange themes since next year is the year of the Dragon. So I’m wearing an orange shirt I got for my birthday, a black skirt and stockings with make-up and everything. I look more like a tiger. Mama made a delicious table of holiday food including a chicken and we took our annual holiday photos with the tree.

I hope 2012 will be a good year. That is the best part about the New Year celebration a hope of a new beginning.

( Some pictures from the last week: )

( Grimm S1E5-6 )

I’ve had a ridiculous amount of déjà vu today from teaching and music and conversations to story reading. Even stuff I know I never read before. This is really weird. Three, four times today at least.

Turns out there is a new edition of Expos book this year! Good thing it came to my attention today. I basically figured out my readings from next semester after I borrowed the department’s book. I need to make my way to the main campus next Friday and pick up a copy for myself. I think I will start with Carr article on how Google is making us stupid – something for students to respond to.

Since my writing students started their day one of two of their final exam, I just graded history papers at that time. I caught some plagiarism in one paragraph and borrowed an iPhone from one of the students. And it was Wikipedia. Sigh.

After office hours, I made my way to the other campus, got tea and a Boston crème donut and caught up on some TV on the computer. Why did TNT and USA no longer want me to watch either “Leverage” nor “Burn Notice” online? That just seems so wrong.

( New Year/Yuletide holiday meme )

11/11/11 and Veteran’s Day. My students did not know why Veteran’s Day was on this day which is a little sad but not unexpected.

I had a really busy day, working non-stop from 7am to 3pm. I finished grading one of my sections. And I had full office hours since seven people showed up. This usually happens for Papers 4 or 5 and I do like seeing then try. After 3pm I took a bus to the campus where Papa picks me up and caught up on some Thursday TV and internet. My brain was a bit shot from this week.

Speaking of TV: What is going on in the soap world today – Syed is crying and Chrolli are both crying – it is like they planned to make all storylines extra miserable with too much drama. I know everything should be fine by Christmas but this is soap world so drama is great but both at the same time is a little depressing. I want happy boys.

( Grimm S1E3 )