I apologize for the preceding post which looks like it was written by an inveterate inebriate. I had a meeting, 3 lectures, two more meetings, and two appointments scheduled back-to-back, so everything had to be done on the run. I haven’t even had time to eat since 9 am today. Here are some things I have wanted to share all day:
– Now that I don’t use PowerPoint, students started noticing my outfits. All day today I’ve been hearing variations on “Professor, you are rocking this outfit!” from students. I dig that because I agree I was rocking my outfit today. Of course, my sister would slaughter me if she saw me go to work in it but while she isn’t here, I can indulge. The outfit features a black skirt with embroidered white flowers and a bright-red blouse with a mountain of frills.
– People on the Book Club hated the Teaching Naked book as much as I did. This makes me happy because it means I’m on the same wavelength with my colleagues.
– I almost brought students to tears with the harrowing tale of Jews expelled from Spain and the importance of Spain giving them citizenship 500 years later.
– I’m now making coq au vin because we have an enormous quantity of alcohol left after the party, and there isn’t anybody here to drink it.
– Tonight I will do no more work. Instead, I will continue reading Wolitzer’s The Interestings. I’ve already read about half of it. I will finish it but getting through her very pretentious and cloying style of writing is getting to me. A review will follow but it will not be extremely kind.
– Nothing is more disgusting than those whiteboards where you have to write with a marker and then use a stinky chemical liquid to wash off the writing. Who is the enemy of humanity that keeps buying these evil things for college classrooms?
I think that’s it for now. And what was your day like?
Clarissa's Blog 
White boards are supposed to be “dry erase.” It should not be necessary to use any solvent to erase the ink, except once every day or two to wash it. It really can go for a month or so, if one erases carefully. The same type of eraser used for chalkboards works, if it is clean.
I also prefer slate blackboards, but I have had students who were severely impaired visually (legally blind but not totally blind) that they could read whiteboards but not blackboards, because of the better contrast.
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Maybe out whiteboard is of a different kind because it’s very hard too see any writing on it. And it’s impossible to erase anything without the solvent. Is it because it’s an old board?
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“Invertebrate inebriate”? You certain have a way with words! 🙂
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It was inveterate, OK? I was trying to demonstrate that I’m not illiterate. 🙂
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@Clarissa:
My reading error, of course. I’m not dyslexic, but I shouldn’t be reading your blog and then posting comments in the middle of the night, when I’m so sleepy I can barely sit up in my chair. (That also explains the missing “ly” from “certainly.”}
In my defense, “invertebrate inebriate” could be an appropriate insult term for a spineless drunk. 🙂
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Today was the first day of my class (I’m taking a semester off and taking a class at a local community college). It was also the first time I took the bus alone. I was dropped off at the bus stop half an hour early, so I wandered around a bookstore for fifteen minutes before going out. I made it to the bus okay. For about an hour, everything was okay.
I was supposed to be going to a library, where I would wait an hour and catch a bus to campus. I looked and looked and looked for my stop, but couldn’t find it. And then we turned off the street. I thought we’d go back to that street in a little loop, but instead we were getting further and further away. I called my mom, who told me to ask the bus driver what I should do–which lines might I catch to go back, etc. He wasn’t very helpful, and could only tell me that I’d missed my stop. So I stayed on, slowly growing more and more anxious. I knew my parents couldn’t pick me up, so I called my friend, and her mom, but everyone was busy. I was pretty majorly freaking out at that point and when the bus stopped at a Tim Hortons, I took my chance and got off the bus, called my mom, and tried to calm myself down inside. I told one of my friends that I was never, ever going to live in or near a city again. And then I bought a doughnut, since I felt like I deserved it. My mom ended up rushing up from work to pick me up and drop me off at school.
And then, after all that, when I finally got my ID and my book and turned in the paperwork I needed to turn in, it turned out my professor was sick and another professor (technically from the same department but really not) gave us our syllabus, took attendance, and turned us loose. I waited for about two hours for my mom to pick me up, and then proceeded to walk in a giant circle trying to find her. I realize that this is basically a blog post on its own but I’m feeling lazy and don’t feel like clicking the New Post button. I apologize for that. :p
About the whiteboards: What? Dry erase boards usually just require a good eraser or paper towels. The only time you should have to use a spray is when the markers are old and drying out or when the eraser is old and needs to be replaced. It’s possible the board is old, too, but I don’t have much experience with whiteboards. The first thing I might do is test a brand new marker on it–if it’s still too difficult to see, it’s probably the board. If the new marker works okay on it, I might then try a new whiteboard eraser, or a paper towel.
I just realized you said “inveterate inebriate” and not “invertebrate inebriate.” I read that initially and was very confused.
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like someone used to day, “a jellyfish on a trampoline”
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You deserve a lot more than a doughnut for your courage!
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My day was okay. The thing I’m worried about still hasn’t come true yet. I’m distracting myself by making preparations for university.
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This is very good to hear!
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My big event Wednesday was a colleague who was upset that I hadn’t translated about 15 abstracts that I didn’t have access to and which nobody had mentioned I was expected to translate (actually mention had been made but no one had made any effort to get them to me).
So late yesterday and now I’m slogging away at that.
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I will finish it but getting through her very pretentious and cloying style of writing is getting to me.
I can’t wait for your review! I am glad I am not the only one who found the book… let’s say, lacking.
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How about a photo of the outfit?
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