Long time, no blog...

I just finished grading 111 trig exams. Whew!

The weekend is going to end up being very work-heavy. I have OSCM (Operations and Supply Chain Management) class tomorrow from 9 to 1, then I have to go do some work at De Anza. I'm not sure if I'm at liberty to discuss what the work I will be doing is, so I'll just say I have to do some work on campus, probably on Saturday and Sunday. I also have planning for Spring Quarter that I want to to, and OSCM reading I need to get done.

I feel like there has been a lot I've wanted to talk about since my last post, but I can't remember what right now. I wanted to talk some about the election, specifically the propositions on the ballot, but that would take to long, so I'll just say...make sure you vote on February 5th. I've completed most of my ballot already (I'm a permanent absentee voter). All I have left to vote for is a presidential candidate. I want to see what happens in the next few days before I cast my ballot. Check out this site, if you're interested in seeing who you line up with.

The Oscar nominations came out. That was something....I need to see Atonement, Michael Clayton, and There Will Be Blood before the Oscars are handed out. As with every year, I like to see all the best picture nominees and decide which I like the best. On the topic of Oscar-nominated movies, here is one of my favorite (and most bizarre) scenes from a movie this year. It's from No Country for Old Men.

One Week Down

I've been able to survive the first week of the quarter.

This quarter just seems crazier than usual. There is the usual large number of students asking me to add them to my classes, but there is so much more this quarter.

I'm teaching an extra class this quarter (3 trig classes and an algebra class, in total) and taking a PE class; I've had 4 students ask for recommendation letters (if you are a student who is not one of these 4, please don't ask me to write you a rec. letter until, at least, February); I've been trying to work on writing up a report for a tenure candidate (I'm the chair of his tenure committee); there have also been a larger than usual number of student requests this quarter, which I cannot discuss, because of FERPA.

I've also been anticipating reading a plethora of job applications, which will probably start in the next couple of weeks. This anticipation makes me want to get work done now that I will not be able to do in the next couple of weeks, so I've been reading a Supply Chain Management text book (the class starts next week), and planning a Finite Math class, which I will be teaching next quarter. Meanwhile, things like watching season 4 of The Wire on DVD and reading about How Soccer Explains the World, have had to take a back seat. In addition, I feel like like the only time I've spent with Lauren is the 8-9 hours when we are sleeping, because she has been pretty busy filling out fellowship applications this whole week.

Here's to getting through one week, and hoping to survive 11 more.

Winter Break is coming to a close.....

So classes start on Monday. I feel like I've been a bum over the past couple of days, even though I'm supposedly doing work tonight.

The next two quarters are going to be rough. Winter and Spring are always rough, because Spring Break is not really a break for instructors. By the time finals are graded from Winter and syllabi are put together for Spring, the week is over.

Winter and Spring are going to be a little rougher for me this year. I'm teaching an extra class in the Winter, which will probably be tough (I've never taught an extra class at De Anza). I'm also going to double up on MBA classes in March and April. This will mean 8 hours of class a week, and 5 Saturday classes - FUN!

Over the holidays, someone mentioned that something (I can't recall who or what) was happening on April 29th. All I could think of at that moment was that by April 29th, my doubling up of MBA classes would be over. It's kind of sad that I'm saying, in early January, that I can't wait until the end of April....

... and Obama wins Iowa; Lauren will be happy.