Knitting Cybrarian

Ready for a vacation

I'm ready for a vacation.  Really.

Classes started on 20 August.  And I'm ready for two weeks away.  Now. 

I love teaching, I really do.  But when I see that students haven't followed up on my handouts, suggestions, etc. and then they're surprised when lo and behold, their paper topics are due Wednesday and they don't have any sources to support their ideas/hypotheses, I wonder what in the world they're doing or thinking.  Their profs and I are mystified. 

I won't go into the other hassles du jour.  Like how some solutions should be pretty simple and obvious, but oh nooooo, some folks operate as if no one else has to deal with the results of their work, much less figure out what was meant for whom and who else has to use it and/or interpret it in the end.   

Or how I really need to put a sign on my office door that says "If the door's closed, I've got a deadline.  Please e-mail me instead.  Knock at your own risk."

The highlight of my day (really and truly) was when Michael Stern called me and wanted to bring a music donation by this afternoon.  I was delighted and even met him out at the library loading dock.  I rarely do that for gift-in-kind donors.  In retrospect, though, I realize I wanted to be reminded of why I usually love being a music librarian-- some of our students go on to be fine musicians like Michael.  And he's just a wonderful person with impeccable manners.    And easy on the eyes, in my opinion.  So, Michael, if you're reading this, I apologize if I seemed twitchy, overly talkative, or anything like that this afternoon.   I was just thankful to see someone who didn't need hand-holding and who had not been trapped in the 9th circle of hell!!

The temperature outside is 59F.  Ahhh.  Perhaps things at the library will cool down a little as well.  Yeah.  Right. 

End of the semester

Ah, meme of the week:  the semester's over and it's summer.  Yippee!

I turned in grades for my section of Research and Bib yesterday.  Yahoo!  I felt enormous relief to get those in.  And renewed energy to get some other things out of the way.

My husband is reading a music book catalog aloud.  "Bunch of pseudo-intellectuals,"  he grumbles.  He's taking wicked delight in the various topics and mispronouncing composer names he's never heard.   I won't remind him that his corner of academe has equally arcane literature.  But then, he knows that.

Ah, the weekend.  Grilled out this evening, and finished the last of the homemade pound cake for dessert (with strawberries!).  I have a meeting early tomorrow morning and hope to get some major housecleaning done in the afternoon.  And knitting.  Must finish the prayer shawl so it can be blessed on Sunday!

Tent State University

I'm teaching a class called "Songs of Protest" at Tent State University this week.  I pulled a few scores when I was in the library today and plan to have music to share as well.  I don't know if I'll be teaching outside on the Quad or what.  I need to get batteries for my boom box.

Should be fun!

Out like a lamb

Today's 31 March, so we'll see if March truly goes "out like a lamb." 

Busy, busy week.  I'm meeting with my bibliography students one on one regarding their papers.  It's worthwhile, but takes a lot of time.  Some are doing quite well.  Some... well, let's just leave that there.

I'm doing class prep now -- actually printing while writing.  We're discussing publishing today.  I'm taking copies of submission guidelines for a number of publications in music and trying to match the publications to their paper topics.  We'll see if they catch on.

Finished in the nick of time

Well, I finished grading the papers in the nick of time.  I shouldn't have procrastinated -- 85% of the class did well and were on the right track.  What a relief!

True confessions

Well, Spring Break is over and I meet with my class today.  And I've not finished grading papers yet and I promised to hand them back today. 

Somehow I'll get them done.  I'm looking forward to reading some and not looking forward to others.  I don't want to go into the details of why, except that human nature dictates that some folks don't follow directions, some folks want to get by with as little as possible, etc.  Thankfully that doesn't apply to everyone.

I'm also grading master's comprehensive exams.  Started that (well before deadline!) yesterday -- and those have been a pleasure so far.  Whew.