Day 14 of Governor Newsom’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy”

Long day…

Thursday. 9/10/20.

7:30 - 8:30 - the dog barked continuously for almost an hour - I was so frustrated. No accidents today and she went potty when I took her out. Cheese.

8:30 - 10:00 - Back upstairs and I drink my water and read I’m Just Happy to be Here.

10:15 - 3:30 - I’m tracking my time carefully this week so I can identify potential areas where I can be more productive. I took a Personal Day for the 2:30 class, but I still need to record a 3-hour lecture for my 7:00 class tonight. I also have some time constraints surrounding L.’s schedule because I need her to ‘airdrop’ my lectures so I can post them to Canvas - I don’t have the right equipment.

It takes me 5 hours. This is actually 5 hours of extremely focused work - I’m not taking breaks or scanning the internet, although I do grab TWO Cripsy Cremes throughout. Those damn donuts.

L. was scheduled for Door Dash, but leaves for Starbucks instead.

The Chapter 4 lecture is the longest lecture in the series and involves 3 hours of straight talking withOUT supplementary material. But before I can even began, I still have to pick the sound-clips and get them ready so I can drop them throughout the PP slides - I only record once, NO do-overs. I also have to make sure the PP slides line up. I also have to coordinate the Midterm questions with lecture so I can give the students hints and tips along the way to prepare them for the Midterm.

Having said all of this, virtual education still saves time. I don’t have to wake up 1.5 hours earlier to shower and get ready before I leave for class. I don’t have to drive 3 hours (round trip) to get to College No. 1. Additionally, I learned that College No. 2 is remaining virtual for Spring 2021 so all of my lectures can be recycled for next semester - I’m sure College No. 1 will follow suit.

3:30-4:00 - L. “airdrops” my Lectures and I post to all my Canvas shells.

4:00-4:30 - I take a shower. Covid-19 uniform.

4:30-6:00 - I make a salad with spinach, cheese, yellow squash, tomatoes, etc. and add turkey meatballs to it. I finish I’m Just Happy to be Here.

6:30 - 10:05 - I go to work and do class prep and field emails in preparation for my 7:00 class. Lecture is divided into 1.5 hour sections: Part I and Part II.

L.’s friend, M., is coming over for a last hurrah before she leaves for an off-campus apartment at UC Davis, while she attends classes off-campus (virtually), which makes me wonder, “Why is she going to UC Davis at all?” L. is making bacon in the OVEN and calls me over to check. This is a fire waiting to happen, so I leave class to cook the rest of the bacon in a PAN, then clean the kitchen while L. makes a wonderful, MASSIVE cheese plate that she and M. will eat while they watch old Twilight Zone episodes. L. starts making mocktails.

Class rolls on while I finish cooking the bacon. M. arrives and I open several windows and turn the AC down to get the air circulating.

I return to work and field emails from College No. 2. Then, I do light class prep for my morning classes tomorrow and prepare prompts for the Discussion Boards.

One of my college students from College No. 2 rails against me for giving him a 0 on a Video Quiz he did not complete yesterday. He said he wasn’t told we were having a Video Quiz. I respond that I took the following steps to inform the students: 1) On 9/4/20, I emailed all students that there would be TWO quizzes on 9/11/20; 2) I posted on the Discussion Board - where the students sign in every morning - that the Video Quiz would open at 9:15; 3) At 9:15, I emailed all students and told them that the Video and the Video Quiz were posted and ready for them to watch/take; 4) At 10:05, I emailed all students and told them the Video Quiz will be closing soon; and 5) the Syllabus notes that there will be TWO quizzes on 9/11/20. The syllabus is posted on Canvas but was also emailed to the students weeks ago. I email yet another copy of the Syllabus to the student for his “convenience.”

I never hear from him again.

Class rolls on. I click a button and post Part II of the Audio Lecture. This class is fully automated - a few students email me during lecture, but they are always the same students.

Tomorrow’s morning classes are ready. I take a written Attendance for the 7:00 pm class then send an email blast to the students who did not sign onto the Discussion Board letting them know they were marked absent for the day.

10:05 - 11:30 - Class ends. I order a few things from Walmart. B. and I are planning a camping trip…in his BACKYARD. :-) He bought a tent and I ordered a sleeping bag. I also ordered a muddler for L.’s fabulous mocktails; a microwaveable bacon tray (as seen on TV) so she won’t burn the house down; and hair color.

M. leaves and L. puts together a new nightstand that arrived today. More dishes and then I break down the box that L.’s nightstand came in.

My Wine.com order was due today, but never arrived so there’s that…

11:30-1:00 - L. makes me a mocktail and then she and I listen to Spooked and share the rest of the cheese plate.

1:00-2:00 - Nighttime routine. Bed.