Day 44 of Governor Newsom’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy”

White space for my class…

Saturday. 10/10/20

8:00-9:30 – I read Canada-Money Diaries, then switch to Why Did I Get a B?

9:30 – 12:00 - Downstairs and I take the dog outside.  She goes potty and we go back inside for cheese. I heat up my coffee then return upstairs so I can grade Group 2’s papers [I finished Group 1] from Specialty Class No. 1. The students have to answer 4 prompts so I read and edit responses for the first two prompts for 9 papers. I make a salad and read Why Did I Get a B?

12:00-1:30 - I take a break because I’ve scheduled  “white space”, a block of time where I can let ideas for class content percolate.  I have issues with a few of the video links that were previously running fine in Canvas, but have disappeared on You Tube, so the students are no longer able to access the videos during lecture. As a result, I need some new documentaries to fill the gaps in the 3-hour classes.  I have an ongoing media list that I’m continuously adding to and it is so refreshing to “mindlessly” scroll through it [although it’s really NOT mindlessly] as I wait for ideas to formulate, which they always do. I need supplementary content to address America’s two-party system and also something that relates to interest groups.

Idea bubbles are floating to the surface and I come up with some great material. I find exactly what I’m looking for regarding the 2-party system on an episode of The Patriot Act with Hassan Minhaj and really, really want to use the documentary involving The Radical Monarchs, a video about a girl-scout troop who earn their patches by participating in social justice movements. Unfortunately, this is a PBS production and it costs $5.00 to view – there’ll be an uprising if I ask the students to pay. Previously, my Mom had recommended The Atlantic documentaries, so I peruse them and find a video about the woman’s movement and  “pink pussyhats” that MIGHT work.  I’m on the fence about that one.

1:30-2:30 – Back to grading papers

2:30 – 4:00 – Shower. Dress in my Covid-19 uniform. I braid my hair while I read Why Did I Get a B?

4:30 – 5:00 - I leave for the library because I received notification that the books I ordered are in.  These are referrals from a student in Specialty Class No. 2.  She’s in a pretty diverse book club so I thought I would take a look at some of the texts she recommended.  I arrive at the library at 4:45 and call for curbside service, but the automated voice system says they are only there on Saturdays from 12:00-5:00.  Wait a minute!  It’s 4:45, though.  I call several times, but nobody answers the phone so I go home.

5:00-6:00- Clean the kitchen

R. and L. are here, watching more of the Saw franchise.  What a disgusting movie! Apparently, the evil character is named “Jigsaw”? I step outside for yard work.

6:00-8:00 – The backyard was covered in leaves so there was a lot to do, what with sweeping, trimming, watering, etc.

8:00-8:30 – I take the dog for a walk.

8:30-9:00 – I leave for Whole Foods and buy 4-packs of Prosecco-in-a can, two pints of Fysh Food, plain Greek yogurt, and decide to have sashimi for dinner.  Everyone is masked – no one is here.  Whole Foods closes at 9:00.

9:30-11:00 – When I return, I discover that the dog has vomited throughout the house, in three separate locations. I can’t take it and call L. downstairs to clean it up. I have a problem cleaning vomit - L. is better at it then me.

I put everything away, then go upstairs for a 1-hour HIIT full body circuit app with 5-pound weights.

11:30-12:30 – L. has some time so we listen to a few episodes of Spooked.

12:30-1:30 – I drink champagne and mark my selections on my California proposition manual for my mail-in ballot.

1:30-2:30 – Night time routine. Bed.