Day 45 - Governor Newsom imposes new restrictions

Cataloging my 2020 “Inventory”…

12/30/20. Wednesday.

10:30 - Downstairs and the dog is up, wagging her tail. We go outside and she goes potty. Treats for her, then she promptly poops next to the front door. Great. I make my coffee, then unload the dishwasher while it’s brewing.

11:00 - 12:15 - I record the AUDIO Syllabus for “the class that will not run” and use a Maria Carey loop for “Auld Lang Syne” [the New Years Eve song] while I’m talking about the Syllabus and the class. Kind of fun!

Does anyone know what “Auld Lang Syne” even means?

-I record a PSA [Public Service Announcement] for the Chapter 5 lecture, explaining that the documentary previously discussed in that lecture will not run.

12:30-1:00 - L. airdrops and emails me both audio files and I post to Canvas.

1:00-2:00 - I do last minute touches to the Syllabus and the Canvas shell and discover that the Chapter 15 Quiz is not there. I manually input it. I binge-listen to Financially Naked

R. arrives and he and L. leave for their New Years Eve holiday. I wish I’d had the foresight to think of something creative or book something special like L. did. Although the restaurants are closed, Kelly’s Spa remains open [as stated earlier, I don’t understand any of this - why are restaurants forced to close when a “spa” is open??] and L. and R. have a couple’s massage scheduled as well as an en suite afternoon tea and wonderful take-out from our favorite restaurant, Marios. I’m stuck at home, doing nothing - BUT, it’s not L.’s fault. It’s my fault for poor planning.

2:30 - 4:00 - I force myself to take a break and have lunch. More of the tilapia and a pre-made salad that I prepared on 12/25/20. I read Unraveling Oliver.

4:00 - 5:30 - Back to work and I prepare a “Greetings” email to the 14 students who are enrolled in “the class that will not run” that will go out separately, to each student, with the Syllabus attached. Then, I open the Discussion Board and post the same email. The students need to log onto the Discussion Board on the first day of school so I can take attendance. Continue binge-listening to Financially Naked.

-B. has decided to take last semester’s Specialty Class No. 1 and has finished the first week of lecture. I email him the Chapter 2 audio lecture and PP slides, along with the supplementary material.

5:30-6:30 - I check email for both colleges. One of my students at College No. 2 asks which class he should enroll in - the Wintersession or my Spring semester. I email the student that he took my class last semester and received a C in the class. Dumb.

One of my students from College No. 1 wants to confirm the books needed for the class. Check the college bookstore. Another student is requesting an Add Code for a class that has 15 spots available. I don’t bother to respond.

-Administration from College No. 2 emails me 30 Add Codes for “the class that will not run.” Are they crazy? It’s under-enrolled as is - why do we persist in pretending that this class is going to go? OK, I’ll drink the Kool-aid. I email “Thanks for the codes!” to Administration.

-Still trying to enroll in a training program for teachers so I can be “Distance Education”certified. This program is available at College No. 2 but there was a huge “FUBAR” when I was unable to produce my Employee ID number, because I NEVER RECEIVED MY EMPLOYEE ID!!! For the next week, nobody could understand how I did not have an employee ID number. A few days ago, it was finally provided, so I resubmit my request to enroll in the certification program.

6:30-7:30 - One last check of the Syllabus, Canvas, my “Welcome Email” to the students for “the class that will not run.” Looks good. I “publish” the Canvas shell, while simultaneously sending the “Welcome” email blast to each student [syllabus attached]. The class is officially launched!!!… just in time for it to be cancelled [on 1/4/21].

7:30-9:30 - I think I only need one more French class in order to receive my AA Degree in French and I’ve been looking for a strictly online course - none of this “synchronous-Zoom” bullshit - and I FINALLY FIND ONE!!! offered in February, at Pasadena City College, where I’ve completed most of my French work. This is a French Cinema class, conducted in English, online, at my own pace. No Zoom!!! I’m so excited!!! This is going to be great!!! but when I try to enroll, it says I’m unable to because I do not have the pre-requisites needed. The Schedule of Classes lists NO pre-requisites. Can’t anything go smoothly? I’ve already had 4 French classes - 16 semester units - what more is needed?

I spend some time compiling an email to the “Pre-requisite Department” asking for permission to enroll. Of course, the phone number for this department is a secret.

9:30-11:00 - I assess my 2020 expenditures for categories in BEAUTY, TOILETRIES, OFFICE, AND PAPER, and prepare an Xcel spreadsheet for each product that I routinely purchase. I log the 2020 totals in one column; my current Inventory in a second column; items purchased from CVS last week in a third column; and the number of remaining items that still need to be purchased in accordance with the 2020 totals.

Then I go online and purchase all remaining items from Walmart.com and a few I couldn’t find from Amazon.com. If my calculations are correct, I’ve completed all purchases of the above categories for 2021 for 31 items like toilet paper, Advil, printer ink, Lubriderm, toothpaste, hair color, trash bags, stamps, contact solution, etc… you get the general idea…basic necessities that a typical household uses…2021 is complete.

11:00-12:00 - I stop working and move upstairs for “transition time.” I read a Money Diary.

12:00-1:00 - I do a 40-minute cardio work-out.

1:00-2:00 - I unload and store all items purchased from CVS, then cull out the books received from my Mom and place them in reading order. I’m hoping that this will increase my reading output for 2021.

2:00 - 3:00 - This is terrible so late at night, but I make a plate of spaghetti salad, my Dad’s cornbread stuffing, a piece of my sourdough bread, and tortilla chips and eat everything while I read Fired, one of the books I discovered when I was going through my book inventory.

3:00-3:30 - Nighttime routine. Bed.