Day 45 of Governor Newsom’s “Blueprint for a Safer Economy”
Sunday. 10/11/20
8:30 – 9:30 – Up and I read Why Did I Get a B?
9:30 – 10:30 – Downstairs and I take the dog out. She pooped near the front door and also on the patio. Cheese for her and coffee for me. I dice two apples and chop walnuts to add to the Greek plain yogurt I purchased last night. I stir in honey and have breakfast. I read Canada- Money Diaries.
10:30–2:30 - I start designing the Syllabus, and simultaneously posting content to the Canvas shell, for my 8-week accelerated class. This class starts next Monday, on 10/19/20. I’ve never taught a condensed core class before and designing the course is. slow. going. I’ve decided to offer the class Monday through Thursday, from 8:30-10:05. This is a synchronous class so I have to be there, hovering in the wings, but still present from 8:30-10:00 every morning. Although I don’t like this schedule, it’s only 8 weeks. I can do anything in an 8-week period.
I have the following podcasts running in the background: BBC World News; Start Here; NPR Politics; the New Yorker – Politics and More; PBS Newshour segments; and Planet Money.
This is hyper-focused work, comparing the dates of the course meetings with College No. 2’s Fall 2020 Academic schedule. Before I know it, the afternoon is over. I’m about half-way done.
2:30 – 3:30 - I heat up what’s left of my coffee and have a Halloween cookie that L. bought at Lady Di’s yesterday. I take the dog outside for a bathroom break and resume working.
Completely overextended, I break down and ask L. to review and rank the essays received from 13 students for the Constitution essay contest. I’m not sure what L. will charge but I know it’s going to cost me. Unfortunately, I agreed to this commitment when I had no business doing so and have now turned the project over to L.
3:30-4:30 – Shower. Jeans and a black, long-sleeved shirt. Full make-up. I leave for B.’s house and eat quinoa chips in the car.
5:00 – 9:00 - Arrive at B’s. He is hosting a birthday party for himself, at his house, and his two daughters are already there. I’ve mentioned J. and R. in this blog, but his oldest daughter, S., and her husband, D., came along with their two teenagers [B.’s grandchildren]. B. asked us previously to place our orders with him and he called in everything at Stone Fire Grill. When I get there, everything is ready to go – the table is set and the food is laid out on a separate buffet table. I’m relieved to see that several windows are open. It’s a nice set-up.
Cocktail hour, but I’m driving so am only having sparkling water. After, we sit down to dinner. My meal is quite good – barbecued, sliced chicken with a salad and mashed potatoes. There are gifts and a S’mores cheesecake that B’s granddaughter made. In the middle of everything, B. asks me to grade the Midterm I gave him, along with the study guide, a few days ago. I step away from the table and grade it – B. got a 78%, although his score would have been higher had he not left three questions blank.
9:00-2:00 a.m. - Things appear to be winding down so I leave at 9:00, right behind his oldest daughter and her family. Back at home and I email B. the audio lecture for Chapter 8 and the midterm to his daughter, J., because she said she wants to take it, too. I place a Wine.com order and continue designing the syllabus and the Canvas shell for my 8-week class. I finish at 2:00 a.m..
I listen to several episodes of Counterclock, Season II [a cold-case crime podcast] while I work.
2:00- 2:30 – I record a mini-“Welcome” audio lecture that I plan on emailing to the students tomorrow morning, once L. gets up [I need her to airdrop it into Canvas]. I turn off all the Halloween lights and lock up. Once upstairs, I eat my barbecued chicken and salad leftovers that I brought back from B.’s house.
2:30-3:30 – Nighttime routine. Bed.