Day 46 of rollback-California Covid-19 spike - Governor shuts us down
Refrigerator is repaired!!!
Thursday. 8/27/20
8:00 - 9:00 - The refrigerator repairman is coming between 12 and 5 today, so I get ready, before B., to make sure we have time for our free breakfast.
9:30-11:00 - Breakfast is fabulous, as usual, and I have the lemon and blueberry pancakes. We have the same waiter and he gives us another free round of mimosas. We linger a little too long because I never want to leave the Hyatt, but I know myself so have arranged, in advance, for R. and L. to be at the house in case I was delayed. Guess what? I’m delayed.
11:30 - 12:30 - B. was able to park off site at a condo parking lot, saving $80 in parking fees, which ultimately ended up applying to our upgrade. B. fetches the car, the bellhop brings our bags down, and we leave. Good bye, Hyatt! I’ll miss you.
12:30 - 5:30 - Home and the repairman hasn’t arrived yet. R. and L. tell me about their adventures. Apparently, the two of them…drum roll please…made a meal!! (gasp). And it was good, too!!
I unpack a few things then troubleshoot with L. and R. about the issues that occurred when I emailed the Audio file to my high schoolers via “Share Drive” in Outlook yesterday (Wednesday). They are both very helpful and patient. L. has an iPhone and R. has an Android so I send the file to each of them to see what happens. Once they’re in receipt of the file, both are instructed to create a Microsoft Outlook account, although the prompts are different for each type of phone. The solution: each student must have a Microsoft Outlook account to access the file and, if they don’t, they have to create one. L. and R. assure me that anyone who has an X-box has a Microsoft account. I’m pretty sure all of my highschoolers have an X-box.
I start prepping for Specialty Class No. 1, at 2:30, and then try to log in. Unfortunately, the College server crashed (AGAIN) and I can’t access Canvas on my computer or my Ipad, even though class starts in mere minutes. In desperation, I interrupt L. and R.’s video game and ask L. for her laptop so I can try to access Canvas that way. Miraculously, it works and I “publish” the supporting material just in time. I go back to my mainframe and, using an older search engine (Mozilla), am able to access my college’s website through a backdoor. I stay on Mozilla for the next 9 hours, afraid to move or breathe.
While all of this is happening, the repairman arrives and I tell him what’s wrong with the fridge. Previously, I texted L. from B.’s car and told her to fill a glass of water from the fridge so the repairman could see the black chunks floating in it. He looks at it and says the black chunks are from the filter that R. and L. installed two hours ago. That’s funny, because this has been happening for four months and the repairman and I actually argue about it. He says, “Well, if its been going on for four months, why are you just now calling me?” Because it’s Covid-19, I’m broke, and I can’t afford your $75 co-pay, %%@#**@. I tell him this, too, minus the expletive, then run back to my home office because…
…in the midst of all of this, my students are more confused than the Monday class about the Chapter Review quiz that I introduced and are emailing me about it. My responses are a bit delayed because I was talking to the repairman, so I tell the students there were other students ahead of them. I mentioned in previous blogs that I cut my teeth in state service at the prison. “Programming” is a technique that is used to ensure that inmates (and kindergartners) can follow set routines. In about three weeks, my students should be ‘programmed’ and the classes will run themselves, but, for now, I have to introduce the material slowly or they will be completely overwhelmed.
The repairman says he needs help moving the fridge. What if L. and I were the only people here? Thankfully, R. is here and helps move it out. Although inside, I keep my mask on the entire time and tell L. and R. to wear their masks, too, because the repairman looks…well…dirty. I open four windows and set up two oscillating fans downstairs. Then, I crank up the AC for maximum airflow. Does any of this even work? When Covid-19 is over, I’ll probably look like an idiot, but, hey, at least I never sprayed my mail.
Back to my class and I continue emailing the students and adjusting course content when all of a sudden the repairman leaves…he doesn’t charge me! I ask R. and L. where he went and they say he fixed the problem and left, although neither of them can tell me exactly what the problem was. L. says something about a kinked hose and no water in the reservoir before trailing off… I fill a glass of water from the fridge and it’s pure!! I can finally stop drinking out of the tap!
Somehow, I find the time to call “Mike” from Blue Sky Windows and Doors regarding my lock and leave a message informing him that I wrote Lisa’s number down incorrectly when he gave it to me on Monday. He calls me right back, says he can fix the lock, and gives me Lisa’s number again. I leave a voice mail message for Lisa and then have L. text her, too. She never calls me.
Class ends, but not before my OSD student completely trashes the class publicly, on the Discussion Board, and then drops. I deleted her comments as soon as I saw them, but note that, although her commentary sat on the Board for several hours, not one student bothered to respond. The OSD student sends me a separate email, blasting me for my confusing format and saying that I should have scheduled a special Zoom session with her to go over her personal equipment and help her make technical adjustments.
I’m not the IT Dept. I really don’t understand… Students know that all classes are on Canvas - all they have to do is log onto Canvas and click buttons. Not having Zoom makes the class even easier to navigate. You don’t need new equipment to press play on an audio file. She also criticized me because she felt “isolated.” Well…I think virtual education makes us all feel a little isolated. Here’s where I’m supposed to say, “I can’t wait to get back in the classroom” [ ] That space can be interpreted as ‘silence.’ Needless to say, she withdrew…
5:30-7:00 - I finish unpacking and straightening the kitchen while I wait for Core Class to start at 7:00. I have some of the chicken that R. and L. made - pretty tasty.
L. and R. leave - she goes to work.
7:00-10:00- Core Class runs without incident although they are having issues with the publisher’s Inquizitive software regarding their chapter quizzes. I send a few “help desk” tickets to Norton, our publisher.
While class is running, I comprise an email for my highschoolers, giving them directions for accessing the Audio Lecture file tomorrow (Friday), especially since Wed. was such a disaster. I also give them tomorrow’s “prompt” - How has Covid-19 changed Your Life? Each student needs to respond to me, via email, so I can take attendance. I really hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow…
9:00 - L. returns and proof-reads my email, to make sure I have the lingo correct. She makes a few changes and it’s good to go. I send an email blast to my highschoolers prepping them for class tomorrow (8:30) and giving them instructions for opening the Audio Lecture file.
10:00-11:00 - I mark my attendance sheets for Specialty Class No. 1 and Core Class, then respond to “stragglers” - late-night emails. I get everything ready for my highschoolers tomorrow [class starts at 8:30, but I plan to be up at 8:00]
11:00-12:00 - Finally finish unpacking and laundry. L. and I listen to Radio Retail with the stairwell light on.
12:00-1:00 - Nighttime routine and bed. Busy day.