April 23, 2008
I forgot to say:
High pass! Looks like I'll be graduating!
Posted by kelseyfrost at 07:46 PM | Comments (0)
March 30, 2008
Preparation
I can only hope that having read all these books will mean I am ready for my big exam, this coming Wednesday and Thursday. Right now I'm looking over my notes and trying to organize my brain around what questions I might be asked. I am also drinking a beer.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 06:50 PM | Comments (0)
September 06, 2006
I started out this morning with an appropriate School for the Dead song in my head.
Classes started up today in a very disorganized and confusing manner. I arrived at UMass by ten this morning because I was told yesterday during a meeting that I would be teaching at that time, but my class still hadn't shown up on the UMass class schedule, so I didn't know where I was supposed to go. Stopping in at the department secretary's office, she discovered that I was supposed to teach two sections of the same class at the same time, so we had to scramble and sort everything out. I now teach only in the afternoons Monday, Wednesday and Friday, once at 1:25 and once at 2:30. It will make my mornings a little easier at least.
The other class I had today was one I am taking: introductory Arabic. I think it's going to be a good course. It's huge- kids kept having to steal desks from across the hall as more and more students poured in.
The one thing that has been freaking me out is that, since I've only attended one class so far, and since I haven't obtained my books yet, I have nothing to do when I get home... I feel like precious reading time is being wasted. Wasted! Because I don't know what to read. This is the one thing that's getting to me, knowing how insane my schedule will be in a week or so, and not being able to do anything about it yet. Hopefully I'll get some work in over the weekend and I'll feel a little more comfortable with everything.
Tomorrow I'll have two more classes: one I have been looking forward to all summer, and one I'm checking out as an option, since another class got cancelled. My schedule this semester will be busy, but hopefully not impossible. We'll find out soon enough.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)
August 22, 2006
one day left
The summer course I'm teaching ends tomorrow and I'll have two weeks before the semester begins, so it's time to try and get myself organized*, for a change. As much as a fully intend to be budget-conscious when I get ready for my classes to begin, I do get sucked in by pretty school supplies like the ones they have at Essentials.
I love the stuff by Russel and Hazel:
expanding file
composition books
magnetic bird paperclip holder
desk organizer
I, however, will buy $1 composition books at ACME Surplus or the Dairymart by my house. I bet they'll work just as well...
*It's also time to squeeze in one more trip to the beach, since I do have a new bathing suit.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 08:38 PM | Comments (1)
May 22, 2006
I'm afraid if I say it too loud, it will turn out not to be true.
I am officially finished. (Although I keep thinking that there must be something else I have forgotten to do. But I submitted my grades and everything.) It's definitely a little freaky, but in a good way. I have also managed to come down with a cold... which is too bad. But better than if it happened a week ago.
I start teaching the summer session at UMass on July 13, which means I have a while to just hang out and read books in English (and plan that course, too).
Posted by kelseyfrost at 09:47 AM | Comments (2)
May 19, 2006
3352 Words
I am *this close* to finished- the end is definitely in sight. I sat down this morning with my coffee and was pleasantly surprised to see I had about four, usable pages written for my second and last paper. This paper has been extremely challenging in many ways, the least of which was the actual writing of it. For some reason this course was full of miscommunications, misunderstandings and frustrations. It has been very interesting, but I will be glad when it is over. The book I'm writing about was really good, anyway. And I think my paper will be good... I hope.
So, between lots of work and randomly losing my voice today, it's been an interesting week. Tonight is the Levelette show and tomorrow SFH- plus tomorrow is also Eliza's birthday, which means lots of fun will be had.
Don't forget to listen to the #1 Show tomorrow from 8-10PM. It's a fundraiser of some sort, whatever that entails... It's on 103.3 or you can stream it, following the instructions here
My cats are going to destroy everything in sight if I don't stop typing now.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 04:08 PM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2006
Count down
As the semester winds down, I have two twenty-page papers (or, as I like to call them, 15-20 page papers...) to write, one of which is half done, and the other of which is at least started and has direction. There's also a smaller project for a third class (I love Prof. Zecchi for not assigning a final paper!), which I need to get to sometime this week.
I can see the end, which is a nice feeling. Then I think I actually am not going to be working until July 13, when the second summer session begins at UMass, and I teach Spanish 120 again.
But before that, there are papers to write, if the cats will allow me.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 02:01 PM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2006
Resolutions
The semester is winding down and I should really spend every moment of free time writing final papers... but when I get out of class at 6:30 and then someone gives me a beer befor I even have dinner... it gets a little more tempting to watch TV for a couple of hours before reading in bed. Tomorrow: no beers.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 09:57 PM | Comments (0)
April 13, 2006
One month to go...
It's been another really busy week for me. Just when I thought (and wrote) I was going to be on top of all my reading, it turns out I'm as behind as ever. I have tons of work to do today. I am letting myself believe that I can get all my reading done by 4:00, because Hebrew class is cancelled, but I know it's really not true. Especially since I've been on the internet for an hour and a half already.
I'm feeling a little nervous now that I realize how close we are to the end of the semester and how little I've done on either of my final papers. I just don't have time to write them and do my weekly reading, which I really enjoy... so I don't want to skip it. Plus, how can you not do reading in a class of six to ten people, all of whom are in the same situation? I don't know. Here's my new illusion- one of my classes isn't meeting next week, so I will be able to get some work done on my papers that way. Ha! It's like I haven't even met myself! I'm going to just barely get my work done for my other two classes, and possibly grade some exams. Maybe, since Dave will be on tour with Winterpills, I'll have a slightly more productive week than usual (I like hanging out with him. What can you do?). Maybe...
Posted by kelseyfrost at 09:18 AM | Comments (0)
March 31, 2006
Chicken with grapes.
I don't usually post much about my students, but today I have a special treat. I asked my class to write a recipe for homework, so they could practice food vocabulary and informal commands. Some of them got the point, and wrote simple recipes on their own. Some of them clearly found a Spanish recipe on the internet. Only one, however, also put that recipe through a web translator into English on the same page. If you ever take a foreign language class, web translators don't work and the teacher always knows you've used one. Here you have it, Chicken with grapes:
Grease the chicken (already prepared for roasting) with the lard or grease of goose, salt it outside and inside and go you three slices of bacon, an in the breast, another in the back, and the third one put it inside the chicken. Coloquelo in a fishing boat or source of somewhat deep oven and put it in the oven, previously heated 5 minutes. Roast it to well stronger medium oven more or except an hour, according to the size, giving him several times the return so that be gilded either for all the sides. Al to return it recielo well with the sauce that go forming in the fund. When it be well roast and golden, saquelo, quitele the slices of bacon and the cords and carve it. While it is roasted, even and remove the seeds to the grapes and goal a grain of green pepper in each grape until exhausting the grains. Pair the remainder of the grapes by food mills to obtain a thick juice. Put the fishing boat, once withdrawn the chicken, on the medium fire, pour in her the juice of the grape and the cream. Add the grapes with the pepper and the leaves of tarragon previously washes. Remove with care and leave that cook 5 minutes. Rectify of salt, if were necessary, and throw it on the pieces of chicken.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 09:05 AM | Comments (3)
March 16, 2006
This close to spring break...
My students have already assured me that no one will be in class tomorrow. Next week really ought to be spent reading and researching my final papers... and practicing Hebrew. But is that what I will do? I don't know. I don't have any better ideas.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 09:57 AM | Comments (0)
March 02, 2006
The toughest week yet
I haven't even had a class yet, but I'll be so glad when this day is over.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 11:44 AM | Comments (0)
February 22, 2006
Music that my students don't like:
(a running tally of failed musical experiences while teaching college Spanish)
Los Planetas (one of my favorites)
Ojos de Brujo
I'm sure I'll be able to add more names to this list before too long as my students don't seem to enjoy anything at all if it's remotely related to sitting in a classroom with me. Maybe it's because they requested Shakira and, before I could stop myself, I said, "I don't have Shakira- I'm not that kind of girl."
Posted by kelseyfrost at 08:21 PM | Comments (1)
February 16, 2006
Only one more day to get through, right?
Today was a long day for me. I didn't have to be at UMass until 1:00 for Hebrew class, but something happened last weekend where I didn't really do any of the work I needed to do, so I had to spend all morning reading for my class this evening. Not that I minded the reading- I really like the novels we've had so far in my classes. But to go from reading all morning, to Hebrew, come out with my eyes all swimmy and confused, and then finish up some more reading before my 4:00-6:30 class, makes for a long day. Plus I didn't really eat well today, so I came out at the end wanting to cry. Ah, school. It's fun.
I missed my first class this year yesterday, as I was with Eliza at the hospital getting her arm checked out. I had promised my professor that I would only be late because of the appointment, but she was in there for over two hours and I only would have been able to make the last half hour of a 2 1/2 hour class, so I didn't bother. At least it looks like Eliza won't need surgery for her broken arm after all, which is a very good thing. And our mom is here taking care of her for a few days, so that should help too.
Since I got home today, I haven't been able to do anything but lie on the couch with the internet. I keep thinking I should motivate myself to read, or use my new rowing machine (a very exciting purchase for my overall well-being, if I use it), but I just stay here. Sooner or later the cats will get cranky enough to drive me away, though. They tricked Dave into feeding them this afternoon after they had already eaten, so they feel like they can get whatever they want right about now.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 09:12 PM | Comments (0)
February 07, 2006
Well, it's better than no post at all, I guess.
Sorry, I'm feeling a little boring lately, so I haven't blogged anything. I read some interesting stuff for my classes this weekend, which took up a lot of time. As of today, I can almost, maybe say a couple of things in Hebrew... if I can remember... I'll have to check my notes.
I'm also slowly coming to terms with how much Aristotle I'm going to have to read tomorrow for my contemporary literature class. I was kind of in denial about it and read only a little, and now I see it is a reality. At least I have about four hours free after I finish teaching tomorrow before that class begins. I don't know why I had no problem with Plato and Ovid last week, but Aristotle is giving me trouble. Maybe it's because I'm reading it in Spanish instead of English...
Posted by kelseyfrost at 10:47 PM | Comments (0)
February 01, 2006
The cats are totally out to get me right now and I don't know what I did.
The good news I learned today: one of my classes does not involve a final paper. It still means a crapload of reading, but now I'll only have two 15-20 page papers to write, instead of three. Of course, all three courses require two-page reaction papers every week... I still might die. At least I'm feeling a bit more comfortable with the Hebrew alphabet after a couple of days studying it. I still can't say anything of course, except one very slow consonant/vowel combination at a time. I'm definitely sounding it out.
The bad news is that I seem to be coming down with something again. I got a sore throat halfway through yesterday, which made me really mad. Wasn't I just sick like two weeks ago? It seems like it. I hope my vitamin regimen works for me-- although I'm kind of slacking on it right now.
I scared a couple of students out of my class today by speaking Spanish the whole time. I don't know what they were expecting... Having finished the Hampshire Jan Term, where I taught two hour and forty-five minute classes a day, my 50 minute class period seems way too short. It will be a challenge figuring out how to get stuff done again... I just hope my students are into class enough to show up consistently, so we can maybe spread activities out over a couple of class periods. I'm not going to hold my breath.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 10:10 PM | Comments (0)
January 31, 2006
Day one
I just made it through my first day back in class. So far, it looks like it's going to be tough. My Tuesday schedule isn't bad, though. It's just that the classes will probably be a lot of work. So far, I've had Introductory Hebrew and a class about sex, love, and prostitution in medieval literature. Fun!
Speaking of fun, check out Brandon Bird's latest project.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)
January 26, 2006
Check soon for a knitting update, too! (as soon as my camera batteries charge and I can take photos)
Today I need to write evaluations for my Hampshire students. I did two this morning and have nine left. At UMass, I only ever wrote comments about my student athletes at progress report time, and those were mostly things like "Johnny would do much better if he didn't listen to his iPod in class..." It's nice to be able to write all the ways in which I saw these kids improve and how they worked towards those improvements. Of course, I'm still slacking because I'd rather knit and spend time on the internet...
Posted by kelseyfrost at 02:01 PM | Comments (0)
January 16, 2006
However...
As excited as I may be about this Hampshire College Jan Term, I seem to be physically incapable of planning a lesson for tomorrow or correcting their midterm essays. What will I do? Maybe the internet will tell me...
Posted by kelseyfrost at 03:10 PM | Comments (0)
January 10, 2006
Hi- how's it going?
So, I really thought that my January might be sort of relaxing, in comparison to the fall semester. And I guess it is, in a lot of ways, but the Hampshire Intensive Jan Term program is hard work. I teach the same group of students Spanish for two hour and forty-five minute sessions. The students are great- they're really smart and work really hard. They speak Spanish almost all the time, even though they've just started learning it. But it's a long day and a busy day. So, I haven't had much time off.
I also seem to be coming down with something. I'm trying to beat it with vitamins.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 05:57 PM | Comments (1)
December 18, 2005
Two down, one to go.
For the first time, ever, in my academic career, I just thought: "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I just don't write this final paper, and take a lower grade in the class." Fun! I love school.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 09:03 PM | Comments (0)
December 09, 2005
Do you think Dave and I will finally use our three-year-old snowshoes today? I hope so.
Hey, you know what was really nice? The Winterpills and Death Vessel show last night. Matthew from The Kamikaze Hearts played with Joel from DV, so that made for a nice pairing. And WP sounded great.
You know what else was nice? Waking up this morning to snow and cancelled school for both me and Dave- especially since I totally effed up setting the alarm clock for some reason and Dave would have had to leave the house about a half hour earlier! I get to spend time, now, (what I ought to be doing instead of blogging) on my final paper for Cervantes.
The only catch: I went to the eye doctor this week and am supposed to get reading glasses which are finally ready today, so now I still have to take the bus to UMass at some point to pick them up, so my work this weekend will be a little easier to take. (It's my first pair of eyeglasses ever, but now that I've even tried out the lenses for thirty seconds, I can really tell the difference and am looking forward to using them.)
Posted by kelseyfrost at 08:57 AM | Comments (0)
December 05, 2005
Apologies...
I'm busy. Papers to write and projects to finish. I'll get back to you.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 04:44 PM | Comments (1)
November 28, 2005
See what I'm doing here? Not writing a paper, am I?
I have to present half of my final paper in my Cervantes class tomorrow. You know what a half a paper sounds like? Not much. Myself, I usually end up writing a lot and thinking a lot as I write before I even am able to put my thesis into words. And it's been really tough for me to get into writing in Spanish again. This is (remarkably) my only class in Spanish this semester, and this paper is the first thing I've written for this class. It's been tough going. I got a lot of work done over Thanksgiving in Newport, what with the lack of internet at the inlaw's new house. Now I hope to spend some time this evening fleshing out what I can before class tomorrow. In all honesty, I am fairly sure I won't get to do my presentation, since we are running a bit behind in this class, but I want to be prepared for it, just in case.
Hey, know what song I have in my head right now? You'll never guess. It happened to come on my iPod this afternoon while I was on the bus. "Familiar Old Sugar" by Brian Marchese.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 08:37 PM | Comments (0)
November 26, 2005
This is why I'm posting right now instead of being more productive.
If I thought it was hard to write my first five-page paper in English this year, can you imagine how I'm feeling right now writing my first (15-20 page) paper in Spanish right now? Yeah. Pretty much.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)
November 18, 2005
Okay, so it's Friday night and I should do something fun, right?
Hey, so my paper on Don Quijote is going really well. Yep, so far I've spent the afternoon drinking coffee, sending emails, knitting, cleaning (what? yes.), and building an ipod shrine. What? When you're inspired, you're inspired. Cervantes should be so lucky. At least I have an idea for the paper that I'm excited about, as opposed to yesterday when i had an idea I didn't like at all. Then I read Cicero, and now I'm feeling like I have a plan. I'd better have a plan; I have to present this thing the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
See? I spoiled you with that shopping post. Now I'm back to complaining about school again.
Hey- let's go see the Figments and the Ware River Club at the Elevens tonight. I think everyone in the town of Northampton will be there.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 09:08 PM | Comments (1)
November 07, 2005
Someone remind me...
I am always saying this to people. You know why? Because I forget things. Like how today I forgot my very important paper that I was working on all weekend. Yep. I forgot it. See, this is why it's good to have wireless internet on campus.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 12:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 01, 2005
Bad Timing
So, I'm coming down with another cold. Very exciting, no? I started feeling it in my throat on Sunday night, and yesterday afternoon I knew for sure. But I've been taking vitamins and yesterday I upped the vitamin c, so I hope this cold won't last long. Unfortunately, I have a lot to do this week. I have a paper, an abstract for another paper, and a teaching project that feels like it will never get done, the way things are going. The teaching project was supposed to have been finished last week, but got extended to this week, giving me much less time to do my other work- especially if I keep attending meetings that get cancelled after I've already been waiting 20 minutes.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 08:27 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 19, 2005
My head hurts, too. Do you feel bad for me yet? Boo hoo.
I think I will never get used to my Wednesdays this semester. Of course, my sister gets out of work and goes directly to wait tables at Moshi until 10, so I feel kind of bad complaining. But not really.
For some reason, I go to my methodology class and end up feeling like a shitty teacher. I know it's not the fault of the class itself, because there's no reason for that to be the case. The class is interesting and helpful in many ways. But I get in there and, maybe it's because I'm tired, or maybe because I never have enough time to do everything I need to do, but I end up just feeling like "what am I doing here?" I have days in my teaching that I feel really positive and successful, and other days when I feel like I will never get the hang of this, ever. Put me in an environment centered around reflections on my teaching, and you'll have me on the verge of tears on a Wednesday night bus ride home.
At any rate, I have too much to do so I've skipped the SFH show tonight, as sad as that makes me, so I can read Cervantes and fill out progress reports for my ten athletes. And if I start thinking about grading essays and tests this weekend, I'm likely to cry again. And I have to plan next weeks lessons, too...
Today, in a discussion of Marxism, our literary theory professor asked (in a different context), if you won $20 million, would you quit graduate school? I think it would depend on whether I won on a Wednesday.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 09:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 14, 2005
You missed my complaining, didn't you?
Sometimes I really enjoy being back at school. I'd say most of the time, these days. I find it really interesting and challenging. I'm meeting great people that I like a lot. Sometimes I miss my old life. That's today.
But it's Friday. Hopefully it will be a weekend during which I get to spend a lot of time with Dave, unlike last weekend. What's going on in town this weekend? Anything? On Wednesday, Spanish for Hitchhiking is at the Iron Horse, opening for Stars (who I'm too lazy to link to, but Dennis will do it for you.). That's at 10PM, which works for me, since Wednesday is my day from hell that doesn't end until 6:30. I was so afraid it would be an early show. But, that's exciting, for me. Aside from the benefit Sunday, Spanish hasn't played in a while, right?
Anyway, I am off to do more schoolwork before I pretend I'm a normal grownup for the weekend.
Update: Death Vessel is at the Shed in Palmer, MA tomorrow night. Every bit of that sentence sounds weird to me, but what do I know about Palmer?
Posted by kelseyfrost at 12:42 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 09, 2005
I'm reading essays this weekend.
Here's a sentence I don't want to see again (but I'm sure I will): "Yo lata conseguir enojado." Sometimes, the Spanish dictionary is not your friend.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 08:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 05, 2005
How I spent my afternoon, evening, and night.
I was hoping to like Derrida. Lots of people seem to like him, I guess. But right now we're not on speaking terms.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 08:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 04, 2005
I really should read, however, internet. Stop distracting me!
Tuesdays are by far my favorite day of the week right now (with the obvious exceptions of Saturday and Sunday, when I don't have to take the bus to Amherst). On Tuesdays I have one class, Cervantes, which starts at 11:45, so I am able to wake up at 8:00 and have three hours before I have to get on the bus. Three hours spent drinking coffee, reading next to the cats, maybe blogging just a little. It makes all the difference in the world to have these hours in the morning (compared to my usual wake up at 6:00 get on the bus by 7:45 routine) because it makes me feel like maybe I can get everything done that I need to do. I tend to go to sleep on Monday nights feeling like I don't have anywhere near enough time for all the reading, thinking, and writing I have to do by Wednesday, but I wake up on Tuesday and realize that I have three forgotten hours to spend working at home. It's nice.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 08:22 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 30, 2005
If this is how I'm going to spend my Friday nights now, I might as well just cancel the Netflix subscription, right?
Do you know how long it's been since I've written a paper? I bet you can guess, what with all my complaining here! Four years. I had to start writing one today (well, honestly, I could have started sooner) and it's tough to get back into it. Where do you start? How do you start? Eventually I just started and I'm feeling okay about it so far. I know I did well on everything I wrote at Smith. In college, I was a confident paper writer. I had my style and I knew how to go about doing what I had to do. Now, I read what I've written and I recognize myself; I know my own writing style and it's nice to see it hasn't gone anywhere during this hiatus. But there's this thing at the back of my mind always, asking "what if this isn't good enough anymore? what if it's different now?" I don't know. I guess I'll find out on Monday.
I should get back to it, I suppose. I've just returned from doing this early writing at Woodstar and now I will have to contend with the cats. Rosa has already started chewing on my hair, so it's going to be a long night. She has this new endearing thing where, if I'm not leaning against the back of the couch, where she can easily jump up and bite me from a reclining position, she will hop up on her hind legs, dig her claws into my shoulders, and have a go at it from there. Sweet, no? My other distraction is that Dave is on the loose in town watching the baseball game: a Yankees fan in Red Sox Nation. It always makes me a little nervous.
Random: I hope this fellow keeps posting (and keeps out of trouble).
Posted by kelseyfrost at 07:34 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 29, 2005
On Miguel Cervantes and the ways in which he would like to control my life.
I'm now in the totally disgusting phase of the end of my cold. You know, the phase when you feel like you need to apologize to everyone around you? Yeah.
I'm coming to terms with my feelings of guilt about missing an important lecture at Mount Holyoke tonight; a prelude to a big symposium on Miguel Cervantes that will be at UMass on Columbus Day Weekend. The guilt is because I'm going to miss it so I can watch the O.C. with Dave and Eliza. I feel okay about it because it's like the only break I give myself during the week and the only time I have guaranteed with these important people in my life. Also because I will be spending that entire weekend here at UMass listening to (what I'm sure will be very interesting) talks about Cervantes, instead of going to my mom's Oktoberfest or celebrating my anniversary in some lovely long-weekend way with Dave. (It's actually that Tuesday, the 11th, but still.)
A colleague has just confirmed for me that I will never read for pleasure again, so I feel okay about watching TV for one hour.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 10:36 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 26, 2005
A few questions about graduate school?
When does one time find for things like doing laundry, buying groceries, cleaning the house? I've already realized that I am once again letting my Netflix subsription go unwatched for months, but these other things? I mean, really. Granted this cold made my weekend almost nonexistent. Because, otherwise, the weekend is the prime opportunity for all the daily chores that one must take care of in order to be a normal person. But, even if I hadn't spent the weekend lying in bed feeling miserable, would I have had time to go out and run errands or to vaccuum the apartment? Even with my cold, I didn't once take a break from reading literary theory or teaching methodology or Don Quijote. Is that what it's like now, for the next howevermany years?
Tonight Dave and I resorted to a measure we hadn't taken in quite a few months: dropping laundry off at the laundromat, to be picked up tomorrow: clean, folded, and neatly stacked. It's a nice luxury that we can't indulge in often, but it will help us feel a little more normal as we step over boxes and bags and shoes on our unswept floors.
On a more fun note, I finally gave in to the charms of this shirt. I hope it will be here in time to stave off the next laundry day.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 08:32 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
September 14, 2005
One week down, only about 150 to go.
I guess this school stuff might be getting easier. I got through this extremely long day with almost no crying (although it was close a couple of times, for no particular reason, and yesterday was a whole different story), despite the fact that I ended up being at UMass either teaching, in class, or in meetings from 8:00 AM until 7:30 PM. Never in my life have I had a job that is so demanding, so intense, so consuming, and with such little guidance or instruction about what I am supposed to do. I have spent the past week, since classes began, discovering that (of course) I don't know how to teach Spanish.
Maybe my impression is wrong, but I seem to be surrounded by people who feel quite confident about teaching beginning Spanish to people. Maybe it's because they've taught before, or because they have recent experience learning a language. I don't know. All I know is I took beginning Spanish fourteen years ago and it was taught in a completely different way from what is being done now. It's hard to visualize classroom activities if I don't even know where to begin.
I know that, for one thing, I need to look back at the materials I still have from my intro Portuguese class I took my senior year at Smith. This was five years ago, so I don't remember specifics about what we did. But I still have the book and workbook, so at least I might be able to adapt some lessons.
It has been a while since I was in an academic environment. I didn't realize just how long five years was until I started last week. I feel like I will never read another novel for fun again. Is this true?
Posted by kelseyfrost at 08:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 12, 2005
I'm sleepy, but I apparently wanted to blog.
Books for school are so effing expensive. I've now spent about $325 on books for three classes. Isn't that exciting? What's more exciting is that I took out a little bit extra in loan money so that, after my fees were paid, I'd have some money to buy books. The university hasn't given me that money yet, luckily, so I just got to pile everything onto my credit cards. I'm a little cranky about this. Can you tell?
I also just had a scare with this site. I couldn't access it for a while, or my homepage, or the MediaTemple (hosting company) page. I was remaining calm and hoping everything would come back, which it did.
Nothing much of note today, as you can see. I'm anxiously awaiting Eliza so we can hang out and watch Arrested Development before I delve back into Cervantes' Libro de la Galatea.
Posted by kelseyfrost at 07:36 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 09, 2005
My iPod loves Flora.
A couple of weeks ago, I put Flora Reed's record, Settle Down, on my iPod. Dave played drums on the album, so I listened to it a lot when it came out a couple of years ago, but now our copy of the CD is all scratched (thank you, cats, for your continued hard work in the war against all my possessions). When Philip and Flora borrowed our computer a little while ago, they left all their music on it (heh heh), so I am getting re-acquainted with the solo Flora sound. She's so great in Winterpills, but it's nice to sometimes hear her in a different way (digo yo). Anyway, the iPod loves Flora, so I got to hear like three or four of her songs today. Unlike when the iPod got obsessed with Prince or Coldplay (both of whom have been banished), I'm enjoying this trend.
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I've also had a headache every day this week, which I hope will not last the entire semester.
It's been a seriously long week. Today should be better, as I only have to teach two classes this morning and then can come home for lunch and to study. The rest of the semester should be better, I think, once I settle into my schedule and the amount of work I need to do (which is quite a lot). It also helps that I got the keys to my office yesterday, so I don't have to carry a giant bag around with me everywhere and have someplace to go in those random hours between classes.
This weekend Dave and I are heading to Newport to see his parents and help them pack; they're moving across town at the end of the month. There will be a lot of reading, I think (hope). And maybe we can get away with a little laundry...
I seriously have not been to visit the internet since school started. Today I have to google the word "theory" for a discussion being held in my literary theory class, though, so maybe I'll pass by a couple of blogs if I need a break.
If you're not going away this weekend, you should go to the Hurricane Katrina benefit concert at the Elevens on Saturday night. Here, Henning will tell you all about it.
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September 07, 2005
Yes, I am complaining.
Okay, how long has it been since I didn't have (or make) time to post here during the week? I'm serioulsy exhausted after my first day of classes today. I taught two this morning and took two this afternoon. Yep, that's 9 AM to 6:30 PM at UMass. Someone please make it stop.
I don't even have anything else to say right now, except that I am not enjoying using my UMass webmail at the moment. Maybe I'll actually have some time for myself tomorrow and can *gasp* visit the internet!
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August 30, 2005
The week off has been nice.
I start my orientation at UMass this morning at 9:00. That's actually all I know about it; I don't know when I'll be finished today or what will be going on the rest of the week. UMass is a very mysterious place, I guess.
Look: here's something about renting tiny, slow, electric cars in my home away from home, Cordoba, Spain.
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July 26, 2005
I now know where to find two things at UMass!
I took a day off from work today so I could take care of some stuff for school. Don't worry, they knew that was why I needed the day off! In the end, it was almost a waste of time. The professor I thought I needed to speak to about the Teaching Assistant program really didn't have much to say to me. He was very nice and we had a good talk but, despite his early letter saying we needed to get together and meet before the start of the semester, he seemed puzzled as to why I was there. I was, however, able to work out some stuff with financial aid.
And now I am enjoying my new wireless internet connection at home. So nice! I hadn't been able to make our wireless router work since the move. I spent two weeks in June dedicated to the task of setting it up, which led to frustration and probably crying, and no wireless internet. Two months later, I hook everything up again and it works perfectly. I will never understand why, but sometimes technology seems to just want to be left alone for a while so it can figure things out on its own.
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June 22, 2005
Sorry about that...
I don't know what happened. Okay, well, I sort of do. I moved, I was busy, the wireless internet isn't working and the computer is currently living in a tiny, hot closet, so I don't really want to go in there. I'm also trying (apparently unsuccessfully) not to post at work. Why, you ask? Beacause I'm leaving here in a couple of months and still don't want people to know about this site, particularly. I don't know why. I don't think I've said anything mean, really. It just makes me nervous that my boss could read this site.
Well, to make up for lost time, a tiny update. Still heading to grad school in September. I'm slowly getting more information about that. It looks like I'll have a week off before I start TA orientation and then classes, so that will be nice. I'm very excited to start this next phase of everything. Especially since it means leaving my current job. (See? See why I don't want to post here?) It's getting kind of rough around here, that's all I'm going to say about that.
This week I forced Dave to watch two movies I remember from childhood: "The NeverEnding Story" and "Labyrinth." The latter stood the test of time a bit better than the former. For the sake of nostalgia, it was fun, but I don't know if I'd recommend re-watching these ones if you don't have kids watching with you. Even if you do, kids today (!) might have more discerning taste now about special effects. (Why didn't the luck dragon have wings?) Of couse, I put "The Goonies" on the Netflix queue, too. I have higher hopes for that film.
Speaking of movies, we watched a couple of Jack Lemmon films this past week, too. (This is what happens when you downgrade to $5 cable.) "Some Like it Hot" was really great. I had never seen it before and it was a lot of fun. "The Apartment," on the other hand, ZZZZZZ... I was so sure (so sure!) that we had to be near the end of the movie at one point, and I got up to check the DVD sleeve and see the running time. 2 hours! And we're only 1 hour in? Okay, I returned that one without seeing how everything turned out. I'm sure he got the girl, though. If he didn't, let me know.
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May 08, 2005
Moving
So, Friday night, just before the Winterpills played their show at PACE, Dave got a call from out landlord saying that he is going to sell the property this summer. We have about two months to find a new place and move. The timing of this couldn't be worse, since I'm heading to school in the fall and Dave just left his miserable job. Not two days before the call came, I said to my mom, "we're lucky to be living someplace that's really affordable. It makes it that much easier for Dave to really take some time and figure out what he wants to do." He can still take that time, of course-- better that than to have him back in some crappy job because we're nervous about money. It's just a little bit harder now. So, if anyone hears of any cheap apartments in the area, let me know!
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April 26, 2005
Sick Day
I hate having a cold. This one totally took me by surprise on Sunday. I slept all day and was very grouchy. Today I decided not to go to work, which is always a good decision. Hopefully I'll feel a lot better by tomorrow.
I finally told my office I'm going to grad school in the fall. They're kind of freaked out, but mostly happy for me. I think there may be a mass exodus from this place in the fall. We've all been there a few years and are tired of it.
Okay, no more writing through the fog. I need a little more brain function before I can blog.
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April 06, 2005
Big Steps and the Queers
Lots of fun and exciting things going on here. I got into both UMass and NYU, and have decided to go to UMass in the fall. I'll also have a teaching associateship, which will be nice in many ways. So, I'm excited and nervous about this big change of lifestyle, but mostly excited. Dave has also made some important decisions in his life, but I'm not going to go into any great detail about that here. You'll have to find out for yourself!
My sister was just here for two days. We went to Hartford to see an old friend of mine/new friend of hers, Rick, play with his punk band, the Queers. I had never seen the Queers before, even though they've been around for ever. It was really fun-- loud, but fun. I wish Dave could have made it to the show, but Spanish practice was going on, so it didn't work out. It made me think of what his days as a punk rock drummer must have been like. I think he gets to play a lot more interesting stuff in his current bands, but I wonder if he misses playing super fast stuff. Nothing fast about Winterpills.
Also, I finally got my shit together and got a learner's permit today. Maybe I'll even get my driver's license soon. Not that I'm making any promises... But really the dread of going back to the DMV was a big part of why it's taken me so long to make the effort again. Last time I was there I had to leave becasue I didn't have enough forms of identification. Today I went with a passport, checkbook, bank statement, birth certificate, and social security card, thinking that I probably had more than enough. It was the bare minimum. Yikes.
Oh, and if the one person from my office who knows about this blog is reading, the license thing will not be mentioned to you know who, in an attempt to avoid any assholish behavior-- as if that can be avoided.
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