Class Dismissed--ACT Version

Today was the last session of my ACT class--just over a month since it started. We met Saturday and Sunday afternoons with a break for Labor Day weekend.

I'm glad the class is over--nothing against this class or its students--it's just been a busy summer. I just have a few tutoring students to schedule in the next month.

I've made a decent amount of money the past month. Plus I admit that my mother's death has put me in a good place financially. I don't have to worry about money right now.

I have to do some work related to the accounting for my mother's estate this weekend. Next weekend I have a tutoring appointment and I'm proctoring a test.  In between, I can work on the new ACT manual.

I also need to do some shopping to find a dress for my niece's wedding in two weeks. I bought two dresses online: I'll return one. I think the other is too casual for the wedding. It's frustrating. I'll have to figure out something--soon.

New Morning Routine?

I've had a busy two months of work--four classes and three tutoring students. Because of the work schedule combined with hot weather, I got into the habit of taking Lola out for her main walk early on weekdays. We'd take the two minute drive to Mathews Park and then walk on the NRVT to Oyster Shell Park.

I worked afternoons over the weekend and now I have two weeks off until my last ACT afternoon class on September 7. I have another tutoring student who may want to resume sessions, and if I get a new student, I'll be happy to start tutoring, but for now, I'm free.

I've started the past few mornings leisurely: drinking coffee, reading emails. I took Lola out for quick pees, but didn't get her out for long walks until 10-10:30. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I do like to get Lola's long walk out of the way first. Tomorrow it may rain in the afternoon or evening, so it's a good opportunity to get Lola out early and get back on that routine.

I may not have classes or tutoring appointments, but I have lots to do, and I might as well get started early.

Teaching Trials and Tribulations

I had a bad day today.  At first I got discombobulated by a change in room assignment for my SAT class. Several students wandered in late, and they sat in different seats than yesterday. There are 19 students. While I had learned most of their names, I was a bit confused. I asked them to give me their names again.

The class runs Monday through Thursdays afternoons with one Saturday morning test. Most people in the class speak softly even though I told them I was having trouble hearing them. They don't seem all that interested in the material. I'm not sure if they're tired or bored. I messed up explaining a few problems. As I said, a bad day.

Sigh.

I'm also teaching a weekend class--Saturday and Sunday afternoons through September 7th with a break for Labor Day weekend. This class has only four students, and two didn't show for the first class. I hope all will show for the second class this Saturday.

Then there's tutoring. I've been able to schedule my active tutoring students around the classes without too much trouble. Some days, however, the logistics get challenging.

And so it goes.

First Third of Summer: Teaching, Tudors, and Rabbits

My last post was about the beginning of summer, now it's a third through. No legit reason not to post; I can't explain it.

I started teaching an ACT course the Monday after my last post. It had been a year since my last class, and the class hours dropped from 25 to 18. It was a challenge. Part of it was me being old-school--having individual meetings with students and checking their homework in person. It's mainly  a challenge because there's so much material to cover. Immediately after the ACT class ended, I started a SAT class. I have two more classes starting in a week--a busy teaching time for me.

I've attended three of four lectures at the Norwalk Library on the wives of Henry VIII: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and Catherine Parr. I  didn't learn much about Anne, but I did learn about Catherine and Jane. I also learned that if I want to get the light lunch at the library, I have to arrive around 1145-11:50 for a 12 PM program.

I was afraid I'd miss the Anne Boleyn lecture, because I was teaching the ACT class. Luckily, the day of the Anne lecture was a test day, so I could get a proctor to sub for me. Unfortunately, the proctor didn't show; one student's parents were so mad, he dropped the class; others got another proctored test; all students got an extra class. At least I still got to the Anne lecture.

I've read four books since my last post: The Helen Trilogy by Preston and Child and Children of Henry VIII by Alison Weir--more on these later.

With morning classes and hot weather, I've been taking Lola for morning walks from Mathews Park to Oyster Shell Park on the Norwalk River Valley Trail (NRVT.) It's a two to five minute drive to Mathews--depending on traffic lights--and Oyster Shell Park usually offer many rabbits and ground hogs. I think we should start a tradition of a ground hog named Norwalk Norm--why should Punxsutawney Phil get all the credit?

Since we started walking around the neighborhood last year, Lola has enjoyed checking out the rabbits in the area. Many congregate in the fenced off area of part of the city's water supply. We once saw two bunnies running around playing. Others seem to hang out in the area; Lola loves to stalk them even though she's always on the leash and can't get close to them. Jeff and I also enjoy greeting Dylan--a dog who lives on Highwood Avenue. If he's outside, he always runs to greet us. His barks first sounded hostile, but he now loves when we pass by to pet him. Today his mom alerted him that we were passing by: dogs are awesome.

I'm not sure I can promise, but I hope this is the start of regular posting.

A New Frustration Dream

Last night I dreamed about my class. In my real class, I have a small whiteboard, so I also use a portable whiteboard that I carry from another room.

In the dream, I had to hunt for the whiteboard. After someone found it for me, I realized it wasn't on a stand/easel. I had to go to some kind of committee to get approval. The next thing I knew, I had wasted 45 minutes of class, and I hadn't gotten permission yet. Frustrating, but at least it was a new frustration dream. It didn't involve not being able to telephone someone.

About a week ago, my brother told me about his own frustration dream. The gist of it was that he was showering in a hotel room and realized that it was someone else's room. He was trying to hurry but couldn't get the soap off and didn't have good shower pressure.

We got talking and apparently he also has dreams about having trouble finding toilets that aren't in the open: this is one of my recurring dreams. Could it be our toilet training?

A Quiet Independence Day

That's what I wanted for this holiday. I got what I wanted, but not the way I wanted it.

I've halfway through an ACT class--we meet Monday through Friday mornings. It's been more administrative work than I expected. The course lasts three weeks, with today as a holiday break. I'll probably just get used to the schedule by the time it ends. At least that happened last year.

Tuesday afternoon I got back from class, unpacked a box from homechef.com (our first order), had lunch, and then worked on an ACT test. I had misplaced my test, so decided that I should retake it. We were in the midst of a heat wave; working on the test would be a cool and productive way to spend my afternoon.

Unfortunately, Jeff had emergency dentist visits--first to his regular dentist, then a specialist. He'll need a root canal. I left home around 3:50, got caught in traffic and a downpour when I went to pick him up. Then I had to get his prescription, Tylenol and Advil. About four hours later, I got back home.

Luckily Jeff hasn't been in pain. Still we decided to keep things low-key.

Here's a picture from Independence Day 2016.

This Week

I'm glad the week is winding down--it was a long one. Funny how one week can feel so differently from another. The Superbowl feels like a month ago.

I had a busy work week. I dealt with a student who missed one appointment and had to cut a second short, a parent who was annoyed with me about a technical glitch, extra pressure that I put on myself by poor planning, and a few minor household problems. The last session of my ACT class was Wednesday. It snowed, sleeted and rained all day, but we managed to get the class in and everyone attended. I didn't feel I was at my best. That's not a good way to end the course, but I received a glowing email from one of my students so I guess it wasn't as bad as I thought.

To top the week off, Lola got sick yesterday. Luckily the vet was able to squeeze her in, and Lola's much better today.

And so it goes.

Last Chance for September Post

I'm forcing myself to post tonight.

I'm tired. I'm watching the Mets and reading things on the Internet: tips on time management and frugality, latest Trump rantings, a random blog one of my (few) followers follows. But I had planned to write here tonight, and so I am. 

My class is off this weekend for Yom Kippur. I thought it would be a good time to get in some extra tutoring, but that didn't work so well. I had one session this afternoon. On the plus side, I got to sleep in a bit (8:45 or so) and went to the gym--only my second visit this month. I decided I need to schedule gym visits. There's no reason why I can't go three times this week. I'll start Monday. 

Tomorrow I have two tutoring appointments. Unfortunately, these are at the homes of students who live the farthest apart. I start at 1 PM, have an hour of driving from one to another (that's with no traffic) and won't get home until 7:15-7:30. I'll take Lola for a walk/hike in the morning, marinate a pork tenderloin for dinner. Jeff can cook it so we can eat as soon as I get home and watch Outlander.

Our DPFs (Dog Park Fridays) are winding down; we have four more at most before daylight savings ends. This makes me sad because I enjoy these visits. We have a core group who have been meeting for years, while others have come and gone. I'll have to make an effort to see these friends more often during the late fall and winter. 

Speaking of dog park, Lola also enjoys socializing. Our friend Jeff commented last night about how much friendlier and outgoing she was. 

The Mets, in the 11th inning of their penultimate game, won 7-4 over the Phillies. It's been a sad season. I started out with high hopes. Then things fell apart. I don't remember who went down first. But the Mets fell like dominoes. One more game.  

On to October.

Miscellaneous July Musings

Last Friday (okay--not July yet) I realized that I was putting on make-up to go to the dog park. (I did the same yesterday.) I wear make-up more often than not, but not usually on a day that consists of going to the gym, cleaning and going to the dog park. But dog park Fridays are more like cocktail parties. They could end up with us going out to dinner, so I figured make-up was in order.

This week Thursday seemed like a Friday because Friday was the official 4th of July holiday. Eight of us met at the dog park yesterday because Norwalk's fireworks were tonight.

July will be a busy month for me. I'm teaching a three-hour class each weekday morning for the next three weeks. I have tutoring obligations for Monday and Friday afternoons, possibly Wednesdays, and docent training obligations for Tuesdays and Thursdays. When I mentioned how busy this could be for me, my mother snarked that I would just be like people with a normal job. Okay she has a point, but she didn't take into account all the prep and travel time. Plus it's annoying to hear this from a woman who hasn't had to work in 40 years, and has no idea of today's job market.

Some great lines from the first few episodes of "Orange is the New Black":

"Nice is for cowards and democrats," says Red.

"That's why you women end up in prison because you suck at crime," says corrupt guard whose name I don't remember.

It's Official

I heard today that I've been recertified to teach the redesigned SAT.  As I wrote earlier this week, I figured I would be recertified, but it's nice to know it's official.

As an added bonus, I also got word that I passed a quiz to complete an ACT training update based mostly on upcoming changes to the essay.

Hooray for me.

SAT Re-Certification and Training Weekend

I have the weekend off, a stark contrast to last weekend when I had  RSAT--redesigned SAT training--for two full days. I also had a lot of prep to do beforehand. We have four new books and a new test (no, I didn't do them all.) I'm sure more materials and changes are on the way. It was an intense weekend, but it was also fun.

The RSAT doesn't debut until next March, but the redesigned PSAT will rear its ugly head this October. We have to be prepared.

I haven't heard officially that I "passed." That's slightly annoying, but I'm sure I would have heard already if I had messed up.

A Week Derailed

On Sunday when I thought about the upcoming week, I told myself I would have to plan and be well-organized to get everything done. Things ended up okay though getting here was tough.

On Sunday night, Spike's "stomach" problems took a turn for the worse. I had to treat carpet stains, do an unexpected load of laundry and take Spike to the vet on Monday. I already had to drive to a Stamford pharmacy to get Spike's Chinese herbs, so half of my day was gone before I knew it. On Tuesday I went to Motor Vehicles to get my license renewed; that was about two hours out of my life. I also tutored or taught every day.

I did get a break--one of my deadlines was extended from today to Tuesday. Surprisingly, I have free time this weekend to work on that deadline. A few tutoring students decided to wait until the fall instead of taking June tests.

I just need to keep plugging.

Busy

I've been thinking about how busy I am lately.

I have several tutoring students and I'm teaching an ACT class. I have to finish a WPA project for the Arts Commission. I'm dealing with health insurance and income tax problems. I'm studying for the revised SAT, and need to take a new test.  

Then there are all the normal day-to-day to-do's: preparing meals, shopping, doing chores, paying bills. I also want to work out, do yoga, and, you know, blog and write.

Then I listen to my students. Each of them listed a litany of tests, essays, research papers and projects in  a very short time period. 

I'm not so busy after all. It's all relative. 

July Thoughts

It's hard for me to believe that July is over. It was a busy month and flew by before I knew it.


July was a good work month. I taught one complete SAT class and started two other classes, one SAT and one ACT. I participated in a program with the Norwalk Arts Commission that trained student docents to conduct tours of Norwalk's WPA murals. I co-led one adult tour. I learned a lot.


Unfortunately, July was bad for writing, blogging and going to the gym. There's no valid reason for this. As my mother used to say, I'm just making a statement. (She's never been big on analysis.) In comparison, some people say I over think everything.


Today I made plans to go on a private writers retreat with my friend Darlene.We decided to forgo the usual writing retreat that we have attended for several years. Both of us have financial concerns, but have decided this will be worth it. 

I need to decide what writing I will focus on for two-and-a-half days. I want to make the most of this opportunity.

Muddled Musings

I've been relatively busy the past few weeks with tutoring.This has been a nice surprise--usually my slow time starts at the beginning of June. I had my last tutoring session yesterday for a while, so I got another week or two of more work than expected.

I use the word "relatively" deliberately. I work part-time--many fewer hours than the 40-hour standard. Sometimes I get frustrated; I wonder why I don't have time to accomplish more. Jeff kindly reminds me of transportation, preparation and follow-up that I do for each tutoring and teaching session. It makes me feel a little better, but I always feel that I'm not doing enough, falling behind.

In addition to work, I've been busy with my docent training. We had an introductory meeting, then five official training sessions followed by a field trip. We saw a few of the murals outside of City Hall, such as two in the Maritime Aquarium and five in the Norwalk Transit District. We also visited two active oystering businesses remaining in Norwalk: Norm Bloom and Hilliard Bloom. I shadowed a Stroll & Sip tour and co-led another. While most of this place in May, additional prep, planning and follow up work has extended into June. I'm hopeful that the work will grow in July.

Sometime last week or even earlier, I contacted poison ivy. I don't remember the last time I had poison ivy--it has to have been thirty years or more. At first I thought it was hives because this has been such a bad allergy season. I went to the dermatologist on Monday; the medication has helped a lot.

I start teaching two classes in July; I  have about three off weeks before then. It's not like a vacation. I have many projects that I need to accomplish from housework to marketing to subject tutoring prep (history) I can't let this time go to waste.

Morning Girl

Morning Girl is one of Jeff's nicknames for me because I walk Spike in the mornings. When Spike first came to live with us, Jeff had to start work at 8. I worked at home doing freelance work, and had an afternoon job. I've also been a little more of a morning person than Jeff. So, it was only natural for me to assume the morning walking duties.

Currently, I'm teaching classes on Saturday and Sunday morning starting at 9. For the last few weeks, I've relied on Jeff to walk Spike those mornings. Either Spike was still in bed, or I was pressed for time.

Today, Spike got up with me. This is common because each morning he gets a thyroid pill (in a yummy pill pocket), a greenie and a greenie joint care (with glucosamine and chondroitin.) He usually gets his "breakfast" and immediately goes back to bed.

Today, Spike waited for me outside the bathroom as I showered. I quickly dressed and took him for a walk, around 7:15. It's possible that Spike just had to go, but normally he waits by the door if that's the case.

I prefer to think that Spike just wanted to ensure that he and I would walk together.

It makes me happy to think that.

Mixed Bag

I'm tired and should be in bed, but I'm still winding down and couldn't let the first of November go without some kind of post. I expected to be home around nine tonight, but it was after 10.

I had a mammogram and breast ultrasound today and all was well. I don't worry despite my family history. But I was several months late with these tests and needed to get them done.

Jeff, Spike and I went to probably our last dog park Friday for the year. Next week with the daylight savings fall back, it will be dark by 5 PM. Tonight we had a good turn-out for this time of year: ten people.

I left the dog park because I had an teachers meeting/cocktail party. That was disappointing. The "scrumptious" appetizers promised weren't close to scrumptious in my estimation. More importantly, the 7 PM sharp meeting started at 7:15 and went a half hour later than promised. Many blew off the post meeting get-together at the Southport Brewing Company. Either they had too far to drive or it was too late. At least it was a good idea.

Last month I considered whether I should try National Novel Writing Month again. I decided against it. Instead I'll do National Blog Posting Month. I did well with it last year; I wrote 35 posts for November, though I missed one day by posting at 12:01. I will also do some other writing.  I'm thinking 500 words per day besides the blog. I know I won't make it today and didn't do it last year, but I've got to try.

Back in the Classroom

I usually tutor rather than teach in a classroom: I'm better in a one-to-one setting, the scheduling is easier and sometimes the pay is better.

Today I subbed for the first class of a course. I had some trouble getting inside the location; I had to try six doors before I found the right one.  The class itself went pretty well though I didn't quite finish all the material.

I enjoyed teaching today--think I'll do some more of it.

Certified

Got the word that I've been officially certified to teach the ACT college admission test.

I'm waiting for my written feedback but feedback from the first week was better than I expected so I feel really good. (I was rated "Rockstar" in eight of 10 categories. Yea me!)

I still have a lot of prep work to do: all the homework in the manual, four diagnostic tests and The Book of 1,296 ACT questions. Yes, I do the questions myself. I don't just copy the answer keys; that wouldn't help me help my students.

I'm looking forward to my first ACT tutorial.