I noticed I hadn't posted here in more than two weeks, so here's a quick rundown:
- We had a major cat emergency last week with one of the little guys (okay, not actually little--11+ lbs--but only one year old). Involved driving more than an hour for care, daily visits with different local clinics, and desperately close to ICU with feeding tube or euthanasia. (He hadn't eaten literally in six days.) I will write more later. Suffice to say: appetite stimulant + steroids + anti-nausea meds + pain killers + fluids = much improved. Too close of a call.
- Tent school (which is now sunroom/screened porch school) is going pretty well. The major issue is the "teacher" who has three days per week (my kid's friend's father) is, per Tiny Boy, the worst of the three of us. We have regular staff meetings in the yard. It's pretty sweet, actually.
- Synchronous learning for Tiny Boy is going better, after a talk with his teacher and some streamlining of on-and-off the computer for him. She's cut out three (!) of his morning transitions.
- Online teaching for me is not as completely horrible as I thought but it is also a completely different beast and I really don't like it. Today I'm holding office hrs in a university garden because I need to see these people. (Also need to pick up some books anyway, so I'll just fill out the form, put on my mask, and go.)
- I bought a sampler pack of pens and learned some things about myself. It turns out I really like the pen I was using all along (Unibal Signo 207 Micro). Sarah, turning me on to Jetpens was probably not a good idea.
The uniball signos are also my favorite!!
ReplyDeleteGel pens are a great disappointment of my stationery world. I love them dearly, and in theory they should be all I ever wanted in a pen, but ultimately I find them all (tried so, so many brands) short-lived and unreliable for the type of writing/drawing I do. I think it's my fault (hard grip and lots of pressure when I write) so I am left with unattractive but sturdy writing implements. Incidentally, unattractive but sturdy would also be how I would describe myself lolsob.
ReplyDeleteMy uni has temporarily gone online (after a spike in cases). It is going well for me as I do everything on the board, so I just do it on my iPad over the videoconferencing platform that's integrated with our online learning platform as opposed to in person. And, with online teaching, I don't have to worry about makeup and hair! But I think the students get really stressed over being yanked between person and online with minimal notice.
I do record my lectures (it's voice and shared white board). On the upside, I sound pretty kickass, way more than I feel when I lecture, and I emphasize things well and clearly. The downside is that I have more accent than I think I do, esp at the beginning of the class; it kind of fades as I relax into it, but it really bums me out. I hate that I don't hear it otherwise. It's not thick or anything, and no student has ever complained about it in my 16 years of teaching, but still.
Anyway, with this monster comment it's clear that I am craving to write a blog post myself, so maybe that's what I should go do! :-)
Ooh - JetPens is such a dangerous website. It's one of the few newsletters that I read all the way through. I will admit to being a bit of a pen junky - felt tip pens, frixion erasable ballpoints, and fountain pens, all in a wide variety of colors because black and blue are boring.
ReplyDeletePoor kitty! I'm glad things are looking up.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Tiny Boy's schooling is doing better too! It's so nice when the teacher is receptive to changing things.
Found out today that I get to (technically I do not have a choice unless I pull the PCOS card) do one course in person and one online next semester (yay?).
Glad school is getting better for your son! We found out Friday that our sons get to return to in-person instruction on October 8, assuming that the case rates in our area stay at their current levels or lower. Fingers crossed!
ReplyDeleteBTW, going to order some Unibal Signo 207 Micro pens. :-)
S, the pens are the BEST.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are online at least through Oct 30 now. MAJOR case spikes with university students, although our courses are online; local fraternities and large apt buildings are under mandatory quarantine now. Uggh.
NandM--so much can change. Fingers crossed for both online or major change in the universe before spring.
I'm glad the cat pulled through! We have two with IBD, who need periodic treatment such as you describe; they're both on maintenance doses of steroids now. If you notice a cat isn't eating, baby food is usually the "magic bullet" that will get them to take something, and you can thin it with water to keep them from getting severely dehydrated before you can get to the vet for sub-cu fluids.
ReplyDeleteGlad that your young cat is okay and that Tiny Boy is doing well with the adjustments to his schedule. I' m a pen fanatic, too!
ReplyDeleteUndine, what are your fave pens?
ReplyDeleteDame Eleanor, yup, yup. Currently unexplained IBD with pancreatitis based on ultrasound. Switching him to "GI" friendly diet. He wouldn't even take baby food, and when syringe fed, vomited. It was a really really bad week. He's still on steroids and licking the floor for crumbs.
Oh, wow---that's VERY sick! Poor kitty, and poor you; I would be traumatized after a week like that. I hope you and the kids are getting over the anxiety. I'm glad the cat is doing so much better on steroids.
ReplyDelete