November 28

Have I mentioned I hate grading?

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a wonderful day today, holiday or just a regular November 28.

1964

Tomorrow I work at the hospital again. I guess I will go to early service and then walk to the hospital.

I decided to make a vest for Bob instead of buying him one.

I’m so disappointed in the Beatles. They don’t write songs like “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You”. It seems they’re more involved with the background than with the vocal music. It’s really a shame. They were doing fine and had to go and ruin it.

I got new shoes at Barton’s for only $8 - cheap for Barton’s. I wonder what I’ll get Dad, Mom, Patty, and Marty.

Comment 2022

A long time ago, my teenaged daughter said she wished she had known me when I was in high school. “No, you don’t”, I said, and gave her this diary to read. As this entry shows, fifteen-year-old Jo was a shallow creature. Just what sort of trash was the Beatles releasing in 1964? That summer, it was A Hard Day’s Night and Something New, numbers 1 and 2 on the Billboard LP charts. According to Wikipedia, my complaint was not completely without merit. One critic wrote that their new direction allowed listeners to "take the group's new sound purely on its own modernist terms”. I didn’t get it, and abandoned the Fab Four for The Beach Boys and Motown. (Better vocals, and much better dance tunes.)

1977

So much for melodrama. My eye problem was allergies. The doctor gave me eyedrops and it’s already much better. I finished the book on teaching.The last few chapters, profiles of various people, were not as good. The chapter on Albert Schweitzer was upsetting. I think I might like to read some of his works, but am not sure where to start. According to Gilbert Highet, much of Schweitzer’s works are pretentious and dated. Maybe the one about his childhood? I am not sure how any of this applies to teaching clothing construction. I’m afraid this semester I have not done a very good job. It’s not that it’s demanding; it’s that I haven’t put in the effort. (Especially since midterm.) Let’s hope for more energy next semester, heh?

2003

Friday, feeling like Saturday. I just read through my students’ essays exams and am so, so pleased with them! Was it the in-class exercise, was it finding the right quote, was it selecting the right readings and activities? Wow! They got it!

2004

Still grading, far from done. Of course, I’ve been procrastinating big time.

I do hate grading.

2017

Today is Tuesday. Tuesday is Trivia Day!!

I slept for ten or so hours yesterday. When does that “old people sleep less” thing start kicking in? I am waiting. Anushka Sharma wants to do a re-make of Dil Se. I would love to see it remade from the woman’s point of view.

2022

I promise to practice my craft of writing. I promise to plan the times and places. I promise to activate my writer’s mind every day. This could mean: drafting, revising, editing, reading, reading about writing. Writing includes: emails and letters, notes to self. Journaling. Let the words flow, when they flow. Prime the pump when they don’t. Not all writing is for others. Writing for myself counts, too.

Comment 2023

From now until Christmas, it will be Grading Time here on the Spiral Notebook. I’d rather read about it that do it. Either way…I hate grading.

Comment 2024

…and I am thankful that I will never have to do it again.