Internet & Cable Down. Xfinity's Issue. They Say It Will Take a Week to Get a Technician to the House. Give Me a Break. But Onward I Go.

At the dermatologist in the wee hours of morning, only remember to vote because of signs near the middle school by my home. Interesting conundrum in CT, as the Governor has been the same for years, and the man running against him is running on a teacher platform, but the teacher’s union backed more of the same. Not sure what any of that is about, but I am starting to realize how massive group think is, and how hard change is to make happen. I’m lucky…I’m in a State that pays better than most and who, at least on their outfacing platforms, like to side with K-12 public education.

I took Mateo Planas out for lunch, as he’s moving into Cornell Law School tomorrow. It’s interesting to hear an overthinking, highly successful, top-notch brain discuss his east and west coast experiences, the state of higher education, and his hopes & dreams with making change happen in courts. Always wonderful to hear a fresher brain than my own processing the craziness of it all, agreeing that higher education, upper-middle classes, zip-code apartheid, and the two Americas has been in a pressure cooker for a long time. With 16 years approach in my own academic job, I have a book of reforms and changes that need to be made. I just don’t think they ever will come, because it begins with the insanity of tuition and who can AFFORD a degree. 

It should be that if you meet the qualifications, you should continue learning, and the cost of this learning should be minimal to the students, themselves. We should be investing in intelligence and potential, but instead I think higher education is more interested in their own sustainability and ‘self-care.’ Instead of the ‘we’re all in this together’ mindset (Ubuntu), we have every institution competing for the students and what they are willing to pay...well, not them, but their families. 

I was telling Mateo that I made it through undergraduate classes without a loan because it was doable to pay tuition at the time (working part-time year-round in various jobs). All the Masters degrees and doctorate were also free to me…I only had to pay for books. and I know how privileged that is. 

And I also feel for people who continue education at $$$ only to go in more debt to realize it is unlikely to be paid back. I can’t believe the number of colleagues in my field are still paying back loans they took out to earn their doctorate. I could never do that, especially knowing what they charge for doctoral credits. I would be okay with the tuition costs if I knew that the money was being used wisely. I’m not sure that it is….with few tenure-track faculty being hired nation-wide, and the horrendous hypocrisy of using adjunct, visiting faculty, with low compensation, knowing that senior faculty members are spewing nonsense while working for institutions that are socially unjust by design. 

Ah, morning rant, still not knowing if the cable/internet service was restored. Amazing how interrupted a routine becomes when all your ways of connecting no longer are possible. I had to type this post offline in hopes it’d be restored by morning.

 

 

I'm a Failure at Shopping. Rarely Do It. Could Care Less. But Every Once In a While I Get a Wild Hair in My System.

I've had the same set of glasses since the late 90s....purchased at Pier One, when that was a thing, and with me through many transitions. Half of them went to Iowa with Chitunga I have learned, and those left behind have slowly cracked and disappeared. I'm down to two blue and one green. It's no big deal, because it's just me who needs to use them (for the most part), but was thinking that they do come in handy when people are visiting and I'm cooking for others. I know I've seen variations of them from place to place and set out to a local Home Goods to see if they were the ones.

NOPE.

It was okay, because I also like to hunt down CLEARANCE items. They had shit. 

So I drove home in the rain. That was my big break for the day, too...to prove to myself that I can do things besides write and work. Also walked dog, mowed lawn, and weed-whacked again, with some of the laundry put away, but I was focused on replacing my glasses. 

I was in a glass kind of mood, I guess, because I also took out one of the sliding glass panes that has a cracked seal, and hence fogs ups and I can't see out of it. I was into replacing it last year but the guy from Anderson windows wanted $2,800. Yeah, right. It took me a year, but I finally took it out myself and took it to a local window establishment. They were great. They took measurements and said give us a couple of weeks. You can take it home and put it back in so it doesn't rain in your house. We'll call you when the new one was in. I may be wrong, but I think it was just over a hundred dollars or so. I will be glad, too, because it's one of the spots Karal and I look out and I've hated that it's been damaged.

Of course, it should also be under warranty, but at the guy at the glass shop said, "Many of those companies go out of business as soon as they install the products. They likely wouldn't grant you a new window anyways.

Well, I guess I never thought of the underbelly of the porch window beast. The more you learn. Of course, I'm all up in their business when they're measuring, asking them questions about their business and how often people like me come in. "Oh, about six or seven a week." I think it is a side hustle for them, because they install commercial windows. 

But it was less than a mile away. Bonus. So, two weeks from now we shall see. 

Played a Little 'How Does She Do It' in Trying to Replicate Pam's Mac-n-Cheese. I Wanted to Try My Hands and Got a 'Not Bad' for My First Try

There's always the Mac-n-Cheese in the south, but in the north you have to be careful. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese done ruined an entire population in the United States. When the boys and I first tried Pam's, however, we knew we had a favorite. She hasn't been willing to share her secret, except she buys the cheese ends in the store to combine multiple styles of cheese. The ends were on sale at Big Y, so I came home, looked up a few recipes, and improvised. It was enough to get me Pam's secrets, which I came pretty close at guessing. I didn't think to add a mustard, though, just for the right tang. I will next time. 

I also took liberty to make hamburger patties for grilled burgers with mushrooms, tomato, lettuce, and a pickle. It, too, was delicious, as was the cut watermelon and local blueberries I mixed in a bowl. Perfect dinner for a Sunday evening before another work week. 

I watched the DCI finals Saturday night and stick with my gut....Phantom Regiment was also a crowd favorite, even though they scored back in the pack. I was surprised the Blue Knights captured color guard and drums, too. General Effect, definitely, but the precision came with other cores, too. Conceptually it was the best show and two of their songs are two of my ongoing favorites: God Only Knows and YES's All Good People.

I'm setting work goals to achieve much these next couple of days (and I can't believe the heat extension is coming with the plan of action). Later in the week the temperatures will cool, but for now we will sweat (and my lawn needs to be mown) (and my barber is on vacation)....not that they have anything to do with one another.

The gas for the grill has been changed out, so I've got the better foods on my mind. Everything tastes better with all the good summer flavors. Wishing our salad options were better, but greed is greed and we probably should be growing our own lettuce anyways.

Taking a Mood & Turning It Into a Saturday, Thankful that a T-Storm Launched a Reading Frenzy and Couch Time

I suppose the one moment of the day was when I returned to Pam's with a fresh tomato, new package of bacon, and the idea that we MUST do a 2nd BLT, which we did and it was just as good as the first. The billowing clouds from the Friday storms (still feeling that one clap of thunder shaking the house) created a mood for porch reading, which I continued into Saturday. Although I have writing projects I should be working on, I was distracted by the latest set of soon-to-be released books, including the lates from E. Lockhart, the Pools. I met her at Penguin in NY last year and read a few of her books to impress Joanna, but it wasn't cause for addiction. The competition, however, of reading a soon-to-be-released book so I could gift it to Joanna was the only cause I needed. 

First, the voice and craft of the Pools are remarkable. I can't say I quite got all of what the poetically narrative text was trying to accomplish, but I did pick up on the vibe of fables, history of bird stories, the normal male/female interlocked storytelling, and of course the notion of love. I liked the water as both healing and deadly, and of course feathering outcomes for the missing is always intriguing. There was enough mental health storytelling that made the artsy-ness more intriguing and I suppose the only part I could have done without is the fact that the narrator was once a childhood "lark" that sang to finance the family with some pop group. It was the before-story that is hinted at throughout, but not necessarily the arc that was needed. It does add to the craft of the text, but I didn't need that as a reader. 

I also appreciated that at the end of the book, there's a few paragraphs about poetry, attempts not to be a poet, allusion to poems, and attempts, stylistically, to accomplish what was accomplished. From the second I started until I finished in the afternoon, I kept thinking of the artfulness crafted by Lockhart and although it is a YA text, I could see it taught in so many courses: especially around women, damsels 'in distress,' fairy tales, and even pairing with Shakespeare plays. 

I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait for Joanna to read, so I will have some to discuss it with. Also, kudos to the jacket designer, as the coloring was perfect for the story (although those look like barn swallows over the pool, and I don't think they were one of the birds." 

It interested me that the main male protagonist ends up the swan, which made me feel there's a lot more going on in the story that I'm too male to understand, especially the story of Leda and the Swan which I had to reread.

Like Helen, I think Lockhart produced beauty. I like it and will be thinking about her craft for some time. I hope it is well received in the literary community. 

It Wasn't That I Was Looking Ahead to Fall, It's That I'm a Clearance Guy, and Fall Seemed to Make an Appearance on Me. Hiking Boots, Well, Sneakers. Yup. Saucony

Look. I'm not buying cars. I'm not impressing expensive women behind my family's back. I'm not signed up for a marathon. I know my limits. But I do like keeping my feet comfortable and I've had a Saucony fetish since my teen-years when I first started running for mental health. Nope, I don't run any more, but I do walk daily and when I can I go hiking on trails. So, when the Kermit shoes came across my screen and they were more than 1/2 off, I made the purchase. They going to do a nice job in my household.

My other kicks are like my others and aren't as funky cool as the hiker kicks. .

I awaited the storms all day and got excited when Pam had cancelled plans and wanted to know if I wanted a turkey BLT, minus the L. She didn't want to risk the stomach virus. She said I'd need to bring rolls, and I said only if I could bring lettuce, too...for me. I went with a Big Y Tuscan bread (which they cut much thicker than Wegmans and Price Chopper) and she went with a fresh onion roll. There is NOTHING as DELICIOUS as a BLT in the summer. I hate making bacon, but she has an air fryer. We ate in slow motion to enjoy every bite and then spent the afternoon in the pool. It's been a few years since I've in a pool. Love doing somersaults and getting that wonderful feeling in the stomach.

It was refreshing. 

Penguin Random House sent me another box of books, so I laid low last night and read a few on the porch couch as the storms came in. Last night, I stayed up last night watching the DCI pre-lims on Flo-Marching, so I knew I'd lay low for the most part. I enjoyed watching, I suppose, but I go in and out of why the competition even exists, but also with intrigue for its rituals and histories. I wish I knew how they scored, because my favorite group was Phantom Regiment, but they were in the middle of the pack. The group that one Pre-Lims, the Bluecoats from Canton, Ohio, are definitely the best in terms of entertainment, but for the ol' DCI drum & bugle feel, it was Phantom Regiment for me. I will say that the 'coats God Only Knows (Beach Boys) and I've Seen All Good People (Yes) melodies really are great on the ears and heart. I imagine they will be untouchable. Zei should just plop to the ground and the Boston Crusaders blurred lines were a blur. Can't remember anything good about the show but the human wave (which was cool). Music. Whomp whomp whomp. 

I haven't watched in decades, but for some reason tuned in last night...probably because the algorithms on social media are plaguing my feeds. 

Leo is out of town a jazz festival, and the ladies are having a cards night...no men invited. It's the normal hen clucking that goes on over this, but without Leo or me. So, the Friday night was dull and uneventful, except for the books and glass of Diet Coke (which I read yesterday instantly turns into stomach fat for middle age men...can't win with anything anymore). 

But now it's Saturday morning and I told Pam, we'd better have a replay of that BLT sandwich. We shall see. I left all the ingredients in her condo. 

Took Me A Week, But I Finally Dealt with the Receipt Collection Stored in the Trunk of My Subaru. All is Accounted for Now

I'm like one of those parents who have their credit cards out for the kids all the time....as soon as it comes back it, it goes back out. Summer is about maintaining all my programs: supplies, snacks, books, special requests, and prizes, so I'm always at BJs or Michaels or Big Y or (bleck) Walmart. As soon as I think I'm done purchasing for a week, there's another text with more requests. I'm always thankful when August rolls around and I can deal with them all. 

Of course, I take photos of them as soon as I get the receipt, because they have to be uploaded to Workday. I never trust that I got them all, so keep them wadded in the trunk of my car. Occasionally, I have to go through them to find the one I forgot to photograph. Most people have friends, selfies, and pets on their iPhone. Nope. Me? Yep, receipt porn. You'd think I have an addiction. 

I spent most of the excessively hot Thursday working on writing projects and gathering thoughts for meetings and possibilities. I made a lot of progress, too, before walking Karal and drenching myself. The last meetings ended around 5 and I was invited to Pam's for sesame pasta and some Asian dish she bought at Aldi's. Wait! I don't have to cook? I'm in.

It was good, but it was one of those days that it was too hot to enjoy anything. We thought about sitting in the pool, but I could tells it would not be refreshing. That kind of gross humidity. The Louisiana pea-soup sort. 

Sadly, I think today is supposed to be more of the same, but with much more chance for thunderstorms. Saturday will be the same. Sunday, too. Joy. 

It simply makes me want to nap...or watch Ted Lasso...or do both. I feel guilty about that, so don't...but wish I could. Dog days of summer. A little too warm for my liking. 

And Someone Finds My Reoccurring Nightmare and Turns It Into a NY Times Comic (I Did Edit the "I" to a "Y" for Authenticity, However)

Other day of unwinding, which means sitting on my behind getting on top of writing projects, editing POW (14th edition), organizing books for Fall courses, walking the dog, baking a cake for the neighbor who lost is sister-n-law, after losing his brother, after losing his mother (that's his 3), and paying car taxes. I also talked to Dr. Farrell who said, "You need a week or two away from everyone, in total silence, and no connection to the job." I agree....but how? When? As soon as one thing ends, another round begins.

I ran into the cartoon online and immediately laughed.  Ever since I began teaching, I've had dreams where I'm buried alive while trying to keep up with all the work needing to be accomplished. It's usually a cause to leap out of sleep, panic a little, and then say, "Things have to change." They don't, of course, but I can at least pretend they will

"No, no, not the lid! 'banging muffled cries."

I also grilled some chicken for the week, but now have to get more gas to grill the next time. I made it just in time, which was good, because I was slowly talking myself in grabbing some food out (which I hate doing, but if I'm hungry enough, I'm quite convincing).

The 100% rain for the day turned out to be 100% sunny with occasional clouds. I suppose like most of the news we get today that seems inane and impossible, so becomes weather predictions. We're getting the whole package at once.

Okay, Thursday morning. Trash went out last night...time to bring the bin in, drink some coffee, and begin another day. 

Not a Bad Half-Year Rental for a Colleague Joining My Department This Semester. In My Words, "Phew. You Got Lucky."

Renting in Fairfield and New Haven Counties is insane. Home prices are even more bonkers, and so when  a new colleague agreed to move to a new University after building a home for 15 years outside Boston, the first warnings were about finding temporary housing. She quickly learned what we met, but then made contact with a family in Lordship and got a really sweet deal on a rental in a home I've walked by for years, envying the view they have of the Sound and beaches. This is the view of their balcony on the 2nd floor. You can see all the way to Milford. Better yet, you have the trails and views I can only treat myself occasionally -- always taking Karal to walk there when I have extra time.

That's what I did yesterday, before meeting Bev and Leo at Walnut Beach. I hike with Karal and my new colleague for about an hour and half. We were soaked, too...not from the humidity but because the sun was August-warm. Yes, I treated my Tuesday like a vacation day. Of course I worked on a few writing projects, but mostly I spent the day outdoors perspiring. I wanted (and needed) a day of vitamin D, which was highly abundant yesterday.

Checked on Mom and all seemed well, except Dad is dressing as if he lives in Alaska and refused to shave...the good garbage dumpster approach to life....like he's about to sing the Chim-Chimaree song with Mary Poppins. I'm always glad he lets me shave him when I come home.

The thing about the yellow jackets that fell from his ceiling fan, is they had very little life left.

I thought of that line when Pam yelled out, "Can I pluck a long white hair that is growing off your shoulder? It's shimmering in the sun." I let her, but then pointed to how much my forearms are graying. I'm wondering if I'm about to soon create a station where I sit so I can begin grooming random hairs on my body with piles of chewed fingernails and ear wax pyramids. He's maintained such a workstation for years. And, yes. It's gross. 

I didn't get to the garage yesterday because I didn't want get stuck working on a beautiful day. We have 4 upcoming days of 100% rain, so I took advantage of a good one when it arrive. 

Today it clouds up and the humidity returns. It is what it is, because it's summer.

1st Year Teacher Package Arrived to Honolulu & I'm Super Excited for Nohea's Wonderful Success Ahead...A Different Breed, Indeed

I remember when Nohea came to my office and asked, "Do you think I can be an English teacher?" - I said, "Of course." Dr. Boquet planted the seed and then she was a Humanities Scholar while I was guiding Max's Corrigan. We all ended up bonding and helping one another achieve to the next level. I'll never forget the luau party her family through for us at the end of her senior year. Hard to believe she already returned home and finished her Master's Degree, too. Loved teacher her, because she was street smart, sassy, and also slick. She kept that to herself but then brought it out with perfect timing. Total joy to teach and mentor. Unlikely we'll ever have another like her. 

I sent her 150 notebook stickers for her students, with a little branding. Da Sistah Marys is her company name, as they doo-dads popular amongst high school kids. The flowers are simply to match her personality. 

I spent the early part of the day cleaning and working on a sabbatical application before heading to campus to do another glance of cleanup in DSB and moving materials to my office. It was as dead as always, but I did run into Michelle and Beth on separate occasions. 

Karal and I got a long, hot walk in before I couldn't take it any longer and Googled When Is THIS Humidity Going to Break? Turns out that it is breaking tonight, thankfully. It's always weird when it's in the 70s but you are drenched from walking around the block.

In the evening, we took Anne Campbell out for another dinner, this time with Deena, so the celebration for her retirement continues. Word is that all is well on the Homefront, although mom is readjusting to two aides a day, instead of one, and I guess Casey has been spending the night, too. I imagine mom is tired from the stay at the hospital and will likely need a few days rest.

I'm actually looking forward to a humid-less day with blue skies, as rain is the forecast for several days, but not today. I want finish yard work and to tackle the garage, too. 

I'm shaking my head thinking that Nohea is on day two of her teaching career. I'm already exhausted for her.

Yay For Getting Just the Right Gift & Learning It Does Exactly As It Said It Would Do Online....Lights Up a Backyard with Dragonflies

Shirley and I both decided Leo and Bev needed a new kitchen clock. We went with a dragonfly one, and I also added a solar light because it said it radiated dragonflies in all directions. I was supper happy Saturday night when Bev sent me a photo of the lantern on their back table. The lights are actually white, but the table cloth makes it seem more iridescent. 

The best part is it is solar powered. No on or off switch needed.

I got the lawn mowed and weed-whacked, bathed both Karal and Rico (who was incredibly well-behaved while getting a bath), dogs walked, Fall sneakers ordered, an Ubuntu Academy montage made, and house cleaned up. I barbecued cauliflower and headed to Pam who enticed me with sausage and lemon-Alfredo linguini. She also made sweet potatoes, so the whole meal was tasty. All the flavors blended in wonderfully.

I also got a piece of Bev's birthday cake, which I missed yesterday at the party. The layer of raspberry is what make the cake.

Apparently today begins a ten day rain fest, where flash floods are expected on the daily. Joy. Hoping they are just a little flamboyant with their predications, as I'd rather things cooled off and the waterworks subsided. I am still in CT, instead of heading to CNY, so I'm not quite sure how I'll spend today. I do want to stay away from the University, but also don't want turn my home into an off-campus work place...I'd like to chisel spaces between, since I have the opportunity to do so. 

And I'm applauding the dragonfly lights...every home should have them. 

A 50/50 Day. Spent Half Celebrating the Incredible Bev Nichols Robinson's 7th Birthday & the Other Half Unpacking Materials from the Labs

I tried hard to NOT work on anything CWP yesterday, but failed, after spending the morning organizing photos and the evening typing notes from the materials collected and a big portion taking everything out of boxes, organizing it, labeling it, and putting it away so I know where it is. The spare bedroom is now loaded with CWP goods. I did a few hours going up and down stairs as if it was part of a gym routine. 

The afternoon was spent in celebration of Bev's 70th, her family and friends, good sandwiches, and a lot of memories shared. It's always good to see their boys stop by, and it's crazy because they were in high school/college when I got here and now are in their 30s. Nuts.

Leo called everyone and said he forgot to get balloons and flowers so, lo and behold, that is what everyone brought. The house was a celebration of color, which actually was a nifty plan put together by him. There was join everywhere we looked.

New neighbors re-landscaped the front yard by taking everything green down. Not sure if they have a different plan or they're just not into bushes and flowers. I always liked looking outside at their blooms. Only time will tell. 

I've returned to another round of Ted Lasso to be my mind-unwind...I think because it is funny, reliable, hopeful, friendly, and believing in hope....everything this nation has not been for several years now. Ted anxiousness is also relatable, especially as changes come with age and some of them you can't be prepared for. Plus, they come in 30-minute doses, which are perfect for figuring out 'just enough' before heading to bed. 

Not sure what the weather is supposed to be. I thought I was heading to Syracuse, but I've been told it would be better to help out in the 2nd half of the month. Now I'm a wee bit perplexed by having more time to get ahead for the semester. Not sure where I will begin or IF I will begin. I really am tired. 

But the lawn needs mowing. The yard needs trimming. There's still more CWP work to put away before moving on to what comes next. So, we will see about the day.

Wrapping Up a Sea of Lemon Trees and Celebrating the Summer Lemonade when Live Sent such Joy Our Ways. 2026 Summer Programs! A Success!

Well, the bus failed to come on the last day at the last hour to pick up the same kids it had been dropping off and picking up for weeks. They sent a new guy and he got lost. When I found him, I suggested he follow me, but he didn't. He got lost again. Dufus. So the 3 p.m. pick-up was more like 4 p.m. Of course, because it was the last day and I was exhausted. The kids were wound up and hyped. It made for an energetic afternoon...an emotional one.

I'm not sure what it is we do over two weeks, but it definitely resonates with kids, as the afternoon ended up in speeches and many tears. The kids share the lack of support at their schools, the lousy instruction, and the uncaring adults at their locations. I hate to believe that is true, but I know enough about systems to guess that it is likely worse than they report. We gave them two weeks of reading one verse novel, The Sea of Lemon Trees, and several days of writing assignments and workshops. They got to talk, to laugh, to break bread together, to take risks. I guess that is somewhat emotional, after all. 

We made it through all 4 weeks, 200+ kids, 17 teachers, & 140 hours of instruction with minimal incident. I hope to keep it that way, and am always knocking wood at the end of a summer. Yes, there are hiccups in the routine, but I imagine they could get much worse. I am thankful, too, to Dean Li in Dolan School of Business, as he's always gracious with the space...one shared with only a couple of faculty who come by in the summer....they could be counted on one hand.

Our collaborative art project this year was to create a mini-sea of lemon trees, where the kids wrote about their roots, stems, crown, and fruits as language learners. We allowed multilingual writing and asked difficult questions of the thinkers from time to time. I don't think we've had a wider spectrum of abilities, either, as there were a few with only weeks of English instruction and several who are on the brink of cracking the collegiate writing summit. The best point is, however, how they all feel safe. They come because they want to improve and they know there are many there to invest in them. I know I couldn't do half the things we have them doing if I had to perform in another language. 

We are also amazed by how much Sea of Lemon Trees initiated tremendous instructional opportunities. We know it taught a piece of U.S. history that is not shared in schools, especially because it deals with the true diversity of our nation, but the intentionality of keeping non-White minds out of learning spaces. It is all part of our colonial heritage, and reckoning with the is...well...what the last decade has been all about. There's truth to history, and then there's the truth of history taught in schools. When the majority of a populations reaches a moment in history where they don't see their stories being told, well that launches the white-replacement hysteria as Kendi describes. 

Anyways...it's Saturday. I don't have an alarm clock and I don't have the intensity of CWP summer programs any more. I seriously just want to walk and walk and walk and walk, only to be followed by sleep and mindlessness, only to do it all over again. 

I am tired. I've been tired for some time now, but I really, really am over-tired. I'm self-aware enough to know that the responsibilities and pace of my work needs support. It's to the point of cruelty, how much I have to do without assistance, especially after 15+ years. 

Ah, but I don't want to think about that until September. For August, I just want o hide.