Hitting the SEND Button Never Gets Old (Even If Another Hit It). The Ball Is Over the Net, Hopefully for the Last Laps.

For three I've been mentoring a student as a Corrigan Scholar, and our time together went forward because we've been writing for publication as the final stage. When he chose this was what he wanted, I knew immediately I would do everything in my power to make sure it happened. It most definitely looks like it is happening, but I never have total faith until I have a copy in my hand. 

Even so, it feels good that we are in the last steps and what comes next should be the copy edits. 

As for the 81 traffic today and the mad woman who was beyond irate at it, I feel ya. Twice: to drop Cynde off and to pick Cynde up I dealt with that traffic. I'm still rolling my eyes. But, it is what it is.

I really wanted a Friday-pick-something-up-dinner, but Dad got hungry quickly and I knew I couldn't leave him alone. He'd try to cook while I ran out, so I made a fast dinner and then started tackling another project, including a few loads of laundry.

Newsflash: Dad doesn't like half-moon cookies. He also didn't like the pastries I got him, he told me, as he was eating his third in a row. That' about how it is going. He's low maintenance, but the needs he has an are enormous if you're not keeping an eye out for him. 

Now, it's another Saturday. Many good women's and men's basketball games today. Let the adventure continue. 

At This Point, It's About a Happy Stomach and Contentment. Not Cinnamon Cake This Time, But Banana Bread for Butch.

The part about mom being at Upstate, is all her bananas were left at home. They were getting Brown quick and I thought, "It's been a minute since made banana bread. I should give this a shot." This is exactly what I did. And there were enough bananas to make two loaves. Of course, when I gave dad a warm piece, he proceed to frost it as if it was cake with butter. I found it tasty on its own.

I also made a pot of chicken noodle soup - even added celery and I hate celery. Dad ate two giant bowls and loved it. I thought it tasted kind of meh. I never really liked chicken noodle soup, but there has to be variations in the recipe to liven it up some. I did add ginger and even red pepper, but I thought it had little flavor.  

The rest of the day I worked, problem-solved, advised, responded, double-checked, attended, and prayed. Also go ta walk in with Karal, which was nice because it was above 30 degrees. Dad had baseball movies on all day. In fact, he found his own way to turn on the t.v., which is very unusual. It's been at volume 48 ever since (I'm sure you can hear it...just open a window and take a listen).

Also got to spend the evening with Nic Stone and Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz (two of my favorite people I've been fortunate to meet). They were in conversation about Nic's books for adolescent readers and th way it all connect with Yolie's theoretical understanding of knowing thy self, and the necessity of archaeological work.

And back to Dad's tv-watching. All day long, movies play that have always been in the backdrop of my life, but I never had time to watch. I still don't watch, but I listen and have to look up from time to time. The actors in the movies are 30 years older than the age I probably should have watched such flicks. Now, at 53, it's sort of surreal and have flashbacks of the cinema that every day people watched. 

If you are a teacher, you don't have time to keep track of the ways generations are entertained. You're too busy doing the job you signed up for...so watching flicks from the past, I simply have to laugh at how foolish a generation of entertained beings have been. It's precious and all I can say is, "God Bless Our Species." 

TGIF.

The Trip to Wegman's While Home in Syracuse to Get a Roast Beef Sub Will Never Get Old. Now They Know How to Make a Sandwich.

Did the grocery run at Wegman's which meant I was also able to put in an order for a roast beef, provolone, loaded sub on an everything roll. Although Dad ate most of it, I did get my bites in while doing office-at-the-parental-front in the morning. Delicious. 

Also traded Cynde, and I visited Mom at Upstate. Her roommate was definitely not going allow them to chop off her toes, so she left. The procedure was supposed to be in the morning. Whoever it was...mom thought it was a man, but it was a woman who likely smokes 2 packs a day. She was not having what the experts had to say, so called her daughter to come get her. Nurse told her it was not the medical recommendation to leave the hospital, but that woman was keeping her toes. Of course, the rotting grapes under bed begged to differ. I said, "Mom, look. She left her toes."

Believe it or not, another batch of assignments came in so the grading must commence once more. Ugh.

As for Syracuse construction....I'm still wondering who thought it was a good idea to do major road work on I-81, 481, and I-690 all at the same time. 

I can breathe a sigh of relief, though, that the temperatures look like they're on the upswing again with no snow in the near future. I sure hope so. 

Another cup of coffee, and back to emails, grading, meetings, and grants. 

Phew! Ten Years Ago Today Seems Like a Different World. Jason Passed. There is No Annual DC Trip with NWP. Definitely A Marker in Time

In yesterday's Facebook memories, a picture of Dr. Jason Courmanche (UCONN), Danielle Peretti (then Grad Students at UCONN), and I while in Representative John Larson's office, someone took our photo. It was right before doing a shot with the politician and his staff, too. It was St. Patrick's Day. We used to meet every March during my Spring Break to lobby with the National Writing Project. It was part of the work, a reunion, and time to advocate for teachers and schools. 

That was also the year that everything in DC began to change. The Tea Party voted out funding streams that supported NWP work, many of the Senators and Representatives from parts of the U.S. no longer were interested in hearing teachers from their State, and then the larger political craziness began, followed by Covid, followed by more and more and more political crazy. 2016 to 2026 have been a decade, indeed. 

I miss our DC trips through, which also involved one night of tequila somewhere...we often met Jason's friends who lived in the area. He was an every man's man...loved by many. And now he's been gone for over a year. Daniel, in fact, is acting in his position as the other National Writing Project Director in Connecticut.

And University administration is ga-ga over A.I. and Departments of Education are Defunding grants, programs, and support for children in the United States is at an all-time low. And I see the photo of me in DC....driven by a career in education, a doctorate, the opportunity direct my own National Writing Project site and give back all the greatness it game me as a teacher....I see Jason who had the same love and pride for the work as I do, and I see the hope that March always brought us when visiting our Congressmen and women from all over the U.S., our Representatives, and how none of that exists any more. Poof. Gone. A photograph of what once was. And what it was, was the heart and soul of the best professional development for teachers ever...an investment in educators to work towards best literacy practices with all students...all with an emphasis on writing.

Perhaps historians of the future will look at the phenomenon of blogging and read what they may see as a silly bunch of words talking about investing in years, and supporting youth to write, and having politicians that represent the people....and start laughing, because it would be so odd to the world views they might have. Why would kids write? Why have teachers? That is so 2016!

Okay, Wednesday...time to flip some things around. Mid-week. Let's restore some sanity, okay?

Yellow? Yellow? Can You Tell Me What Time It Is? What Did the Banana Say to the Alarm Clock? Nothing. Bananas Can't Talk.

It's best not to ask, says Cynde. Don't open his drawers. You don't want to know. Don't I? Why Wouldn't I? Apparently there's food stored in there, too. I mean, the banana stored on the clock has me curious.

I've come to expect the unexpected. So, Perhaps it is best not to ask questions. Maybe Dad stores it there because he loves to pull the one-liner, "No. It's a banana in my pocket."

Hoping mom is getting the rest she needs, even though the circumstances aren't the greatest. Hoping my students thought the online class was worthwhile, as I wan't there to teach in person. Hoping there's not too much snow out there right now. Hoping I find inspiration to teach class tonight. 

"You're just like your mom. Chasing me around with that medicine stuff," avoiding the appealing fruit he placed on the clock. 

And the Monday warm temperatures have swapped for winter chills again. We knew this was coming. 

Just glad there are more bananas in the kitchen. I might go around the house and doctorate all the clocks.

Shhhh' It Happens. Twenty Years Later Before a Commencement Talk the Birds Keep Doing their Do Upon Me. This Time, My Car (Oh, & Then There's My Dad)

I knew on Saturday that the birds bombed my car. I have no idea why they hit my car on both sides, when there are no trees for them to branch upon. Yet, plagued Katniss-Never-Green-No-More was attacked. Cynde said, "you should get it washed," but after picking her up at the hospital the car wash by her house was closed. I learned yesterday it was down. I tried again.

Why? Apparently, while making breakfast, dad went outside to 'clean' my car with a paper towel. When Cynde and Mike visited in the afternoon, they asked what the 'hell' happened to my car. We guess dad washed it with a paper towel, which resulted in smeared bird shit on the sides and cross the windows. I only got a photo of the driver's side. At one point I panicked thinking he went out with soft scrub and wiped down the entire care. Nope. It was absolutely bird shit, dried to look like melted marshmallows dusted across the metal frame.

After fixing a fridge door (another story), I went out to see the car. I rolled my eyes and took Karal for a walk. I needed mental space and fresh air. I returned and took dad with me to get it washed. I told him I was going to make him get out of the car so he could follow me into the wash. He needs a bath, too (and he promised he'd take one). He hasn't. 

It seems cleaning up crap was theme for Sunday, and I'm glad mom was finally getting a hospital room of her own. Nobody likes being in a hospital. 

The car wash did what it needed to do. The crap came off. I came home to cook Dad a dinner and then called cousin Patrick to talk with him, my Aunt Bobbie, and my Uncle Dick. 

Okay. Time to wrap up. Got to get tonight's class ready, in anticipation of just about anything that could happen. 

Hit the Pause Button & Spending More Time in Syracuse to Help Out the Parental Units Where I Can. Extra Sets of Hands & Eyes Are Needed.

I made the right call. I realized this when dad tried to use the remote control to call Karen Pera and later tried to change the channels on the t.v. with the phone. I was packed to leave for CT when mom's medical issues of the week came to a head and she thought it best to go to the ER to find out what is really going on (which we're all glad she chose to do). The stomach issues, swelling, breathing, heart troubles, and loss of appetite seemed to signal it was time. We convinced her to let us drop her off at Upstate so we din't trigger the gossip circle with an ambulance. 

I picked up Cynde, she stayed with her all day, and I picked Cynde back up when it looked she was going to be kept overnight and they hadn't found anything conclusive. After we left, they did a CT scan and we are now waiting on results. Funny how a niece in nursing, passwords, and today's MyChart world can allow us all to get nosey from various locations.

I ruled out pregnancy early on.

I returned to care for Papa Butch. Kept him fed, pacified his emotions and worries, and helped him find television to watch, and finished grading all the material that was turned in. Should I have to stay another week, I can teach my courses from my parent's house.

For now, however, we await news and work to figure out a plan of action from there. I charged up the iPad and that is with mom in the hospital, so at least she can communicate with us and not be absolute bored with the inattentiveness of medical personnel. I appreciate the great work people do in the medical profession, but it is beyond frustrating when they are non-communicative. Of course, these things always happen on the weekends...

And for these reasons, I'm pausing my usual play mode. I'm not sure where the week ahead will land, but I'm thankful I have the options to take a timeout so I'm useful to items much more important. 

So, now...bring on Selection Sunday and the Oscars. More importantly, give my mother good news to bring her health back to par.