Catching up.

So I survived the first quarter of school. I must say that due to scheduling conflicts I had a rather light introductory period. So next quarter promises to be cruel. However, looking back, the most difficult part had nothing to do with me being a student, but with my new experience of being an instructor, I was suddenly responsible for other people's grades and to a certain extent their performance. I spent the majority of the time working for my students instead of for myself. That will also have to change next quarter.

I spent most of finals week grading (I took my one and only final on Monday). Although, I must say it went spectacularly faster without my own schoolwork to do and also because I had company. The first two pages I graded in one go while watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with two of my fellow TA's. We sat there eating popcorn and pretzels and took turns calling out the best wrong answers on our respective tests. The multiple choice just flew by. (Unfortunately it was 2 pages of multiple choice, 2 pages of short answer and 2 pages of essay).

So, having needed less time to grade (I thought it would take me all week) I was able to use the weekend before grades were due to cast a fresher look on the bathroom (and entertain my Mom, who was visiting). We had replaced the flooring, molding and faucet in the summer during the 'great' improving period, but my imagination only goes so far. Everyday I stared at the walls trying to figure out how to make it look less awful. Apparently I had writers block.

After a visit from the Freeds (in which we got to play at the kids science museum!), and picking Michelle's imagination we decided that paint, specifically, cream colored, would help. My Mom offered her veteran painting skills. So, Joe and I found some zero VOC paint in a nice light cream color. I don't generally paint walls. I have only ever purchased one gallon of paint and it was for the outside of the house and barely matched due to light exposure. All my other painting experiences come from using paint already...er...'in stock' at the house we were at...or otherwise used in another potion of the house. (The pantry paint is leftover from previous owners). So this was really my first true interior painting experience. The cream is really buttery, as in yellow cream ...on the walls (as opposed to at the store and in the paint can...). So not exactly the color we were going for, but attractive nonetheless.

We also finally found a light fixture that we both liked to replace the ridiculous hollywood light. In previous visits we had been hanging out in the bathroom lighting section (disappointing, gaudy, expensive, ugly) go figure. This time we broke protocol and took an extra step left into the kitchen track lighting section. Actually this was Joe and my Mom, I was busy trying to swindle some carpet tape out of an employee (they only sell it in extremely long rolls and I really only needed 5 inches). In any event, we spent the weekend in the bathroom as a team, Catch even tried to help. The only thing left is to figure out what to to with that super sexy cabinet. Another day perhaps. But for now I'm spending my time on the couch, next to the heater, watching various forms of precipitation fall and switching off between getting ready for next quarter and being a complete sloth (it is break after all).

Frosting on our house

Snow! Almost 6 inches.

I took a really crappy panorama (see above) which I will have to redo if we get another dusting and/or I gain the strength of will to leave the indent of the couch where I've been cozily reading all day...


We took Catch out to play in his first snow and he bounced around and mewed loudly at being brought back inside...

Some things.

While traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday, we spied this at JFK. Imagine trying to scrounge change for one of those...

Ipod vending machine at JFK

We had opportunity to spend some quality time at JFK on the way home, and let me tell you, the baggage claim in terminal 3 is not the best place to catch a nap when waiting on a flight. It was an otherwise lovely trip and despite the weather and flight interruptions and although short, well worth it.

During our trip, people inquired about life, the universe and everything...of main interest, classes, jobs, the house and the car. We had been mostly winding down on the house and after 30 seconds of my chattering about classes it's really only interesting to me. The car is always a topic of interest to my family because it is getting on in years and mileage (274000 or so at last count) and because it was my Dad's for 11 years before it came to us. We're always happy to report that it is doing well, and so of course that means that something is bound to go wrong with it once we get home.

After almost 17 years things start to wear down on a car, in this case, the motor for the driver's side window. The window went down one day shortly after arriving home and just wouldn't go back up again. This was Joe's way of getting home over the Santiam pass without freezing.