Below are the most recent 4 friends' journal entries.

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
traveling_storm	12:04p	I suspect that some of our teachers.... ...subscribe to this method of thinking: see more Lolcats and funny pictures M: *going through submitted evals* "Why don't we have any LP's from (teacher)?" CD: "He said he didn't know how to write them. he will do them next time." M: "uh-huh." *waits for CD to leave, and turns to L* "L?" L: "Yes?" M: "When this teacher first arrived, you made him write lesson plans, right?" L: "Yes, I told him many times." M: "And he did them." L: "Yes." M: "And now he tells CD that his excuse for not doing them was that he didn't know how." L: *blinks* M: "What does this tell you? Particularly regarding my rules about teachers?" L: "Liars. And they're lazy." M: "I suspect we have a little from column A and a little from column B here." L: *scowls* "I agree." Re: my music choice of the day, if I were a wrestler in the WWE, I would have just found my 90's style theme music. :D Current Mood: annoyed Current Music: Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Romeo and Juliet (14 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, December 19th, 2009
traveling_storm	3:25p	You're a mean one, Mr Grinch.... So my students liked learning the lyrics to Mr Grinch  - complete with gross pictures to illustrate it (banana with greasy black peel? Check. Dead tomato splattered? Check. Overflowing garbage? Check. It's amazing what happens when you type in song lyrics and hit up Google Image search!). They also liked reading the script for the cartoon version of 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas.'  They're looking forward to watching the show next Saturday during our Christmas party. :D I had 6 extra kids today. The teacher who has a G7 class on Saturday mornings was sick, so I told Lu to send them over to my class for the day. We played reverse bingo with vocab from the Grinch, Apples and Worms (using questions from the script) and all in all, they seemed to enjoy their stay. ^^ They also liked the Grammar Cats activity (wherein I make a powerpoint presentation using carefully selected captioned pics from ICanHasCheezeburger - they need to fix the cats spelling, grammar, AND tell me why it's funny. ^^). One of the activities in the book asked the kids to pick the answer which best suited them. One of the questions talked about handling stressful situations like tests - do you study? Panic? Cheat if you don't know the answer? M: "Jerry, what do you think? Do you cheat if you don't know the answer?" Jerry: *looks exasperated* "Mandy, you say we have a test today. I'm not going to tell you." Hallen:  "I think he means he is going to cheat." Happy: "So even if he not wants to tell you, Mandy I think he did." M: "I think you're right. And I think Jerry is going to be at his own table during the test." Jerry: *claps hands over his face* "Oh no!" Class: *erupts into laughter* Ruthie has a fake-leather coat that she loves (it's so warm!).  The secretaries bustled around us comparing her coat to mine - they thought it was so cute that we matched (even though we don't - hers is fake brown leather with fake fur trim, mine is black leather w/out fur). I paid $15 for it - so cute. ^^ I am SO tired. Lots of traveling this week, Qingpu and Fengxian districts. Before the end of the semester, I have to go to Hangzhou for a few days to evaluate all the teachers (with a stop in Lin'An on the way back). This means I need someone to stop by to feed the cats and empty their litter box. I may ask if Em can do it - I'd be gone during the week, and she teaches every day at my old school, which is literally a one-minute walk around the corner.  Ru will stay with Jenny for the 3 days. I had to train 2 teachers yesterday for 3 hours, plus they came for observations today - they saw my class and then I escorted them to our teaching building to see E's class (he's really good about letting me use him as a live example all the time). Between all that and still keeping in close contact with all 20 coordinators re: teachers and problems and so on and so on and BLAH. I need a vacation. I spent 2 hours doing marking, and now I'm killing time on our forum - I'm adding my 'Mr Grinch' lesson plan in case anyone else wants to use it - until Lu texts me so I can leave. Early day today because I have to renegotiate my contract for my apartment (my god it's been a year already) - should be fun. I know for a fact they want to raise my rent, and I also know I'm already paying 400 more than the average local Chinese family pays for the same apartment in this building.  I'm hoping they'll agree to only raise it by 100rmb per month instead of 300. They did say they wanted me stay - apparently I'm low-maintenance. Who'da thunk? Current Mood: awake Current Music: Blue Oyster Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper" (8 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
fiskblack	4:49p	2009 Recap and 2010 Schedule 2009 was a pretty awesome year. I say that about every year, don't I? That's a good thing I guess. I don't make resolutions every year. I figure a good idea is good to enough to begin work on, the moment you think of it. Work goes ahead on the current Flounce and Persia story. I'm still going back and forth on working titles, so I'm not going to publicly give it a name right now. The main thrust of the comic concerns what happens when Flounce's past bisexual ways emerge within his quaint, relaxed, matured life with Persia (not to imply that bisexuality is immature). But Flounce has sort of made that transition from the "hyper do-everything kid out of college" phase to the "relax, sip coffee in lounge pants, plan investments online" phase of manhood. Some men never reach this phase, I realize, but it's a good phase to be in when acquaintances from your earlier phases bust into your life, for the purposes of our pornography. I've settled on a pretty good, and more importantly, faster, black and white style for projects like this one. I will continue to do full color comics, but only for the heavier projects that I feel need it. And when I have lots of time. Oh, the other dude in the headlock there isn't their son. It looks like Bonk is thinking about hitting Furry Fiesta as a good, small to medium sized, February convention to hit for some extra bread before FWA. So it looks like my list of conventions for 2010 could expand. If all goes according to plans and musings, I'll be free-floating in my usual style around FC, FF, FWA, AC, MFM, and MFM, with the tenuous possibility of being at one of the Elliot's things in Orlando, mayyyyybe FAU, but it's not looking good, and perhaps RCFM in Huntsville, AL. That's a hell of a full plate for someone who doesn't do any business at cons. But I usually have a good time. 2009 in review behind the cut! ( Read more... ) (43 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, December 13th, 2009
traveling_storm	6:45p	It's a Disney day. I've been watching Disney all day - Hercules, Sleeping Beauty, Lilo and Stitch. I need to get a new copy of the Little Mermaid. After several hours of singing, twittering wildlife, I'm watching Married with Children to reset my brain. I got one of my 5's back! I walked into my class yesterday morning and saw my Betty Boop! ( G3 and G5 pic! This is the kid that adopted an older outdoor cat over a store-shop kitty. ) She's joining us to finish off the term and then she'll be back for the new one! *glee* Now if Kitty, Angel and Jenny are telling the truth, they'll be joining in February! And of course, there were stories. ^^ M: "How's your cat, Betty?" Betty: "It's good, Mandy." Hallen: "It? Is it a boy or cat?" Betty: "It's not a boy or a girl." M: *has a feeling she knows what she means* "Do you mean the doctor made it so your cat will never have babies?" B: "Yes." *to Hallen* "But it used to be a boy." M: *howls* My class is three hours long, which means the kids do a LOT of work - talking, reading, writing, the whole shebang. Sometimes they get a little bored, so I bribe them with prizes and candy. I had candies from last week - expensive Cadbury's I bought from the import store (yes, I spoil my kids, so sue me). M: "So what are some ways people can help each other?" *crickets chirp* M: "C'mon guys, I know it's been a long day. Anyone?" Amy: *reluctantly* We can help someone with their homework if they don't know it." M: "Good girl, thanks Amy! Anyone else?" *more crickets* M: *hauls out ye old bag o'sweets* "Remember these from last week? How do we help people?" Tom: *throws hand in the air eagerly* "We can help people who don't have sweets - like me - and give them some!" Sammy seems to know his status has changed. He insists on curling up on my arm while I'm typing, and he no longer runs from Ruthie. Now I have a little prince to go along with my little princess. ^_____^ I'm gonna make pasta with cheesey meat sauce and lots of parmesan, and then methinks it's time for some Wolverine. :D Current Mood: amused (20 Comments |Comment on this)