Really August

Yes, it is really August now. Every year, I feel the turn of the page when August begins. It's time to begin seriously planning classes and thinking about fall semester. Time to start getting out of bed earlier in the morning so that the first day of teaching is not as big a shock.

No photos this week as I didn't do anything photogenic. I went to campus every day and tried to discipline my mind to accomplish tasks, and some of the time I succeeded. There were a couple of meetings. Thursday afternoon was the college "Back to Work" party. There was a jazz saxophone player for awhile, then a DJ playing music altogether too loud. There was a bar that I ignored and snacks that I didn't, although I only had a little cheese and some vegetables. And a King of Pops popsicle, because they are so excellent. I talked to a few people about our summers. It was fine.

Monday I was asked (begged, almost) to teach a section of First-Year Seminar left vacant by a departing faculty member. I laughed and said okay after thinking about it 24 hours. This year, there was supposed to be a common syllabus and pre-written modules to make the job as attractive as possible, but the director of the FYS program also stepped away last month, so a new person has just taken it on and he doesn't quite have everything figured out yet. Third semester in a row that I've had a relatively major change to my schedule scant weeks before the semester started. It's going to be like this always, I suppose.

Monday night I came home and rested. Tuesday night I had cribbage club and played well enough for third place (no money for third in the summer, though). Wednesday I played board games at Red's, which was fun. Thursday my colleague CH and I were tentatively planning to have dinner together, but she canceled and we've rescheduled for later this month. I came home and fed Cody and rested, instead. Friday I had Documentary Film Night, and it was the film I suggested, Look Into My Eyes, so I was quite looking forward to it. I had supper by myself at Colonial Kitchen & Bar (Thai food) on the way there. The film was good and there was lively discussion after.

Yesterday (Saturday) I had my second dose of shingles vaccine, I returned books to the library, and I visited the post office to send a BookMooch. My arm is a little sore from the injection, but no other reactions. I spent the rest of the day reading (started and finished The Summer War by Naomi Novik that I received as an advance giveaway), working on On the Spice Market (I'm in the last sequence at last; I should get an updated photo this weekend), and streaming TV (a French film on Kanopy and some British Baking Show on PBS). I made myself a pizza and beer supper. I'm not satisfied with this pizza dough; it's not terrible except it bakes into a cracker. Too thin and too crisp. I think I need to use more bread flour, and/or knead better.

Today I stayed in the house. I made quinoa salad for a potluck meeting later this week, and soup for my lunches. I finished reading The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper. I knitted some more and watched The Repair Shop. I cleaned the bathroom, washed dishes, dusted the stairs, took out the trash. I inventoried my spices, which sounds kind of silly but I swear it's necessary. It was a nice quiet day.