come aboard... we're expecting you... (**)

There was a 2-hour period yesterday when my wife and I were seriously considering booking a Royal Carribbean cruise for the middle of January. Thankfully, the insanity was only temporary. We're thinking maybe July, instead.


PS... as a kid who was a band nerd in school during the late 70's and early 80's, I played the theme from The Love Boat in band. I still preferentially focus on the trumpet fills between the lyrics when I listen to the song.

a series of short declarative sentences...

I didn't go ice skating. I didn't buy a cymbal. I finished my grades. I played PS2 until 1:00 AM. I am very tired. I have a cold.

is it getting cold in here, or is it just me...?

Ok, it was a great topic for a final thermodynamics paper, but after grading 5 of them, I'm officially tired of reading about "How Refrigerators Work".

more days like this....

I'm at the café, as I have grading still to do. (Some readers seemed to get the impression that I was done... I'm only done with the EXAMS.) I was supposed to do this YESTERDAY, but the wife was sick and in bed most of the day, leaving me with a kids-all-day headache. It hasn't quite gone away. I think I'm getting sick too... I've got that throat-omen feeling.

On the bright side, we've had 2 days of rain and 40+ temperatures, so I walked out the front door and saw LAWN for the first time in a month. It feels like springtime. Of course we're going to ruin that by going ice-skating this afternoon. Don't even fucking ask. If everything goes as planned I'm sure my next blog post will include a full account of my broken hip.

Off to grade for now. If I finish everything but the term papers, I'm stopping at the music store on the way home and rewarding myself with a splash cymbal for my new drumkit.

what is it now... the FOURTH day of Xmas...??

That would explain the "four imposing relatives."

Still no time for a proper update, faithful readers... things have yet to let up around here. Today I'm heading into the city with my brother and his fianceé, while the wife holds down the fort here with my Mom and her roommate.

I'm looking forward to today NOT AT ALL, as nobody seems to know what they want to do besides "walk around the city". Yay. You know... Manhattan isn't just a big fucking shopping mall... there are museums and stuff there. And I know for a FACT that there are Starbucks back in Baltimore.

Anyway, my brother bought me a drumset for Xmas, so I probably should just grin and bear it.

... just like the ones i used to know...

Where treetops glisten? (check)
And children listen? (yeah... right...)

Merry Christmas, readers.

the dr. dave code...

I've always meant to compile a list of the marks I use while grading papers, so that students can understand the subtle shades of meaning that I attach to them. Today, in order to procrastinate, and to fill my weblog with more grading-related fun, I have decided to finally create this long awaited list...

COMMON GRADING MARKS

good - Correct and complete answer.
(check) - Good enough answer for full credit.
Exc! - Very well-phrased, more-than-complete answer.
OK - This could probably be phrased better, but I'm giving you pretty much full credit
NQ - Almost right, but "not quite".
? - This could be right, but is unclear.
?? - What you've written doesn't make sense to me, and is pretty clear that it's wrong.
?! - This is wrong in a particularly weird and surprising way.
Yes - This part of your answer is correct. Usually followed by...
NO! - This is very wrong. (The more exclamation points, the wronger it is.)
EEK! - This is wrong in a way which disturbs and/or depresses me.
So...? - You have made a correct statement, but have stopped short of actually answering the question.
! - You have said something in a particularly interesting way. This is often a good thing, but not always.
YES!! - You got this right, and many people up to now have been getting it wrong.
Wow! - You have said something particularly insightful that blows me away. (I don't get to use this one that often.)

PS> anyway... mission accomplished... home with all exams graded by 11:44.

grading update...

God this sucks. the first three papers I graded had scores of 100%, 100% (with extra credit bonus question), and 37%.

Things have leveled out a bit since then, but there is still a big gulf between the very high A's and the very low B's. Someone get an 87, please. A few C's would make me feel better too.

grading, day 2...

Well, the last time I got all my Astro exams done. Today it's physics. It's a smaller class, but a longer exam, so... it may just even out. I'm back at the café, a little earlier this time... I intend to get a quicker start on grading. I don't have any blogs pulled up on the laptop, cuz I read everything last night, and there wasn't much new this morning. Probably a good thing...

uh.

did my monitor just flicker?

please tell me my laptop screen is not fucking flickering.

didn't I have a laptop die the week of Christmas before???

it seems to have stopped. maybe it was a trick of the light or something. i do NOT fucking need that.

Anyway, as I was saying... it's probably a good thing that I don't have to much time-wastey stuff with me today. The house is a wreck and there is much Xmas preparedness that needs taking care of, so... I should try to get this done well before noon and get back home. Not that I really WANT to go home and wade through the crap there and try to get it put into decent shape by Sunday, but... I hate having Xmas in a messy house. Probably some sick thing my Mom implanted in my brain.

Anyway.

(sip)

The Boy seems fine this morning, so we sent him to school. We're pretty sure it's one of those Two-Pukes-And-You're-Done stomach things, so we don't feel TOO guilty about it. Luckily he isn't old enough to know to try and leverage his illness into a day off school. We need this last No-Kids-Day before the holiday weekend.

Looks like the transit strike is essentially over. Thing is... I kinda wished it would have lasted a few more days, since my crazy wife made plans with some friends on Long ISland to meet in NYC on the 26th. Of December. As in, the day after Xmas. Which is just sacrilege to me. The day after Xmas is for sitting around in your pajamas all day and fucking around with your presents and throwing away wrapping paper... not for trekking into Manhattan. I was hoping the transit strike would cancel our plans. Oh well. Maybe someone else will be projectile vomiting by then.

Ok... off to grade.

i forget...

On WHICH day of Christmas does my true love send to me - One Projectile Vomiting Toddler?