Better Late than Never

Happy Birthday to my brother Will! (On Monday). Sorry this is late, Will. But the siblings have an awesome present in store. Oh yes. You'll see.
So I realized today that I look into the windows of parked cars when I walk to my office in the mornings. I have started parking in the bigger-than-Cleavland parking deck so as to avoid parking headaches, and this affords me looks at a whole bunch of cars on the way. Why do I do this? I think its:
a) I like cars, so I look at them. But this is no explanation for why I look in them, so
b) I like to know what music people are listening to, so I look for CDs. Also,
c) Its fun to see what kind of junk folks have piled in the back of their cars. Is it clean? Are there clothes? Any old food? The other day I saw the most spotless interior in an mid-90s Mustang. The only visible object other than original car parts was a bottle a Febreeze. Now thats clean living.
Also, Spring and Winter appear to be having some sort of epic death match. One day its 75 degrees, and the next there is a winter weather advisory. I ask only this: please, would one of you let the other win? I am tired of wearing my very warm socks and then having to be all uncomfortable by mid-day what with the warm feet and all. Seriously. This is cramping my style.
I think Spring may win, though, because I am seeing much more of Pepe, Nick and my guard squirrel. He runs from under the back strairs whenever you come home, thoroughly freaking out all who enter. Pepe almost knocked me over the other day, so he's obviously gearing up for the warm weather.
I gave my first college test today, so its an exciting night of grading ahead. The students were greeted with this picture when at the top of the test as encouragement:

Beside it was the phrase: "don't think too hard, or you may end up like him. Good luck."

It got some laughs. Hooray!

Anyway, its time for Noon Mass. You'd be amazed how much resetting in the middle of the day can help your afternoon productivity.

Also napping. That helps, too.

I hope everyone is well.
Peace,
Joe

Hot for Teacher (ing)

Hi!

See? I am posting again. And not too far from when I said I would! Not too bad, eh?

And here is why I am posting. I love teaching. But first...

I have multiple stories from the break, but I am afraid there is not enough memory in my head nor room on this page to recount them all. So in lieu of such long-windedness, I will give summary shout-outs. These are, as I am well aware, pale ghost-like approximations of full accounts. But I have a lot to say, so shou-outs it is.

1) My nephew Liam is still aweseome. He has more hair than I have, has a vocabulary centered around the word CAT (like most Chandlers) and now shows empathy for other children. Ask my brother Will about this. Its a cool story.

2) My brother Peeg and sister-in-law Stacy still live in far-away Japan. But my sister Liz got to visit them recently, and I vicariously enjoyed it quite a bit. For coverage, see their blogs.

3) Tonya and I went camping. I love camping. In fact, you might say it is a close friend of mine. As soon as I can get them, I'll post pictures. That will be story enough.

4) My parents gave me perhaps the coolest watch EVER for Christmas. Check it out:
http://post-dispatch.readervalues.com/?sectionpath=1&pageid=336

5) Various family and friends were seen, and much fun was had. It was a great break.

Now, back to the teaching.

Today it occurred to me that I am a third generation college instructor. My grandpa taught engineering at Auburn, and daddy teaches communication at Jacksonville State. My brother Will and sister-in-law Meghan are also teachers. My brother Peeg is training to be a teacher, and mama has taught numerous classes in church, especially at RCIA. In fact, most of my family has at one point or another expressed interest in teaching. And let me tell you why... getting paid to talk to other people about cool stuff is perhaps the most awesome job in the whole f-ing world besides perhaps playing two-guard for the Celtics or being a rock star. It really shows you the pieces of your own profession that are easy to forget... the stuff that got you hooked in the first place. And watching others get excited about it for the first time keeps it fresh. I know I have been wavering on what I want to do now for almost a year, very heavily in the last few months. But I can say this: whatever I end up doing, its going to involve teaching. And also rocking out, if possible.

I hope everyone is well.
Peace,
joe

Its Been a Long Time Been a Long Time Been A Long Lonely Lonely Lonely Lonely Time

Well, not really.

But it has been too long since I last updated. This post is to say a few things:
1) Christmas break was a much needed, relaxing time
2) I am now teaching my first PY101 class on my own, which is a blast
3) I am about to be late for another meeting. Yeesh.

Lots to say, and I will. Soon. Don't look at me that way. I really will. C'mon.

I hope everyone is well.
Peace,
Joe

Imagine

25 years ago today, John Lennon was mudered outside of his apartment building in New York. He was holding a set of tapes from a recording session he had earlier that night. The tapes became part of his eventual final album, Double Fantasy. Sometimes I get mad at Mark David Chapman for his senselessness. Sometimes I wish that I could have seen a 60-year-old Lennon in concert like I did Paul a few years back. But then I think about the global impact that his death had for peace, a lot like JFK. I stay mad, but at least it makes you think. I hate using generic phrases like that. It makes you think. But it does. And that legacy is stronger today than it might have been if he had lived. So tonight I will raise a glass to John Lennon, and open up the box set I have of his in iTunes. It will be coffee because I have a paper, but a glass will be raised nonetheless.

PS. I am quite tired, and I'd like to put that forward as a reason for the lack of style and grace that this post embodies. Or I could just be a sucky writer. Either one. But mostly with the tired. Yes.

I hope everyone is well.
Peace,
Joe