Day 44-Monkey pox is the new pandemic

Teaching at the Catholic School today…hot as hell…

China’s zero-Covid policy is a laughing stock. Earlier this year, Shanghai residents experienced a 2-month, mandatory lockdown; they couldn’t even go outside! In southwestern China, the mega city of Chengdu placed 21 million residents on lockdown a couple weeks ago. Basically, they’re imprisoned in their own homes and also forbidden from using their backyard ovens because it might spread the virus. Xinjiang residents, who have been on lockdown for FORTY days, used social media to report that they are starving!! This is not hyperbole - these people are actually starving!!!

A lockdown in China means residents can’t leave their homes and since they can’t leave their homes, they either rely on the Chinese government for their “three squares”, similar to a “Communist Door Dash”, or they rely on…themselves. What’s on the menu for the good citizens of China?

1. Rotting vegetables;

2. Uncooked dough, made of flour, water, and salt [remember, can’t use their ovens];

3. If you have a Nintendo Switch, you can trade it for instant noodles and/or steamed buns.

4. A pack of cigarettes will get you a head of…cabbage.

5. Hot peppers

6. Moldy braised duck and meatballs (After consuming the duck and meatballs from these government-issued care packages, many residents in several Shanghai neighborhoods experienced diarrhea and severe stomach pain)

Yum!

9/16/22. Friday

5:30-6:45- I’m running late for my Catholic High School class and can’t find my phone. L is driving away from the curb, heading to Kansas, as I’m frantically searching my car for my phone! Mohammad, her friend, is taking her to the airport.

Last night, L. was supposed to email me her flight info and the Air BnB address where she and Collin Two-Hatchet will be staying in Kansas. She didn’t bother to do this. While I’m still in the driveway, checking my car for my phone, L. rolls down the window, laughingly yells, “Bye Mom”, and drives away. I have no idea where she’s going, her flight arrangements, or when she will return. Additionally, I have never met Collin Two-Hatchet and know nothing about him.

Sometimes it’s just incredible how disrespectful L. can be…

I find my phone and text L. immediately, even though I’m running late, and demand the above information…NOW! L. texts me the Air BnB address and her flight info, but provides no dates, so I have to text her AGAIN for the dates and times…AND Collin’s birthday. If L. goes missing, I at least need a place to start if we have to conduct a search.

-I jump in the shower, ice my eyes, and drink my coffee. Lotion.

6:45-8:00-I’m out the door late, at 6:45, but traffic is usually a bit better on Fridays. I wear a sundress with spaghetti straps, but I bring a mini-cardigan because I’m teaching at the Catholic High School today and I don’t know if spaghetti straps are a violation of the dress code. I wear my new black, sparkling, ballet shoes even though my feet have several blisters from when I wore them a couple days ago to try and break them in (Garden Society Member).

I start to eat the scrambled eggs I made yesterday but they look like they are covered in mold! I have one bite before I notice the mold - I think the red onions that I added to the scramble were old and ruined the scrambled eggs. I hope I don’t get sick.

I put my make-up on in the car.

8:00-10:05-I arrive on time, park in the faculty lot, and review my lecture notes. Then, I eat a chocolate bar that L. recently purchased because the eggs are bad and I don’t have anything else to eat.

I walk to my classroom, wearing my sweater, in case I’m violating some kind of Catholic dress code. Today is a straight 90-minute lecture. It’s too early and the content is boring - I can only do so much to make it interesting. I read the room [the students are listless] and decide to deconstruct the lyrics of a popular song in conjunction with a political concept to liven up the content. This exercise puts us even more behind, unfortunately, due to Admin. constantly shortening the bell schedule on account of the heat and the numerous religious ceremonies the students are forced to attend.

It is still extremely hot in this classroom.

The students appreciate the song-lyric deconstruction and their behavior is much better today. They don’t talk and disrupt my lecture per usual.

10:05-10:30-Class dismissed. I have some grapes for breakfast then drive to a gas station where I fill up. Gas is at $4.99 a gallon and I pay $50.

10:30-11:30-Driving home and traffic is horrible. Recall that this school is in Gardena. L. gave me a Dixie-cup containing salad that came with one of her take out meals (she didn’t want it). When I start eating the salad, I find that the lettuce is limp and brown and I can’t finish it.

Halfway home, I take the Getty Museum exit so I can figure out where to park for Wednesday. I see a neon sign that says “Reservations at Getty.edu.” I don’t have a reservation and my feet hurt so I make a U-turn and get back on the freeway.

11:30-12:30-I drop off my Goodwill items then drive to Helm Eye Center and order new contacts.

12:30-1:30-Home and I take the dog out and unload my bags.

1:30-3:00-I drive to Home Depot.

Before I go into the store, I personally text my eight ONLINE students from “Einstein” High School because NONE of them responded after I emailed them yesterday, advising them that they now have access to Canvas and to report to the Canvas shell immediately.

I’ve been mulling over this issue for a while…the lack of contact with these students and how best to fix it. I tried to problem-solve while walking and hiking and also “slept on it.” I had a bit of an epiphany today. I’m going to TEXT the students and see what happens. I text the students the same message that I emailed to them last night and SIX respond immediately and say they’re logging into the Canvas shell!! Yay!! This is going to work. From this point forward, texting will be the best way to communicate with this group.

The problem is solved and I feel so much better having made contact with the students instead of imagining them floating around in the ether somewhere.

-I enter Home Depot and buy two cans of sparkly glitter spray paint; Velcro; a new hose; and a couple of plants.

-3:00-4:00-I drive home, put everything away, and clean the kitchen.

Today, that crazy OSD bitch sends me an email requesting confirmation that the Midterm is on October 2. My emailed response says “See Syllabus” and I attach the Syllabus. Spoiler Alert: This bitch comes completely unglued over my terse response and I hear all about it on Monday. Stay tuned.

4:00-6:00-I eat most of L.s lentil dish and read War Torn.

7:00-8:30-Exhausted today. I take a nap

9:30-10:15-I take the dog for a walk.

10:15-11:15-I water my plants.

11:15-12:15-bullet journal and I fill in the gaps for some of my entries.

12:30-1:15-Nightime routine. Bed.