Day 5 - LA County enters Orange Tier

Working on French Cinema assignments today…

4/9/21. Friday

7:30 – 7:45 – Exhausted.

I’m at 103 pounds after having eaten that squaw-bread tuna sandwich around 2:00 p.m. yesterday. It’s apparent carbs are a problem.  Check and redirect.

7:45 – 8:00 - Up and I go downstairs to say good morning to the dog. It’s too early for her and I have to wake her up by rubbing her tummy – she looks confused. After I rub her tummy three times, she grabs her toy, and we go outside so she can go potty.  She does her business and we return inside – cheese for her, coffee for me.

8:00-9:00 - Spa day. Shower. Wash hair. Blow dry hair. Lotion. Covid-19 uniform. Periodically, I feel these strange…zaps?...at the shot-site.  I don’t quite know how to describe the sensation…like sharp twinges. I listen to The Daily and Today Explained.

9:05 –10:00 -  I’m late to my French Cinema Zoom meeting with the famous director and I hope everyone is in black screen because I didn’t have a chance to put my make-up on.

-Although my teacher stressed the importance of attending this seminar, there are only 8 people in attendance and three of them are instructors from the French Dept. Five students are here, with two in black-screen, one of whom is me.  I decide I don’t need to show my face. I’ve taken classes with each instructor and they’re all wonderful teachers, very patient and kind.

-There’s a snafu when I raise my hand icon to acknowledge something the famous director said and then forget to put it down.  He calls on me and I have to explain that I’m an idiot and I actually have no questions.

-I listen to his entire discussion because I’m a student in this class and I want to be “the good girl.” He’s actually very interesting.  While he’s speaking, I work on the Les Mis presentation that I’m supposed to be preparing with a partner and is due in two days.  This is a 2-pg. assignment and involves summarizing the Les Mis film, in my own words, and then discussing the origin, actors, director, and reception of the film. I still don’t have a partner.  If I turn the assignment in early, maybe she won’t give me a 0?

-The seminar ends and one of the French teachers inform us that we can submit a “testimony” [she really means “testimonial” :-)] regarding the famous director’s presentation.  I’m that “student”, always vying for praise and the gold star IF I respect the teacher and the class, so I volunteer and my teacher tells me I can send my testimonial to her.

10:00 –11:00 - I put on my make-up, then move to the backyard because the weather is so nice.

Blog posts.

11:00-3:00 – It’s time for the Zoom meeting for my DE#2 class, so I log on and I’m ready to show  my “sandbox” and face if necessary.

-I work on my testimonial and note what I liked about the director [his discussion on globalization and global osmosis, in particular].  The director went to Pasadena City College when he was a boy and complimented Madame P., one of the French instructors who attended the seminar and whom I’ve had, saying she made an impact on his life.  It was nice to hear him say that about a community college instructor because I’m a community college instructor, although I’m pretty sure none of my students give a s—t about me.

-Log onto my Pasadena email and see that my Instructor has simultaneously emailed me and a boy named J.M., instructing us to partner up. Shortly thereafter, she posts an announcement somewhat sternly informing the class that we are NOT allowed to complete the movie presentation assignment without a partner.  She then extends the due date for this project AND the 4-page paper that is pending.

-I put the final touches on my testimonial – prepared for no grade other than a few “brownie points” – and email to my teacher.

-My DE#2 class continues, with one of the instructors droning on and on about how to add colored buttons to certain areas in the Canvas shell so we can add pizzazz to the online courses that we’ll never teach, especially the adjuncts, who are notorious for getting the worse classes and the ‘sloppy seconds.’  Typically, tenured staff get the choicest cuts of meat – there’s no way I will ever get an Asynchronous class at this campus.

-I continue working on my Les Mis presentation.  Now that I have a partner, I want to connect with him with our paper ‘in-hand’ and ready to submit.  I want to complete this in the next hour so time is of the essence and having a bit of a deadline, even if it’s a fake deadline, helps me work faster.  I work best under pressure.

-I keep feeling twinges along the length of my left arm throughout the day…

-The DE#2 class breaks for 15 minutes and I need to switch to a different type of work so I can take a “brain break” from the Les Mis presentation. This is the perfect time to finish the last assignment from this week’s DE#2 Module [it closes at 5:00], which happens to be a post detailing how I plan to incorporate “fun” activities into an online class that I will never teach, as well as post responses to two colleagues. I’m really getting tired of these Discussion Board activities.

-I’m experiencing quite a bit of fatigue.  I’m not sure if it’s due to Day #2 of the J&J vaccine, the fact that I’m not eating, or that I only got 4 hours of sleep last night.  You be the judge.

-The DE#2 class starts up again and I turn the volume down so I can focus on my Les Mis assignment.

-At 2:30, I complete the Les Mis assignment, email my new “partner”, and attach the paper for his review.  I introduce myself and explain that I will submit the assignment once I receive his approval (asking for his approval will cause him to believe he has agency and decision-making authority – he doesn’t).

2:30-3:00-The DE#2 class ends a little early today.  I have a miniature, dark-chocolate, recess peanut-butter cup from TJs then go upstairs and read Small Fry.

-L. leaves for work.

3:00-4:30 – I am overcome with exhaustion and have to lie down. I fall asleep pretty quickly, but wake with a jolt around 4:15, not sure where I’m at for a minute.

4:30-5:30 – I pack my overnight bag and load my pillows into the car. Then, I add a few items to my lunch bag.  I’m feeling somewhat…off?...not sure how to explain it.  There is also a nagging pain in my arm from the shot site.  More zaps.

5:30-6:00 – Straighten the kitchen, water a few plants, and take the dog out.

6:00-6:30 – I leave for B.’s house and listen to Organize 365 on the way.

6:30-12:00 – At B.’s and we have salad, salmon, and baked potatoes - very good. B. shows me pictures of his recent AZ trip – sounds/looks like he had a good time.

-Reading - I read Small Fry and B. reads…something???  Can’t recall.

12:00-Bed. My arm hurts.