Ten Things Tuesday - Quanderies

1. Is it prudent to attempt to vacuum my dog? Of course only ONE of them is shedding at the moment; the amount of hair coming off that dog is staggering. Anyone want me to knit them a pooch?

2. Do I dare risk driving across the border this weekend with nearly 300 bucks of stuff not mine for friends (US companies such as Pottery Barn or Ann Taylor Loft don’t often recognize the existence of CANADA), in hopes the Canadian custom officials (known for their touchy-feelyness) feel no need to ask us harder questions than, “Do you have any weapons in the car?”

3. Is it ethical to change a syllabus two weeks into the semester? I am teaching a new course not easily fitted into the niche into which it is being shoved; another instructor dramatically redesigned the course and, by dropping tests and exams, vastly improved it; the class is “Critical Thinking” and her version has every assignment broken down into points based on a lot of online tests, supplementary assignments (the textbook is too pat and superficial) and small group work. I had struggled to make a go of something I really didn’t respect entirely and find her take much better. Thing is, I am two weeks into the semester and I can change/improve things with some tweaking, but should I?

4. Can I make it through the semester without harshing all over one of my students? Of my 6 Comp students, I have a male, 17, who refuses to take a stand on anything. “Like, whatever,” or “I don’t know,” repeatedly appears when directly encouraged to respond to or evaluate something. I came close to losing it yesterday by commenting that “I don’t know” is not a valid answer to stick to in response to the question, “What are the strengths of this essay, particularly as we’ve been over this repeatedly!?” and that if he wished to pass the class, he’d best consider taking a stand. What I wanted to say was, “You sound like an idiot, and if this is your intention, bravo, here’s an F.”

5. At 50 bucks a pop for Boo’s Bat Mitzvah, must I invite my first cousins who have not sent a holiday card or ever called me in the last 10 years? Will this be the hammer for the last nail in the family relationship coffin?

6. Will either or both my dogs get through the drive to the kennel they’ll be hanging at while bob and I are out of town without evacuating all over the back of the car? O the joy and sweet bliss that would be.

7. Will I resist the lure of Stonyfield Farm Vanilla Chai ice cream in my freezer or almond clusters in my desk drawer? Silly rabbit?

8. Despite aggressive spraying with liquid yuck, will anything yet stand in my garden when Bob and pull into our driveway next Wednesday, on our return from Ottawa? Last night, a momma deer and the tiniest deer I ahve ever seen, maybe 3 months old, came creeping toward the veggies; Bob and his popgun dissuaded them. I imagined I could hear the baby as they ran away, “But Momma, why can’t we eat at the salad bar??”

9. Can I pander to my mother in law’s incessant questions about what she should wear to the Bat Mitzvah in March; how formal will it be (black tie? formal? Semi-formal?), what the weather might be like, what “everyone” will be wearing, if wool crepe will outshine her granddaughter, what shoes she should buy, what handbag she’ll need…

10. How huge is the blogosphere as a conveyor of good wishes and love? GrammarSnob’s husband will have open-heart surgery on Thursday. Go on and send her and Mr. Snob some love, great energy and best wishes for simple, straightforward and easy surgery!!