Awesome Sauce

Today has rocked.  I did not pretend to be Elly Higginbottom (inside joke) but I did the next best thing; I forced myself out of my shell a little. I talked to people instead of hiding behind a book.  I was...outgoing.  This is not easy for me, and I didn't do the total opposite of everything I would normally do or anything cheesy movie like that.  But I did have a good day.  It's a start.

I have a fantastic table.  Everybody is friendly and we all get along wonderfully well.  There are no crushing experts or people who Know All, so we're working together like a well-oiled machine, and we're only at the end of the first day.  I love our table leader; she's very composed and knowledgeable.  Since I haven't done this question before, I appreciate that.

The question itself is a dream.  I love reading for this one.  I've already had a couple of memorable lines.  I won't talk about them here, of course, but I won't be likely to forget them.  I had to put my head in my hands and laugh once today.  I love doing this.  I know that makes me an UberEnglishGeek, but I don't even remotely care.  I guess somebody has to be.  I take the job gladly.

We started live grading after lunch.  I graded slowly today, which was to be expected.  I only did two and a half folders.  I hope that I will pick up tomorrow.  I seem to be well-calibrated, so that is a good feeling.  I feel more confident in my grading this year.  Having used the rubric in my classes all year really helps with that.

The Gatsby shirt was an unexpected hit today.  I had people ask me where I got it (I told them), quote lines at me ("I love to see you at my table" -- I was eating lunch), and tell me about the Seelbach Hotel, a historic freaking goldmine that I should have known was here but didn't.  I cannot WAIT to go see the Seelbach.  It has been restored, and the little tiny pictures on the website have my camera "trigger finger" a-itching.  Apparently, some of the Readers go do a thing at the Seelbach where they pick their favorite passages from Gatsby and read aloud at the Seelbach or they have in the past on Thursday nights of the Reading.  While I don't think I have enough "presence" here as a second-year to read with them, I surely want to see that.  Right up my alley, darlin'.

I also swam tonight for the first time in...  I don't even know. I broke in the new suit.  I didn't stay in long, maybe only thirty or forty-five minutes.  I had to dodge shrieking children (of course), but it was still divine.  There was no pain at all in any of the strokes, even the side strokes I prefer.  It was glorious, and it undid all the knots that had built up in my back from sitting in that chair all day.  That pool can expect me on a regular basis, screaming infants or not.

I've been talking to my roomie, Sue, almost all night.  She's from Georgia, and she's pretty awesome.  She's a college professor, and we've been swapping views on education from across the two different sides of our field.  It's SO much better than last year and the person who DID NOT TALK.  I ordered some loaded nachos (maybe a mistake, but who cares...and, really, when are nachos ever a mistake?), we ate, and chatted.  I need to end this day, though.  Tomorrow will start a full day of the real thing, and I want to be sharp.  My goal is to do at least five folders tomorrow.  If I can do that, I will be hell on wheels with a number two pencil.  

Shiny.*


*obligatory Firefly reference