All six eyes stared fixedly on you

"Years may come, years may go...did you hear we change? They told me so." Just a line from a song I wrote in early '97 that we never used. Something that has weighed on me recently, more so than other detractors in my life --I know a lot of good people with great intentions and big hearts, but I know very few people that are real. I struggle to comprehend why this is. There is a song called "How Beautiful You Are" by the Cure (which is based on a poem by Charles Baudelaire) that ends, "...no one really knows or loves another..." Sadly, I believe it rings too true. So to my close friends out there, and you know who you are, I hold you dear to my heart, because you are a rarity among seasons. And to those that flitter and flutter about like butterflies on a spring wind, seemingly not knowing where they want to go...well...you could learn a lot from the real people.

Umm...ouch?

A most bizarre thing just occurred. I was unzipping my gig bag to take out my guitar, as I have an idea fresh in my mind. I restrung it two nights ago for recording, and as my usual practice, I don't cut the excess string off from the post. My guitar is ever so slightly longer than my gig bag, so I have to somewhat forcefully pull the zipper around the headstock to make a quick job of it. When I did, somehow the excess of the sixth string (the thickest gauge for those of you not in the know) suddenly sprung out and stuck into one of the joints in my left middle finger and went pretty deep. It's now dark and swollen and pretty sore. I Guess I should have iced it before playing out my idea.

How, and How

Oh, my back and neck are stiff. My eyes are even stiffer...how's that for an odd description? It's this head cold that has me captive. Fortunately, I know it'll be past in several days. God has blessed me with a quick rebound time in recent years. Regardless, I'm still feeling the pressure tonight.

I'm about to finish my Portfolio 1 for ED308, and then I need to wrap up HW2 for ED317...aaaand then throw together a lesson plan for my third period algebra students. Fortunately, I don't have to reinvent the wheel. I'm just teaching a lesson straight from the book. And actually, I'm basing the projects for 308 & 317 on the respective chapter. Instructional goals and objectives were meant to be recycled! It's my own property of distribution. :)

Oh, btw if you're not already following the TDoHW blog, check it out HERE. I'll save all of my music banter for that blog for the time being.

So today was...well...stressful, but I survived. My classes were enjoyable, and I had some good laughs with friends. I mean, you've got to laugh about stuff, y'know? I'd curl up and die if I didn't. This world is too much for the everyday Derek. Anyhoo, I discovered today that today was THE day for seniors to sign up for summer and fall classes. The path that I travel in Wham doesn't take me past advisory, so I'm not up to speed on what is posted on their bulletin board, hence my seemingly newness to these things every time I turn around.

So after 424 I trekked over to Morris, did a little work, and at a quarter till 2 I logged onto Salukinet and attempted to register when we "C"s were allowed to. The key word: attempted. All of the run numbers I entered came up as registration errors, asterisked as "departmental approval required." But see, I waited five weeks for my appointment with my advisor, who cancelled my appointment an hour before it was scheduled. Thus, I couldn't get my classes approved. And when I went in to make an appointment this morning, I couldn't get in until Apr 8. Fun, fun. So after accepting defeat, I walked back over to Wham to see if I could get the block removed from those classes.

Oh, I guess I should also point out that earlier in the day I discovered that SIU now requires pre-calc before taking calc 1. Of course I find this out now. I'm taking my last middle school endorsement class during the intersession, KIN 202 in the summer, and I'm supposed to have two more math courses, one of which being calc 1, to wrap up my degree outside of student teaching. This means that I'll have to take pre-calc at JALC during the summer at night, with the supposed assurance that it will transfer back to SIU, and then somehow squeeze in calc somewhere...and where I have no clue. Just that one class may postpone my graduation date from December to May of next year. There's not much else for it...my hands are tied. Anyway, I digress...

Long story made longer, I made it into advisement, and while the student worker was making a note to give to my advisor, Andrea, she walked in the door, saw me, walked over the filing cabinets, thumbed through a drawer, pulled out a folder, looked up and said,"Derek, why don't you come back to my office." And I'm thinking silently to myself,"YESSSSSSS! FINALLY!" She removed the blocks on KIN202 & CI473, and approved my ED401a which is student teaching. BLESS HER HEART. So I was able to register for all of those, and between now and Apr 8, I need to register at JALC and get the ball rolling to take pre-calc there this summer. Which of course means more fun at financial aid there, which is like pulling teeth. I also grabbed some paperwork from 135 to put me on track to get my app in for student teaching by next week thanks to fabulous Ashley D.

Then I took part in a group presentation in 416 which was really carried by my colleagues. I wish I could say that I contributed equally to the project, but I didn't. I did do my best to expand on my part of the presentation, and we got decent marks, so at least that one is out of the way.

Then I had some fun texting with Rohan earlier in the evening, so that was cool. He's such a great kid. I'm so proud of him for everything that he does.

So here I am now...I need to get back to work, and then get a little sleep before an equally long day and evening tomorrow. I'll get home at 9:30 tomorrow night, just to start wrapping up the Adapted Lesson Plan using the UDL Framework for 424. The consolation? Thursday we get to go do grave marker etchings at a cemetery. Woot!

The Quiet Sustain

(work in progress)

Hey Mark, what were you
Saying the other day?
Wait...that was
Twelve years ago
Just like then I am
Lonelier today
Except now
You're gone
I promise I listened
To you
I always sang
Along
I saw your words
In colors soft and true
That you will sing
No more

I bet she is
Sitting at home
Mark, do you think
There's still hope?
She flies
Then she hides
And I no longer
Know
The pain
I feel
Has no place
To go