In the early morning, I heard a noise and decided it was the neighbour cat running across the roof, as she is wont to do in some weird parkour extravaganza. When I fully awoke within the next hour I realized it was continuing, so was not the cat. It was, in fact, snow falling from the tree branches onto the roof -- a distinctive sound that heralds shoveling. I reminded myself that the weather gurus had forecast 1 cm of snow overnight. The roof activity does not happen with a measly centimetre of the white stuff. I did not want to look out the window. If I stayed in bed and didn't get up, it would be like Schrodinger's snow. Needless to say, I walked into work. Ploughs had not been by yet -- they, too, likely expected much less and were unprepared until later in the morning. Visibility was not great as the thick wet white globs fell. There was 4-6 inches of compacted wet snow down when I left the house. Shoveling when I returned in early evening was a challenge as there was water under it all and mud under all that. Now the forecasters have consulted their clairvoyants and predict we'll get about an inch or so of rain in the coming 24 hours. It should be one grand mess by this time tomorrow.
While hiding from the world outside, I met with students, celebrated a friend's birthday, and graded scads of assignments. Sugar played a role in getting through the day -- not that it is a bribe or reward, just a comfort for today -- a mini-cupcake at the celebration and bran muffin later in the evening.
An annual holiday concert occurred elsewhere today. The coordinator is a singer-songwriter from Montreal whose career began in the '60s in New York -- Andy Kim. He wrote many songs that are familiar across ages. I chose to share a newer recording of one of those early songs. This version is by another artist who entered the musical world in the '60s, as well. The arrangement is playful and interesting -- giving a very different view of the piece. Enjoy!
This was the last 8:15 AM class until January. 🙌 Getting up in the dark is difficult at any time, but for someone who has never been a morning person, it can be excruciating. Having to stand in front of a class and make sense of complex concepts only adds insult to injury. I will enjoy my brief reprieve. During the day I completed two mediocre lectures, had a student meeting and graded a couple of papers. I took an hour to run out at the end of the afternoon to fill up with gas and pick up a few things at the grocery store. I had to return to chair a 5:30 PM meeting that lasted about 15 minutes -- one of those protocol items that needs to be minuted. Thankfully we managed quorum so business was moved forward.
The temperature in the building has been much cooler the past few work days. I finally called to ask if a space heater could be found for me in the interim -- they should have work completed by early January on the heating system -- an upgrade to bring the building into a more sustainable place. The project manager and the contractors came to visit my office. They said today was cold due to work on the roof. They said I was the only one with a cold office. I did let them know that everyone in my hallway has purchased a space heater to keep semi-warm. This has not been the case in past years. All four floors have complained today. I was told the heat had been turned back on some time back. Well, that hasn't been evident for most of us <smile>. They will see what tomorrow brings. And so we wait. Blankets and gloves should not be required in the office <sigh>.
My meanderings today brought a few songs to mind but I settled on one. It dealt with how I felt for much of the day today. Enjoy!
Two highlights today -- I finished one large pile of grading (several smaller ones still await my attention) and I attended a great seminar on the contemporary history of the dietetic profession, mainly from an education and training perspective. Both made me smile and let my mind move into different areas of thought and work.
The other big event of the day was a meeting with my financial adviser to help me answer the question from the CDIC commercial -- "How's my money?" <grin>. It has been three years so it seemed to be time to have an update on where things are and if we are still on track to possibly retire rather than work into my 80s. <smile> I supplied all my numbers and we will meet in a week or so to go over the dreaded calculations that will give an idea of where the monthly income might fall. That always makes me anxious -- don't want me and the cat living on the street with a grocery cart of odds and ends. Retirees range from those with reasonable incomes to those who struggle to make ends meet -- even with the federal pension and old age supplement. Having a bunch of non-earning years due to extra years at school can affect that allotment. I'll have to request some figures from them to see where I stand, too. Maybe I should start to buy lottery tickets.
The last meeting of the day leads me to this song. The first few lines ran through my head a lot this afternoon and into the evening. I've used this song in the past for the last line of the first stanza, and putting the lyric together as a whole today makes a lot of sense. I've chosen a version from a more recent event -- where the singer has clearly aged a bit from the original -- seemed fitting for the topic today. And for those who don't know me personally, I love denim <smile>.
The first nor'easter of the season is upon us. It rained overnight and continued today. Rain mixed with ice pellets beat against the windows with each gust of wind. The precipitation fell at a light angle and then at a 45 degree or greater angle with the gusts. Needless to say I didn't hear the parade go by this afternoon. The winds return over and over as the storm swirls around us. Lights have flickered and power is an iffy prospect.
I've been grading like a crazy person to get the one set done and will need to find a spare 14 hours before Friday to finish the other paper assignment before classes end. I'm not sure how that will occur, but will work out something this week -- sleeping and eating are optional, right? <smile>.
The song for today comes from a stage musical. Several great songs came from this play including this one which shares the title of the play. The singer of this version has a pleasant soprano. Enjoy!
Whistle Down the Wind -- Lottie Mayor (ft. Andrew Lloyd Webber on piano)
Another Saturday night spent with a pile of essays. I sometimes say my life is to be envied <smile>. I do realize that there is some truth to that statement, even though I tend to use it in a less positive vein. Evenings and weekends spent with work can be overwhelming. Wanting to head out for a shopping trip -- for groceries or other items -- that isn't rushed seems so far from reality for 8 months of the year. The same can be said for going out for a chat and cup of tea, having friends over for dinner, or taking an evening to watch a movie or just read a book. I feel that I whine about this often, but there is a distinct feeling of deprivation and missing out on some parts of life. It can make concentration very difficult -- even if the topic being read is interesting. I've been trying to find a way around that recently.
I did walk out to get milk and some items for supper early in the afternoon. There was a bit of sun amongst the clouds, but it was a bit chilly. We are expecting a nor'easter type storm overnight into tomorrow. My grading break was to be the Santa Parade just after lunch, but if it is pouring rain, that may be cancelled.
Grading set aside for the day now, but it is time to try to sleep. I generally am awake into the early morning. I was born at 12:36 AM and have found that time of day to be very private when everything becomes quiet. A song came to mind last evening when thinking through some grading. The lyrics deal with the time of day and the feeling of missing out on something. I do love the singer-songwriter -- he is such a talented individual with a distinctive voice. Enjoy!
Night Life -- Willie Nelson (recorded at Berklee College 1 month after his 80th birthday)
At the end of a long tiring week, the news that I awoke to seemed difficult to process. Florence Henderson had passed away. She is best known as the mother of the Brady Bunch, Carol Brady. The show aired for about 4 seasons -- when seasons were longer than they are today -- which was more than enough time to become the ideal mother -- the mother she thought we all were looking for.
It seems that I am now in the demographic that recognizes more people who pass -- somehow when we weren't looking we became "that" generation. People who played beloved characters or sang our favourite music are leaving this world. There is a true feeling of sadness that can turn to actual grief over these losses -- things I never really understood in the younger years. Given that many age groups are in the workplace, there may not always be people who feel the loss that the Boomers do at times like this. For this reason, I've found social media can be a place to remember and 'wake' a person, if you will. There are a number of people I know that are in my age group that are easily found in the Web 2.0 (or 3.0 depending on your frame of reference) world. Again, this is another interesting aspect of the community constructed online.
Florence Henderson had a Broadway career long before becoming Mrs. Brady. I've chosen a song sung by her to celebrate a life lost today. She had training from the nuns in high school to sing Gregorian chants and masses in Latin. Her phrasing is impeccable and the power in the voice truly astonishing. Enjoy!
My Love -- Florence Henderson (from Hollywood Palace 1967)
The day was filled with heavy grey cloud and occasional blue sky with sun. Each time I returned to the car, the windshield was very wet. While it didn't seem to rain outright, there was constant precip in the air. When I got home at the end of the day, the front porch had big flat crystals on the steps. It was just 1C, so frozen precip was part of the day -- thankfully melting as it fell. Parking lots were filled making it necessary to circle around until someone left at two locales. Everyone must be out and about. I felt today was the first day that felt less fall like with the raw north wind.
Four lectures are left in each class and we will be down to the wire this year. Missing two classes due to a fall break and Remembrance day has created a bit of stress in cramming everything into the class time -- content, reviews, activities -- all have been scaled back this year due to lack of time. So much is left to do to prepare finals, write reference letters for internship and grad school, prep for January courses, and more grading, of course <smile>.
Today is Thanksgiving for my friends and family in the US. The television commercials have become more Christmas-y and we are in re-runs for this week <smile>. A song came to mind to celebrate this day -- in a tongue in cheek manner <grin>. Enjoy!
Mashed Potatoes -- James Brown ft. Nat Kendrick & the Swans
