I don't want to be more specific since the course is currently in progress, but the other day, a student in my class asked the meaning of a term they came across on an online homework assignment. It's a term I wouldn't necessarily expect a student to know (although I did define it in class) but it denotes a very simple thing. After politely answering the question, the first thing that popped into my mind was "Ever hear of a dictionary?" (hell, it was an online assignment, the term could have been Googled too). But, then again, anything to get a student to actually have an interaction with me to see that I don't bite is a good thing.
In another class, a student missed lab and one of two classes this week. When he finally showed, without once contacting me regarding missed material (you know, things like 3-hour lab assignments, daily quizzes I've been giving on the geologic time scale, etc.), he spent much of my lecture looking down at his lap where his hands were resting. He was either playing with himself or texting - I'll assume the latter since I don't want to think about the former. Second week of classes and I already know who's likely to withdraw or fail - it's like I'm fucking Kreskin.
So I go to the gym three times a week to work out. At the gym, they provide little spray bottles of disinfectant and paper towels to clean off the machines you use. One thing I've noticed is while most men, like myself, clean machines after we're done using them (because we're usually disgustingly wet from sweat), a number of people, especially women, clean the machines BEFORE they use them (and not after). Seems rude to me.
So I was at the dentist yesterday for a cleaning and the hygienist, after probing my gums with a steel pick, said "Your gums are bleeding." Yeah, no kidding, Dr. Mengele, I have a feeling if you poke any part of my body with your pointy-tipped pick it would bleed. I bet dental hygienists are into BDSM (as sadists). Then they charged me $45 (without asking me first) for an "Irrigation with chlorhexidine." Yeah, I can buy a gallon of that shit for $10 and they charge me $45 for a shot glass worth of rinse.
So, since I spend a couple of hours at the dentist, I ended up going back to work until 8 pm to catch up. This is how my days feel lately...
Writing about a shot glass in the paragraph above reminds me that it's Friday. I will imbibe later (I bet ethanol is just as good as chlorhexidine in cleaning bacteria out of your mouth).
Drink of choice?
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