This morning at work I went to the printer to pick up something I had printed. When I arrived, the printer was out of paper and I had to load it up. For whatever reason loading that printer up with paper reminded me of teaching Eng 111/112 at BGSU. All of a sudden I was remembering the days when I was scrambling to get a worksheet completed in time for class, and since I was created the activity last minute, there was no time to submit the worksheet to the GSW office to print multiple copies for all my students, so I would have to print them out myself in the grad student lab in East Hall. And inevitably, I would send 50 copies of something, go to the printer and it would be out of paper. So I would be frantically looking for more paper to load (often, there wasn’t any and I would have to run down to Mary Jo and get some) and getting increasingly stressed. Eventually I would get the copies done and would rush off to class, arriving with my body just on the verge of an all out sweat and walk in to my class as all the 17 and 18 year olds who knew everything stared at me, with looks of boredom and sleep deprivation on their faces. I would then hand out the newly created activity, which they cared nothing for. I know college freshman often do not know what they want to do with their lives, but I think in 2 years of teaching freshman English, I only had 3 or 4 students who were actually English majors and liked to be in class. I always miss teaching; I don’t miss getting paid like crap though. I think one week I figured out I was making only a few dollars an hour. But it was fulfilling work for me. California’s higher education system is funny here. There are not a lot of full-time teaching gigs, mostly adjunct stuff. I’d love to pick up a class here or there to teach, but not sure I would want to give up that time for just a few extra bucks, when I could be at the beach or elsewhere enjoying my SoCal life.


Good for you mom, finishing your degree. I wonder if you can beat Mike to the diploma? Can’t wait for Mary to get here in a few weeks. I miss softball. Is it bad or wrong that I looked to see if there was a Starbucks near one of my prospective jobs? Mike, you need to call me about when you’re coming out here, or email me, and you never told me how that game was we got you.