Katelyn Cohen

Well my guest poet cancelled for tomorrow.  That means I have to decide what I'm teaching in all three of my classes.  It's not a huge deal.  I have an arsenal of creative writing lesson plans.

Final Project

Okay, I finished all 50 pages of my hypertext story, but it is text only at the moment.  Now comes the arduous task of scanning pictures (five for the first page and one for each of the other 49 pages).  Once the pictures are scanned, I have to resize them and insert them in Dreamweaver.  Whew!  I'm happy with what I've done so far.  It certainly has been a lot of work; I spent about six hours today alone.  My plan is to finish the project this week so I can complete the editing on the pieces I wrote for my memoir class.

Fogo de Chao

My boyfriend, Dan, turned 50 years old today.  Last night we went to Fogo De Chao in Baltimore to celebrate.  There were five of us, Dan and I, my daughter Lauren and her boyfriend Andy, and my daughter Kaytee.  For $46.50 it's all you can eat meat and salad bar.  Dan and I skipped the salad bar and started right in on the meat.  I was stuffed in an hour.  It was delicious.  It's the second time I've been, and both times I couldn't seem to eat as much as I would have liked... sigh.  

This is Your Brain on Metaphors

This is an article from the NewYork Times.  It was posted by James Taylor (not the musician) and linked to Moira Egan and Katelyn Cohen on Facebook.  These three are guest poets in my creative writing program.

Anyway, the article is interesting.  I think you should read it.  I do not think that I should have to tell you about it.  The only people who read my blogs are adults who either have graduate degrees or are working on them.

Enjoy.

Upgrades

 I just purchased this iMac in September and already there is upgraded software for iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band!  It infuriates me that I don't qualify for the $6.99 upgrade because I didn't purchase my Apple laptop in October.  If I want to upgrade, I have to pay $49.99.  I know you're probably thinking that it isn't that expensive; however, it's the principle of the thing.  My computer is new and already something on it is outdated.  I guess I'll ask for it for Christmas.

Finals and Registration

So, I decided to do a hypertext story for my final project.  Being the hopeless romantic that I am, I decided to do a love story of sorts.  It will use actual photos from my three marriages, photos from the great adventure between husbands one and two, and photos from the present (among others).  Jenny had the great idea to plot the story on index cards before I start tackling Dreamweaver or scanning photos.  That way I can narrow my story and avoid scanning more pictures than necessary.  I've started; we'll see.

I registered for my spring classes.  One of the classes I wanted to take was filled.  As it happens, this works out better for me because now both classes are on Monday nights.  Although my Mondays will be incredibly long (teaching from 7:30 until 2:30 then classes from 5:30 until 10:45) I will only have to drive to UB one night a week.  I'll be taking Experimental Forms and Editorial Style.  Now I just have to get through all the work for my current courses.

This summer, if all goes well, I hope to do an independent study for memoir writing.  I'm hoping I can figure a way to avoid teaching summer school.  I'm not sure that's going to work.  I do have to pay my bills, and I do want to afford a vacation.

Arsenic and Old Lace

Catonsville High School is performing Arsenic and Old Lace for the fall theatre production.  I will be there as a chaperone (it's one of my teaching duties), and am looking forward to it!  One of my advanced creative writing students plays Officer O'Hara.

Riding in Cars with Boys by Beverly Donofrio

I just finished reading this book for my personal essay class.  It was an easy read (I read the entire book today).  I can't say it was a great book.  About the most I can say is that it held my attention.  Donofrio does quite a bit of self-reflection while she tells the story of being an irresponsible teen mother who eventually goes to college then grad school.  The framework of the story is her taking her son to college for his freshman year.  The book reflects the time period, the way things were in the sixties and seventies, with lots of sex, drugs, rock and roll, and a motorcycle gang.  I was surprised at how the final scene moved me.  You see, I have a daughter who is a freshman in college.  I had no idea how difficult it would be for me to take Kaytee to her dorm and leave her there.  I could identify with Donofrio when she felt like a bad mother as her son pulled his unfolded, wrinkled clothes from his suitcase because he had packed by himself.  Also, it was just the two of them.   Across the hall, a family was helping their son unpack and hook up his stereo and computer.  Donofrio's boy only had a clock radio and portable typewriter.  When I dropped off my daughter, she had packed her clothes by herself and many were wrinkled, but she did have a new laptop.  I, too, am a single parent and felt guilty when I mentioned that Kaytee's roommate seemed to have a lot of interference from both parents and her sister.  They were doing all of the unpacking for her and then were going to get her books at the bookstore for her, and an extension cord so her father could hook up her television.  Kaytee told me that most parents do more for their kids when they take them to college.  Oh well. 

Greek Festival

We went to the Greek Heritage Festival yesterday in Baltimore.  It is sponsored by the Greek Orthodox  Cathedral of the Annunciation.  While there I tried a Greek wine called Retsina.  I have to tell you, it is definitely an acquired taste.  Apparently it is aged in pine barrels which gives it its unique "turpentine" quality (well, taste).  Anyway, I also purchased a cookbook and a book on the Orthodox church's understanding of salvation.  Of course, all book reading will have to wait.  I have a few things to do for my grad school classes, and I am behind on my grading.