Whatever things are honest

My weeks are beginning to run together, and these entries are beginning to sound the same. I have spent a little bit of time today on an older project, illustrating the Eulogy. It's a fairly woeful piece of composition in both forms, but at least it is something that is out of my ken:


Also, I am writing an open letter to Ron Lewis:

Dear Ron,

I take back all the bad things I ever said about you.

Love,

Ethan

Feel free to sign yourself if you'd like.

The work week was mostly good; no real QA failures, I accomplished most of what I wanted to get done. The karate week went well, too. I sense I am connecting in my own way with some of the students, which is good. I am not much of a pal with students—I do not connect well with childhood. I like to think there is a certain boyishness about me, mostly because I am a vain creature, but if there is an inner child in me, he is hiding very well.

So connecting with some of the students can be very difficult, because I do not play games much, nor am I willing to sacrifice worktime for play. I expect my students to be motivated by learning, and if they are not, well, phooey on them. But I also try to cultivate that attitude in them, and it appears in at least some cases to be paying off.

I also saw C, who was diagnosed with breast cancer some months ago (perhaps a year or more now?) and has done okay with it. Her hair is short, but has grown back, and she has a bit of her sass with it. On the whole, she is looking fairly hale, but is taking things a day at a time. We chatted some and qibbutzed about the kids and where things were going to go with them. A great family.


It has rained this week. The lover of contrast in me has rejoiced exceedingly, and it has not been too cold, either. Good for a bit of puddle jumping. Amazingly, the humidity has cleared out fairly quickly after the rain, so the sky has also been beautiful, bringing the best of two worlds together.

BS was yesterday, though quite abbreviated, even by my standards, since I went to see J at B&N (where, I rejoice to say, I purchased nothing, though I was tempted by a $6 copy of Plato's Republic). As is our wont, we chatted and laughed some before the study anyway, so there was even less—just a quick review and then I was out. But it was good to see people, anyway, and to crack some good jokes. (I am often picked on for leaving early, and for bringing in food with me—usually from the Chik-Fil-A down the road. I told them the only time I eat is Friday evenings, so they'd just have to pardon me.)

Illin' with J went well, but I think I ended up talking too much, a habit I am trying unsuccessfully to overcome.


OSU plays today at 4:30, and I will probably tune in. I feel a story coming on—they usually do in the Springtime, and in the Autumn—so perhaps I will also write. And I will probably take some pictures. And add some other sections on to the pictures site, if I get a chance.

I do love taking them. Definitely no buyer's remorse here.


Sorry for the radio silence lately, also, for those who have noticed. I have tried to take a bit more time to sleep and recharge the batteries lately. I am tired, and I will be looking forward to a vacation. Speaking of which, the packages to get to Kenya are not as bad as I thought they would be—though they're still pretty expensive. Ironically, it's almost half as much to fly to Edmonton! (Edmonton, by air, is about 2000 miles away. Nairobi is almost 7500. Obviously, I'm not paying by the mile.)