02/24: Funerals and Classes

So my father-in-law passed away last week and we are currently attending the funeral. It's amazing because two weeks prior to that, my best friend's mother decided to kill herself in a very dramatically choreographed "event" in New York City (no further details out of respect to my friend). I have become the student that I hate...the one who has a gazillion people die during the semester. Oh yes, and toss in a blizzard. So I basically have missed a month of teaching. I am the "blow off" instructor this semester.

I did return to the classroom last week and it was surreal. There is one student in my first class who reminds me of my childhood "Nellie Olson". This chick could be her twin. I hated this girl. I remember getting into a kicking match in 4th grade on the playground. I delighted when she was sent home for being too "dirty" to attend class (which is weird b/c her parents were rather prominent). She disappeared for a while and returned a few years later only to steal my boyfriend in high school. He was a druggie loser but hey, at the time, he was cool. Now I have her twin sitting in my class staring at me with big brown eyes. And she has become my "academic role reversal" nemesis. She actually is helping me because I'm so distracted with death and trauma and heart-sick friends and family. It sucks. I feel like such a loser. I forgot to post assignments on Blackboard. I wrote the wrong dates for something else. This chick is reminding me and guiding me through the process. It makes me feel like crap.

But the good news is that my shitty online market research class has finally taken a turn for the better. We're down to five solid students and I have a rhythm going. I feel much better about it. Lets see how Monday goes when my kooky buddy steps up to the plate to run my classes for me.