Inventive Excuses

These are from the beginning of the term when I was in school, but I thought they were funny....

From another professor:
"I recently reported to the Dean of Students that three of my students had various claims of fraternity initiation sleep deprivation as reason for flunking exams or missing class."

From a student:
"I thought there wasn't class the other day because I got here at 7:40 and the lights were off and no one was here."  Um.  Class doesn't start until 8 AM.

So... a new adventure.... pushing a shopping cart.... in a snow covered parking lot!  I had no idea how difficult that could be!  I didn't have good traction, so I would try to push the cart but my feet would just slide backwards and out from under me.  I had to get a good solid stance and try to push the thing, but the snow provided an awful lot of resistance.  It had to be pretty funny watching me!  It took me over 10 minutes to get the cart to where I parked.  Other people didn't seem to have quite the trouble I was having....  I must learn the secret of pushing a cart in the snow, because the native Montanans seem to have conquered it!

Library Oddities...

Need a pencil?  This handy machine is located at the library desk!  Buy several for school, home, and everything else!!!!!!

Restroom Design.  I know this is a frequent annoyance of mine, to the point that maybe architecture school should have a whole class on this.  The library restrooms actually have stall doors that open correctly (so that you don't have to stand on the toilet seat to close the door), so score for that.  However, they have vents that are located directly above the toilets.  And granted in the winter they blow nice warm air.  BUT, they blow so much air, that seat covers will not stay on the toilets, they blow away....  So then you are left with this balancing act of trying to sit hold the seat cover in place and sit down at the same time.  Not especially easy for those of us who are uncoordinated, like me!

Library Late Nights.  And as far as night owls at the library go.  By far and away, I am the only woman here after midnight.  And also one of only a handful of Americans.  Mostly there are international students.

car odditites....

New paint job?

Spare tires?  Enough to last the next zombie apocalypse of tire slashing?

I am estimating about 25 tires or so!

Toilet...

I have to share this story because right now all I can do is sit on my floor and chuckle, otherwise I would cry because I am so tired and exhausted.  So I got up this morning and my toilet wasn't working.  As in water won't go down the toilet and it is clogged.  Tried my plunger.  No dice.  But it is one of those 'new' school ones that I don't think work as well.  Went to the hardware store, and bought an old school plunger.  Still no dice.  At this point I call the property company.  Didn't hear back after a few hours, and I seriously needed to use the restroom, so I went to the laundromat and used theirs and then went back to the hardware store and rented a snake.  Still no dice.  In the meantime I cleaned my apartment because I knew they were going to send a plumber.  He gets here. After five minutes, the end of the snake breaks off in the toilet.  So after much work we get all the water emptied out of the toilet and he unbolts it from the floor and he carries it outside.  (At least it isn't snowing yet!!!!!)  He works on it some more hoping to get it fixed. The toilet breaks - you can see the crack on the tank.  (I had to take the picture because how funny is an upside down toilet in the grass?!?).  So now he is at the hardware store buying a new toilet.  And I am sitting on the floor in my living room waiting for him to get back.  I may be resilient, but can I please, please get a break from the chaos of life?  Like I said, what else can I do but chuckle!?!?!  :)

So I haven't gotten much done today except the toilet (which I guess still isn't done!) and I am beyond exhausted and ready to crawl into bed.  At least my apartment is straightened up for when I wake up tomorrow.  But here is the picture!

It is supposed to snow on Thursday?  Um.  Yikes!
Have some photos to post, hopefully in the next day or two from an engineering event I went to....

I am certain our bus driver used to drive demolition derby!  Today I had my eyes closed and was trying to rest on the way to campus, when he turned a corner and hit the curb.  Hard.  I was flung out of my seat, completely startled awake!  I was like at least I am awake to teach now!

I haven't been sleeping well at all for the past month, so I was just exhausted this morning, and I got to class and my students were just as wiped out.  But we persevered and learned a few things!  I have such an amazing group of students.  I am so proud of them!  They really work together and we have fostered a great learning environment.  And I am trying out a new idea this semester called cookie pts.  If they spot a mistake I made on the board or said, instead of waiting and wondering, if they ask right away they get a cookie point.  If they ask a good question or something else like that - cookie point.  We get to 30 points and I bring them cookies.  At first they were skeptical.  But now they are really into it.  One of them emailed me and wanted to know if a typo on a worksheet was a cookie point!  Goodness I love teaching so much!