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Hi All,
Sorry to be so out of touch for such a long time. I've been terribly busy with work and then a friend got my hooked on a new show, Supernatural. Plus I've been having troubles with my electronics at home, so things have been a bit nuts.
First - work. I ended-up with THREE classes to teach this summer, which is almost a full load. Two are brand-new to me. Networking has actually turned out to be a really good class. I enjoy teaching it (much, much more than I enjoyed studying networking in grad school). Most of the class is theory-based, which is a strength for me to teach anyway. And I've added to the out-of-date slides I was given.
Next - Database Development. Now, that is a class I LOVE. I love anything to do with databases (I probably really should get my DBA but that's bloody expensive!), and it's a class I've really, really wanted to teach. I've actually worked with databases since the DOS days (having taught myself FoxPro for DOS with the manual in one hand and the keyboard in the other), as well as using Microsoft Works (flat), Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Transact SQL (including taking the official course), and both the intro and advanced DB classes at Ferris. I also had a internship in database at a local school system. The only thing I haven't really had experience with is Oracle (or MySQL, come to think of it) tho' Oracle is supposed to use the SQL language and not it's own. For database, I've not only added to the slides (plus I have my own slides from the week I subbed last semester), but I've built databases in Access from the case files and in the case of one of the case files - I added dummy data, so I have something to work with when I demo SQL statements this Friday. I also use my own Media db (Access) and flat-form Excel spreadsheets as samples in class -- trying to teach the universals rather than the specific examples in the book. Oh, and Visio drawings too
The third class is XP again - and again I have lab first, which just sucks. It's very difficult to teach the practical labs, then theory - not to mention half my class walks out early! And, I don't actually like XP admin - it's so picky, and because we're using an official MS book - I can't change any of the slides or presentation. Yuck. Anyone out their with suggestions - email me or drop a response to this blog, because I'm hitting my head against the wall trying to get the students at least somewhat interested.
The other problem is I have my DB class on Friday nights (and I love the class - I really do), but I'm usually in the building until around 11pm or later -- and then XP on Saturday mornings (so I have to get up at 6:15am, leave the house by 7:30am to get to work by 8 and get ready for class by 9). My XP class is turning into the *asterd step-child, 'cause I'm always working on the other two classes (since they are earlier in the week) and not finishing thing like grading for XP. This makes *me* feel like an incompetent teacher - I *don't* want to phone in my class (so to speak).
So -- that's most of the reason I haven't been keeping up my blog -- work's been driving me batty.
One GOOD thing that's happened is that one of my friend's got me majorly hooked on Supernatural this summer. She let me borrow S1 -- which I watched in about three weeks. The first 4-7 eps seemed like your run-of-the-mill supernatural show -- but about halfway thru' the season, as we got to see more of the boys and their personalities -- wow, was I hooked. And the end of S1 just blew me away, esp. the car crash. S2 I ended-up watching in about a week -- getting very little sleep, I'm sure, in the process.
I was majorly hooked! Since I'm an angst and h/c junkie anyway, my favorite eps won't be a surprise -- "Croatoan", "Born Under a Bad Sign", "All Hell Breaks Loose" -- all of which I've watched multiple times (well, I had to listen to commentaries, and I found a new toy -- our Gateway has a DVD ROM drive that came with still capturing software -- Can you say neat?) I also liked "In My Time of Dying", "Playthings", "Houses of the Holy" (poor Sam - you'd think he'd *KNOW* better than to hold a seance in a Catholic Church), and "Nightshifter".
From first season: "Home", "Scarecrow" (OK - they're borrowing plot elements from Neil Gaiman's American Gods - but at least they are stealing from the best), Shadow (need to get the captures from it), Skin (gross - but poor Dean - you know, these guys have GOT to learn to not touch weapons or bodies when they find a dead one), "Something Wicked", and of course "Devil's Trap".
But honestly, I don't think there are any eps. that I really disliked. And it's very, very rare that I can say that about a TV show (esp. an American one -- the British stuff I watch and am a fan of tends to be more consistent). And now I'm working my way thru' a lot of fanfic while waiting for S3 to come out on DVD.
Let's see -- work, SN, oh yes -electronics. My VCR broke -- and I've discovered it's become really difficult to find a new one. Then my old 27" analog TV broke. Now -- it's been close to giving up the ghost for awhile now, but it finally died. And I had replaced my DVD player in, what was it - January or something?
So that was a DVD player, VCR, and TV -- all in 6 months. Granted, a lot of the equipment was old, but I also think the really, really bad thunderstorms we had early in the spring and early summer had *something* to do with it (I'm in the upper Midwest -- it got BAD; I mean people died! And my own cousin had a tree fall on his car while he was inside, thank god he was OK 'cause he could have died). Anyway -- I did end-up with a new DVD player; and a new TV (26" Toshiba flat-panel LCD 720dpi, it's nice), I also finally upgraded our digital satellite service (DirectTV) to a DVR on the new TV. It was a bit of a nightmare getting all the various pieces to work together, but I've now got everything but a good VCR. I still need to look for one before they become completely archaic (if for no other reason than to input the tapes I want to keep into a computer, clean them up, and burn 'em to DVD. I've also been collecting TV on DVD for awhile now, having started buying things before I even owned a player).
I finally caught up on watching season 3 of Psych - I've been recording it on the DVR. Still working my way thru' S2 on DVD - as you can tell, been busy.
Ta' ta for now,
--Olivia
Sorry to be so out of touch for such a long time. I've been terribly busy with work and then a friend got my hooked on a new show, Supernatural. Plus I've been having troubles with my electronics at home, so things have been a bit nuts.
First - work. I ended-up with THREE classes to teach this summer, which is almost a full load. Two are brand-new to me. Networking has actually turned out to be a really good class. I enjoy teaching it (much, much more than I enjoyed studying networking in grad school). Most of the class is theory-based, which is a strength for me to teach anyway. And I've added to the out-of-date slides I was given.
Next - Database Development. Now, that is a class I LOVE. I love anything to do with databases (I probably really should get my DBA but that's bloody expensive!), and it's a class I've really, really wanted to teach. I've actually worked with databases since the DOS days (having taught myself FoxPro for DOS with the manual in one hand and the keyboard in the other), as well as using Microsoft Works (flat), Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Transact SQL (including taking the official course), and both the intro and advanced DB classes at Ferris. I also had a internship in database at a local school system. The only thing I haven't really had experience with is Oracle (or MySQL, come to think of it) tho' Oracle is supposed to use the SQL language and not it's own. For database, I've not only added to the slides (plus I have my own slides from the week I subbed last semester), but I've built databases in Access from the case files and in the case of one of the case files - I added dummy data, so I have something to work with when I demo SQL statements this Friday. I also use my own Media db (Access) and flat-form Excel spreadsheets as samples in class -- trying to teach the universals rather than the specific examples in the book. Oh, and Visio drawings too
The third class is XP again - and again I have lab first, which just sucks. It's very difficult to teach the practical labs, then theory - not to mention half my class walks out early! And, I don't actually like XP admin - it's so picky, and because we're using an official MS book - I can't change any of the slides or presentation. Yuck. Anyone out their with suggestions - email me or drop a response to this blog, because I'm hitting my head against the wall trying to get the students at least somewhat interested.
The other problem is I have my DB class on Friday nights (and I love the class - I really do), but I'm usually in the building until around 11pm or later -- and then XP on Saturday mornings (so I have to get up at 6:15am, leave the house by 7:30am to get to work by 8 and get ready for class by 9). My XP class is turning into the *asterd step-child, 'cause I'm always working on the other two classes (since they are earlier in the week) and not finishing thing like grading for XP. This makes *me* feel like an incompetent teacher - I *don't* want to phone in my class (so to speak).
So -- that's most of the reason I haven't been keeping up my blog -- work's been driving me batty.
One GOOD thing that's happened is that one of my friend's got me majorly hooked on Supernatural this summer. She let me borrow S1 -- which I watched in about three weeks. The first 4-7 eps seemed like your run-of-the-mill supernatural show -- but about halfway thru' the season, as we got to see more of the boys and their personalities -- wow, was I hooked. And the end of S1 just blew me away, esp. the car crash. S2 I ended-up watching in about a week -- getting very little sleep, I'm sure, in the process.
I was majorly hooked! Since I'm an angst and h/c junkie anyway, my favorite eps won't be a surprise -- "Croatoan", "Born Under a Bad Sign", "All Hell Breaks Loose" -- all of which I've watched multiple times (well, I had to listen to commentaries, and I found a new toy -- our Gateway has a DVD ROM drive that came with still capturing software -- Can you say neat?) I also liked "In My Time of Dying", "Playthings", "Houses of the Holy" (poor Sam - you'd think he'd *KNOW* better than to hold a seance in a Catholic Church), and "Nightshifter".
From first season: "Home", "Scarecrow" (OK - they're borrowing plot elements from Neil Gaiman's American Gods - but at least they are stealing from the best), Shadow (need to get the captures from it), Skin (gross - but poor Dean - you know, these guys have GOT to learn to not touch weapons or bodies when they find a dead one), "Something Wicked", and of course "Devil's Trap".
But honestly, I don't think there are any eps. that I really disliked. And it's very, very rare that I can say that about a TV show (esp. an American one -- the British stuff I watch and am a fan of tends to be more consistent). And now I'm working my way thru' a lot of fanfic while waiting for S3 to come out on DVD.
Let's see -- work, SN, oh yes -electronics. My VCR broke -- and I've discovered it's become really difficult to find a new one. Then my old 27" analog TV broke. Now -- it's been close to giving up the ghost for awhile now, but it finally died. And I had replaced my DVD player in, what was it - January or something?
So that was a DVD player, VCR, and TV -- all in 6 months. Granted, a lot of the equipment was old, but I also think the really, really bad thunderstorms we had early in the spring and early summer had *something* to do with it (I'm in the upper Midwest -- it got BAD; I mean people died! And my own cousin had a tree fall on his car while he was inside, thank god he was OK 'cause he could have died). Anyway -- I did end-up with a new DVD player; and a new TV (26" Toshiba flat-panel LCD 720dpi, it's nice), I also finally upgraded our digital satellite service (DirectTV) to a DVR on the new TV. It was a bit of a nightmare getting all the various pieces to work together, but I've now got everything but a good VCR. I still need to look for one before they become completely archaic (if for no other reason than to input the tapes I want to keep into a computer, clean them up, and burn 'em to DVD. I've also been collecting TV on DVD for awhile now, having started buying things before I even owned a player).
I finally caught up on watching season 3 of Psych - I've been recording it on the DVR. Still working my way thru' S2 on DVD - as you can tell, been busy.
Ta' ta for now,
--Olivia
