JFJ (Just for Justin)

I will accept your challenge and talk about nothing as well. I'm taking a break in between homework. I finished reading an exciting chapter about interviewing those who I research, then I wrote a poetic analysis, and I am drafting questions for an interview I have to do for my Qualitative Research class. I'm trying to finish these little things so I can work on my 10 page paper due Thursday. It's not a hard write - just time consuming. What chaps my hide is the two books that need to be finished by this weekend. The two books total about 600 pages. Why do instructors do that? What these instructors do is make you put together what's called reading logs. As you come across a quote, type it out with page number, make a comment about it and tie it to other researchers. I like the reading. The reading can often be sort of enjoyable when it's a writer who can write well. But that many books in one week hurt a bit. Looks like I'll have to do major skimming.

This week I'll be collecting data for my first piece of research. I'm studying how teachers use language to build or maintain classroom community. It deals somewhat with my dissertation since I have to start thinking about that. Once I collect my data I'm actually going to try to get it published. Not in some big refereed journal but some little state magazine. You have to start somewhere.

Homecoming

Homecoming
Originally uploaded by puzzleco.

At USC, we don't just have homecoming! We have:

The Johnsons in South Carolina

This is for you Justin -
Here are some pictures of the house that were taken back in April(?) when we first visited South Carolina.

Front of the House

Front of the House
Originally uploaded by puzzleco.

Another Backyard Pict

Another Backyard Pict
Originally uploaded by puzzleco.

Still Another Backyard Pict

Still Another Backyard Pict
Originally uploaded by puzzleco.

Porch

Porch
Originally uploaded by puzzleco.

Full Frontal

Full Frontal
Originally uploaded by puzzleco.

Housework

With the wife gone, I have taken the initiative to get some the outside work finished. I trimmed a lot of bushes (see Steve, Blogs can get the ladies), mowed the lawn, and use the new weed eater. But I experienced two things which are new to me. First, I climb a ladder three stories so I can replace the dryer screen so the squirrels and birds don’t make a house in the our dryer duct. I realized I don’t like ladders especially at that hight. And obviously the item I purchased didn’t exactly fit so I had to get back down, cut a few things off, and climb back up. Next, as I was moving a bag of dog food when I discovered a large pile of mouse droppings. When I looked behind a refrigerator (this is in the garage), the mouse scurried away. Now I’ve never experienced “mouse-dom” so I was new to me. I found several hole s/he made so I drove down to Home Depot to buy mouse poison. But I’ve been told to buy glue strips so that’s what I’ll probably do. Tomorrow I will have to spend some time patching holes because on top of the mouse in our garage, we have frogs and we had a snake.

Fashionable Wear

I don't go looking for these website but they seem to find me. Just in case you're looking for a new style in fashion, this is the place to buy.

Sell the Ranch! : CafePress.com

Lonely

Malisa and Emily are gone till Sunday. They are in Bakersfield. Malisa's grandfather passed away so she traveled back West to be with her family. That leaves me all by myself. Normally I would relish these moments of being on my own. Back in Fresno I was surrounded by tons of distractions like friends, work, and other crap. Well, beside housework and yardwork, all there is to do is homework. My homework isn't necessarily the most entertaining stuff. The highlight of the day is drinking Coke with Lime and eating Rocky Road ice cream.

I did have several visitors today. First, there was the may from the auto glass company who came to repair some cracks in the front window of the truck and Honda. In one week, we both got hit by wood falling off the back of a big rig. Anyway, when he went to repair my window, CRACK! A nine inch crack down the front - his second break like this in 15 years. When looking at the Honda, the crack is deeper than he thought and since its above the defroster, the Honda gets a new front window. So my new friend the auto glass man is coming to visit me twice - to fix the truck than on Monday to fix the Honda. Thankfully there is no deductible on glass through State Farm (at least in SC).

The bug man also came to visit. We chatted as he sprayed the 10 or so fire ant hills that seemed to pop up in the last week. Those little buggers hurt like hell and they make me blister.

Tomorrow I wonder who else will visit. Will you? I will be looking out my window!?!

Pumpkin Carving

I now how I'm going to carve my pumpkin.

Squackle! The Funniest Site on the Net - Pictures

Putfile

Putfile - This Weeks Top 50 Videos

These are funny videos. I especially like the guy who won $110, 000 on the whammy show because he figured out the pattern for missing whammies.

Tampon Angels

I had to post this. This was too good to be true - another Christmas idea for a classroom.

Tampon Angel Pattern

Harriet Miers

If you would like to find out my about Harriet Miers, you may want to visit her blog.

Harriet Miers's Blog!!!

Bighead Photos

I hope you are all with me in joining these two groups:

Flickr: Photos from Rosie O'Donnell

groups.yahoo.com/group/smoothpits/

This last one is my new fetish. Licky, licky armpits !

Public Service Announcements

Here are some public service announcements you all may be interested in.

mychoice.ca Public Service Announcement :: Play Public Service Announcement

It's Getting Rainy

Thank goodness for the rain. It hasn't rained here for at least a month and I was tired of turning of the sprinklers. The rain back here is so much different because when it rains it really rains. The thunderstorms are beautiful. I've never experienced lightening and thunder like this. It's 5 am and the rain has been coming down all night. We have finally got to a point this season where we can keep the windows open to cool down the house. We could have earlier in the season but the humidity has been horrible. I love that feeling of getting of a hot, steamy shower and unable to dry off.

Not Feeling Well

The last couple of weeks have sucked. Last Tuesday I caught food poisoning when I stopped at a Sonic to get some reading done. I was so sick I had to cancel class the next morning. I eventually started feeling better around Saturday. Well guess what. I started coming down with a cold Sunday evening and now I feel sick with a cold.

It's Sunday and a New Week

Many of you obviously know I'm attending classes but most of you don't know what I do during the rest of the week. I may not be working full time but I'm keeping on my toes. Here is the 411 on what I do all week.

Monday - I take Emily to daycare then come home to read. At 11:00 I head over to Malisa's classroom to work with a little boy who is a struggling reader (he is also data for my Wednesday class). Next, I head over to the food court at our local mall where I become a participant observer in an ethnographic research project I'm doing for a Thursday class (I'm a participant because I eat lunch there. After I'm at the food court for an hour, I go home and write up my reflections on Malisa's class and my field notes on my observations of the food court. I read and do other pieces of homework until I go to bed around 2 am Tuesday morning.

Tuesday - I take Emily to daycare. I drive about 30 miles so I can supervise 4 student teachers. I start the morning by meeting in a small group in the library (research for my Saturday class). I observe them in their classroom until noon when I come home and study the rest of the day. Every other Tuesday I head over to The Center for Inquiry where I observe classrooms and one of my professors.

Wednesday - This is my long day. I teach an 8:30 to 11:00 class. I begin my office hours at 11:30 to 4:00. While in my office, I do homework, read, and read some more. I have class at 4:30 until 7:15. When I get home I eat, play with Emily, say hello to my wife, and read.

Thursday - I take Emily to daycare then come home to study and read. And then I eat lunch and study and read. Then I drive the half-hour commute to class at 4:30 and get out at 7:15. This is my class with all the educational psychologists. I don't like them.

Friday - I like this day. I take Emily to daycare then I come home to study and read. That's all.

Saturday - Do yard work and study and read. I also have class twice a month from 9 till 4:30. It's a long day.

Sunday - Go to church, go to lunch with family, do yard work, study, and read.

First Posting

It's currently 1 am and I'm trying to get this blog thing set up. I have felt somewhat guilty the last month of so because I have not done a good job connecting with everyone. Since blogs seem to be the "in" thing amongst everyone, I thought I would delete my old one and republish this new one. I'm at my computer A LOT so it's easier to take a break between readings to let everyone know how things are going. Hopefully my ramblings won't be too boring but may give you a glimpse into what's going in Irmo, SC.

The Johnsons at Fort Sumter

The Johnsons at Fort Sumter
Originally uploaded by puzzleco.

This is a little family portrait we took in front of Fort Sumter when Malisa's mom was in town.