It�s hard to fail�someone else, that is.
8:45 p.m.
It was another beautiful day, although not as warm as yesterday. I hung out yet another load of laundry (do you detect a trend here?), using the throw-everything-together-into-the-washing-machine method and the hope-like-hell-nothing-bleeds-on-your-white-blouse system. Nothing did. But upon arriving home later in the day from the university, I found my new blue jeans lying on the porch. They had fallen off the line and blown into the neighbour�s yard, been rescued and delivered to my front stoop. I�m not even sure which neighbour I should be thanking for this.
After a lengthy computer chat with one of my buddies this morning (who is experiencing an aching jaw and whom I sincerely hope gets this looked after soon, since dental problems are no fun at all), I started writing up my students� marks. This is a pretty lengthy process since I have to write individual comments for each one and make them relevant and intelligent sounding. The one who pissed me off with her tardiness and attitude got one that sounded like this:
It is very difficult for me to assess L.�s performance in this course. She was often late for her lessons with no real excuses and gave me the distinct impression that she really didn�t want to be there. By her own admission she would rather have been studying jazz singing, but coming into Bushop�s with no musical background whatsoever would have made this impossible. She has a very pretty voice and when she works, can produce a good sound and �put over� a song. Technically she did not improve much since she didn�t seem to see the point to it. Assigning a mark in this course is very subjective and I cannot separate L.�s attitude, no matter her apologies, from the progress, if any, that she actually made.
And then I gave her a failing grade. However, she did perform a very good jury, so she won�t fail. But the message is loud and clear, don�t you think? The rest of my students did very well. It�s always difficult, though, to find the exact right words to use in order to encourage while reminding them that they still have miles to go before they sleep.
Hubby and I leave for Calgary tomorrow, giving our children free reign of the house. Should I worry? Little Princess has already informed us that she plans on having a small party on Friday night. Let us hope that is exactly what it remains: a small party. Somehow, because we have nice things in our house, her friends think we are rich. They do not realize that the nice furniture in our living room was purchased in 1999, or that the art work on the walls is all by friends and family. Actually, the reason I went for that particular furniture is because it still looked really good in the store after being the display model for over a year. I will remind Hubby to put his musical instruments away, and remind Little Princess that any alcohol she serves her guests must not come from our own private stash. No one, but no one, is getting my Angostura special reserve rum!
I do not know if I�ll have internet access while I�m away, so be prepared to be Elganless for a few days. I shall miss you as well.
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