Kevin's Watch

Well, for me, this past Monday came with some trepidation, some excitement.
It was the first day of math camp. (3 hours of class each morning)
I am kind of delighted.
I have an extremely small class, which is just right for me.

The joy of teaching is mixed with some stress and shame from when I avoid doing the planning I need to... but, overall, it's good.
just two more days. must finish the race with strength.

Math camp? Like...math while camping? You guys are weird.

Thursday...wow...where did the week go? On the plus side, massage treatment day at work. On the downside...work...

--A

Thursday! The day before the best work day of the week.

Let's just call it Friday Eve.

Avatar wrote:Math camp? Like...math while camping? You guys are weird.

Nah, the generalization of what kinds of summer activities count as a "camp" for kids just keeps getting more and more distant from the original idea of:
"A bunch of kids all get together and stay at a campground, being outdoors a lot every day in a place away from home, thereby forming a temporary community which is different from any other they have been a part of."

This one mostly just has the "in a place away from home, thereby forming a temporary community which is different from any other they have been a part of" part.

As far as math while camping, hmmm... I think I'm bad at camping, and I would get somewhat tired using a clipboard instead of a desk.

I like camping, but not at this time of year. Too hot and crowded. But then, I like camping in the rain, which apparently makes me weird. The person who told me that should have already known that, but whatever.

In the words of Lord Baden Powell, "Any ass can camp in fine weather. The rain reveals the true Scout."

Hmmm, I'm ambivalent about it. The GF pretty much hates it. I grew up doing it though, so while it's not my favourite thing on earth to do, I can do it if the need arises. (And pretty minimalistically at that. )

--A

ok, this is a plant rant

First of all, WHERE THE HELL ARE BEES? Most of zucchini went unfertilized this year. The ones that were fertilized have a weird shape. So I looked it up and I did not know that a flower has to be fertilized dozens of times. So I had tried hand fertilizing them but it didn't work. Also my male flowers came to bloom way before the females. (typical male). Anyway I am getting some zucchini the are huge in the middle and unfertilized and dying at the flower end. I didn't spray and have lived in mosquito heaven for a month. (I spray with garlic oil or peppermint extract and don't spray the veggies.

Next my tomato plants have lost their mind and gone way out of control. Again, the yield isn't happening because of the missing bees. Its like they are literally reaching out with their flowers to attract the bees.

Lastly, I bought some organic potting soil and repotted my houseplants a month ago. Top notch soil the gnats just love almost as much as biting my legs. I looked at the soil in all my plants and it a squirming mass of gnats. I tried everything and so they are not living inside for a while. According to my research I have to immerse the plants in a bucket of lightly soapy water. the repot them into new pots. I was chewed up so badly last night I had to wear socks soaked in rubbing alcohol and take a sleeping pill.

Anyway, rant completed. I am thinking of putting in a hive on the property. But hopefully I will get out of here before next summer.

Sorus wrote:I like camping, but not at this time of year. Too hot and crowded. But then, I like camping in the rain, which apparently makes me weird. The person who told me that should have already known that, but whatever.

I love camping but the last time I went camping one of my fellow campers got up in the morning and said "This is the first time I've camped and wasn't scared of a bear attack. You snored so loud you scared every predator and bird for miles in any direction"

Jenn is a bee guru, but she's been MIA.

I don't know much about keeping or attracting bees. (Maybe planting some specifically bee-friendly flowers?) I do try to support the local bee folks around here, and their website does have some references and whatnot.

lorin wrote: I love camping but the last time I went camping one of my fellow campers got up in the morning and said "This is the first time I've camped and wasn't scared of a bear attack. You snored so loud you scared every predator and bird for miles in any direction"

Never really worried about bears - though that may have been a bit naive; I have seen signs of them while hiking, but never around a campsite. Was raided by raccoons once, even after taking precautions - the little monsters are persistent. And my all-time favorite, which involved me asking my camping partner if there were any moths in the outhouse. They assured me that the outhouse was 100% moth-free. I knew this was a lie, but I was not prepared for the sheer number and size of moths. I might have preferred a bear. Aforementioned camping partner found a lizard in their sleeping bag that night. No idea how it got in the tent.

Good times. Unfortunately they have moved across the map, and my only local-ish friend who enjoys camping has decided they are too old to sleep on the ground. So that leaves me solo, which has less appeal, and these days I would worry more about two-legged dangers than anything with 4-6-8 legs.

Sorus wrote:...And my all-time favorite, which involved me asking my camping partner if there were any moths in the outhouse. They assured me that the outhouse was 100% moth-free. I knew this was a lie, but I was not prepared for the sheer number and size of moths. I might have preferred a bear...

A-ha! So that is the moth story.
Or maybe your revulsion at moths goes back before it...

Oh. Yeah. What you said made me realize... I probably can't camp at this point.
I have this problem where nowadays if I lie down on a hard floor, the muscles in my back will just seize up on me.

Anyway, we seem to be on a roll with gross descriptions of insect and spider infestations and such, guys!
Ahhh - the squirming mass of gnats in your plant-pots, lorin!
My mind's eye - it's been scalded! (though I guess at first I imagined it as a mass of larvae rather than little flying things.)

I've had a good day today.
Math camp ended on a great note yesterday, and I'm really feeling euphoric to have my time freed to do other things. (including hangin' out talkin' to you guys.)
And I have begun!

Also - the plan is for me to teach the boys creative writing in homeschool starting in fall!
I am super-excited & looking forward to it.

Linna Heartlistener wrote:A-ha! So that is the moth story.
Or maybe your revulsion at moths goes back before it...

Nah, I have never liked moths. And they knew that. Hence the lizard-based revenge, which wasn't really adequate as they didn't have any lizard-based phobias. Still not sure if they got me back for that - I came home with a Very Large Insect - probably a beetle of some type, which was discovered by one of my cats, who stood across the room from it with his hair on end, making chattering noises. He wouldn't go near it, but he felt it was his duty to alert me so I could deal with it. City cats.

Mine try to eat anything that moves. And I don't worry about moths until they get about sparrow sized.

Well, weekend over.

Get the feeling this is going to be a rough week at work. Damn clients.

--A

Avatar wrote: And I don't worry about moths until they get about sparrow sized.

I knew I was going to regret starting this conversation.

Hahaha, I have photo's if you want...

I was right about the week too, and it's only Tuesday.

Meh.

--A

Tuesday...you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Avatar wrote:Hahaha, I have photo's if you want...

Do. Not. Want.

aTOMiC wrote:Tuesday...you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

I'll see that and raise you - Tuesday... It's hot and humid and I'm working in a warehouse with no AC and my coworker is running a space heater. A space heater. In July.

spoiler alert......whine ahead.

My pain level is so high. And my medication insurance is exhausted. I have to come out of pocket, somewhere around 2000 a month. I hate this country sometimes.

Tomorrow I go to have my sciatic nerve fried and killed. Lasts six months. This is the 11th time going under anesthesia this year. One day I won't wake up. Not a bad way to go.

Would you like some cheese with that whine?

Seriously though, that sucks. And yeah, if you gotta go, that's one of the best ways. (The other good way being late. ) That was how my mom died...still under anaesthetic.

Wednesday and the week is just refusing to get better. And it's cold. (ish anyway...actually been one of the mildest winters I can remember...summer will probably be a killer.)

--A

What I wouldn't give for a nice Winter right now, Av.

Sorry to hear what you are going through, lorin. I hope you get through it all with a minimum of discomfort. I agree about prescription costs being unmanageable. Ugh.

Wednesday. What the hell can I say about Wednesday that will make any of you or myself feel better about it? Unless of course you are retired, are independently wealthy or absolutely love your job in which case you already feel just fine.

Sorry, Lorin. Nerve-frying sounds horrifying, but I hope it went well.