Odds and Ends Thursday 71

I was up until 3 a.m. Monday night/ Tuesday morning grading exams. I managed to finish all my year 13s and then fought off sleep grading my year 12s’ multiple choice. It was the kind of deal where I was falling asleep in the middle of moving my pen back and forth across the page. But by 4th period Tuesday they were ready to be handed back, and just like that, the second to last big hump of my Peace Corps experience was over. Here are some other odds and ends from the week:

• Okay, maybe it’s a little too hopeful to think that there’s only one big ungodly effort left before December, but I think I’m just happy to be done with the slideshow and the exam-marking and the school magazine (knock on wood).
  
• Happy birthday, Jen!
  
• Why the knocking on wood? Well after the printing company delivered the proofs last Friday, my pule decided he had a slew of content changes he wanted to make. Proofs are only for checking color and margin size! The magazine was finished already! Let sleeping dogs lie!
  
• I made his changes. We re-submitted the magazine Wednesday. We should have new proofs early next week.
  
• It’s getting to be that time of year again where I lament the fact I didn’t start planning my Halloween costume a week or two earlier. Oh well. I found this one on the Mental Floss website. I really like it, but I’m not sure I could find orange tights or a cottontail in Samoa.
  
• I’ve started listening to The Beatles’ Let It Be re-release, “Let It Be... Naked” a lot recently. I never found the original very approachable, but this new version has grown on me. Kinda funny because I got the “Naked” album as a Secret Santa gift for Christmas 2003, and it’s taken these 7 years for me to really get into it.
  
• Most annoying development in months: somehow the device driver software for my touchpad disappeared. My computer won’t acknowledge the factory touchpad. Now, if the touchpad simply stopped working I could get an external mouse, and the problem would be solved. But instead the touchpad does work, but now I can’t disable one-touch clicking. So now I keep inadvertently bumping it while I’m typing, and I end up clicking somewhere else on the screen. And since the software is gone, there’s nothing I can do to disable that. It’s effing obnoxious.
  
• The sāsā we performed at the 83 Welcome Fiafia was the worst sāsā I’ve been a part of in my 2 years. This is sad because it’s most likely the last time I will sāsā. Oh well.
  
• So how about my San Francisco Giants? Sure, they lost tonight, but who’d have thought they’d get this far in the post-season? I’m just sad I can’t watch. If they make it to the World Series, so help me God, I’ll find a way. It will be difficult, but not impossible, I think.
  
• Here are the best answers from my Year 12 and 13 final exams:
  • What does ASCII stand for?
    American Standard Code for Interchuch Information
    
    
  • What does WYSIWYG stand for?
    Word Software Input War (sounds menacing, ay?)
    
    
  • Why is it good to use a spreadsheet program rather than pencil and paper?
    You dont have to waste your time by doing on paper and it good because the computer knows everything
    
    
  • Question unknown.
    Microsoft Bublisher.

That’s all I got for this week. I hope you’re well. Pictures below.

This afternoon I was on a panel to discuss teaching in Samoa as part of group 83's training. This picture, along with the next 2, is group 83 from my vantage point. Left to right: APCD Kellye, Interim Peace Corps Trainer Jamie, Sarah, Samantha, Olivia, Jenny, Lindsay.

Left to right: Katie, Rivka, OtherMike, Danny, Pat, Natalie, Chris.

Left to right: Chelsea, Rob, Mike, Devon, Rachael, Dave, Karen.  Nancy was sitting right next to Chelsea out of the camera's frame.  Sorry, Nancy.

This was the sky off the balcony of the Pasefika Inn this afternoon. Samoan skies are breathtaking. 2 years later, I can't help taking pictures of blue sky and clouds. I think the rusty corrugated roofs also caught my eye.