Exams and Thoughts

My workload for today is fairly labor intensive, but I am taking a bit of a break for a moment to post my array of thoughts as I take a brief break:

• Goals for today... finalize the writing of an exam for my course.  In this case, because it is needing to be given on-line... that takes considerably more effort.  I can, in a normal paper exam, get a good, strong exam together very swiftly after all these years.  But, the method of getting an exam with appropriate rigor into an electronic format.... takes (at least for me) about three time longer because of all the fussy little details of how an exam has to be written within the online format.  One of the major fussy aspects is the huge number of mouse clicks that each and every question requires.  I have used a mouse for decades of course, but in this electronic environment for an electronic exam... I estimate that I have to use my mouse about 8-10 times for EACH question.  Typing out the question in a normal word processor is much faster and easier and I need a much more modest "mouse" usage per question (perhaps one time or less per question).  Mouse usage really slows down the process, as if I only need to use a keyboard, I touch type well enough that do not have to keep shifting my focus.  But, each mouse click a) takes my hand away from the keyboard, and b) requires a different, slower type of focus. 

• Father's Day was pleasant with all my kids and my wife and I having a very pleasant day together.  As has become a bit of a tradition, we ended up having a relatively traditional "Thanksgiving" style dinner together... as the foods are a favorite of everyone (even the specific two of my kids who are vegetarian really like this, as we make everything OTHER than the turkey and turkey gravy itself, vegetarian).  We had besides turkey and turkey gravy, vegetarian gravy, baked, spicy mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole,  vegetarian stuffing, rolls, cranberries.  Instead of pumpkin pie though for dessert (I had made that last week), we had a chocolate angel food cake with strawberries that I made instead.

• I had taken flowers to the cemetery on Saturday, and spent some time at my father's grave and at my father-in-law's grave.  I wanted to have a pipe while I sat there at each grave thinking about each of them.  I miss both of them a great deal.  I also felt a mixture of emotions about my NOT smoking a pipe then... some sense of resentment that I did not know if I should have done so, since it felt appropriate to do so, but I was not sure about if I was just thinking about doing so just because of my own selfish wanting to do so, some of my emotions were sad that I could not simply smoke there as I had always done, and instead it now had to be a "debate" internally about whether or not to do so.... it wasn't just a natural behavioral response.  I will be going to collect the flowers later this afternoon, most likely... if they have not been a victim of someone's "five-finger-discount".  I will then replant them around somewhere for use at the house like I did for the Mother's Day flowers and the Memorial Day flowers.  

• In the late evening, I pulled out a variety of photos of my Dad all the way from his time of service in World War II, to later in life.  I see more physical aspects in myself now from my Father's images than I used to.  It seems when I was younger, that I tended to favor more many of the facial features of my Mother's side of the family.  Now in old age, it seems to me I just did not notice the finer details... and my own appearance is much more of a truly even split between both sides of my family.  

• I got up especially early to run today (5:05am) because I decided I had damn well better run my "big run" for June this morning.  So, I did my 13.1 mile run (21km run) this morning.  I was able to finish 1 minute and 30 seconds beyond two hours.... so I was pretty comfortable with that.  I am glad it is done for June.  I was worried, because I typically like to run this "big run" on a Monday because I tend to have more energy.... and there is only ONE other Monday left in June... I did not want to chance waiting and having it have rough weather. 

• Enough of my rapid-fire spewing of thoughts for today.  I have to get back to the damn exam.  

PipeTobacco