1. Tetris Discussions Were Held

Damon explained some of the algo-thingies behind the Battle Tetris programme. It was interesting. It may help my game.

2. Walks were Had

Me and Mishell had our fifth Sunday walk in a row. We are determined! This time we went from Seatoun 'round to Scorchorama and beyond, along the precarious verges of the road. We estimate 4.5km each way for a total of one and half hours. It's always a bit further than we anticipate. We blame our agility and speed of walking.

In theory it would be pretty cool to walk around every single coast-line in the Wellington City region (the ones with footpaths, anyhow). We have done both sides of Island Bay now (from Red Rocks to Lyall Bay), from Freyberg Pool around to almost Greta Point and now Seatoun.

Coming up may be a walk from Miramar to the new Chocolate Fish, so we can finish up the Maupuia coast.

It is a good mission! And today was a lovely walking day. While it threatened to rain city-way with big looming clouds, Seatoun was glorious and sunny with blue skies. A good strategic choice! We think we identified Peter Jackson's house.

3. Hush

I got some black Hush Puppies court shoes. I like saying I have 'court shoes'. It sounds American. I figure with my newly tight Archilles tendons I should buy sensible brands of work-wear shoes, but I will not go down to Kumfs. Not yet.

4. American Idol

Bleh. All the good people are gone.

5. Labour

I like the new slogans. 'Don't blame me - I voted Labour'. I feel like I've been saying it for almost six years now.

My So-Called Life is still so good. Thanks to Rich for lending it to me.

Though we both find we associate more with the parents now than we used to. Teens are so wild and crazy!

Jordan Catalano is still so hot. So very very vacant, but very hot. I think most teenagers have that boy with the floppy hair that we found so so cute. The quiet mysterious guy.

I still have a soft spot for Brian too.

And the Mum is great.

Good times!

* * *

Me and Miss Shellvis went for our FOURTH walk in a row. We're doing a very good job of not piking.

Today

1. I marked six essays and recorded the grades on google docs. I am a google docs convert - they're useful.

2. I visited the Asian supermarket and went a bit crazy on miso soup packets and husked sunflower seeds. Miso is going to be my work-snack of the season.

3. I told two kids off about shoes. High top sneakers, even if they ARE black and they ARE leather.... do not count as school shoes. And she knows it! (Yes - I am THAT teacher! With my form class, anyhow.)

4. I threw a paper dart in a competition and came the closest to winning.

5. I watched Mean Girls at least twice. But only the first 53 minutes or so. On none of those occasions did I realise that the annoying girl from Party of Five was in it (the theme song for which, incidentally, was one of the questions at the movie quiz).

6. I wished Shortland St wasn't two hours (I don't care about the evil plot to oust Callum or Murray's affair - bleh to both plots!).

7. I came THIS CLOSE to buying $1 Wendy's ice creams off an Internet site.

8. I sat patiently with my Asperger's girl and discouraged her from writing an essay mainly about alliteration and rhyme.

9. I wore my cowboy/peasant shirt.

10. I ate weevil-muesli.

11. I talked about the Osama thing with people at lunch time. Good philosophical arguments were had. Was it ok to kill an unarmed man rather than take him into custody? Did it make it a special case in that it was fairly certain future loss of life could be avoided by taking him out immediately? Was it that act or the celebratory coverage of his death that was more concerning? Etc.

12. I came 6th equal out of 13 teams at movie quiz. Only 5 points off a placing - not bad for a small team of all-girls. Did I mention my dart? And the fact that I knew Eric Clapton's nickname?

And that was pretty much my day.

The end.

And I played some Battle Tetris to make my brain quiet.

Typo with Consequences

Yesterday my students had a big assignment due in, worth credits.

I had a student email me during the day saying 'All the work I did this morning didn't save! Can I have until tomorrow night to finish it please?'

I chuckled to myself in a Jabba the Hutt kinda way, good try, kid! I emailed back, 'You only lost an hour or so's work - you will have to hand in what you've done and maybe resubmit later. I can't give you a day and a half extension for losing an hour's work.'

She didn't hand anything in, so I figured she'd given up and hadn't really had enough work - her problem, given they've had a month to think about it.

Then today she emails me 'Oh thanks so much Miss!'

And I go, 'Huh? Thanks for what?'

I reread the email and instead of typing CAN'T, I'd written CAN. Oops! So it said 'You can have a day and a half extension.' Didn't really make sense in the context of the other stuff I'd written.... but I can't really argue her handing it in today....

FOILED! Damned internet. Had she asked me face to face my 'NO' would have been much clearer. Now I have to accept her late work - that hurts my badass teacher pride.

Next time a kid sends me a last minute email like that I will just type 'NO NO NO!' Much clearer.