Footsore and Weary

I had forgotten how much I hurt after a day teaching.

It's my feet, mostly. Investing in the Danskos a couple of years ago was a good idea; I no longer go home with lower back pain. My throat is a little strained, but I am always hoarse after the first few days of using the Teacher Voice, and by the end of the second week, I will have adjusted. It seems, though, that no matter how good my shoes or anything else, that I can only stand on that tile so long before I become footsore.

The Viking brought me roses yesterday because it was the first day of classes. Bless him, he was so proud of himself for remembering.

The seniors are already checked out mentally, which is going to make for a long term with them. The freshpeople are sweet but utter airheads (well, they're 14 and it goes with the territory). The juniors are looking promising at the moment. They're taking notes and paying attention. The big blond kid who sits near the back started to light up when I read them some Beowulf in Anglo-Saxon today.

(I'm not really an Anglo-Saxonist; I remember enough of the phonetics to make Beowulf sound convincing, and I shamelessly cribbed a lesson plan involving Caedmon's Hymn from one of my college professors, but of course it's more of the language than any of them ever heard before, and they think it sounds great. Just wait until we get to Chaucer and Robert Henryson).

The Viking just phoned -- apparently he took some homemade jerky to work with him back before Pennsic and shared it around with his coworkers, who are clamouring for more. He has orders for several pounds' worth from some of them. Guess I know what I'm doing this weekend ...

verso - recto