Maybe paddles are overrated?
hings used to semi-work out for me. And I recognized that it was not by pure luck. And certainly not by any skewed notion of “fate” or “destiny,” neither of which holds much weight in my mind. I worked for stuff, and I like to think I did my work quite well. In the past year or two, however, my health has prevented me from working quite as well. Or even near to “quite as well.” And, unfortunately, things no longer seem to be semi-working out for me. Or even EVER working out for me.
For instance, yesterday morning I received a school-related email that, briefly translated, proclaimed the following:
WELCOME TO SH*T CREEK! (paddle ferociously, but at your own risk.)
PS) Paddles not provided.
So… that was fun.
And today marked the first day of the spring semester. It unfolded as first days usually do: a couple absences, a couple droopy eyelids, the token late dude with The Best of Bass Volume 1 pumping through his ear buds, the usual brown-noser (horrible expression — where the F did that come from? Must research.) who’s already committed the entire syllabus and first poem to memory thanks to course website technology, the token athlete who spritely raised her hand as I discussed “Attendance” to tell me that her Lacrosse coach would be getting in touch with me about games/absences… I guess what I’m trying to say is that there were no surprises. Today was so utterly, completely, unfailingly a First Day of Class… kind of disappointing, really. I’m teaching from 1-2 this semester, a time slot that has generally been targeted throughout academic circles as the worst for teaching/learning, what with the post-lunch food/friend coma setting in. I have a friend/colleague who literally chucks an eraser at a student’s head if s/he appears to be slipping off to Sleepy Town. Tempting as this well-reasoned pedagogical method is, I decided against it. For today.
So… that’s fun.
Oh, potentially good news, though: remember my anti-Aetna pog from last week? Well, I came across a lovely little tidbit of contradictory information on our university’s health services website that I feel may help my case, and which compelled me to write a letter to our health services director. Dr.Mr.HealthServicesDirector promptly and impressively replied to my message, and his assistant then set up a meeting so that Dr.Mr.HealthServicesDirector and I can discuss the matter in person next week. Also, he said that he was going to contact our university’s Aetna representative. So… while I realize that Dr.Mr.HealthServicesDirector is not the Aetna Angel of Granting Coverage, I am still hopeful that maybe, just maybe, something can be altered here, so that our university’s students receive the health care and coverage they deserve.
So… there’s that.
In closing, did you all hear about the white supremacist family in New Jersey who got a lot of flack (and media attention) a couple months ago after a local bakery refused to decorate a cake for their 3-year-old son, little Adolf Hitler Campbell? Well, apparently, little Adolf and his two sisters JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell, were taken into NJ state custody today. Check out the story and pics HERE.
Eeee. Crossing my fingers for you.
And for poor little Adolf Hitler. I hope that kid gets a second chance.
Thanks, Keely. And I know, poor little Adolf…
Also, SO don’t want to kick the crap out of you for pogging about celebrity stuff. I still enjoy your snark and, hehe, ‘making rip of them’, I’m just not 100% on who you’re talking about half the time
When I had my share of issues with Aetna (see a comment below), I did the same thing: I went to my school director of Student Health or something, and she put me in touch with our Aetna representative. He was VERY nice and helpful and only thanks to him did we FINALLY get all the bills figured out! So good luck, it could really work!
That’s promising, thanks! I’ll keep you posted… we’ll see!