C.H.A.O.S.

Frau Hundlnator ferets out underpinnings of CHAOS, Harvard University, October, 2005

Ah, the first day of the new semester is behind me and my desk at home is already a-clutter! In fact, I haven't even really unpacked from my trip to the PacNW yet. Tres unusual, as unpacking is usually one way to feel like I'm getting back into the swing of things. It's like laundry: a pain to do because of the several steps involved but oh-so satisfying when the end result is reached. In double fact, I fear a mild case of so-called CHAOS: the Can't Have People Over Syndrome, as I'd be too embarassed to have you over for coffee for fear of all my c.rap lying about.

Really, I'm trying to keep My Own Work at home and My Class I Teach Work at the office, in attempt to minimize misplacing papers, articles, books, what have you but...who knows. I often find myself taking a moment to relfect on how I organize grad school materials, and reading materials in general and honestly find the whole thing a baffling mystery for the ages: I think I used to be way more anal about keeping things in their right folders, using colored pens with taking notes, keeping it neat 'n clean, etc., and have now resorted to putting everything in one notebook thingie and keeping more electronic records than before. What I'm thinking (stative progressive form for Malfeasance, bitte schön!) is that perhpas I used to keep things organized more for appearances, whereas now my work really counts as real, new work and it's up to me to get it done (git 'er DONE!) without anyone necessarily knowing how I got from point A to B. Does that make sense? If that is not an area ripe for research on tool use and higher forms of consciousness (e.g. shifts in trends of note-taking aparati used, coupled with internalization of material read in todo, in line with how understanding of topics, ergo learning, grows more robust diachronically), I don't know what you're waiting for.

On another note, Most Interesting strangely warm temps here today in the Borough, and so far my class seems hip. I had a printing mishap so just swaggered in and did my "I might be your friend if you work your a** off in this class and as long as you laugh at my jokes" mode and did quick intro session. Ah, for tomorrow they get The Dense Syllabus, including three pages of my instructor policies including my goals for the course and what it will and will not be. Might was well be straightforward on these things; I have to think that in the end it works out best for everyone. And I got that "damn I love teaching!" vibe today, which is always Most Excellent. Even when I start to scream about sloppy conjugations and careless spelling and atrocious pronunciation.

Since I'm not teaching in the early AM per my usual routine, I felt like I was playing hooky (hookie? hookey? hookah? wait, are those legal? I don't know but somehow I brought one home from Tunisia that one time...) this morning and it was Most Weird. But hopefully this will mean: more time for my OWN DA*** WORK!

Happy beginning of the week to all and may things go super well for each and every one of us.