Winter Break has begun.
Christmas is in the countdown (single digits away).
New Years, not far behind.
Classes resume in about a month.
What are your plans?
We looked into driving to My Parents' house (an 1100 mile drive), but I have to finish some work to get my spring classes ready for Blackboard, and they prefer that the entire class is ready on day one (They being the students, and me too, as I dont often have time to deal with problems in the middle of the mini term). So we have delayed leaving until those tasks are finished.
Recently looked to flying instead, and as we have points, we decided that we would drive 250 miles to the BIG CITY airport. From there it is a direct flight, with few point requirements. Unfortunately, car rental prices are now about $100 a day!!
Not too much a problem as my parents can pick us up from the airport and we really wont need a car for much while there.
We will stay until the first week of January, and then we have to be back on campus for 'joyful meetings' about the 10th.
So we will be with Family from 12/21 to Jan 1 when most leave, and then til 1/5 with my parents.
What are YOUR plans?
Any fun New Year's plans?
How far will you travel?
How many people will be included with the biggest gathering?
Our campus was scheduled to close December 24th, but the President just made the 23rd the start of the holiday. I'm definitely looking forward to the week and a half off — my calendar is already filling up starting January 3rd. I'll use the downtime to relax and to visit with friends. I expect the biggest crowds I'll see will be horses or cats!
Traveling northeastward on Christmas Eve, so keeping an eye on the weather because of the forecast for next week.
It's a 230-ish mile drive one way, mostly interstate. Other than that, I'm looking forward to the usual good company, good food, Christmas Eve service, and other Christmas-related festivities. I'm taking along multiple desserts none of which I have to cook.
I like to stay home on New Year's Eve, especially here in the city. Pre-pandemic, one of the conservation organizations would host a walk in the wildlife refuge, following which we would be treated to good food and wine/champagne. This year, the walk is on, but we've been advised to bring along snacks and drinks. The person who used to lead this organization is now in his eighties, so the new leadership most likely is unable or unwilling to use personal resources for this event. The local outdoors/hiking organizations have walks, but I'm not registering for anything unless the weather is tolerable. There's always my local (15 minute drive) peaceful nature preserve, where I like to walk and also birdwatch.
Just planning to go home and spend some time with my parents. I should be able to have a four-day weekend, as at Thanksgiving. And the forecast is actually looking like real, honest-to-goodness winter weather! Probably no winter precipitation (just as well), but the extended forecast calls from next Friday to stay below freezing all day--nearly unheard-of around here any more--and the next couple of days not much warmer. A Christmas that feels like winter! Haven't been having those much lately.
Staying home alone, avoiding a day's trip to NYC and a hotel stay for a two-hour (all I can stand for something that goes on and on) Eve party in Brooklyn. Nice people (near family), nice food, but all that angst (think the horror of home-wending LIRR) and I'll buckle down, solo.
Leaving Monday for 10 days in southern Arizona with grandmother (turning 95!) and parents (who are already down there and staying for month this year to spend more time with grandma). Looking forward to sun, hiking, too many sweets, and trying not to work too much (though I will have some PhD admissions committee work to do and a few other things that can't wait).
The holidays themselves will be local-ish; looking forward to spending some time with family I see only a few times a year. Also heading out for a few days to do some hiking in a place that should be warmer than this one. The rest is grading and course prep.
I am staying home this season, absolutely no travel, yay!
For the past many many years, I have traveled to (very faraway home place) twice a year, with children in tow in the earlier years but by myself in recent years, to be with my aging parents.
At the end of last year's holiday season, one parent left us. I took FMLA over the Fall to spend time with the other parent. So no traveling now. Just preparing feverishly for the Spring semester.
But so grateful not to be traveling now.
Getting a 4 day weekend for Christmas too! Staying local too.
Smolt has Covid, our remodeling is done, so we will stay home and I will put our word back together.
Which is exactly what I want.
Visiting family as I type. Going home tomorrow and then hanging out there through Christmas day. Will take a short road trip with my wife between Christmas and New Years to visit some wineries a couple of hours away.
Flying out to visit in-laws, it's been five years since we were there for Christmas. We normally go visit them during summer but we wanted to have a summer vacation to ourselves this year.
Driving 1100 miles to spend a few day's with brother's family in SC, then back to finish a paper. Looking forward to seeing family, but the paper is at that almost ready to submit stage that makes me want it done and gone.
My 1100 mile drive was substituted for a 250 mile drive and 2 airline tickets on credit card points.
I have spent most of the day glued to a chair (a nice lazy boy chair, but still a chair!). I have been trying to get one of my Spring classes Blackboard page redone. The book changed. They didnt just 'update' the chapters, but hacked, shuffled, and redid several of them! And then I changed from a base of 10 modules to 7, so that each module is 3 chapters and will be easier to deal with in either a 7 or 14 week term.
I have not started on the multiple choice issues and the exams, that will have to wait until at least Monday.
The support for this text and publisher is not what most are used to. There is a test bank, I think, but it is in word format and I will have to use Respondus to get the questions in a format to use in Blackboard, and that requires a lot of work to do first. Then I will have to adjust the questions, as I am sure that they are all published by Check or Course Hero or someone online.
I hope that I can get some progress done on it Monday, but I may have to take it with me and work on it at my parents' house a few hours a day until it is done.
I have a book due to the publisher on December 31. The publisher has already sent three threatening emails about what will happen if the book is not in on time. It will spell the end of civilization, apparently. But I want the book to be in on time as much as the publisher does, because I don't want it hanging around my neck when the new semester starts. I have about 4500 words to go. (I can't cut the last bit because it needs to cover certain topics, and one of the most important topics has not yet been covered.) I will probably get it in by the deadline, but a lot of misery will be involved.
All the best for meeting your deadline, Hegemony! We are now all interested in the upholding (or whatever the opposite of downfall is) of human civilization and so are cheering you on.
I am working on the Syllabus from Hades for Spring 2023. Yes, I knew all Fall semester and could have done bits earlier but procrastination delivers immediate benefits as vs longer term uncertainties.
I need to get it done by around Jan 1st and uploaded by the early part of the first week of January, in time for classes to start. Lots of digging through readings, finding relevant links, on and on and on, right now.
Yesterday, Google released a list of most popular Christmas cookies by state:
https://wtop.com/local/2022/12/google-reveals-most-popular-christmas-cookies-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/ (https://wtop.com/local/2022/12/google-reveals-most-popular-christmas-cookies-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/)
Posted on WTOP 12/16/22
Enjoy!
Quote from: hmaria1609 on December 17, 2022, 07:33:27 PM
Yesterday, Google released a list of most popular Christmas cookies by state:
https://wtop.com/local/2022/12/google-reveals-most-popular-christmas-cookies-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/ (https://wtop.com/local/2022/12/google-reveals-most-popular-christmas-cookies-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/)
Posted on WTOP 12/16/22
Enjoy!
Gingerbread is always nice (especially if made with candied & fresh ginger), but I'm shocked that there is no shortbread on the list.
Quote from: hmaria1609 on December 17, 2022, 07:33:27 PM
Yesterday, Google released a list of most popular Christmas cookies by state:
https://wtop.com/local/2022/12/google-reveals-most-popular-christmas-cookies-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/ (https://wtop.com/local/2022/12/google-reveals-most-popular-christmas-cookies-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/)
Posted on WTOP 12/16/22
Enjoy!
Ooooo! There are some good ideas here. :)
In the office today. I hope for the last time this year!
i wont finish my work, but I do hope to be done with the office. I hope to have all of the things I need to take to my parents' house with me so that I can make the trip.
I wont make the goal of being 100% done before departure, but I am at least able to go.
Im dealing with a new text and that means a new blackboard page and exams. What I did not know what that the old publisher was taken over and my primary contact 'left the firm'. Ive emailed the new (temporary) person my questions and hope that they get back to me soon. Hopefully, even if they can not do what I need done now, I wont have to revamp the class again before I retire! The last edition went for almost 4 years before I finally had to switch to the new one. (I dont see myself working here in December 2026. Not that I wont be, but I can not now picture it!)
I have a paper to read one last time to make sure that my edits are all done correctly, and I have to do some other 'tricks' with McGraw Hill as they no longer send the test cartriges for blackboard. So that means more work on my end, and I dont have the time for lazy work just now. I can do it when my relatives decide to talk politics or watch 'faux news' and such. There house is bigger than mine, so there are rooms I can hide in for a while.
How are your plans coming along?
Quote from: hmaria1609 on December 17, 2022, 07:33:27 PM
Yesterday, Google released a list of most popular Christmas cookies by state:
https://wtop.com/local/2022/12/google-reveals-most-popular-christmas-cookies-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/ (https://wtop.com/local/2022/12/google-reveals-most-popular-christmas-cookies-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/)
Posted on WTOP 12/16/22
Enjoy!
So "kitchen sink" cookies are the most popular in our state? Never heard that term before. I had to look it up. Variations on that recipe are definitely popular around here. I also rather like the peanut butter blossoms that are apparently a big deal up around the Great Lakes region.
Quote from: hmaria1609 on December 17, 2022, 07:33:27 PM
Yesterday, Google released a list of most popular Christmas cookies by state:
https://wtop.com/local/2022/12/google-reveals-most-popular-christmas-cookies-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/ (https://wtop.com/local/2022/12/google-reveals-most-popular-christmas-cookies-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/)
Posted on WTOP 12/16/22
Enjoy!
There are some data cleaning issues here related to regional name variations-- "Snowballs", "Mexican Christmas cookies' and "Mexican wedding cookies" are all the same thing (the shortbread balls with nuts that are then rolled in powdered sugar). Their popularity is being masked here! (And now I really want some. .. )
Getting ready to make Portuguese meringues: toasted almonds and lemon zest mixed into the egg whites. Incredibly simple and heavenly.
Finally got the last present, so time to wrap. Son is getting a wok, so maybe just a ribbon on that one.
I hope everyone stays warm and safe!
In Florida the next week, and we are hearing Falling Iguana Warnings!
(Chicken of the Tree!)
I did not realize how easy it is to make 'fudge' in the microwave using chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract (homemade). I goofed on another bit of melted chocolate- it seized since I added an extract just to the chocolate. So, it has become an impromptu 'truffle.'
News had a 2 minute discussion on the Jan 6 committee recommendations.
Just sat through a 5 minute rebuttal by my brother and parents.
Merry Christmas to all! Good luck to everyone!
I guess that every family has a crazy uncle and I guess that job has fallen to me! Crazy, of course, is a relative concept (though so is 'uncle'!!)
I'm... pet-sitting in the US. Which is especially weird considering that we have pets of our own which need sitting. But sometimes you do something your spouse is keen on doing because they're keen on doing it. Shrug.
I plan to carve out a little more time than usual for reading fiction, and get a small pile of work done.
On my 4 day Christmas weekend from the library!
Brought home books from the library and plan to watch a Christmas movie or two on Kanopy