Getting into that work grove...

Okay, a quick recap.

Thursday (last week)- Night class that turned into a Professional Development. We went as a group to see Raef something or other talk about his experiences as a teacher. His book is called Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire. The man sacrifices every moment of every day for his kids. While it is laudable that he is so dedicated, it came out that he has health problems from lack of sleep. I think we should take what the man says with a grain of salt. Temper the positives of his style with a healthy bit of balance.

Friday- Went to Carino's after dropping by the Maternity Store in Hamburg. As a treat, Ellice let me go by Collectibles to buy some miniatures. Hey, the system works.

Saturday- D and D (another fun-filled session), cleaned for Ellice's coffee on Sunday, and UK basketball game (football had a bye, thank goodness). UK wins the exhibition over Seattle 82-63.

Sunday- Church. My parents sat somewhere different and I couldn't stand it. After five minutes, I had to move back to our normal seats. I admit it, I have problems. Lunch at Subway with Joel and Sonya. Ellice hosted her coffee, and I slept for 2 hours. Amazingly enough, there were about 20 people in our "cozy" apartment. After that, we went to Walmart for groceries. We manage to pack in a large amount of stuff each day, or so it seems to me.

Monday- Work, KFC, walk. Yes, you see a pattern. With our adjusted schedules and Ellice's pregnancy we are worn out and eating out a lot.

Tuesday- Chalk up another Volleyball win. Everyone played well, and most importantly, played well together. Ellice was on fire, putting the ball exactly where Aaron and I needed it every time, and she nailed all her serves. The three of us in a row is a good lineup. UK starts the 2k classic, an early season tournament with a victory over Central Arkansas 67-40.

Wednesday- Work, Church dinner, class. UK loses in one of the biggest upsets in college b-ball history to Gardner-Webb out of North Carolina. As a friend told me, thank goodness the football team is good this year. An inauspicious start to Billy G's coaching career here. Hey, it happens, let's just hope it doesn't happen too often. I get the impression though that Billy is too good a coach to let this sort of thing get out of hand, and will turn this embarassment into a positive by getting the players' full attention in practice. I stick with the Kittie Cats through the good and the bad though, so I watched every second of the debauchle. Gardner-Webb played phenomenal and deserved the win. G-W 84, UK 68. (Yes, and it shouldn't have been that close.)

Thursday- Work, Wendy's, Special Education Class. This night was difficult. We went over a bunch of serious health impairments in children and with Ellice pregnant, I daresay this wasn't the best time for me to be going through all this stuff, but hey, what are you going to do?

Friday- Work, Cracker Barrel. I think we ate out every day this week and that is just sad. We need help. Ellice's mentee Andi had a dance show at EKU. Let's just say it was interesting. There were 14 dance pieces with a 10 minute intermission. It should suffice for me to point out that I'm not so much into the modern stuff. The Capoiera was the best(Brazilian martial art). Others of note were a more traditional celtic piece, a takeoff on the Thriller video, and a chair dance set in high school detention, but other than that, it was mostly a bunch of new age running around and jumping with arms flailing. I like the ones that are choreographed together, not just a jumble of people doing their own thing. Anyway, I did appreciate a fair portion of it, and I'm by no means a dance person; I'm more into music.

The Courts of Chaos by Roger Zelazny
This is book 5 of 10 in the Chronicles of Amber series.
Thus ends the last of Prince Corwin's portion of the Amber Chronicles. High action for the most part in the beginning and end. Meanders in the middle though, with some philosophical mumbo jumbo which I think is supposed to serve as a contemplation on the meaning of life, but it comes across as forced and artificial. Basically, the world, or worlds in this particular case, is spiralling to an ignominious end and Corwin is trying to stop it. There is a satisfying conclusion to the Corwin cycle, and as the next five books feature his son Merlin as the protagonist, I will miss the character. **1/2

Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander
This is book 4 of the 5-part Prydain Chronicles.
Taran decides he's gotta find out who he is--namely his family. His initial driving force is so that he will feel worthy to ask Eilonwy's hand in marriage. To find out the truth about himself, Dollben sends him on a quest to look in the Mirror of Llunet. The rest of the book Taran, well, wanders, as the title suggests. His quest changes over time to not find out about his past, but as one might imagine, to find out about himself as a man. Taran matures into his role as an adventurer and a protector, finds faults within himself and basically grows up. This book is almost a series of about eight short stories in a row: I could almost see it as a serial or comic book. The only downside is that while there is a connected theme, it is tenuous at times, and there is a sense of disconnectedness from one story to the next. By the end, there is a tendency to forget (as the character does) what the quest was about in the first place. The climax is good and the resolution works on many levels. I look forward to the finale of the series. **1/2