not the usual 1152 ending

Usually, the Spring semester is one I delight in teaching. After all, the majority of the students tend to be from my Fall Chem1151 class or from the Spring Chem1151 class the previous year.
Not so this time.
I had four students from last semester (Emma, Ashley, Tatyana, and Valeria). From the Spring 2017, I also had four students (Sherod, Jessica, Dasheana, and Ariyanna). Together, they accounted for a fourth of this Chem1152 class (33 students total).
That made for a very different vibe for me.
Add to that difference that only six of those I knew took lab with me.
I didn't have the usual feeling of closeness that I associate with this chemistry class.
That translated to a very different ending tonight.
By this time on Final Exam day, I have been, in all past years, in tears at having to say farewell to the students I have grown to know for two semesters.
Not so this time.
That isn't to say that I haven't become fairly close to several in this last class.
That would be patently untrue.
I admit to a fondness for those who have been part of my Special Office Hours on Sunday evenings. Those are Sherod, Anjelica, Jessica, Mary, Dasheana, Nisha, Caroline, and Kayleigh. Most of them were also in my lab section this semester, too.
Then, there's a few other students I felt a kinship with (Amber, Gabrielle, Lindsay, Morgan, Amanda, Passion, Imelda, and las nueva tres amigas Sabrina, Taylor, and Katey).
So, that brings the total to ... about half the class, that I have some thin emotional interest in their doing well in my class.
Definitely not the usual case.
Sigh.
Perhaps that is appropriate.
Had this been a typical Spring class, then the loss of my teaching post would be that much greater, as I would not have future such classes again.
But this was not a typical Spring class for me...
and this was my last class, of any kind, at this university.
Do I feel sad?
No.
I am relieved.
Even though I was waylaid with news of my termination almost three weeks ago, I have stayed true to my students. I have made sure they received the same quality of teaching as my prior classes for those five lectures on enzymes and metabolism. I have made sure these students did not have a shortfall in the knowledge that their peers had received. (My thanks to the excellent notes of a former student, Jill Harboldt, for helping to plan those lectures after I had been so distraught on the 11th.)
Yes, I have been in denial and in shock.
Yes, I have found it difficult to leave my house and go to the university.
Yes, I have shed many tears about this last semester, though not of late.
The semester is now over, at least the part where I have to directly interact with my students... and that is a relief.
I have felt like I have been lying to them these last three weeks, misleading them that all is normal for me.
I am relieved to not have to mislead them about that anymore.
Now, my freezer will be used for the last time to quell bacteria and slow down viruses on these Final Exam test pages.
When I remove the exams from my 'sterilization chamber', I can clean the ice bin and remove the "Danger: Radioactive Ice" sign from the refrigerator door.
That will be sad.
That will feel like an ending.
This, tonight, is not yet there.

of mice and men

It all began with the Arts and Music program at church today.
This is always one of my very favorite services!
No need to try to find it on the Asbury Memorial website... these don't get posted.
If you snooze, you lose!
But I was there to hear Samuel Povie wailing on the saxophone to "How Great Thou Art"! That song had me anticipating my upcoming trip to Las Vegas for Elvis Week, especially that Gospel Sunday concert. Hallelujah!
(But he is not a mouse or a man, so let's continue.)
I was there, too, to hear his big sister, Sarah, with her heartfelt cello rendition of "Be Still My Soul"! I'm glad Reverend Billy Hester took the time beforehand to read aloud - in English - the 300-year-old poem, "Stille, mein Wille!".
(But no mice here, and that man is not one of the five men of the title.)
Much as I enjoyed the above pieces, my heart was touched by a father-son duet of "Somewhere Out There" - a little off-key, but very sweetly done. Mom was turning the pages of the sheet music while grandmom played the piano, so it was a real family affair. I sang along, of course - and even shed a few tears, as I do when I hear it.
After all, the song is about loss within a family. Fievel and his sister Tanya are simultaneously singing it, in the moonlight, each hopeful they will one day be reunited. The Mousekewitz family had been traveling to New York when Fievel had been washed off the boat, but the sister never gave up hope of seeing her brother again.
Sure, the song may be sung by two mice, but it may as well be about me and my brother Ronnie, or me and my brother Tony.
(Fortunately, my brother Smitty and I see each other fairly often.)
While talking with Billy's mom after the service, I was swapping movie thoughts with Eric Miller. He's the landscaper that's doen a bit of work around the church and for various members. Nice fellow!
After I received my post-service hug from Billy, I headed to the community room for cookies. Who should I espy with my little eye but my dear friend Bill Peterson! Sadly, his house has finally sold and he will soon be heading for Chico, Cali-for-ni-a, soon being May 10th. I sure am going to miss baseball games with that artist!
(Yes, he is one of the five men.)

Speaking of baseball, one of the law firms in town was having Family Fun Day at Grayson Stadium, so I headed there after church. I had expected food trucks, but there were none. A few kids were throwing a basketball around on the field. Others played in the bounce houses, tried to play chess, or concentrated on pulling off blocks in Giant Jenga.
I settled at one of the picnic tables to bask in the sun... then I noticed the beer loft. What was newly emblazoned there?
Welcome to the optimzone - seriously?
Did Optim Heathcare not get the irony?
How on Earth did a Savannah Bananas sales person talk that orthopedic firm into promoting the consumption of beer and hard liquor at the baseball games?
I guess that's one way for those doctors to drum up more business, by encouraging drunks to be falling down those stairs!
Of course I had to text Jeff the ex about that! I knew he would get it!
While I had my phone out, Mister Willie called. He'd been watching a baseball game and suddenly thought that I needed him to call me. Funny how things work out, because I had, indeed, been thinking of him while I looked at that grassy green outfield and red clay infield! We have plans to meet on Wednesday so I can give him the games calendar I made for him.
(That takes care of the second and third men of the title. Two to go!)

This piece of art was part of the International Student Climate Art Project (ISCAP) display of local talent at my church. I was so impressed by the diversity of the works! Many were crafted from recycled materials; others, like this one, were from the minds of teens. I was glad to see that they are paying attention to global warming!
The reference to the Whitesnake song brought to mind the psychologist, of course! Something must have cued him to contact me a little later. His raison du jour was to pick my brain about plays in the area, as it was time for him to take Cedric (his oh-so-patient tutor) out for some entertainment. I recommended two and will be curious which one they attend!
(One more of my men, bringing the total to four for the day.)

So what's up with this lass with the lasso and the Mona Lisa smile?
Well, I first met this cowgirl at Longhorn's, on a January night.
The bfe and I had gone to dinner there and I had created a history of her, this gal from the southwest, standing over us as we dined.
She came to mind because... well, because the very next text I got this evening was from the physicist! He wanted to know about us having a meal together this week. Major coolness! Lunch on Friday! Who knows? Maybe I'll even see this chica again!
(And this concludes my encounters with mice and five men of my life!)
(smile)

chalky-fingered puns and jokes

"May the fourth be with you" -
a greeting spoken only
as a lisping Jedi knight could do!
(Hard to believe that
I had to explain that to folks
in my "Born in the 50's and 60's" group...
but they were bamboozled!)

What a different
fairy tale
that would have been
if Goldilocks had been
a huntress
and the three bears
were her targets!

"Chef Boy's R D" -
hey are we talking about
research and development?
Then again, maybe that would be
too square for that
round can.
LOL!

Who needs a bulky book of potions
when the modern witch
can just whip out her smart phone
and summon the recipe
through the ether
to her side?

This one I just loved!
Look at a minute...
do you get it?
The beast is ...
a lion fish!
Clever pun!

This one could have been from
the Hardy adventures,
had Frank and Joe been ghost chasers!
"Hey ghouls, the boys are here!"
hahahaha haha!

"Look, Morty, I'm BEE Rick!"
"Geez, Rick, they're gonna pollin-ate me!"
What does it mean, what does it mean?
Well, I know these are characters
from a tv show which is loosely based
on the movie "Back To The Future"...
does that help?

LOL!
This is obviously the work
of someone who's
not from around here!

"Bad habit"?
I'll say!
Trying to ride a dog
in that long dress
is never a good idea!

I don't think this one
was meant to be a joke, but...
when I looked at it,
my first thought was
"eye" see you!
LOL!

Oh, look, it's Yondu Udonta!
No, seriously, it is him...
oops, my mistake!
He's a blue-skinned man,
so this dame must be
the real Mary Poppins!
(smile)

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear,
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair,
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?
This moth has moss fuzz...
should we be concerned?
Hahaha haha!

"Bad sneakers and a pina colada my friend
stompin' on the avenue
By Radio City with a
Transistor and a
large sum of money to spend" -
I always picture rain puddles
getting sPLasHeD mightily
with this Steely Dan hit!

"Okay, kids, let's draw a pony.
Oh, very nice work, Timmy.
You even used real colors
for his mane and tail!"
"Mrs. Derby, Mrs. Derby,
how do you like my pony?"
"Pony??? Not!
That's a unicorn, sweetie!"

Fish? Check!
Sea turtle? Check!
Coral? Check!
Seaweed? Check!
Definitely a garden...
but no octopus.
:-0

Here we have the counterpoint
to the above, it seems.
Lots of air bubbles
from the rapid movement
of the octopus,
but no garden in sight.
(smile)
What a nice little
inside joke for me!

i am never alone

What a beautiful day
to be out in the sun,
exploring chalk art
and having much fun
with some new acquaintances -
maybe learning some new dances -
but assuredly not roaming
the park as only one!

"Every little thing
is gonna bee alright" -
hahaha haha!
Bob Marley would approve, I'm sure,
of this pun at the 37th Annual
SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival.
Yvonne, Diane, and Terri did,
as did I!

Oh, and look!
There's my dear Rogue!
(Joe is actually in town
and we have dinner plans!)

Blaxstone!
Good to have you here, man!
(Don't worry, Sam,
your identity is safe with me.
Nice visit at your grave, too.)

Why, Sandra Lynn!
What a nice surprise
to have you down from Atlanta!
(Any time, bff!)

Speaking of bf's,
the physicist was here, too,
cavorting with these
zany cats!

The bfe would have liked this one,
as we all know...
but French artist Axelle
already had this beauty
locked down!

Aunt Linda had flown in
from Tallahassee, I see...
and I bet those
hummingbird wings
were tired!
bah dumm dah!
(smile)

What a pleasant surprise!
Barbara and Sandy, too!
No plans for North Carolina
for this summer, though.
(smile)

Jayme! Brian! Wesley!
I see you there, waving that
"Red Badge of Courage"!
I recall that book from...
sixth grade? My teacher would
read aloud to us every afternoon.

Bird Girl!
What are you doing here?
Does the Jepson know
that you've taken a stroll
off their grounds?
You be careful, dear!

Sunflowers!
Oh, Melanie, they always
tell me you are near!
Ever since you painted
that mural in Tall'ee!

What a sweet surprise!
I knew you and Mark would be
joining the Rogue and I for dinner,
but I had no idea that
you would be here, JinHi!
(smile!))

Christina Ann, what a
marvelous new take on that
fairy tale
about Goldilocks and
those three bears!
hahaha haha!
I bet they were surprised!

Michael! Where are the twins?
They should see this one, too!
"May the fourth be with you",
my dear...
and I am so glad
I don't have to explain
that reference like I did
for the Boomers!

Ok, Kevin, I know that's you!
The only reason
"there's a leek
in the bathroom"
is because you put it in there!
hahahaha hahaha!

Is it a whale?
Is it a dolphin?
Is it a shark???
Of course that's what it is, Christa!
And probably it came from
one of your "Sharknado" movies!

Speaking of movies, is this
from a Bollywood film, Carolyn?
And how did that dark area
suddenly materialize
into an elephant?
Cool trick!

Now, who do we have
hiding behind this lone tree
out in the desert?
Paul and Cathy, that's who!
Y'all going to Vegas again with me?
That would be so very nice!

Okay, let me wave farewell to the ex!
He and I so loved Calvin and Hobbes!
We would give each other the books
for birthdays and such...
good times...
just like today has been!
Thanks for sharing it with me, y'all!
(smile)

be kind to yourself

That was the message at the Weight Watchers meeting on Wednesday.
I missed the meeting itself, though I did get weighed in before Christina called.
Her baby had an extended bout with the flu, but was doing well.
Not so for her man.
He was in the hospital and the test results were leaning toward organ distress.
I stayed on the phone with her, offering a reassuring voice and shoulder through the airwaves.
By the time all was better o her end, the meeting was long done and folks had dispersed...
but I had this booklet to guide me.
This morning, I finally did that homework.
The theme?
"be kind to yourself".


Definitely the right place, right time for that message.
This week, I've been dealing with the death of Jean Marie last year.
Then, April 26 arrived and I realized that date had a double dose of grief.
That morning and afternoon had been consumed with the funeral of my dear friend, Sam Johnson. Only 42 years old and dead for lack of a kidney...
That evening, I had called Daddy, to let him know I was home from that sadness. He and I had talked, sending our love between Beaufort and Savannah. Then, during the night, his cancer stole him away and he died.
The next morning, Bonnie had called and I'd gone there and had cake...
pineapple upside-down cake, of course.
Perhaps that will show up at the Pooler cook-out tomorrow. Maybe I should make it myself, so I can properly track those points?
We'll see.
Meanwhile, the coffee is perked and it's time for me to do the same.
(smile)
Today is another day!

loss is loss, even of fictional characters

It isn't like Peter Quill and Gamora and Dax and Groot have been in my life all that long.
I have only known them since 2014, of course.
Length of time does not a relationship make.
They were part of my life and I was very much looking forward to having more time to enjoy their company and their adventures...
but now they have been killed off in this latest Marvel movie...
and I am bereft.
Totally and completely bereft.
Mostly it was the way in which they died.
Well, all except Gamora. She died kicking and screaming for life to the very last second as she was hurled off a cliff into an abyss.
The others were there one moment...
then blown away as dust in the next.
Literally.
Crumbling as they spoke, crumbling as they stood, crumbling...
then scattered by the breeze in this direction and that...
nothing to show that they ever existed.
All I could think of was the events of September 11, 2001.
One moment, the twin towers of the World Trade Center were erect and shining in the sun, full of life, full of promise.
Then they were collapsing to the ground a hundred stories below.
The people inside were vanished, their bodies smashed to dust by the weight of tons and tons and tons of concrete and steel and glass.
I remember that people were not allowed to clean their nearby apartments of the dust blown in when the windows imploded. They had to wait for that dust to be gathered and analyzed for the DNA of the vanished people, to confirm their deaths.
Honestly, I would have to move.
I don't know that I would be able to live in an apartment which might still have those minute remnants of other human beings.

And now, my Guardians of the Galaxy are all reduced to dust.
All except poor Rocket.
He was as forlorn as I was, perhaps more so.
He had known the joy of being part of a family for the past few years...
and now he was the sole survivor.
Bereft.

This will not be a movie I see again.

always Daddy's girl

Dear Daddy,
Was it you who woke me to ELO's "Hold On Tight (To Your Dreams)" on my internal morning radio? If so, very nicely done! I admit to being stymied for a bit, as it was the French part playing, but I managed to figure it out. Hooray!
"Accroches-toi a ton reve
Accroches-toi a ton reve
Quand tu vois ton bateau partir
Quand tu sents ton coeur se briser
Accroches-toi a ton reve"
I didn't even know you spoke any of that!
How did I spend the day?
Well, after I realized that this was that day, your final one on this blue-green orb, I decided to treat myself to a movie or two. Then I had to figure out which one you would like... and I chose "Isle of Dogs". Get the pun in the name of it? It's like that old joke.
What do you call a piece of land in the ocean and only inhabited by female sheep?
Isle of Ewe
Hahahaha hahaha!
I think I first saw that on a Valentine's Day card!
Anyhow, it was so very funny and so very sweet, too!
I actually found myself wanting to have a dog again. You know, it's been more than three decades since I had one. That's a long time for a girl who loves dogs. I have you to thank for that. You made sure I had my first dog when I was only six months old. Sure, we didn't have that cocker spaniel long before someone stole it. But no one would steal a 'Heinz 57' like Bobo! He became the first real dog I had. Then there was Shaggatha and Jesse and Sport and Toffee, my dear Toffee, who I had brought with me from Panama.
Hmmmm... maybe I will just become a petsitter for dogs.
Same fun, less heartbreak, n'est-ce pas?
After that movie, I went to "Ready Player One". I don't know that you would have cared for the premise, but the fast pace and racing vehicles would have drawn you in. Mostly, though, I saw that one for Blaxstone - I mean, Sam. This date is important to me for him, too.
My friend Carolyn Maggi saw that one with me. I think you would have really liked her! She's all the time joking around and has tons of stories to tell. Very uplifting spirit!
We closed out our night with dinner at Carey Hilliard's. Yum! Barbeque! No, I didn't have the pulled pork plate, like we always used to get. But I did have some of that meat and a big bowl of Brunswick stew. That really hit the spot!
with much love always,
your one-and-only, ever-lovin' daughter

snatched prize!

Timing is everything!
I had not known how long I would be on campus tonight.
My plan had initially been to return the test from Monday night, and then depart to a movie.
Then, one of my students had to take the Final Exam early, as she has surgery tomorrow... so I opened the floor for others to do so.
That meant I might have been there until 8:30 PM, if any of them took the allotted two hours for it.
Instead, she was the only one...

and she was done by 7:10.
Hooray! I could still catch a movie!
No, I could not.
One of the two who had not yet submitted their Lab Final was UA.
As she had until 7:30, I waited, but she never showed.
In my office, I checked my email... and she had sent it ten minutes before I had gone to class. Ack!
That meant going back to the other building to retrieve the print-out. Double-Ack!!
But that delay worked in my favor.
The young woman at Publix had just placed this huge container of sushi into the display. I had snatched it up, quick as a wink, unable to believe my good fortune... and saw the glance between her and the young man who had arrived too late for his prize.
i thank You, God, for my delays at the school.
Maybe I'll have to keep this in mind for next Wednesday.
But now, it's dinner time!
(smile)

sun room finally open!

Hard to believe the cold temperatures have
persisted for so long.
It's already the third week of April and we
are still having lows in the 50's in the
late evenings and early mornings.
However, those at last seem to be done!
Hooray! It's time to reclaim this lovely room!

I've just returned from my
lab appointment at the VA and
I am determined to have
my delayed breakfast in this room!
The coffee is brewing,
I have the curtain half-down,
and I just took a few moments
to let the world know:
spring is finally here in Savannah!
i thank You, God!
Now, to wipe down that table
and make my carroty omelet...
bye for now, y'all!

ear worms and nutcrackers

As I watched "CBS Sunday Morning", there were several stories that touched me.
The first of these concerned Justin Peck, a young ballet dancer and choreographer. It wasn't so much his dancing, it was his enthrallment with dance. "[Dancing is] like one of the few moments where you're not conscious of anything in the past or anything in the future," he said. "It's like you're totally caught up in the present moment. And that's a really rare experience to have in life in general."
Honestly, it's as if he was telling the world my truth.
How very nice that he took that public moment to discuss something so very personal.
(smile)
The next story was centered on the 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback from the same-year movei, "Bullitt". Six years after becoming a "star", the car was purchased by the Kiernan family... and has been part of the family for fifty years. Now, it's restored by the son, Stan, and on the street again, but not as the car from the movie. No. He never knew it as anything other than "his dad's car".
How very nice that the car transitioned from the public eye into something so very personal.
Then there was the story about Ben and Joel. Ben, in Utah, knew the facebook message was a scam, but decided to teach Joel of Liberia a lesson - an he did, but not as he had intended. Now, they are in business together, making life better for the children of Monrovia, both having learned that it is better to teach a man to fish - with a camera - than to simply give cash to buy fish. Ben also learned that giving Joel a chance allowed Joel to pay that opportunity forward.
How very nice that they took that public moment to discuss something so very personal.
One part of the episode this morning that resonated greatly with me featured Pauley Perrette. After 15 years on "NCIS", she's shedding the neck tattoo - and character - of Abby. The 49-year-old says this about the loss. "I'm still grieving. And it's sad. I, like, usually cry in my car every single day when I drive to work. And I usually cry on my way home at some point. And then I take a deep breath, and I go, 'All right,' you know?"
I do know.
(I also know the loss of my 'role' as a chemistry professor will hit me in the fall.)
How reassuring that she is having the same reaction as I have been having.
How very nice that she took that public moment to discuss something so very personal.
How very good that I was in the right place, at the right time today.
i thank You, God, for this Sunday morning at home.

But what does any of that have to do with the title of the post?
Well, after the show, I set about solving a crossword puzzle. One of the clues was "a tune that's tough to get out of your head". Quite naturally, that led my thoughts to my default whistling song of late.
Here's what I mean by that.



Ever since I was a teen, my go-to song has been the Beatles' "Octopus's Garden".
Interestingly, that song is the same age as Pauley Perrette.
(smile)
I'm not saying that I've been whistling the song for that many years... but probably pretty close. A girl close to my age, Brenda Miller, had moved to our Forest Hills subdivision and befriended me. She had the cassette of "Abbey Road" and we would walk around the neighborhood, playing it and singing along to all of the songs. My love of the ocean was strong even then, so naturally I gravitated toward the song about sea-life!
(smile)
Ringo's happy, peaceful tune became my earworm, long before that term existed.
Every time I found myself whistling a song apropo of nothing, I would listen and realize that the melody was of "Octopus's Garden".
No need for me to ever hear it on the radio! Any time my subconscious mind wanted to 'hear' the tune, my lips would pucker and air would pass out of my mouth in just the right way. Marvelous!
That has not been the case this year.
Now, when I listen in to see what song I'm whistling, it is not "Octopus's Garden".
Instead, I have a Christmas classic: "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy".
Seriously.
I think I've been overexposed to nutcrackers.
Seriously.
Until 2015, I had not seen "The Nutcracker" since the 1970's when Mikhail Baryshnikov danced so stunningly in it. Even so, had it not been televised, I probably would not have seen it then. I simply did not grow up with that as part of our Christmas tradition.
Like I said, though, that lack of nutcracker in my life changed in 2015. That year, I ushered at the Lucas for the local version by the Savannah Ballet Theatre. Moreover, I was there for both the matinee and the evening performances... and gained a new appreciation of the European fairy tale.
The very next year, I was at it again! With two performances bookending the month of December, one locally produced and the other a Russian professional dance troupe, I was able to renew my familiarity with the story... and the music.
Last year, I upped the ante. What do I mean by that? In 2017's Christmas month, I ushered for both performances by the SBT, as well as the one by the Madeleine Walker Coastal Ballet Theater. (Shout out to Francie Norman!)
I must have overplayed my hand.
Now, one of the songs persists in my subconscious, pushing aside my classic and ushering, instead, from my pursed lips.
Why that particular song?
Who knows?
Seriously, folks, I welcome any insights.
I'm just hoping it isn't a sign of palinacousis.
Maybe I need to have my temporal lobe checked at my upcoming physical.
Maybe?

STEM bones, STEM bones

3:44 AM
You know what they're going to do, don't you, Faustina?
And you do know what they're going to say?
Yeah, once you consistently spend some time visualizing every day, doing the "all you can with what you've got" dance, and pushing yourself to live the life of your dreams to any degree that you now can, so that the floodgates fly open and you have your dream home, your dream work, and your dream friends.
They're gonna give you that long, cold glance out of the corner of their eyes and say in a long, drawn-out voice, just loud enough for you to hear, "Must... be... nice..."
Just warning you,
The Universe

***** ***** *****
I think it was just as well that I had not yet read that until after the luncheon.
I might have been put off about going - and I would have missed so much!

Erica Cooper (the physicist's current landlady) greeted me with a hug when I entered the Student Union Ballroom. Naturally, I sat at her table, which was up front. Neither of us realized that that table was meant only for women who held jobs in corporations, such as Georgia Ports Authority, Rayonier, Gulfstream... get the picture?
Well, the emcee of the event handed off the microphone for one of the women at our table to introduce herself and say a little something about her work...
then she handed it off to the next one at the table...
and then, two people later, the microphone was in my hand...
"Hi, I'm Faustina Smith. I've been teaching chemistry here on the Armstrong campus for more than twenty years"...
and I passed it along to the last three at our table, who did their thing...
then it was returned to the emcee, Sabrina Hessinger.
We had thought it would continue to the next table.
No, it did not.
Oops!
No worries, the show continued on as if that's what was supposed to happen.
After all, Delana Nivens and Brent Feske weren't hardly going to say anything right there and then about my being on my last hurrah, were they?
Of course not.
For one thing, that would have caused a distracting scene in front of all the highschool students and their teachers.
Secondly, it would have been embarrassing for the emcee and perhaps my tablemates.
Silence was the best option for them.
Much like with theater, the audience didn't need to know about little flubs...
better to allow the show to go on!
And go on it did, for the next two and half hours, beginning with an inspiring address by the keynote speaker, Marsha Tomlin, currently working at Gulfstream.
Honestly, I would have sworn her speech was meant directly for me.

"Success is living your life's purpose and embracing resilience and joy as you do."
This one quote from Valorie Burton struck home for me, as it had for the speaker.
"Success is living your life's purpose..."
Is that not what I have been doing for these past thirty-five years? Sharing my love of chemistry with others, promoting a curiosity about the inner workings of all matter around and within us, encouraging them to walk paths enlightened by science?
(I can see my Uncle Jimmy smiling and nodding his head at that image.)
"... and embracing resilience..."
Change is part of life and change is certainly part of life at this school. First, I changed from being a student and graduate of Armstrong State College to being a faculty member there as I was completing the endless rewrites of my dissertation, back in late 1993. (Or was it 1994? No one seems to be able to tell me!) Henry Harris, the head of the Chemistry Department, there in Solms Hall on Science Drive, took a chance and hired me to teach. He had known me as a student and had faith that I would be a good teacher - and I have certainly tried to be. Whatever classes he needed me to teach, whatever time of day, even the experiment with distance-learning - he asked and I did it. CHM121 and its lab, CHM122 and its lab, CHM201 with no lab other than the demos I performed in class - done, done, and done.
Then the campus became Armstrong Atlantic State University and the format shifted from 10-week quarters to 15-week semesters. The courses became Chem1152 and Chem1152 for the two with labs; the other course was discontinued. The class periods changed in length, requiring a shift in amount of material in each lesson - done and done.
On January 2, 2001, Mama died. I considered taking the semester off, but I had a room full of students depending on my guidance through organic chemistry and biochemistry and metabolism... so I did it.
After that spring semester, I took a break.
I returned in spring of 2004 to the classroom, coteaching a Chem1211 class with Pete Zipperer. That fall, I began again as the night instructor of Chem1151 and Chem1152. I felt like I was home again.
The fall of 2010 brought a new change! A temporary fulltime teaching position in chemistry had opened, just as the hardwood flooring business was taking a dive and my brother was wanting to close his store. I successfully was hired at the university and taught two lectures and four labs for the next three academic years, through spring of 2013, when he position terminated. During those three years, I had the good fortune to be on the Student Success Committee, helping to craft the Hardship Withdrawal option for beleaguered students. I felt very blessed to have worked on that.
Ever since fall of 2013, I've returned to my position as the night instructor of Chem1151 and Chem1152. I periodically have taught an extra lab section along the way. I've also been teaching Chem1151 and Chem1211 lectures and labs at Savannah Technical College, which is certainly a different experience.
Oh, and this university changed its name in 2014 to Armstrong State University.
I just bounced back again and again, through the changes, there for the students, there for the future nurses, and there for the future nuclear medicine technicians.
"...and joy as you do."
Joy there certainly has been! Did I mention the students? Honestly, getting to know them, being invited into their lives, helping them find the heart in chemistry, has been the raison d'éduquer for me. Sure, I may grouse about the grading of lab papers...but I do that task, as it is just one component of an otherwise engaging and pleasurable endeavor.
Thank you, Marsha, for reminding me of all of these experiences, by sharing that inspirational quote with us today.
i thank You, God, that I was here for this message.
I have been through changes before...
I will have to go through changes in the future...
I can adapt and survive the changes.
That almost sounds like a Serenity Prayer...
perhaps it is.
(smile)

noodles, et alia, with bfe

I speak of dinners with the physicist, of course!
This was our first meal together of the new year.
He had a hankering for steak and, oddly, so did I!
So, on January 11th, we met at Longhorn Steakhouse, both a little awkward after Erica's Christmas party,
at which he had started kissing and hugging me.
(Yes, he'd had a few too many "tasty beverages".)

Did we take that time to discuss the events of
that party a month earlier?
No, we did not.
Instead we talked of his research and the
new semester and how life was with the
new girlfriend.
All while this cowgirl looked on with her
Mona Lisa smile and good, firm grip
on her lasso of truth.
(Hey, didn't expect that Wonder Woman
reference, did you?)

After that, we met at Bonefish Grill for a rare Tuesday night dinner in February. That always was one of our favorites and was rather relaxed and nice.
One week later in February, we were having a sunny-day lunch at Sushi Time Towa, hoping to get onto an afternoon schedule.
But that didn't happen.
Nothing together in March, not even once.
Nothing for almost two months...until tonight.
Then, we met at the Noodle Bowl for dinner, closing the place down.
Mostly, we talked about me: my loss of job, my financial plans, my future.
Maybe next time we'll talk about our friendship and its future.