Stuff this week

I was not sure what to blog about today so I will just tell you some things that happened this week:

1. We got our new MasterCard debit cards in the mail, and went to the bank and changed our pins and made sure everything was activated and now we are back to normal in this respect. However, the woman at the bank was confused by something in the system, and was trying to make sense of it by telling us things that made no sense. So hopefully this is all fixed, but it seems possible that there will still be a little trouble!

2. I had my first yoga class. There were a number of exercises that I found very challenging, and a few I couldn't do at all, but it turns out that being in a beginner yoga class I blend in very well. There are lots of people in the class with varying athletic abilities and physical abilities, and although I think I'm the only person with serious balance problems, there are others who seem to be having just as much trouble as I am but with different exercises and for different reasons (an older guy with a serious shoulder issue, several people who seem to have severely limited flexibility). I really enjoyed the class and am glad I signed up for it!

3. I also had my first aquacize class. I think I was the only person under sixty, and was definitely the only person who had not taken the class before. However, I fit in completely while getting to and from and in and out of the pool, as many people in this class have physical disabilities and walk with canes and need to put on no-slip shoes to be safe getting to and from the locker room. So it turns out that since everyone else has taken this class before, I am the only person in class who doesn't know all the exercises, and my prediction about where I would fit in and where I wouldn't was incorrect.

4. I had an unexpected visitor to my graduate class last week. Over the summer I spoke with a ninety-something-year-old emeritus professor who had retired sometime in the 80s. He expressed an interest in coming to my class to see what students were learning about psychotherapy these days. I told him to get in touch with me when the term had started to set up a time where he might come to class, or possibly even give a guest lecture. On Tuesday when I showed up in my seminar room, there he was sitting around the table with my students. He stayed for the portion of class where we were discussing readings, but I asked him to leave before beginning the skills-based portion of the class (e.g., where the students role-play). He indicated that he would like to come back, and that he would like to participate in role-play exercises with the students.

After carefully considering what to do, I ended up sending him an email asking him not to come back to class unless he wants to do so to give a guest lecture (on a specific, predetermined date that we agree on). Unfortunately, I can tell from my university email program (because he is also on the university email system) that he has not yet read the message. I do not have his phone number. I am a bit worried that he might show up to class again on Tuesday, and that I will have to have a conversation with him in person, right there and then, about not coming to class. I will do it if I have to, but it is really not fun having to kick a ninety-something-year-old emeritus professor (with decades more experience than I have) out of my class. I can see the perspective where someone might think it is harmless for him to come to class, but it absolutely changes the dynamic and the comfort level in the room. I cannot teach effectively when there is someone in the room who doesn't belong there, especially when it is a graduate level class where I expect full and mostly uninhibited participation, and there are only ten students in the room. I do not love this kind of situation.

5. We are having beautiful sunny weather, highs in the mid 70s, with bright blue skies. It is perfect early fall weather, with some of the leaves on the trees just starting to turn yellow and some just starting to fall. I know that it won't be too long before we have to face winter again, but I am trying to enjoy this lovely weather while we have it! I had work to do this weekend, but I spent all afternoon yesterday outside on a blanket in the backyard (under our very tall sunflowers that are just now starting to bloom) grading papers and reading.  Next weekend is slated for harvest of potatoes, beets, and carrots from the garden, and we will be fortunate to have Jeff's dad visiting during that time to help :-) I just hope that we have weather this nice for his visit!