Holy Crap it's been a loooooooong time

Hey everyone (ok, not so many everyone's but whoever is bored silly enough to even be checking here anymore)

It has been for.ever. since I blogged, yeah I know, I know.

but I'm now back.

hmmm. there have been plenty of blog worthy events, just well lack of motivation. I have to really push myself to get little regular things like this blog done. Not sure why. I think it's an inertia situation. You know things at rest tend to stay at rest and things in motion tend to stay in motion. If I let myself be at rest, it's hard to get back into motion. So here I am trying to get the ball rolling again.

I haven't blogged much about my students so here are some snippets:

"whiney girl" - almost missed an exam, came in looking all panic dazed

her: whats going on?

me: you taking your exam today (duh)

her: Oh my gosh thats today?!

me: um, yes.

her: *sigh* ok. I knew I should have emailed you.

Then she proceeds to tell me her sob story single mom, blah blah, daughter blah blah may not make it to the practical blah blah. Whoa wait wait, what? Not make it to the practical? um nope, unless you'd like a zero, can't happen. So I make alternate arrangments, and even come up and re set the exam on a Friday, still no show. Nope thats it, thats the last chance. So she then proceeds to go above my head when I tell her there's nothing else we can do. Um, yeah thats not gonna work. Turns out it didn't. So she's still here, but whiney girl realized she can't push me, or my dean around.


Then there is Cletus. He's probably my most memorable student in a few semesters. You know the Simpsons character Cletus, yeah the WT character? This student is him. In. The. Flesh. Although surprisingly my student is not as dumb as he appears. Though he is literally just as slackjawed. He asks questions trying to link two ideas together that have nothing to do with one another. It's hard to answer those questions without sounding mean.

him: So does that mean "x" is really a part of "Y" because of "Z"?

me: Um, no, not really. I see where you're trying to go with that, though. but, no, they have nothing to do with each other. really. at all. So, ah, anyway....

him: somewhat confused, annoyed, slackjawed, furrowed brow look.

One time he came running in literally in the middle of class and in front of everyone breathlessly proceeds to tell me why he was missing from class and while he couldn't stay, he wanted to know his exam grade. In the middle of class. While I'm lecturing, to the rest of the class. I told him he would have to wait a bit while I finished. He proceeds to sit in a chair IN FRONT OF THE CLASS waiting for me to finish. All the while waiting for me with that slackjawed furrowed brow look. So then I finally finish and I show him is grade and he leaves. *sigh*

Then the other night he proceeds to mention to me during class something he saw on Discovery Channel (thanks effing DC) about how bacterial flagella is an example of intelligent design. I know exactly of what he speaks, however I will not entertain the discussion in class for various reasons.
1. We are discussing immunity, not bacterial flagella. That was week 2.
2. We are not discussing evolution in this class during any week.
3. Intelligent design is not something that should be discussed in any science class ever, during any week. Except perhaps on April Fools (oops! did my sarcasm come out!)
4. I am soo not getting into that discussion with Cletus at all, ever.

He then notices the cold shoulder I give his comment/question (though I did respond with "that topic is for a whole 'nother class"). And gets belligerant with me, trying to catch me tripping up in my lecture.

Oh no buddy, I believe I am the one with the masters here, and if theres a topic I love almost as much as evolution, its immunology. I think I can hold my own on this topic, certainly against you Mr. Cletus (seeing as you missed last class and have zero idea WTH is going on).

Anyway, he was giving me angry dagger eye, crooked toothed looks for the rest of class. To be perfectly honest, I was kind of worried. He looks kinda crazy. For real, like unstable crazy. I was a little worried about going to my car alone that night. Luckily, his mood improved in lab and he left early. *phew*

I cannot wait until he is out of my class. It was funny cause the day he missed class, class was so fun, and I didn't realize it until he came back. *sigh*.

It was one of a few times in my life that I thought I should listen to the little voice telling me that he is not right in the head. From now on I will simply nod and smile. Only a few more weeks to go.

Hmmm, other than those two students, everyone else is pretty normal. Except the chick who has been in my class 3 times already and still is not doing so well. *eyeroll* Maybe if you would actually pay attention you might get through this class.

Ok, well I gotta run for now, but now that I've opened the flood gates, theres no stopping my blogging. Ok except for now. I really gotta go.

Fox.