What a week!

Yes, it's been a while, but with the start of school, can you blame me? And if you got the emails I sent yesterday from one of my students' parents, you can imagine I've been in a strange mood. At first I was really annoyed that that parent had the temerity to try and dictate my teaching (and in such a tactful manner, too!) But then I decided that I wasn't going to give him that kind of power over my feelings and emotions. He's got his opinion, right or wrong, and I'm not going to stoop to his level. So I've written a polite, professional response addressing his concerns. I've shown it to the Dean of Students (who liked it) and I'm waiting to hear back from my department head. If he still has problems, I get to shove him upstairs, where I've been assured I have the full support of the administration.

The letters have been the source of some amusing conversations in the faculty lounge, that's for sure! One of my coworkers sent the following pictures to cheer me up. Ok, so maybe only math nerds can appreciate them, but they put a smile on my face!

Other than that, it's been a pretty good week. It looks like I've got a great group of kids this year. Managing the extra section will be a challenge, but I like the fact that I get more interaction with the students. Especially with my classroom effectively being shunted off to the fringes of campus because of the new construction. And I've been housesitting for Darrell this week, so I've got easy access to the pool!

How about some updates from the rest of the family? Any Barney stories? How's Dark Hollow looking? Brian, did Indian Wells turn out to be a profitable trip?