Rumor has it that I am up for an end-of-semester teaching award; one of the faculty congratulated me, and when I asked "why?" he told me. A while ago I suspected I was nominated, because the secretary, a terrible liar, asked me some questions that made me suspicious. But then I forgot about it. I have been nominated for a few things before, including a distinguished dissertation, and not won, so it is better to not focus on such things. Oh, I know, just being nominated is flattering, and all that. Anyway, the faculty member said I have won, so we'll see. I laughed, "I guess it would be a good idea for me to come to campus that day, eh?" And maybe dress up a little? Black jeans instead of blue?

On Thursday one of my students appeared with a BIG box of Godiva chocolates and a thank you note. It isn't totally being an AK, either, as the course she is in is S/U graded, not A or B or C. (Not that the brand and size of the box wouldn't make it OK if she was :-). She's a wonderful person, first-generation college student, 30 family members are traveling to her graduation, and her future is very bright. She has already been accepted to graduate school, and she is going to be a social studies teacher. She makes it easy to teach. I have all my thank you notes pinned to a bulletin board in my office, but this is my first box of chocolates. That's my award, I think. (Recently I read in the Chronicle of a young, handsome male professor who has a bulletin board of thank you notes too - but he is being accused of inappriopriate behavior with female advisees, so his display has a special, creepy significance. Ew.)

Our latest Netflix was Road to Perdition. It looked cool - very stylish, old cars, grey-ish and old fashioned, and the violence was done in such a way that it was not too horrifying, for the most part. But that is all I can say on a positive note. I hated the story, there were so many obvious, stupid plot holes. Even an all-star cast couldn't save it.