I have two thoughts that are apropos today: "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" (Sir Walter Scott, 1808) and "No good deed goes unpunished." (Various attributions; similar sentiment dates to 12th C.).

 After being annoyed by the awful revised mascot image, I'm very pleased that the athletics department has stepped up to help with this horrible situation.

Each of my three classes has met once at this point. It's gratifying that so many students every semester who have taken a class with me in the past sign up for another. I guess I am still an engaging teacher. It's easy to fall into self doubt.

 In the last post I wrote about wanting to draw or write this idea. On Saturday, after two years of no drawing, I picked up my pencils.

I have an idea for a satire cartoon or short story based on this article and pending village elections. Revitalize Main Street! Like Castleton's cats, how about Castleton's rats? Oh I am itching to write and draw. This is why I am excited to not teach this summer.

 Classes start this week. My first class is Thursday. Boo hoo. Winter break over. Not that it was much of a break, but not teaching for a few weeks is good, and I did get to do a few thing, such as read. Unfortunatly, I have gradually returned to my preferred mode of staying up late and sleeping in, so now I have to mend my ways.

We watched another hyped movie on Saturday: Maestro. Neither of us liked this one much either! Again, acting was fine, but it felt too long, confusing, difficult to hear, with a story line that focused too much on his sex life and too little on other more interesting aspects of his biography. Recently friends have been recommending "Killers of the Flower Moon," but after Oppenheimer and Maestro, I'm reluctant to invest over three hours...

I joined No Labels. Wonky snarky self-important pundits who diss the idea can go F themselves.

I didn't note here yesterday that it was the two-year anniversary of Daddy's death. Not that I didn't think about him all day. I did. I think about him all the time, every day. Two years, two weeks, two months, two minutes -- or many more years than two, it hardly matters. I am not an unrealistic person, but two words I never wanted to type...Daddy's death.

 What an impressive speech! Go Liz!

I'm trying hard to be optimistic and to have faith that good always wins. It's hard to not be infuriated by Sinclair media (owner of our local CBS news station). It's always been my favorite local station because of the anchors and especially due to the weather, but over time Sinclair has insidiously inserted more and more of their national coverage, slipping in blatant bias and featuring election deniers like that nut Jordan. Last night there was a promotion for an offensive story where a woman said something like "it's crazy that you get a ticket for parking in a handicap parking spot but not for being caught with fentanyl." Putting aside the veracity of that statement (which is a false equivalency), parking in a spot intended for a person with disabilities is not something to be dismissed. What an ignorant, disrespectful b*tch. F you Sinclair. And speaking of election denying nuts, the member of congress who was gerrymandered to be my representative calls the criminals who attacked the Capitol "hostages," just like her cult master.

Last night Daddy made a brief appearance in my dreams (he was young, and wearing a striped sweater - uncharacteristic) and the night before I dreamed of Uncle Buddy, who had two unknown ~10-year-old kids with him, a boy and a girl.

This weekend we got a real snow storm! As Bob said, "it's good to see the Earth is still working."

Friday was Bob's 64th birthday. He wanted to go to Red Lobster. It's kind of a hard place to go for a vegetarian, but they have wonderful Brussels sprouts, and I got a salad. He got an unlimited feast.

This is chilling. It's obvious from current times, but I noticed hints and was disturbed by it among young people 15 years ago in toleration class.

I just heard the president of Harvard resigned. It's about time. The headline said it was due to plagiarism claims and her congressional hearing performance. I agree her responses at the hearing were appalling (and interlocutor Stefanik's behavior was also appalling), but what outraged me is that she is a plagiarist with no shame -- and somehow landed a prestigious academic job.

 Happy New Year!

I've been thinking about writing. I have some ideas and I want to start seriously writing again, but I'm not sure winter break will afford me enough time. I am not teaching this summer (for the first time in over 20 years) and that is when I plan to take a deep dive.