I ordered a new toaster oven from amazon just now. The one in Castleton stopped working several days ago. For at least the past 20 years, toaster ovens have sucked. In the '80s I had a great one that was a wedding present. It may have been a GE, but I can't remember. It worked for many years. The door popped open and the shelf came out when the item was heated or toasted. It was simple, it didn't have a bunch of dials. Unfortunately, years ago it vanished from the universe of consumer items and when it was worn out, it couldn't be replaced with a similar model.

As I recall for a while before it completely broke, the door pop up mechanism had to be fiddled with when closing the door. Maybe that flaw was the reason they stopped making it. Or maybe all the convenience junk food our society now eats demands a different appliance. So I'm not sure what happened in the world of toaster oven design and function, but it is impossible to find one that is satisfactory (the bar is pretty low: reliable, works well, doesn't burn your hand every time you use it).

We're restricted in Castleton to a shelf that is 17" X 10", but I don't think size matters. Cost doesn't seem to make a difference either. I hate the one in Samsonville (a large, pricey Krups) just as much or more than any toaster I've had, and I was pretty apathetic about the one that just broke in Castleton (a small inexpensive Cooks brand). Considered a smashing ceremony a la Office Space before Bob toted it to the landfill this morning, but rejected the idea. It's very appealing for the Krups when its time is done, though. (Just have to wait until it breaks since I never replace something that is still working. Including only sort of working.)

I thought about ditching the oven idea and going with a regular toaster, also was almost sold on a small Black & Decker, but finally settled on a Hamilton Beach that is both a toaster and a toaster oven. I fully accept that multi-appliances are almost always a disappointment, so I assume we will complain about this unit after it comes, too.

Finally making progress on the to do list! Yay.

It's been a week since I last posted. I rarely go that long even if it's only a picture or a few lines. So that gives you an idea of how busy I've been. I guess, with my "blue" attitude, I must have let things build up. I didn't think I was slacking. Truth is, I just wasn't working like crazy. That's how it can be, when there are assignments to be graded. If you don't spend more than a full day here and there, but instead cut if off at a reasonable hour and take off weekends -- it piles up. Kind of a "duh," I know. Americans love working and are used to there being few boundaries.

My father's surgery was 6 weeks ago this past Wednesday. He had a bout with pneumonia a week after her came home from the hospital, but he is recovered. On Monday he woke up and announced that he wanted to go to the Veteran's Day ceremony held by his American Legion post. So we did! It was his first excursion away from home, aside from doctor's visits. All were surprised and happy to see him.

I've been wanting to post this story.  There are a couple shots of my father in the front row of the audience (also my mother and me, a couple rows back) in the video. He has on his leather jacket, and Ma and I are wearing shades. The videographer must have been invisible, I didn't even know they were there.

Unfortunately, his follow-up in Boston was canceled and rescheduled from this past Thursday to the 29th, but he has gained back two pounds of the 18 he lost, his hair is almost back to normal, and all in all, everything is going well. On Monday I heard him telling people that he found out there is nothing on Pluto (that's where he went during his seven hour surgery).

Spent the afternoon on campus. Fridays have such a different atmosphere. Quieter, but lots of personal chatter. Nothing to do with that necessarily, but my office is freezing! Do they shut off the heat or what?

We will eventually be moving into the school of business building, once they move to their new digs and the old building is renovated. Not sure what will happen with education. Maybe they will move administrative offices out of the dorms (that they have taken over). I hope I get nicer space. I'm not complaining -- my office is OK, but in "my former life" I had lush environs. I won't have my hopes up, though, and then I won't be disappointed.

Some annoyances have arisen with my classes -- falls in the arena of slacker students. Today is the deadline to drop a class, and so I did something I don't usually bother with -- I told the deadbeats to drop. A couple actually did, after arguing (unsuccessfully) their POV. The others did not bother to dignify my advice with a response.

I'm usually a cup half full type person, but I have been feeling rather "blue." I won't say depressed because that's too clinical. 2012 has not been a banner year for me. It's been one thing after another, and at the moment it feels as if even a tiny irritation could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. As a result, I'm having to struggle to stay afloat work-wise, and I am not feeling all that motivated. There are numerous things right now (some serious and some trivial) burdening me. Most are not things I write here, and whether I break that guideline at some point remains to be seen. Cryptic, sorry.

I feel the nor'easter coming. At this point the forecast doesn't look that bad, but the first snow of the season is always difficult, in that people drive like jerks. And in this case, it is hard to get the folks who are still without power, and those who have damaged homes, off my mind.

Later: Seems so cold here. What doesn't help...recently, Sophie's license renewal came in the mail, and today, as I was paying my bills, I had to check the box "deceased" on the form and get it ready to send back. Feeling so very sad!

I know, I know...they weren't always accurate, they weren't modern, they weren't efficient, the records weren't good enough, blah, blah, blah. But I still miss you, lever voting machine. The click of the little levers...scanning the top for ballot initiatives...trying to write upside down during a write in campaign...the turquoise curtain...the loud snap of the big red lever in the beginning and end. Still can't get used to the scantron system. RIP.

In Sandy news, still a lot of people hurting. Gas shortages, in the dark, and now the cold.

Today was the 125th anniversary Mass at church followed by brunch. The bishop was there. It was a very nice day.

More and more are getting their power back, but some communities are still in bad shape. But strong!! It is getting cold, though. And a nor'easter is predicated for later this week.  Bob visited family on LI yesterday. He took the Bridgeport ferry, and reports that gas lines are a reality all the way out in eastern Long Island. I've heard that people are coming farther and farther north as well -- all the way to Greene County. 1970s redux!

Last night, inspired by this journaling exercise, I had student do a five minute free write on two prompts:

1) Recall a time from your own schooling when you felt especially included, engaged, appreciated, and validated
(2) Recall a situation when you felt especially excluded, alienated, and invalidated from school

Then I invited them to share, with "thank you" being the only class response permitted. This is my vision -- to the second prompt, obviously.

They discussed the free write with their groups before they shared with the whole class, and one comment about the group dialogue was that most of the stories were about elementary school even though feelings of alienation are common in college classes. They speculated, is it easier to reflect on something when time passes and distance has been achieved?

For some reason our power was out for three hours yesterday. Not sure why, but we did have 3-4 brownouts during the height of the storm, so maybe they shut it down on purpose to make a repair. That was the extent of the impact on my house in Castleton. In Samsonville, still no power, and the pool cover was ripped off and is in the water. Seems obnoxious to complain when so many lost everything, or live in places where there are few resources to be self-sufficient. Halloween...I do have candy on hand, and I made an effort to make the porch semi-respectable, but so far no trick or treaters. [Later: they started coming soon after I wrote this.] [Still later: We had more kids this year than we've had in at least the past five. The groups were huge! I was afraid we would run out of candy -- but didn't quite. We shut the lights out at 8:30.]

I was thinking about TB/TC (my marvelous cat Teddy) because he came from south NJ, just about where the storm made landfall. I wonder how the couple is who gave him away. He spends many hours in the day time outside, weather permitting, and even sometimes when it is lightly raining. He LOVES it. It is another of the many ways he is similar to Edna. There was no keeping her inside, even though I did not want her to be an outdoor cat. She wasn't, did not spend nights out there, but she had to go outside or she became grouchy and she would do her best to slip outside when the door was opened. In her case, she jumped the fence and went wherever she wanted. That's the reason her being out made me nervous. But, no harm came to her, and she always came back when called. To say my house is a good place for cats is an understatement. The yard is one story below street level, it backs up a deep ravine that has a cemetery on the other side, and so Edna never went in the front of  the house near the road.

Teddy can't get out of the fence, both because he does not seem inclined to try, and because he was declawed when I adopted him. I believe cat declawing (like dog ear and tail docking) to be cruel animal abuse, and it is something I would never have done. My vet shares the philosophy and would not agree to do it. I think in Teddy's case it was especially mean, as it was done when he was an adult -- five years old, in fact. But I admit that his lack of claws means no jumping and escaping from the yard, and so I can let him stay out there as long as his heart desires without a bit of worry.

The Hudson flooded a bit, and the wind howled, but all my services stayed on. All of my family in the Catskills are without power, internet and telephone -- trees are down everywhere so it will probably take a long time to restore. (Don't get me started on how irritated this makes me since there is still no cell service in Samsonville! So no communication with my parents once again.) Bob's brother was evacuated in Hoboken, lost power and there is some water in his place. Out on Long Island, his father lost power for a while but it has already been restored. It's still rather windy, but I am on campus today. It seems quiet -- some students may be away, and others with no electricity may have opted to stay home, but otherwise, everything is operating normally. I see the media has stopped labeling it last week's "frankenstorm" in favor of "superstorm Sandy."

Sam was oblivious -- just wanted to play fetch (as usual), but Rosie and TB/TC were shaken by the wind noise. Or maybe they were just competing for the blanket...

This is more a windstorm than a flood for us, unlike Irene, but the Hudson is surging (allegedly, I did not walk down to check) because the Long Island Sound is backing up into it. Schools closed early so catechism was canceled, classes were also canceled (but i don't teach on Mondays anyway). So far I still have electricity and DSL. And telephone, because my "landline" is home phone connect, which uses the cell tower rather than wire. And, of course, my regular cell is working (mostly, I have an unrelated tech issue that will take a visit to the store to resolve since phone support couldn't figure it out). West Shokan, Olivebridge and Samsonville are without power, but I think the cable is still working, at least for now. I unplugged my femocell before we left last night, to protect it from a power surge. At $250, I didn't want to risk it. The night is still young, so stay tuned. Or not, if my power goes out!

I think everyone is extra apprehensive about "Frankenstorm" because of Hurricane Irene last August. Will Sandy + a nor'easter + an arctic blast be even worse? I am so glad we spent two weekends getting the Castleton yard in shape. Another half-hour or so of work, and there will be no hazards remaining. This weekend, we will have to tackle Samsonville. It isn't a big deal, only some lawn furniture on the deck and patio. (We closed the pool three weeks ago -- very late! But the weekend in September when it was on the agenda was the weekend my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and there was no way we were doing it until he was home after surgery.) We also have to hunt and gather survival supplies for next week: candles, lamp oil, etc. Kerosene? Will it be that cold? There is always the risk that it will be much ado about nothing -- but better safe than sorry. Not one to complain when they get it wrong and there was minimal impact: that's when to be relieved, who cares if I have extra candles. Much better outcome than the storm being worse than predicted.

Added: State of Emergency declared.

I've settled on my single issue. I suspect it is an area where I am out of step with the culture (so what else is new), but here goes. Return falling behind to when it was in the past -- sometime in early October, I think. I also wish springing ahead was somewhat later, as it used to be, but on that point I am somewhat negotiable. But I hate, hate, hate the way fake time conflicts with my personal physical clock (aka true time) at this time of year. I feel ill for a few weeks until we go back to real time. Unite! Stop the DST madness now! (Or else de-friend me, LOL.)

Uh-oh. Is this going to be the next block of New Scotland to be leveled? I hope the building can be spared.

Today I noticed an article making the rounds on facebook that asks to be de-friended on fb and un-followed on twitter by any friend or follower who plans to vote for Romney.  The demand was accompanied by a passionate argument for why the writer wants this.

The item didn't cause me to do anything, aside from reading the "liked" blog post. I (practically) never mix it up with anyone on fb. I have, on occasion, hidden individual posts so I didn't have to see them again (pictures of hunting "takes" [yes, euphemism] come to mind); I've also hidden all game reports of the farmville variety, and all except important items from friends who post endless strings of jpeg cliches or only write rants that are offensive to me in some way.

But I've never considered demanding that someone de-friend me. It is so passive-aggressive. Why would the writer expect someone to take this action and reveal information that we have to right to keep private? And if the target audience is not keeping their political preferences secret, but instead posting items the writer finds offensive, why don't they do the de-friending, if they want to take a more extreme step than simply hiding objectionable material? I don't get it.

Due to my interest in toleration, I am always surprised when I encounter viewpoints that are absent respect for pluralism. I also wonder, is the "liker" also asking to be de-friended? Or is it just a thoughtless like, as mine are on a cute cat picture or new seasonal menu announcement from a favorite restaurant?

I'd never mix it up on fb, as I mentioned, but it is oh-so-tempting to do a de-friending, but not to signify voting intentions, including whether I plan to vote at all or write in Mickey Mouse, all of which are my business and no-one else's unless I feel like sharing. I am tempted to take such action just to add to the writer's palpable angst. Or maybe a better strategy would be to one-up the egotistical outrage and demand de-friending if the reader intends to remodeled an outdated kitchen or buy a new sofa or fly in an airplane for vacation, because those acts are wasting resources and conflict with my 100% pure and true anti-materialist value system.

This is the view from the back of the house right now. Yellow isn't my favorite color, but I have to admit: this is glorious!

Kateri Tekekwitha was canonized as a saint yesterday in Rome, so we went to her birthplace at Ossernenon (the Auriesville shrine) for a Mass to celebrate. Lots of people there. Some were descendants of indigenous peoples, and a few wore traditional clothing. The whole experience was amazing. Wonderful day. I will go back there again on a "regular" day because it was too hard to be leisurely and "soak it all in" with the crowds.

The whole place has a 1930s log feel, except for the gift shop, which is 1960s Thruway hot shoppe. The above statue is in the coliseum; it is St. Kateri, the Lily of the Mohawk.

Afterwards, we ate at Raindancer. Good place!

Sam is howling at the noon fire siren. Such a mournful sound!

Tomorrow we are headed to Auriesville for a Mass to celebrate the canonization of Blessed Kateri.

Today...household tasks...the weather permits yard work and walking the dogs in the cemetery.

My classes are going well (hard to believe the semester is half over already), but one thing that is a struggle is that they are very quiet -- the foundations classes in particular. Getting them to participate is like pulling teeth. They do not seem to be all that engaged even by peer questions. In the night class, I assume the hope is being let out early, but in the afternoon section, that can't be it. I will have to do some thinking on ways to fire them up. Stay tuned.

Took advantage of the nice day and weed whacked. It is still damp outside but I also emptied some of the tomato containers near the fence. The fence is hanging together on a lick and a promise -- it badly needs replacement now that we have Rosie, who is a scamp. Keeps us busy -- in Samsonville, the fence is in good shape but it was designed for larger dogs, not little teeny beagles. She isn't as obsessed with getting out in Castleton, luckily. The fence here would be very easy for her to slip through if she worked at it. Not solely due to the large dog thing -- it is wooden and getting to be in bad shape. Some sections need replacement. It's on "the list" that never ends, and who knows when the task will ascend to the top bullet. I am constantly fussing over it, locating trouble spots, doing rube goldberg repairs on gaps where she could escape. As I mentioned, fortunately she doesn't try very hard here. The rabbits must be farther away than in Samsonville (where they are under the sheds and on ledges right next to the fence).

Professionally, I've been working on some articles for a magazine for charter school leaders. The assignment sort of fell in my lap unexpectedly, on the day of my father's surgery. So far, I think it will be a rewarding experience. I'm also going to teach winter session again.

The weekend dried out, so yard work was on the agenda. We had a killing frost Friday night, so even though it has been warm-ish since then, I took down the garden fence, dumped the hanging baskets and window boxes. The end of the growing season brings a lot of bittersweet tasks. I harvested the basil (and three cucumbers), but am hoping to save the remaining herbs for a while.

Yesterday I did poop patrol -- the recent rain makes that an "ewwww" -- but it was too wet to weed whack. And, I still have to empty the container plants before the snow flies.

For catechism class tomorrow, we are going to focus on St. Francis. There are several good picture books for children that focus on his relationship with animals, but I didn't plan far enough in advance to buy one and I am not sure whether they are in any library's collection so I could borrow one. Oh well. Maybe next year. Tomorrow the coloring pages we have and materials from the internet will have to do. We are collecting pictures of their pets from the kids to make a display and also they are bringing in donations of canned people and pet foods for the local food pantry.

On a completely unrelated subject, we've been having fun watching this on youtube via our roku:

Both of us remember this from childhood, as well as his editorials on the Smothers' Brothers show. We thought it was a riot, although we also both are not sure whether we also believed it was "real."