Random 5 Friday

Ok, let's see. Today's Random 5 Friday are going to be lots of fun.

1. Classes resume on Monday!  I'm simultaneously teaching three in person classes and one online.  I've set up forums for both on a new learning platform.  Our old one is Blackboard. Kinda clunky but familiar.  The new one, Canvas, is going to be instituted anyway so I might as well get used to it.  I like teaching online, believe it or not.  I always learn new things.
You do a whole lot of work up front, but mostly the students run the classes and I pitch in for discussions, grading and structuring the forums.  It works well with my style.  Also, I can teach in my jammies.

Credit: learningau.wordpress.com 

2. I'm on a health kick. In my twenties, I was overweight and had fallen into a sedentary lifestyle. I ate meat and fast food too often.  I started making resolutions.  The first was to lose some weight. I did that.  The next year was to get into good enough shape to teach aerobics classes.  Done. The next year I became certified as a personal trainer.  Then I ran half marathons in subsequent years, got my black belt in Kempo karate and earned a master's degree. Yeah, I'm goal oriented.   In the last few years, I haven't made any New Year's resolutions, other than to continue on with good health and to act morally and behave like a decent human being to others.  But this year, I do resolve to return to running more. I can't do half marathons anymore. My joints complain and I don't want to feel pain.  But I can do 5k races with relative ease, so I'm going to commit to doing at least 3 races this year.
Ok, there, I said it.  Can't go back on it now! I think the first one is in May. Heck, maybe all three are in May! But the first one is the Bloomsday run. Also, don't you want to see me looking like this more often:

3. My sister and nephew came to visit us on New Year's Day.  I always love visiting with my sister.  She's the one we went to spend Thanksgiving with this year.  Whenever she feels too crazy, she takes a break and comes to visit.  I'm glad she brought my nephew, because he's a sweet kid. However, last September he turned 13 and I'm not really sure how it happened, but he's a teenager now.  Fortunately, he's a health conscious kid too. When we ate lunch yesterday, he ordered a salad with his sandwich instead of french fries and talked to him mom about not eating greasy food anymore, keeping salad in the house and avoiding sugar.  I am also continually impressed with my sister's skills as a mom.  She's just so patient.  Sometimes my nephew says that he'd like to come live with G and me.  I say "No, you really don't want that.  Your mom loves you a whole lot more than I do and you get away with much more there than you would here."  He gets to do motorcross and travel with his dad for big races.  His dad is the pit boss for a stock car racing team and now that he's 13, he can go help in the pits.  

It always makes me sad to see them leave. The good part is that now we live in Washington, it's a 4 hour drive. It used to be a 6 hour plane ride and a rental car. :) 

Awesome people

4. I went to the dentist today. I have a temporary crown now and the dentist also removed a 12-year-old root tip from having my wisdom teeth pulled in 2001.  He's baffled as to why they left that in there. It never healed and I never thought I could change that.  But he got out a tiny, tiny spade looking tool and dug it into my jaw.  I almost fainted and I'm glad I was laying down.  I was very brave. I also am really resistant to anesthetic so it took either 4 or 5 shots to numb me up. Now, six hours later, I am almost back to normal and it's painful. Owie. Owie. Medic! G says he'll take good care of me tonight. 

News flash: I am a big baby at the dentist.  I have a high paint tolerance- I once broke my arm and didn't know it until a few years later.  But I can't take dental work. And dental work with needles? Nightmare. 

5. I've been painting again. I do like it. I like to find ideas and incorporate them into projects. I put up a picture of one project on Instagram.  You can find my photos here. My sister-in-law asked for something for her daughter's first birthday.  I can do that- or at least I'll try.  I'm going to spend some time this weekend as follows: Tonight I'm resting. The rest of the time, I'll look for a good project worth of a beautiful southern princess.  I'll also do some editing on my friend Janis' latest book (she's a wonderful writer!) and maybe even catch a movie with G and my friend Kim who I barely have seen in the last month.  And running. And finishing syllabi for Monday. 

Have a great weekend!