1/31: a selection

...of good things to start the work week:

Pelicans on the lake again!

Students' careful, close readings of passages from The Lightning Thief.

Office hour appointments that went more smoothly than I thought they might.

Catching up on email and some record-keeping.

Having defrosted pierogi casserole for dinner, and making a salad with lettuce, apple, and green onions to go with it.

Spending some time this evening with Chris.

Drafting an overdue note.

1/30: finally recording

...the last bunch of books I read in 2021.  It was a big year for me and reading:  a book every 3 days on average.  A lot of my 2021 was rickety in various ways, so it's especially nice to realize that reading was one thing that went well.  All upside.

1/29: seeing the stars

...when taking the garbage out this evening.  

1/28: pelicans again

...sighted this morning on the lake as I drove to school.  It feels like a prize to see them.

1/27: being warmed

...by portable oil-filled radiators.  My one at school worked valiantly today.  It couldn't conquer the cold entirely, and I spent much of the day very chilled in my office, but it would have been much worse if I hadn't had the heater at all.  This evening another radiator at home has kept me (and especially my feet) comfortable as I've done my reading.

1/26: doing

...my own version of a passage-analysis assignment that my students will be doing later this semester.  It was fun to choose a passage to work on and spend time noticing new-to-me things about it.  It's nice to have an excuse to spend some time doing close reading.

1/25: a sighting

...of the migrating pelicans on the lake this morning, along with cormorants and gulls. Hurray!

1/24: writing

...to a friend who wrote to me a month ago.  I've been meaning to write back almost every day since, but I told myself that today would not end without my actually doing so.  And I held myself to it.  (Just barely:  I clicked "send" 5 minutes before midnight!)