Exactly a year ago today, the University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce announced classes would be offered remotely for the final week of Winter Quarter 2020. We had three days notice to adjust. The initial plan was a deep clean, a few weeks of remote engagement, including a “soft start” to the Spring quarter,Continue reading “March 6 Day 363: COVID Practices Part I”
Category Archives: reflections
March 4 Day 361: Crashing
The end of Winter Quarter is in sight. This week’s classes are done (except for the grading) and next week’s classes will be one day of collaborative work, followed by a final day of presentations. Then its another week until the final (yes, it will be oral—you should have guessed that by now.) For theContinue reading “March 4 Day 361: Crashing”
February 23 Day 352: Deep Appreciation
During this time of extended stress and struggle, there are some people that keep me going. First and foremost is my family. My husband usually brings me coffee and breakfast to start my day. He visits regularly for a kiss or to make sure I have what I need. The son at home also checksContinue reading “February 23 Day 352: Deep Appreciation”
February 12 Day 341: Friday Melt
I was hoping for snow last night. Not because I was wishing for a snow day —our new found technical competence will make that unlikely unless the internet is down—but because there is something magical about a pristine sound-dulling blanket of snow. Unfortunately the flakes were small and the accumulation in Tacoma was minimal. ItContinue reading “February 12 Day 341: Friday Melt”
February 8 Day 337: Time Questions
Is it really Monday again? Wasn’t it just yesterday? Where does the time go? Will it be Monday tomorrow? Photo by Tara Winstead from Pexels
January 30 Day 328: Kitchen Memories
At every party I have ever hosted, the kitchen is the center of the action. It has been well over a year since I have hosted such an event, but the memories are strong. My thesis advisor, Dr. Richard Brualdi, replied to a post on FB today and it started a flood of kitchen memories.Continue reading “January 30 Day 328: Kitchen Memories”
January 29 Day 327: Release
An Instapot cooks food under pressure. To get at the good stuff inside, there needs to be a release of steam. If you are patient, the release happens naturally. At other times, we hasten the process with a gentle twist of the valve—being careful not to get burned. Friday is the start of the naturalContinue reading “January 29 Day 327: Release”
January 27 Day 325: The Day After
I thought recovery would be a breeze. I slept most of yesterday with only slight cramping. Nothing remarkable. Not even a 2 on the pain scale. So I proceeded with a normal Wednesday’s worth of activity. After all, I’m just walking down the hallway and sitting at my desk. By three pm, I was exhaustedContinue reading “January 27 Day 325: The Day After”
January 26 Day 324: Women’s Health, Amirite?
Warning: This post contains TMI. Read at your own risk. I’ve been contemplating this post for a long time. But today two things happened that gave me strength to put it out there: A friend posted about her hot flashes pointing to the failure of healthcare to address our real experiences. I spent the morningContinue reading “January 26 Day 324: Women’s Health, Amirite?”
January 20 Day 318: Grey Hairs
I needed a new “professional” photograph. I considered using a Zoom screenshot with appropriate background, but instead asked my husband to help out. He took more than 100 photos with various backgrounds. I don’t particularly like photos of myself. And COVID isolation weight gain hasn’t improved my self image. I see myself on Zoom daily.Continue reading “January 20 Day 318: Grey Hairs”
Math Belongs to All of Us 