Grading, Grading: Grossly Material Things

I sometimes think that as there are stages of grief, there are stages of grading.  Sadly, I often forget this and experience the stages anew each semester. Grading is a difficult task, at least for English teachers, who grade essays and papers and don't just run some multiple choice exam through a scantron machine.

First stage: irritation. Why do so many students hand things in late? Why do so many students hand in bunches of loose sheets. I have more than 100 students: try dealing with all that paper!!!
Second stage: anger. Why didn't those students listen? Why didn't they do the reading? Why didn't they read my email?
Third stage: empathy. This is evoked by all students, but most especially mine. I used to teach at a private college. In 1988, the median income of student families was $80,000/year. I now teach at a state college, where many students have their own families, jobs, and serious money issues. Not to say that my affluent students didn't have emotional and other problems. My current students have those too. But they also have financial issues that are often overwhelming.

So as always, frequent meltdowns. One student--a mother of 4--had her husband ask for a divorce right before finals (I recommended the counseling center and gave her a hug). Another student broke down and mentioned that a relative had been a victim of horrific violence (same response as to student above).  Another student sent an email about a severe medical problem that would make her late for the final. She wasn't supposed to drive, but ended up driving herself since no one else was around.

And those are just the students who tell me what's up. Most do not. Yes, I know that students will lie about disasters for various reasons (though the ones mentioned above are all true events). And that doesn't even account for students working 30 or more hours a week to support themselves, while they are supposed to be full-time students.

I read that one value of reading literature is that it helps us develop empathy. Click the link to the left for an array of articles on that topic. I have always been a reader and, of course, I've been teaching literature for many years now. And, teaching at my current place of employ, I am reminded often of Virginia Woolf's wise words, which remind us that material things can keep us from doing what we're supposed to be doing.

I asked myself; for fiction, imaginative work that is, is not dropped like a pebble upon the ground, as science may be; fiction is like a spider’s web, attached ever so lightly perhaps, but still attached to life at all four corners. Often the attachment is scarcely perceptible; Shakespeare’s plays, for instance, seem to hang there complete by themselves. But when the web is pulled askew, hooked up at the edge, torn in the middle, one remembers that these webs are not spun in mid-air by incorporeal creatures, but are the work of suffering human beings, and are attached to grossly material things, like health and money and the houses we live in.

Decluttering the Freezer: What We've Eaten

I recently made a vow to clean out my freezer. One of the pillars of my frugality is saving money on groceries. This is easy for me because I am a lover of the "food of the poor" and chow down on lots beans from various cuisines. Also, food bargains just leap out at me and are heard to resist.

Looking back at this blog, I noticed that I made the same vow each year. With little success owing to the aforementioned food bargains throwing themselves at my feet. This time, I meant business. I lowered my food budget to $20 a week. That will force you to use what you have.

Here's what's been on the menu, from the fancy to the more mundane.

--shrimp with tasso and mushrooms on cheese and jalapeno grits (not as hard as it sounds)
--STEAK with baked potatoes
--roast chicken cooked a la Zuni Cafe (with the trademark bread salad)
--pumpkin and sausage pasta sauce
--African peanut soup
--chicken stew on couscous
And other stuff I can't recall at the moment....

Some freebie leftovers came my way. From a bit of the ubiquitous spinach dip (pot luck party leftover), I made a frittata, using eggs that a colleague gave us. A double freebie!

Then, with some freebie chips, I made taco soup. Except for the chips, everything was a freezer clean out item.

Part of the trauma of Hurricane Katrina (for those of us a bit out of the city and its flooding who were spared the brunt of the tragedy) was caused by the pain of throwing out tons of  food in our electricity-less weeks. We were gifted with so much salmon and steak that we couldn't consume it or give it away. Everyone around here starts cleaning out the freezer at the beginning of summer, just in case the electricity goes out again.

Bon appetit!

Destressing While Grading: French Lessons

Could anything be more dispiriting than reading research papers which are a pastiche of copied and pasted primary and secondary sources? And the sources are found--sadly--on sites with names like schmoop and gradesaver. Every now and then, the sites present dubious information (like the "fact" that Shakespeare was depressed about the closing of the theaters and so wrote sonnet 29. Or the "fact" that  clowns and fools  are markers only of comedy. Really? Only? Isn't there a fool in King Lear?) Enough! My mission in life is to develop assignments that help the students learn to read the material. Alas, I am required to assign traditional research papers in certain courses, assignments that were developed before EZ COPY PASTE (should I trademark that?).

So, to take a break, I am playing with Duolingo, the language learning site I first read about on Frugalshrink. How I wish I had had this before. I last studied French around 40 years ago. One kind woman we met in France told me that she could tell the language was in there, trying to get out.

I hope so. I don't know if I could learn a language from scratch on this, but I am tearing through the lessons and will hit the more sophisticated and difficult Foreign Service lessons later.

 Today I even had to translate a frugal saying.

Acheter mieux, jeter moins.

Well sort of frugal. Could one also say Acheter moins, jeter moins? Je crois que oui.

I am so happy! Back to the grind.

Third Best Deal in Chicago: 54 cents

This is the final installment in my series: Best Deals in Chicago. It really goes to show you that there are all sorts of wonderful treats everywhere you go.

This one is kind of embarrassing. I spend a bit of time mooning over the blogs of elegant travelers and chic dressers like Pseu of unefemme, Duchesse of Passage des Perles, and Janice of the viviennefiles. But I am here to say that my third best frugal treat in Chicago came courtesy of McDonalds.

You see, I got kind of sick in Chicago and spent a night and a day with a terrible stomach ache, so bad that I spent most of that day sleeping while Mr FS did conference things and hit the Art Institute. He kept asking me if I wanted anything and I said the only thing I wanted was soft serve ice cream.

When I was back on my feet (sort of), Mr FS noticed a McDonalds near our hotel. We stepped in and I said (I AM CHEAP): I only want it if it's under a dollar.

To which the server replied: It's 54 cents. WHY? Because of a similar promotion from Burger King. Whatever.

It was pure bliss and we had a soft serve every day. My stomach is still bothering me as I write and I would love another one right now.

I asked Mr FS why it was more pleasant eating a soft serve cone in McDonalds than being in Eataly, where the hordes walked around the crowded and noisy store WHILE eating gelato or drinking wine. UGH. Mr FS replied: Because this is a quiet and uncrowded place and we're spending LESS than the food or environment would indicate. At Eataly, the food is overpriced and you either sit while people swirl around you or [as I mentioned earlier] you buy a $5 cup of gelato and eat it while walking around. So the price is too high for the environment.

Has anyone else ever had a blissful experience at a fast food restaurant?

Second Best Deal in Chicago: Parmesan Rinds at Eataly

First best is, you may recall, our membership at the Art Institute. The second best--no suspense since I gave it away in the title line--was discovered when we were scoping out the food choices near our hotel. In pervious trips, we zipped all over Chicago, going to various well-reviewed ethnic restaurants. Back then, though, we had a friend with a car or the leisure of a longer stay. Also, we now live in one of the greatest restaurant cities in the USA, so we don't need to spend a lot of time hunting places down elsewhere.

Within a few blocks we found Trader Joes (yay! though this turned to disappointment. TJ has gone sadly downhill in quality). Then we found Whole Foods (yay! but the takeout options, as expected weren't great). Then we found: EATALY.

I had read about this Italian food emporium, run by various luminaries in the food biz. Oh, the cheese! Oh, the gelato! Oh, the pizza! But, oh the noise! Oh, the crowds! I had to get out of there. We checked out the offerings and decided to come back the next day after reading some reviews. As we perused the  goods, I spied the SECOND BEST DEAL of the TRIP: rinds of parmesan (reggiano, the real thing) for $2/lb. Mr FS and I wondered if this was a one-day special or an error. So we bought 2 pounds to take home. Even the rinds sell for about $10/lb at our local Whole Foods.

Well, we read some reviews of Eataly and EVERY ONE of them said the place was over-priced and disappointing in quality. And--basically--a tourist mecca. The pizza was singled out as particularly bleh.  Needless to say, this was a total turn-off. But we did brave the crowds to buy two more pounds of parmesan rinds. The price was not a mistake.

Why am I so ecstatic about parmesan rinds? Because if you add them to soups, the broth is infused with richness and a delectable flavor. Most recipes say to remove the rinds when the soup is done and discard them. NEVER! I eat them. If the soup cooks for a long time, the rinds turn into a gooey treat.

Freezer and Pantry Clean Out: This Time I Mean It!

Every year, I write about how I MUST declutter. And that includes the food clutter. I have an average size fridge and freezer combo. I can't imagine how much I would amass if I had a separate freezer in which to collect "bargains."

Mr FS and I will be going on vacation in about 6 weeks. One would hope I could make a dent in the food. In past years, I had limited myself to $25 a week for food. For the next six weeks I will try for $20.

The week started well. We ate some frozen bean burritos, a beloved homey dish especially appreciated after a week away from home. Then I took out chili for tonight.

Then it happened: I stepped into the grocery for a bit of fruit and emerged with 3 lb of bananas, 1 1/2 lb of Aidells sausage, 3 lb of "turducken" sausage, and some boneless chicken breast. All the meat was 75% off, so my grand total was around $7.50. I'm hoping that Frugal Son doesn't have much food in his fridge. I'm planning on a big present.

As temptations go, food bargains are pretty benign. I'll let you know how it goes.

The Best Deal in Chicago: Joining the Art Institute

Mr FS and I spent a bit of time in Chicago recently. We went to a conference and did some conference-like things.  We spent a lot of time in Chicago in days of yore and did all the tourist must-dos. This time, we decided to go for broke in our out-of-conference activities. Craving beauty, we joined the Art Institute! For a year. For 5 days.

It costs $23 for a ticket to the Institute. The base membership costs $90 for an adult and GUEST. We also got a 10% discount for living far away. So for $81 we had 5 days of bliss (we went twice a day, since our hotel was a short walk away.)

We also got free admission to special exhibits (only one, as far as we could tell). A chic tote bag with a zipper. Early entry into the recently re-opened modern art galleries.

And--drumroll, please--entry into the Member's Lounge, which had comfy Eames and Barcelona chairs (and other iconic designs) and FREE COFFEE and TEA. Good coffee too--Illy. Mr FS and I joked that the coffee almost covered the membership. We also got to hear bits and pieces of very cultured conversations. Treats all around.