June 4: Raw Post

Everything in this post is going to be raw.  No spell checking will be performed.  If I make any mistakes, I'm not going to fix them.  I'm tired of typing and writing.  I've bee doing it for about twelve hours today, not counting lunch and bathroom breaks.  I also took a twpo-mile nature walk about an hour ago to clear my head.  Didn't see any deer, but I did come across a flattened grey squirrel.  It was pretty gross.

Now, I'm waiting for my daughter to get out of dance class.  This is her last official dance class of the school year.  For the rest of the week, it's recital practice.  Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday (all day).  It's going to be a looooooooooooooong week.  I'm going to be pretty much danced out by Sunday afternoon, when it's all over.

So far, I've only noticed one little typo.  Not bad for pounding on the keyboard without stopping,.  Whoops.  I shouldn't have started bragging.

I'm hungry now.  I'd eat raw hamburger if somebody put it in front of me gihgt now.  I'n also pretty weary.  I've got about another hour before I can head home.  Maybe I'll work on my essay a little more.  Or maybe I'll read a good book.  Or maybe I'll just shut off my computer and stare into the abyss of madness.  Or maybel I'll solve world hunger and tell no one.  Or maybe I'll gnaw on a cheese stick for a while.

Or maybe Saint Marty will got to sleep.  Or go to sleep.  Or go.  Or...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Wake me up tomorrow morning....

February 18: Blog in the Raw

My last post today is going to be a blog in the raw.  That means I'm not going to proofread or correct what I'm typing.  I'm just going talk about whatever comes into my head.  I'm not going to backspace or speell check or anything.  (OK, that's funny, misspelling "spell.")

Pretty much, when I type in a post, they all pretty much look like this.  I'm a pretty fast typiest, so my fingers sometimes work faster than my brain.  Especially when it comes to spelling and grammar.  After I'm done entering a post, I usually spend a good 15 or 20 minutes proofreading and correcting it.  I hate reading blogs that are poorly written, which is about 98% of them.  Either that or they're about food or fashion or crafts.

Yes, I'm bitching about the state of blogdom.  I wish there were more really good writers blogging out there, instead of the vomit that's usually posted.  Perhaps it's my sensibilities as a college English professor.  It could be.  I've read so many comma splices and sentence fragments that I think my own skills are detriorating.  The final word in that last sentence proves it.

I usually tell my students not to worry about grammar or spelling on their first drafts.  The problem with that advice is that they apply it to their second, third, fourth, and final drafts, as well.  And now I read that they're not going to be teaching kids in elementary school how to write in cursive.  It makes me weep for the state of the world.  If the power goes out and the wireless towers are disabled, nobody is going to able to communicate with each other any more.  We'll be reduced to a planet of people wandering around like the walking dead, staring at our blank computers and smart phones and tablets.

Yes, this is a rant.  A poorly spelled and punctuated but deeply felt rant.

Maybe Saint Marty should have lived on the prairie with Laura Ingalls.

It's never stopped me, either

December 12: Brain Dead, Charts, Grading

I'm reaching the point of brain death.  I've been putting together charts, answering phones, filing, and scheduling surgeries all day.  In the down time, I've been grading material from my Mythology class.  My mind is reaching overload, and I haven't even touched the final exams yet.

I'm not sure if I'm going to go to the meeting at church tonight.  I sent the pastor an e-mail at around 5 a.m., asking if I needed to be there.  He hasn't replied.  It could be that he's been too busy to check his inbox.  These annual meetings tend to be time vampires, sucking away every good minute of the day.  I'm not quite sure what to do.

Frankly, I'm amazed that I've been able to string together coherent sentences for this post.  After reading so many student papers in the last 24 hours, I tend to start making spelling mistakes on words like "cat" and "ant." 

I have found that my morning posts, with my mind fresh and uncluttered, tend to be much wittier and more profound.  By this time of the day, I've pretty much used up every good thought I will have.  I try to make these afternoon posts fun and exciting, but I think they come out whiny and confusing.

Please forgive me for instilling boredom in your day with these words.  However, in my defense, I've read about five thousand freshmen essays on Odysseus and the Trojan War in the last day.  I deserve a little compassion.

Saint Martee kneads two take an brake.  He shure duz.

And half won't even spell my name correctly...