Grade Watch 2019

Back in my day, one could not walk at graduation if one had not graduated. These days and this semester at UTD, one could graduate yesterday and still not know if one actually graduated for another week at least. That is Scott's situation.

Yesterday, he could have walked at 3:30 at his ceremony. Because Sandi is no longer with us, he had no interest in walking at graduation. I tried to convince him otherwise, but, he never wanted to do it.

We still await word on his grades to know if he did really graduate or not.

Spring 2019 at UTD is DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Spring semester for Scott completed early yesterday evening. First, a little background.

Scott has been taking two classes with the one on Wednesday evenings as a graduate school criminology course. The one on Tuesday has been a graduate Public Administration class as he needed an elective outside his major. The Wednesday night course had its last meeting last week and he completed his take home essay final and submitted that Saturday afternoon.

That left the Tuesday night class which has a meeting last night which was to be be the final on campus meeting. Then, he was supposed to have a take home final of an essay of some type that would run about a dozen pages with a citation page. During class last night, the professor informed the students that he very rarely graded a final higher than a 95. If the student wanted to do so, said student could take whatever grade he or she had made on the mid term and have that counted as his or her final as well. If one did that, one did not have to write the final.

Scott had a 95 on the mid term. Clearly, there is no point in trying to beat that. So, he is gladly taking that grade for the final and calling it quits for the semester.

Not only did I not have to keep driving back and forth to UTD as classes are done, but he is done with everything. We now await final grading of a couple of papers in each class. At this point, he is on track for an A in both classes. We await final word.

His final summer vacation as a college student has begun.

UTD Today

If you are on Facebook and follow either Scott or myself, you already saw this picture. If you have not, this was from this afternoon while we were out on the Patio for a bit. Some of the giant wall murla is visible on the left side of the picture. 

The UTD Walk

Each week after Scott comes from his class to Green Hall (where I sit when I can’t sit outside at the Patio) we come out the backside of the building and make this walk headed to the Student Union. While the library is off to the left of the plaza, the Student Union is over to the right. That is where all the food places are as well as the steps up the side of the Student Union building for those far more mobile than I am. Next to those steps to the right (you can’t see them in this picture) are numerous risers where students congregate to eat, talk, scream at somebody they know hundreds of feet away, and get blasted by music when the speakers are set up.

Each evening on campus we make this walk in the semi dark with plenty of company on foot, bikes, and skateboards. In three weeks when Daylight Savings Time starts up again, this walk should be in the light though it will not be anywhere near as bright as in this picture posted by UTD on twitter last night.

While sitting in Green Hall is nice as they have eight sort of recliners there, I much prefer sitting outside at the Patio outside the Pub when the weather is better. Especially now that the smoking ban on campus is actually being enforced. The open area has overhead lights for after dark and a number of large metal tables with plenty of chairs. Getting outside  has always been a much needed part of my self-care since I was a child and though I can’t go walk/hike or visit a state park these days, sitting outside at UTD does help. It also gets me away from loud groups of congregated young adults that clearly are having way more fun at their age than I ever did at any time in my life.

My preferred table is in the right corner just off the edge where I can put my back to a large planter area and contemplate whatever I am reading as well as the interesting smorgasbord of humanity as it flows by. In fact, if you look closely in the far right you can see some of our stuff from a couple of years ago when we were out there and Scott took this picture. 

Five Years Ago: Sunday at the DMA

It came up in my Facebook feed yesterday that it was five years since Scott and I had been down at the Dallas Museum of Art. We went, as did Sandi, because Scott had an Art Class at UTD and had to write a paper. So, if you follow the link, you can see a bit of text and a lot of pictures down at the museum.

Scott, Facebook, and the Picture

Scott has a cellphone. He has become used to taking my picture shortly after we arrive on campus at UTD. He usually gives me some warning, snaps the pic, and then posts the picture to FB. This week I received no warning. There was simply a flash out of the corner of my eye just after I had sat down and started digging in my computer bag. Thus, the picture below was generated.

The picture generated a lot of amusement over on FB during much of Wednesday and into Thursday. It also generated a couple of questions. The primary one was with regards to the edge of the mural seen on the left side of the picture.

The mural is a painting that goes along for several feet on one wall of the Student Union. It faces as outdoor seating area next door the "The Pub" which is the bar on campus. We both like to sit out there as the open space is somewhat protected from the winds that snake through the multi story buildings on campus and is usually far less crowded than other areas on campus. The picture below shows most of the mural as well as our table and my laptop on the far right side.

Update

I am not out and about much except for the grocery store and the library. If I had my way, even that would not happen. But, Scott does not drive yet and we do like to eat and read things so I have to pull myself together and go out at least once a week.

Scott also started back at UTD today as he has two classes for the Spring semester. That meant he needed transportation. That meant I had to go there now too.

So, in case you did not already see this on Facebook earlier this afternoon when Scott posted it, here is yours truly this afternoon at UTD in the Student Union.

Going out in public is way over rated.

One More Time

For what should be the final time this semester, I am now on the campus of UTD hanging out with Scott. He has one more class this afternoon and evening and then his first semester as a graduate student will be completed.

Scott and Grad School

Those who follow me on Facebook already know about some of this, but I did not mention here. I had a very rough weekend physically so I was not online very much.

Late Thursday evening after Scott got home from work he got an email message from UTD informing him that he had been accepted to grad school for the Criminology program. This last month plus he has been sweating it out as they changed members of the committee that reviews the applicants, lost part of his paper, and there were other issues. Both Sandi and I were convinced that since his score of 306 on the GRE exceeded requirements and he  had very good grades he would be in. He was just as convinced it was not going to happen. So, the news that he was in was a huge relief for him as well as us.

This morning I was gone for awhile taking him to and from UTD so he could meet with his grad school advisor. He is now registered for the Spring semester. One class is online and the two others are on campus on Tuesday and Friday late afternoons into the evenings. Grad school full time is 9 hours and he must maintain a B average in all classes.

So, as one chapter ends at UTD and those grades start coming in, another chapter is about to begin.

Scottisms

Been awhile since I posted one of these. I hate going out on the weekend to do grocery shopping or anything else, but with painters about to descend on this building I figured I had to do it yesterday. While at the grocery store Scott told me to ram the latest fool who had blundered in front of my motorized cart. I shook my head no and waited for the woman to realize she had blocked me as well as at least three other people in both directions with her cart while she talked on her cell phone.

From behind me I heard Scott clearly say...

"Go ahead....ram her....do it. Come to the dark side.....we have milk and cookies. And you can wear black."

There was laughter from several folks and the woman in question finally woke up to her situation.


By the way, Scott's grades are in for the fall semester. 2 A's and 3 B's.  The boy did really well.

One Good Thing Today

Bad day as I fell four times since 7 am, broke a tooth, and damn near fell into the open oven tonight while making dinner. One good thing today as this means I don't have to slide down my ice covered stairs to my ice covered car and try to get Scott to UTD through ice covered streets......

 

UT Dallas Closed Monday Due to Inclement Weather

 

Sunday, March 2, 2014

 

The University of Texas at Dallas will be closed tomorrow, Monday, March 3, 2014, due to inclement weather. Classes and events will be canceled through the evening. See the UT Dallas inclement weather closing guidelines for more information regarding Callier Dallas and the Center for Vital Longevity, whose schedules may differ.

Sunday at the DMA

One of Scott's classes this semester is an art class. As part of that art class he has to write several papers. As part of one of the papers Scott had to go down to the Dallas Museum of Art and look at two very specific items. With the deadline of his paper looming and considering the schedule we know about the next couple of weeks with Sandi's cancer stuff and other things, it seemed best to go today.

I didn't realize it when I planned for the trip yesterday, but the museum does not open till 11. The underground parking garage at the DMA opens at ten and I thought the museum did too. That meant we had an hour of bench time together waiting for the place to open.

As you can tell, we really enjoyed the wait time. Sitting on the bench gives you this view......

Finally the magic hour of elven arrived and we made it inside. The DMA is not handicapped freindly. Part of the problem is the museum straddles a slope and that means that once inside you have to climb halfway up an incline to get to the elevators that will take you to the second floor. Scott's mandated project is about two different items from the Greek period so that meant up the slope we went.

When we finally got to the elevator and to the second floor, we found that the Greek and Roman stuff was as far as possible from the elevators. We knew we were getting closer when we saw this....

and continued on with our trek.



Finally, we came around a corner and spotted the first piece that he had to cover in his paper.

That  included the sign below and eye roll from Scott. I don't remember now what I said that caused that. I am sure it was funny and educational.

We then moved on to find the second piece and quickly did.

And, of course, I took one with him beside it.

By this point Scott was rather fedup with my picture taking of him and refused to have any more done so I took a few more of various things in the museum. I will post those at a later time.  It was an exhausting day at the DMA. Hopefully his paper will earn a good grade when he turns it in in two weeks.