December « 2011 « Kenny Smith | A remarkable thing happens …

December, 2011

Reload early, reload often

More grading. All day, it seems.

This is downtown Homewood, late in the evening. Had dinner on the southside with a college buddy. This was part of the drive afterward:

Normally this road isn’t so empty, but Homewood rolls up the sidewalks by 9 p.m., even during the Christmas season.

A wide version of this is now one of the rotating footers at the bottom of this page. There are now 17 of those. The bottom of the page has to catch up, though. There are 38 images in the header. Reload often!

More grading tomorrow, and the last class of the semester.

Pearl Harbor links. One of my uncles, if I am remembering this story correctly, was at Pearl Harbor soon after the attacks. This is him, a few years ago:

Here’s a story from yesterday about some young local boys who rotated through there in 1943 on their way to the Pacific front.

Every now and then I tell a story about something like this, because it astounds me that a lot of these people were my students age. Like these kids, who happened to be in Hawai’i to play football when the Japanese flew in. That’s a great read. And it is hard to imagine those could be my students.

Historic Page Ones.

adventures / journalism / Samford / Tuesday / video — Comments Off
6
Dec 11

Leaving … what prints?

The Yankee came to campus today. I’d planned to give an extra credit quiz in my writing and editing class and she asked if she could do it. I’ve been telling my students how strict a teacher she was and today introduced them to Dr. Smith.

She picked out a bunch of spelling words from their list. The first three were easy, “See, I’m not so bad” and then she started giving them much more challenging words.

At the end of it all they decided they liked her quizzes more than mine.

That’s only because they know who’s grading them.

Speaking of the JMC department, check out the new promotional video:

I didn’t have anything to do with making that — the office of communication created that — so I can safely brag about it. Looks slick.

We visited Surin West for Thai tonight, which we haven’t been able to do in quite some time. It was a cold night and a big helping of chicken noodle bowl would have been wonderful, but that is only a lunch item. They will not make it in the evening for some reason. I’m guessing it has something to do with how they have to age the sprouts.

So I found a new dish: the pad woon sen. Sometimes you just have to grin, cringe and go with what the helpful waiter suggests. He did not disappoint tonight.

Tonight, the students are working on their last paper of the semester. I am grading. Always, always grading. Started this morning grading press releases. I’ll end the day grading broadcast scripts.

At least the stacks of papers are growing more manageable.

Just for fun, ABC 33/40’s Brenda Ladun, who is all kinds of awesome, struggled through this little story the other night:

Live television is tough, no buts about it.

cycling / Monday / Samford — Comments Off
5
Dec 11

When everything comes due

Having not been on my bike in a few days I set out for a 45 mile ride today. And I realized, somewhere around mile 15, the purpose of this activity: This is an exercise with a primary purpose of allowing a far-off part of the body to explain unique pains to the central nervous system.

I do like it. And though they should arrive earlier and stay longer, the endorphins that kicked in at mile 36 were glorious.

There is an easy five mile route near home and, for a moment, I considered hanging on to make a nice round number. But I realized I was mostly freewheeling from mile 40 on. I’m blaming the red lights.

Grading today. I’m going to say this, and almost exclusively this, for the better part of the next week. May as well get used to it.

iPhone / photo / weekend — Comments Off
4
Dec 11

Catching up

A sign found on my ride. It has always intrigued me, but I finally stopped to take a picture. The picture is about 64 percent more cosmopolitan than it had any right to be, especially back when it was new and suggested a good time, or at least an escape from a miserable time.

From the house next door I heard someone’s sorrowful cough.

This used to be a gas station, I’m sure. But now it is a wonderful distressed feeling nursery.

It looks like everyone packed up and left it years ago, but the place is still open.

Not sure of the surviving atmosphere, though. If you knew nothing else you’d think this was the place to visit for the unkempt Southern gothic vibe. This bush is going to turn into a tree and take over the lot.

iPhone / movies / photo / weekend — Comments Off
3
Dec 11

“The sun after all is just fuel, burning ferociously”

Can you name the movie?