Getting amped up for the AP grading in Fort Collins in six weeks. I'm poring over bike trails, paths and routes. Got my maps printed out. Got my bike reserved from a bike shop. Got some music and community events noted. Working out to get my lungs ready for the higher altitude. Biking Forney to get ready for riding in wild traffic. Making runs on the trails at the new Forney Community Park to get my quads in shape. Jumping curbs and tackling hillocks to get ready for mountain obstacles.Oh yeah, there will be actual essay grading during the day. Got word that iPods and music devices are not allowed any more during grading. Doesn't bum me out too much. I only listened to music during the "hitting the wall" periods (twenty minutes before the morning break, twenty minutes before lunch, twenty minutes before the afternoon break and twenty minutes before the end of the day). That's when your brain was fried from reading too many lousy essays by students who had no clue what to write. It was okay to listen to tunes if your neighbors couldn't hear it. So I kept the volume down real low. But in the more crowded rooms I guess graders were squeezed in closer to one another and the iPods were disturbing the luddites.
My room was big and spacious last year and I could indulge in a little Arcade Fire to keep my mind from going totally numb. Guess I'll have to do without this year. I actually didn't have the buds in most of the time. Did better reading in silence.
Most of my crew from last year is coming back. "Fury" from Keller, "KC" from Stillwater, "Chaz" from Saipan, "Mr. 1400" from Bethany, "Freakin' Redwings" from somewhere in Michigan, and more all making a return visit to Colorado State. Some are also renting bikes. Getting the laptop all fired up to send reports via the Internet Lounge and Flickr.
