Bad blogger...

No, not the blogging service -- me.

I came home exhausted yesterday evening after my long work day Wednesday and a fairly busy day Thursday, and just couldn't think of anything to post or write. So I blew it off.

In other words, I failed at NaBloPoMo on day 10.

But not to give up. Despite the very modest nature of my posts this month, I have enjoyed going back to this space, and catching up with a few friends from the past, like this other Betty, who have dropped in to comment.

So I will peck away at it. And maybe inspiration will come.

Long day

Due to the length of my work day, there will be no scheduled post today.

Stay tuned for the next edition.

On the road again

Talk about a big day tomorrow!

Rendez-vous in front of my school at 6:45 am to pick up three students and drive off to the Infosup educational fair in Toulouse...a full day of communicating about our business school...however, I must leave by 4pm because at 6pm my 3rd year students are doing their video/buffet evening about their foreign internships...

I congratulate myself for getting a post in this evening! Now off to bed...

No-blog night

I am keeping up with NaBloPoMo -- if only for myself -- but I have decided that, as a rule, if I write a professional blog post in the evening, I won't write a " real" post to this blog.

This is where I have been blogging professionally for over 6 years now...and I can tell you that once I have worked all day and then, in the evening, written a blog post that I am getting paid for, the energy for personal blogging wavers.

Talking shop

My head is spinning today.

At my "advanced age," I am thinking about doing some sort of degree or certificate program that would formalize and solidify my skills and knowledge in my career and my passion: teaching English as a Foreign Language.

Yes, I have a Bachelor's Degree, in English for that matter, from a prestigious American university. But finding creative ways to teach verb tenses doesn't have much to do with Chaucer or Dickens.

And yes, I did a 5th year of university studies that led to my becoming a certified teacher in Washington State. Indeed, I still use some of what I learned during that program in my teaching.

But that was, um, how long ago? And how much of that year do I really remember? And how relevant is what I learned then -- on a non-subject specific course, to boot -- to today's language classrooms?

I have a lot to think about.

International Relations

The campus of KHK Kempen, Geel, Belgium

My school year started out with an unforgettable experience: making an official visit to a college in the Antwerp area to set up an Erasmus partnership with the business school where I teach.

I am happy to announce that a student from my school will be attending the last semester of his third and final year at this friendly and professional establishment.

It was exciting and inspiring to see how another college system worked, and to meet enthusiastic and friendly professors and teachers.

I am truly lucky that my teaching job has expanded to include an element of international project coordination.

As for the non-professional details, I spent one night in the charming little village of Kasterlee...

...and a day and night in the friendly and lively city of Antwerp.

The past year has been a Belgium year for me: I went to a conference in Brussels in October 2010, back to Brussels with my family for Christmas 2010, and then on this trip.

I quite like the country: there's something cool about such a small place where, nonetheless, there is such diversity between the two main regions.

Of course, this diversity has caused the country some major political difficulties -- but I guess I can say this is not my problem when I'm travelling there!

Fiddling around with Blogger

My ambitions for this NaBloPoMo are modest; I'm not planning many major manifestos.

In fact, one of my goals is to fiddle around a little every day with my blog layout and color scheme.

I haven't touched any of Blogger's design features in ages.

Today my plan is to change my "hover color."

As I said: modest ambitions.

Roller coaster life

Since the summer, life has been a roller coaster, and there are still a few dips and dives left before 2012...

In September, we sent our youngest daughter off to go to university at the Faculté de Toulouse Mirail.

Within two weeks it was clear that she absolutely hated it, so she managed to bounce back and get into a 3-year Bachelor's in Business degree program in Blagnac.

Just when we thought things had calmed down, she's now changing apartments because her studio in the rue Pargaminières has so much outside (read partying) noise that she can never get a decent night's sleep...

Actually, I think it could take all of NaBloPoMo to really catch up on what's been going on in our lives!

Wordless Wednesday Number Who Knows?

Going for NaBloPoMo

Has it only been 2 months and 10 days since I last posted?

This is not a joke. If you are a Facebook friend -- and if you read this, you probably are -- you will know that the last few months have been, as the French put it (at least around here) "un peu rock 'n' roll."

Speaking of rock music, in this first post of what I hope will be a NaBloPoMo month, I can only quote my beloved Elvis Costello:

"Oh I just don't know where to begin..."