long time no blog

Summer session skidded to a close. My summer cold turned into full-on bronchitis (including 102 degree fever, chills, and the usual ick). And still, I managed to get out of town on.......

A VACATION!!!!

Not my usual activity. I headed off to Hawaii. Maui, mostly. And I start teaching the fall semester classes tomorrow, at 8 am.

I guess a full-on description will have to wait. Let's just say that I have never been so relaxed in all my life. And I'm still pretty much there.

Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh.

Do you feel the thick, hot, moist breeze? Do you feel the salt of the warm ocean crusting on your legs? Can you taste the drinks with the little umbrellas?

end of "semester" crunch

My miraculous, creative, wonderful students.
Cranking out work round the clock.
Showing up with ingenious final projects, PLUS yummy final party snacks.

The most miraculous thing of all:
The good humor, camaraderie, and sharing among them, especially the night before, 'round midnight (I kid you not). The yahoogroup posts!

I guess our summer school class is more of a digital art boot camp, with fourteen weeks' worth of instruction crammed into six. Naturally everyone gets a bit punchy near the end.

And what were they sharing with each other?
Tips on masking in Corel Painter?
Tips on making patterns in Adobe Illustrator?

Nooooooooo.
YouTube videos of Japanese pranks. Outrageous potty-humor. Pee-in-your-pants hilarious.

with thanks to Laura Ewing
outhouse pranks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJOweEVMjz4&search=japanese%20toilet%20pranks

with thanks to Edward Wu
sauna pranks
http://www.spikedhumor.com/articles/37345/Sauna_Pranks_In_Japan.html

There is much more to say about my students' work and our final conversation. But right now I am sniffling with a summer cold, trying to lie down for yet another nap. And I am still filled with joy at all of yesterday. And I mean ALL of yesterday, beginning with the stream of yahoogroup email posts at 12:41 a.m.). If you know anybody who needs a good laugh, send 'em over. [To the link, NOT necessarily to Japan, since they might end up on the receiving end........]