Coffee Flavored Kisses

then I’d sure be buying some!

I am a busy camper this semester.  The new schedule we have with a four day instructional week is going well, but I will admit teaching two hour and twenty minute classes back to back is a bit wearing. On Fridays, all I seem to do is socialize with my colleagues whom I only ever see in passing. This Friday, however, I forgot to attend a class because I got caught up in reviewing a text book.

Reviewing that textbook made me think–always a scary thing I know–but it did.  It made me wonder why textbooks are so dreadfully, dull.  Now granted teaching college composition in general is only as exciting as the instructor and students make it, but all textbooks seem so dreary to me that it’s a wonder anything is learned.

I’m a big believer in the idea that education and learning need to be stimulating, fun, and well, entertaining.  I always learned better when I liked going to class, and always forgot everything when going to class was chore (that is if I went to class. I remember a COBOL programming class that I dropped that I went to a total of ONCE in five weeks.)  As a teacher, then, I try to find something to make what goes on in class fun, and I am sure I am not the only teacher that does this–in fact, I know I am not.

However, it would help if our textbooks also included some sense of fun.Yes, they have cartoons and funny pictures–every once in awhile, but really who wants to wade through all of the text for one funny picture?  I find myself choosing what textbooks I can these days by which ones make me feel something or make me laugh.  At least, some texts do that. The Philosophy text I chose and the Tech Writing text I picked both make you feel the author is a living, breathing person. (I was very saddened to  learn that the author of the Philosophy Text died recently.)  I only wish a composition textbook had so much voice to it–which is funny since voice is one of the things the books try to teach.

I wish I had the talent to write a textbook (though I did just have a flashback to a charcter in an AOL chatroom whose main advice to writers was write a textbook!).  I just don’t know that I could. I am woefully behind in comp theory, which is why I frequently toy with going back for a Rhet/Comp or Writing Master’s.  Oh well…in the meantime, I’ll just stay out here in the trenches working to make writing class as fun and entertaining as I can–while keeping in the back of my head a comment a student made a couple of years ago, “Mrs. Jones, I used to hate writing, but you made me like it.”  Well, at least I got something right.

I like music other than AC/DC, and while I don’t expect everyone to love these women, I thought I would share.

Saffire the Uppity Blues Women

and a performance at youtube.

I have a confession.  I’m 43, and I had never gone to a rock concert until this week.

My husband has been trying to get me to go a concert for ages, but I’m just not a music person.  I mean I like music, but it’s not what spins my world around.  In fact, of the hundreds of cds in our house, most of them are my husband’s.

My husband’s attempts to get me to a concert became more serious last year when he discovered AC/DC was to play at the arena in Little Rock.  “It’s AC/DC,” he said.  “How much longer do you think they’ll be touring? And you like AC/DC, don’t you?”

I was in a rough spot, I do like AC/DC.  However, I should have mentioned that both the Stones and the Who were giving concerts very late in their careers. (OK, who am I kidding the Stones have probably had animatronic versions of themselves made for their concerts, so they can go on forever.)  Anyhow, I said, “Ok. I’ll think about it.”  My husband heard the “ok,” and quicker than lightning strikes had tickets purchased.  I was going to a concert in January.

So Jan 28 rolls around, and of course, it’s cold and Arkansas has been having an ice storm.  The weather people have everyone terrified that we will die from the ice storm that barely hits the middle and south parts of the states.  As a worrier, I am one of these people.  My husband calms my worries by saying, “If it’s bad, we’ll get a hotel room.”

Well, we get on the road and discover that they are dry and totally un-iced.  We arrived TWO hours before the doors would open, and chilled out by walking around the outside of the arena and sitting in the car.  I played some games on his I-phone.

At about 5:30 pm, we go join the line.  At this point the temperature is dropping a a degree every five minutes, and my husband has no coat.  We–my sister-in-law and I–huddle around him to protect him from the wind and cold.  At 6 pm or so, they let us into the arena.  I am frisked lightly and allowed in.

The  lobby of the arena is full of people, and they are thirsty and hungry.  The amount of beer being put in plastic cups is astonishing.  We bought some hot dogs and water, and then proceeded to our seats in the mezzanine aka nosebleed section.  However, no sooner do we reach the seats than we turn right back around; my husband’s fear of heights has kicked in.  We went to costumer service and changed out seats.

Finally settling into our seats, we waited for half an hour before the opening act played.  Now there was nothing wrong with the Answer.  They’re clearly a young band trying to get experience and to find an audience.  As I watched them, I was mildly amused, but not over-awed.  Their half hour of Little Rock fame over, I thought to myself…”what’s the big deal?”

It runs up to 8:30 pm. and AC/DC takes the stage. Now, I am really thrilled for my ear plugs because their opening video is loud, and I happene to be sitting near a speaker.  Unfortunately, my left ear and the ear plug in it decide they don’t like each other afterall, and there is no space between them.  This causes me to fidget all concert with my ear.

AC/DC is really loud–oh yeah, I mentioned that. They were great fun to watch too.  Brian Johnson was clearly enjoying himself, and is well so it apeared to me, something of a goober. (This a compliment in my world as goobers can enjoy themselves doing the simplest of things.)  He bounces around, plays air guitar, hand slaps the crowd, and well just looks like he’s having a blast. It’s good to enjoy your work.

Angus Young is clearly the front man of the band, even though most of his singing is the opening “Oi”s to T-N-T.  However, he doesn’t need to sing to be the frontman.  I don’t think my kittens had as much energy and bounce as Mr. Young.  If he could have bounced up to the catwalk at the top of the arena I think he might have.

The rest of the band was a tad more sedate with Malcolm Young and Cliff Williams marching up to their mikes and then returning to places.  Phil Rudd never stopped drumming.  I don’t  know he does it; during the fire effects during T-N-T, all I could think was, “man, that must be hot.”

Ok, I must admit I had a lot of fun and enjoyed myself.  However, the whole concert business left me underwhelmed. I still don’t really get it.  I’m still not going to go out of my way to see someone in concert.  I still wouldn’t drive for hours (LR is an hour and 15 minutes from home–that’s my limit).  And music hasn’t suddenly become much more impressive to me. But, the next time some band I really like comes to town, I might consider going.