This week I've spent three days observing other instructors teaching on the trails around camp. I'm glad that I've gotten a chance to do this, because even though we all work together, we rarely get an opportunity to see each other work. That said, I know my coworkers well enough that everybody performed pretty much as I expected they would (quite excellently, I might add...). We all have different strengths and specialties, and it was a real treat to get to hang out with different groups as an observer, rather than a teacher. It gave me a feel for what it must be like to be a student in one of the field groups. I picked up, or was reminded of, some helpful strategies/games that I'm going to apply to my own field classes in January when we start up again. Tomorrow and Friday I'm back to teaching, and then I'm working at the Christmas tree lot on Saturday. Then that's it as far as work is concerned, until the 31st when I get to supervise a work crew. What a way to end the year, watching the orange vest brigade clean things. Time and a half, I think.

I've gone to Tower Records a couple of times this week. I got well tipped for the party I did last rainy Saturday (beautiful day, with rain making the city somehow indistinct, almost dreamlike, and gusts of yellow leaves scudding across the asphalt) and for helping tie trees onto cars at the Christmas tree lot. I scoured the two local Towers for overlooked gems (granted, a lot of the music I like tends to get overlooked) and got some good cds for 60% off. I'm curious to see how much more prices will drop in the next week and a half before the chain closes for good.

It's almost 10 PM. Time to think about going to bed. It's finally quiet in the house. Maybe I'll read for awhile instead.