Getting Used To Life Behind a Screen, Even When Doing Improv with Total Strangers From Another State

Is this a Board Room or a Bored Room? Actually, it was Sunday conferencing, one on one, with several graduate students in a research course. I've been reading drafts of their thinking and wanted to connect with each of them, individually, to keep the spirits up. As I began meeting with them yesterday morning (the last 10 will be today), I realized that everything is just different. Normally I'd hold office hours for a week, as well as during my class times. Can't. So, we are doing hour by hour ZOOM calls.

On another note, performing with Vygotsky's Sisters, an improv group named by Kevin Leander at NCTEAR, got me invited to 30-minute Improv workshops throughout the week, simply to touch base, to laugh, to perform, and play games. So, I attended my first workshop yesterday and played two games. The first was 5 Things, where we had to ask someone a question, and they had to quickly respond (the rest of us kept count with our fingers, only to shoot at the 5 things once they achieved the goal: Name 5 totally new yoga positions, Name 5 things you can do with a popsicle stick, Name 5 ways to prepare hummingbird meat. We played that for a round, and then moved to Character Q & A, where each of us were given a name, an expertise, and a personality trait. We then were interviewed by CNN reporters totally in character. I got Dr. Cornelus Weber, a panicky botanist.

We also had Penelope Jones, a morose welder, Audra Ernhardt, a grumpy archivist, and Millie Smith, a spiritual grass weaver (that was a tough one).

To be honest, it was just silly fun. We all jumped into our roles, made each other laugh, cracked ourselves up, then had a countdown where the call simply ended. We have 30-minute exercises scheduled every day this week and anyone can join in and have fun. It's human connectivity at its best.

On the home-front, it rained all day. It was miserable. So, we made meatballs, followed by spaghetti, and had a tremendous meal. It was delicious, although I couldn't mix hot sausage into the bowl because Edem is a non-porksman. Drat.

Hard to believe it is Monday again. Enjoyed talking to Chitunga for an hour last night, and hearing his perspective of the world. Love him to death, and he said, "Soon, I'll be home and you'll be sick of seeing me and wanting to throw me to the streets."

I doubt it. I am, however, thinking of how we sustain food in the house. I'm putting him on grocery duty and will get him the necessary supplies so he can shop like he's excavating ETs home. We'll have to compromise somehow.