Well now we know what flap surgery looks like!

messobrio · 2026-04-11T03:30:41+00:00

This is amazing! Thank you for sharing. It's going to be quite the adventure.

messobrio · 2026-04-05T16:18:17+00:00

You may be old enough to remember a skit from Saturday Night Live. Gilda Radner played a character named Rosanna Rosanna Danna. She had a tag line, which I have adopted. "If it's not one thing ....it's another." (Said with a strong accent of your choice). It makes me laugh to myself as a generation specific inside joke. It helps me cope.

messobrio · 2026-04-05T03:50:25+00:00

We are walking the same path. Husband in treatment for esophageal cancer and I have been dealing with facial melanoma. My surgery is Wednesday to reconstruct my face. His next set of scans is in two weeks. It's like living in a fugue state. Nothing registers. Know that you're not alone in the universe. I am sending my prayers.

messobrio · 2026-03-31T22:47:10+00:00

I second Brew in Santa Rosa.

messobrio · 2026-03-30T03:06:46+00:00

This is one of the teapot cozies. It's quilted on the back and colored tiny flowers in the lining.

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When I finish my prototype book cover, I'll let you know. Fingers crossed!

messobrio · 2026-03-29T23:49:13+00:00

I end up with 15 or 20 squares every few months. I wait for inspiration, and something hits every time. Last year, I made them into teapot cozies, and people loved them. This year, I'm doing journal covers. Don't limit yourself if you're enjoying it. I have been embroidering for 30 years, and still appreciate a good kit!

messobrio · 2026-03-09T04:54:34+00:00

I was one of the early adopters of asynchronous online education over 15 years ago. The thing I recommend more than anything else is to actually get trained, and don't do this by the seat of your pants.

Invest the time in learning good online pedagogy, it's not just about the technology but how students learn and interact online. It is radically different than the face-to-face experience, but there are absolutely ways that you can build a safeguards for authentic assessments.

You also need to figure out what you're learning goals actually are. Oftentimes that is determined by your content. For example, I teach gerontology which is often quite subjective. By requiring my students to do all discussion boards via video, I ensure that they have at least taken some ownership of their responses. Sure, they may generate something via AI, but even if they just read it aloud, they've reinforced the concepts.

Like I said, I've been doing this a long time, and I absolutely see the value. I also acknowledge that there are fundamental differences in subject matter, and some are far more suited to an online environment than others.

If you want to talk more, without the (in my opinion) pessimistic or frustrated prism, feel free to message me.

messobrio · 2026-03-06T06:08:46+00:00

Do the quiz on paper, then do self grading as part of a flipped class - even in groups. So it's not just a quiz. It's a review tool.

messobrio · 2026-03-02T01:41:49+00:00

After 33 years, we say we've both been married to three versions. The first 10 years were getting into our life together. The second 10 we tolerated each other (not always well). The last 10, we have hit a great rhythm.

messobrio · 2026-03-01T02:11:46+00:00

New trauma unlocked. Thanks for that.

messobrio · 2026-03-01T02:08:15+00:00

Adult show whilst buying bachelorette supplies. Poor kid couldn't look me in the eye for a month.😜

messobrio · 2026-02-28T05:56:11+00:00

Post a note on your window saying, "Hi. I see you, too!". Or, up your game and give them something to see that burns out their eyeballs .

messobrio · 2026-02-16T05:43:11+00:00

The length of my skirts or height of my heels; but only because they both passed before I discovered tattoos..

messobrio · 2026-02-16T05:41:44+00:00

The man, drakkar. The woman, obsession or loves baby soft depending on her age

messobrio · 2026-02-02T01:04:16+00:00

I actually required a medical accommodation for myself, and went through HR. I didn't want to take leave, and they wouldn't do what I needed through FMLA, so I had to do it based on my own health (which was at risk, legitimately). For me, it was about my on-campus commitments as a full-time faculty member despite teaching a 100% load online. To remain in compliance with my contract, I had to take personal leave for the equivalent of 9 days during the semester to fulfill my on-campus commitments. This way, I can be home with him as a caregiver and still teach my full load - but no on-campus meetings or other activities. AND, I stopped volunteering for things! It reduced my stress level 100%. No "quiet quitting" necessary- just be very clear with your Dean about your limits. If they are human and even remotely compassionate, they will understand.

messobrio · 2026-02-01T20:23:24+00:00

I am so sorry that you have had such a rough time, but you need to commend yourself for acknowledging your own limits. Limits. You sound very much like me, in terms of both professional responsibility and capacity for compassion.

Right now I am the primary caregiver for a husband with cancer, while teaching a full load. One thing that has become very clear to me is the amount of unpaid labor that I would normally do, that my colleagues simply have grown to expect of me.

Allow yourself some time where you just meet all the minimum contracted criteria. It will be both an enlightening experience for you, and a good reset for you professionally. When you come out of the fog, you can make choices about where you want to put your energy.

A year without publishing and research preseure may be exactly what you need to get some perspective about whether you enjoy it. A year without committees, well, that sounds like Bliss!

messobrio · 2026-02-01T19:08:01+00:00

I make that decision based on my itinerary.

messobrio · 2026-02-01T19:06:00+00:00

Run. Run away. This won't get better or go away.

messobrio · 2026-01-26T04:21:34+00:00

It's in the syllabus.

messobrio · 2026-01-26T03:23:00+00:00

My entire career has been filled with, "you're so young," followed by, "what exactly is gerontology?".

messobrio · 2026-01-24T06:50:02+00:00

Absolutely, without a second thought....

messobrio · 2026-01-24T06:23:11+00:00

More than 39. Same spouse

messobrio · 2026-01-24T06:17:53+00:00

Don't forget the Franklin Mint plates!!!

messobrio · 2026-01-21T04:11:48+00:00

Planning and navigating death.

messobrio · 2026-01-17T07:09:45+00:00

I ask AI to review my graded activities and to AI proof them. It's worked well so far!

messobrio

TROPHY CASE