In which trek asks, "Is it that time already?!"

Sheepie has been nattering on for a week now about the demise of the days of leisure. Since Sheepie is often influenced by Hysterical Mind's fears of doom, catastrophe, and the impending zombie apocalypse, I paid these dire predictions of the death of summer little heed, knowing that Rational Mind would reassert her authority and all would be right in the realms of summer. Then, Neatnik mentioned that she was wishing school started this week.

I think she is missing her friends. Even with all of the so-called "free time" inherent in the summer vacation months, kids don't get to see all of their friends, what with vacations, camps, and other assorting warm weather activities. I can understand that.

Compounding the Back to School is Immanent theme, I got an email Wednesday morning from Barnes & Noble regarding their textbook rental and new NOOKStudy programs. It's like someone over there read my class blog posts from last semester.

"NOOKstudy turns your computer into the ultimate study tool, letting you tag important content for easy look-up, highlight key sections, and access all your coursework in one convenient place."
   - Barnes & Noble

Notice the emphasis I placed on computer in the quote. Most textbooks have complex charts and graphics. Ereaders have small screens and cannot handle graphics intensive documents - yet. Still, enabling students to carry all of their study materials on their notebooks is pretty cool. Certainly lighter to lug around campus than the 156 pounds of paper I had to schlep back in my undergraduate sherpa days.

The signs and omens are all right there in front of me: summer must be officially winding down.

Refusing to be the last professor standing knee deep in the river, I spent most of one afternoon this week burning iso images to disc so that I can upgrade the operating system on my notebook. Still need to back up the data files and make a list of applications which I will need to reinstall after the OS upgrade but burning the install discs was a first step.

Now all I have to do is to review the syllabi, reread the first chapters and make up some slides for the first few weeks of lecture, work out solutions to the first set of homework assignments, and set up the class blogs.

Oh, yeah, and back up all of my data an then reinstall the operating system and every single application and utility currently in residence on my computer. Won't that be fun?

Sure hope those DVDs burned correctly...