Day 67/99 Days of Monsters: The Chimera! This monster, brother to Cerberus and the Hydra, was originally depicted as a lion with a goat head coming out of its back and a snake head for a tail. Over time, the heads part sometimes translated to a creature that was simply "part" lion, goat,-- 1/2

If these jobs paid $100/hour, which would you consider? -Working a diner griddle -Daycare teacher -Pet store cashier -Ranch hand

Trying out writing middle grade, and my brain refuses. Just need to write like I normally do and use that merciless journalism exercise where you're forced to cut the draft down to half its size.

My neurotic self: I only had a writing group, and everyone says it's disastrous to submit without paying for an actual editor. Writing friend: I don't think they're usually referring to English Profs, though, right? Me: They... didn't specify...

Day 66/99 Days of Monsters: Pegasus! This winged stallion is the lightning bearer for Zeus and has the status of horse-god (he's the son of Poseidon and Medusa, born when Medusa was decapitated). A horse with wings: the stuff of tweenaged Lisa Frank dreams.

As someone who desires to be at least somewhat accurate and fair, starting on a grade pile gives me anxiety Every. Single. Time.

Day 65/99 Days of Monsters: Baba Yaga! This is a Slavic name that stands for both a particular witchy being as well as her 2 sisters. *The* Baba Yaga is usually a villain that captures and fries children, flying around in a mortar with a pestle (and sometimes with/on a broom) and returning--1/2

Teaching is one of those jobs where doing it doesn't make it done. My husband can't rest until all the tasks are complete. If I, a teacher, felt that way, I would be in intensive care.

Day 64/99 Days of Monsters: Mr. Potato Head! Invented by George Lerner in 1949 (with a model titled "Funny Face Man" that used real potatoes or other produce) and manufactured in plastic by Hasbro from 1952, this toy is iconic. Some may argue--1/2

Yesterday, teaching about the cherry picking fallacy: "Describe your fav treat food by discussing only its positive nutritional factors." "But what if we don't have a favorite treat food?" "Then do marshmallows." "Ewwwww." What is the world coming to?!

What are you doing to protect your brain today?

When you write down the story note that felt like an epiphany at 1 a.m.: "The beetle's brother can't talk." Okay, Steph. Okay.

Day 63/99 Days of Monsters: Nine tailed foxes! East Asia has tons of these legends, second only to dragons. The foxes can transform into beautiful people, and (depending on the country's legends) be noble or sneaky/lethal. For example, the regal legends in Japan are--1/2

I'm rather Type A about my own school experience, but I let my children set the pace for their efforts (within reason). But now I go to parent teacher conferences and kind of feel like I'm going to the Principal's office.

Am I really this busy, or am I just bad at time management?

Day 62/99 Days of Monsters: The Succubus! These are female demons who seduce men in their sleep/dreams. They're depicted as beautiful but with some sneaky monsterish characteristics, like wings, claws, or a tail. Prolonged exposure to a succubus's seduction could result in madness, illness, and--1/2

Went to the dr with husband, and they start lecturing about eating healthy. The man's favorite food is apples.

I love how modern times is pushing back on the old moral idea that people with money would *obviously* be miserable and could learn a thing or two about *real* happiness from poor people. That one never stood up to logic for me.

They accused my parents of causing my scoliosis because school backpacks were heavy, and they "let me" wear it on one shoulder. Both of my kids have scoliosis.

Day 61/99 Days of Monsters: The Frog Prince! The main version of the story we have now was collected by the Grimms Brothers, but there are older stories that may have influenced it. The original has a princess who is helped by a frog (he retrieved her toy), and in exchange--1/2

People always have a list of things they would love to do if it paid better. "Teacher" is on a lot of those lists. The teachers we have are great, but we could have more if it wasn't a guaranteed sacrifice of salary standards.

I have a slight cardigan addiction problem. But I can stop... at any store I want and buy another one. Also more hangers.

I need a solid two hours of just watching someone play tetris. Like a brain massage.

I bet if a bunch of people put bots to work badmouthing the current administration (like pretending to be republicans who have had a change of heart and turned democrat) we would get A.I. regulations fast tracked.

Day 60/99 Days of Monsters: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse! I couldn't help myself lol. In the Book of Revelations, the Four Horsemen are brought forth when 4 of the 7 sealed scrolls in God's right hand are opened. Their symbolism varies by translation, but the wording--1/3

A.I. is coming for customer service first, and we all need to be ready to crack our knuckles over the fates of our beloved academic advisors. Chat bots cannot do what advisors do.

"Okay, class, we are going to watch--" (Happy student faces) "A documentary--" (Less happy student faces) "For just a few minutes." (Sad student faces)

Day 59/99 Days of Monsters: The Phoenix! It’s an eagle-sized red and gold bird that dies (usually in a blaze) and rises from the ashes. This one is capital “O” Old. The first records are from Ancient Egypt, but it’s assumed that the legend was already old back then, dating--1/2

Nanowrimo is what it is, but I propose: Naspwrimo (National Spooky Writing Month) We start this weekend, and by Halloween week the world will be *overflowing* with new spooky stories and novellas.

Day 58/99 Days of Monsters: The Big Bad Wolf! This archetypal character shows up again and again in folklore and cautionary tales, like Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Pigs, and The Boy who Cried Wolf. While the wolf has commonly been seen as a metaphor for different dangers-- 1/2

Day 57/99 Days of Monsters: Mothman! The book and movie The Mothman Prophecies describe witness-corroborated sightings of a large humanoid creature with impressive wings and red eyes in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. The sightings were reported in 1966 and 1967, around the same time as (1/3)

Humans are amazing. You can ask the internet "Why would a cat make a better president?" And soon you have remarkable responses.

Day 56/99 Days of Monsters: Familiars! The idea of the black cat that keeps a witch company has old roots in Medieval Europe. Thought of as a spirit that assisted a magical being (either a witch or one of the “little people” legends like fae or elves), they could turn into an animal or a human- 1/2

When you go into the wilds of the internet and see posts about relationship dynamics, in the comment section it is quickly SUPER apparent that there's a population of men who think women don't work or pay bills. There's like a mass delusion event.

After calling and figuring out flu shots for my kids (at their providers with their insurance) and a flu shot for my husband (at his provider with his insurance) is it acceptable to just take my chances with my own health because I ran out of scheduling steam?

I don't know what's worse in a class of only 7 students: Days they don't want to talk or days I have to talk and the poor tiny class has to take the brunt of my eye contact while I explain for ten-ish minutes at a time. You need plenty of students to spread that eye contact out!

When the picky eater who has terrorized our menu for the last 12 years makes a comment about how we "always eat the same things."

Day 55/99 Days of Monsters: Dragons! These are mythical creatures that... (sigh). Y'all. I can't define dragons. They're a little bit of everything. Myths say they were bird-like, serpent-like, winged, of the sea, breathed fire, chose kings, killed kings, guarded princesses, lived in ice, lived--1/2

Someone signing up for a writing class and then turning in gen A.I. stuff is like-- Signing up for a painting class and turning in photographs of some other person's paintings. And being all "But I took the picture!"

Day 53/99 Days of Monsters: The Cockatrice! If you get toads or snakes in your chicken coop, and they sit on the eggs, you might accidentally create this half-dragon/half-rooster monster. It’s ferocity has been legend for centuries, and could kill a person with just a-- 1/2

Driving this morning, and there's an unexpected traffic spot. When I got to it, I saw there was no accident--just a bunch of big rigs and dump trucks working on a field. The cars in front of me must've suddenly remembered their preschool days and been all "Ohmygosh--TWUCKS!"

Nerd Test Have you: 1.) Paid for a cool bookmark? 2.) Decided it was *too* cool and refused to use it, putting it away for special? 3.) Used napkins, tissues, receipts for bookmarks instead?

Nerd Test Have you: 1.) Paid for a cool bookmark? 2.) Decided it was *too* cool and refused to use it, putting it away for special? 3.) Used napkins, tissues, receipts for bookmarks instead?

Day 53/99 Days of Monsters: Gargoyles! Sculptures of mythical creatures, animals, and biblical scenes affixed to buildings are called "grotesques." When they're designed with an open mouth to drain water from the building, we call them "gargoyles." Some rare instances described gargoyles and-- 1/2

"Hobbies or interests?" "Counting everything I have to grade, grading a single one of those things, and then counting them all again to see what's left, desperately hoping the pile has somehow eaten itself a little."

A.I. writing is blah. I see a lot of it. So blah. If this is my foreseeable future, reading tons of these papers, I need a new gig for my mental health.

Office neighbor likes very crispy toast every day. But a burning smell is also a sign of a stroke, so I start every work day off with a tiny little "check my speech and balance" panic.

Some weeks are a little harder than others. This coming week has so much incoming grading. Like looking at a tidal wave, knowing it's too late to run, and just bracing for impact.

Day 52/99 Days of Monsters: Selkies! This is a Celtic myth about seals who can remove their skin and turn human. Some of the legends are reminiscent of mermaids/sirens, where they lure humans. Other stories depict them as innocent and taken advantage of--especially in stories where a man steals- 1/2

Day 51/99 Days of Monsters: The Akhlut! This is an Inuit legend of a vicious shapeshifting creature that is both voracious wolf on land and an orca in the ocean. Tribes used wolf tracks that disappeared into the ocean as a warning that a hungry Akhlut was roaming nearby.