Random ramblings and more

So many many many things to talk about.  

First, I can't thank the students enough. I have have now taught six online Rhino workshops with over seventy students! I have only had one "unhappy"student but think it was more of a miscommunication/understanding. As in....they thought they were gonna get X and I was delivering Y and we ended up settling on me going the extra mile and giving them Z.  

For example (not the actual conversation):  

Student: "I signed up for your baking class....."  

Me: Well the workshop is not a baking class, I am teaching an overview on cooking."

Student: "I read somewhere it is on Baking! Why is it not on baking!? Could you change the class to baking so I can take the class!?" 

Me:  Well, no because the other nineteen students signed up for a cooking class not baking."  

Student: "Well that is total bull and I demand more focus on baking!! or I will tell everyone you suck AND another thing it is false advertising! You said it would be on baking!!! I read somewhere it was on baking! I am writing a lengthy email to your host school complaining that it is not on baking...." (there was more) 

Me: " Well actually if you read the course description it quite plainly says cooking! I am so sorry you were confused. I will do my best to talk more about baking for the remainder of the class and maybe I could use baking examples to help explain cooking in general. Will that help you!?"  

Student:.............(crickets) 

They spent the rest of the class with their camera off and their microphone off. 

Oh well. 

While we are talking about being generous! I have been donating some of the profits from the workshops to a number of organizations. The first is Crafting the Future a great organization that...."supports the careers of young, underrepresented artists by connecting them to opportunities that will help them thrive." I believe education should be available to all not just the people that can afford it (it is the whole reason I started this blog and why I became an educator and why I am so generous with my time). The other is of course the ACLU. I try to auction a piece off twice a year on my instagram page (sometimes for the ASPCA). If you have money and you want to help....help.


Soon I will be making more donations in part because of the students and in part because it is the only thing I can physically do in this moment (I am literally working 12 hour days and come home exhausted).


In other unrelated news I am in love with my new headphones. I almost never do product reviews but I LOVE these headphones/earbuds?. They fit nicely under my hearing protection (muffs) and they have built in touch technology so I can quickly pause when Liz is yelling at me AND I can wear them at work and you can hardly tell (that way I can catch up on some Perceived Value or Making It podcasts)


Here is a link to the headphones/earbuds/doodads (TOZO).  They do have a microphone for zooming and wireless phone calls but I haven't yet tested it.


Soon I will post some new images of the studio which is finished-ish. We still have to paint the outside and get build a shed to house the mower and other yard gear!