Every year a group of teachers go to the “reception hour” of the Senior Prom to see the students dressed in their finery. I have never gone previously since my students always hung around the math lab, so I saw them every day, generally including the morning of the prom. Why drive an hour each way to see students that I saw that morning anyway?

But this year I obviously did not see my students that morning, so when I was discussing the prom with Jessica early this week, I decided it would be nice to go see them before the prom. My brother and I drove together Thursday afternoon, since he goes every year. Even though I saw most of them at the NHS induction a few weeks ago, this is likely the last time I will see most of the students. So it was a nice visit.

Currently reading. Paolo Bacigalupi’s The Windup Girl was the most acclaimed novel of 2010, and while I usually dislike near future dismal sf, his writing is so evocative, and his plotting so interesting, that he is an exception to that. Halfway through the book, I am enjoying it very much.

Currently listening. When I gave away from record collection a half-dozen years ago, I lost several artists that I really liked, including Bob Seger. I have not replaced any albums of his yet, although I do have his Greatest Hits and his second live album Nine Tonight, both of which are excellent. Eventually I hope to replace his great studio albums Night Moves, Stranger in Town and Against the Wind, as well as his first live album containing his earlier material Live Bullet.