July 31st, 2020
Over half the year is gone, decimated by pandemic illness, unjust murders, protestors and federal agents arresting the innocent and hiding their faces in the process. Politically, the country is in turmoil because of the madman at the helm who has almost single-handedly destroyed America's standing in the world...
My career has shifted mightily as the pandemic closed schools and moved classes to the internet with a week's notice. My students suffered from the changeover and I fear they will drop out rather than work with the new sychronous online schedule set for the fall semester. I will be teaching to a camera from an empty classroom, with my students attending via a Zoom meeting rooms until such time as it is safe to return to campus. (My courses have been reworked to allow going back to the classroom if it is allowed mid-semester.) My college shifted us to online coursework on March 17th, but did not require video to finish the spring semester, so I worked online with students via email and instant messenger with their assignments and my lecture power-points downloaded to the college LMS (Blackboard, a Learning Management System). So for the last half of the semester, I worked from home.
Is/Was there an upside to the "world turning upside-down"?
Yes. I spent half of my semester (mid-term to finals) teaching in the nude. Though I will not be able to do real-time lectures naked next semester due to video, the LMS work and e-communications can be handled from home sans clothing. So, September to December will be spent working clothed for about 7 hours per week, and then doing my other 20 hours in the nude from home. It could be worse, right?
Spring semester ended on May 7th, and unfortunately, the graduation ceremonies were cancelled on the governor's order. The shutdown and "shelter-in-place" order has meant staying home, and leaving the house only to grocery shop and run errands for about 4 hours every other week...for which I dress like any other person with a mask in my neck of the woods. I also dress plus mask for taking a walk around my long small town block weather permitting. However, I have been extremely fortunate to spend most of my time, since coming home from work on March 17th, buck naked.
The many hours spent happily in the nude has improved my skin, I am generally healthier than I've been for awhile, and the boredom eating stopped fairly quickly. Consequently, I had added 6 lbs, but have now managed to drop 12. I am more active around the house when I am nude and it is rather fun to use my exercise bike in the nude, too...I average 5 miles per day on my nearly antique Schwinn Aer-dyne. So, I hope everyone is having a wonderful naked respite from the "real world" and as soon as I have my fall courses set up, I will be back to researching nudism in history as my bookcase of research materials is calling me :)
Have a wonderful naked summer!
Friday, July 31, 2020
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Many Changes in a Short Period of Time
It has been a strange six months for the Naked Historian...
First was the health scare, followed by a multitude of tests and procedures, followed by a summer of living in a construction zone, and just as life was getting back to something close to normal...there is a world pandemic!
The college I work for has forced all our classes to an online platform and cancelled spring graduation ceremonies, plus closing both campuses for the duration. While my county has seen only 8 cases of the virus here, and no deaths, we are still included in the state-wide social isolation shutdown. Consequently, I am teaching online, using power-points and discussion boards, as well as written assignments to try and make sure my students all pass their respective courses...and in the process, building my courses into that platform for future online units as well as in-class sessions of my classes.
BUT...and it is a big one....
This crazy whirlwind has fulfilled a long-held dream for me, one I have had ever since I started teaching: I can actually teach in the nude (and not worry about losing my job!). I also teach world history and was just launching in to the changes wrought by the Black Plague of 1348-1349, so I can compare it to the current pandemic...
The high point though, is that except for grocery shopping once a week, I have been living completely naked and relishing the freedom for as long as it lasts. I am also still researching nudism and naturism as lifestyle in historic Europe, so I will hopefully have some new blogs up sooner than later.
For now, all of you who are stuck at home due to the rampant pandemic...spend as much time as possible in the nude, take time to grow comfortable with your body, use the time to get healthy and finally be able to live life without even thinking about whether you are clothed or not...just keep it legal!
Until next time,
Me
* the naked lady at the computer
First was the health scare, followed by a multitude of tests and procedures, followed by a summer of living in a construction zone, and just as life was getting back to something close to normal...there is a world pandemic!
The college I work for has forced all our classes to an online platform and cancelled spring graduation ceremonies, plus closing both campuses for the duration. While my county has seen only 8 cases of the virus here, and no deaths, we are still included in the state-wide social isolation shutdown. Consequently, I am teaching online, using power-points and discussion boards, as well as written assignments to try and make sure my students all pass their respective courses...and in the process, building my courses into that platform for future online units as well as in-class sessions of my classes.
BUT...and it is a big one....
This crazy whirlwind has fulfilled a long-held dream for me, one I have had ever since I started teaching: I can actually teach in the nude (and not worry about losing my job!). I also teach world history and was just launching in to the changes wrought by the Black Plague of 1348-1349, so I can compare it to the current pandemic...
The high point though, is that except for grocery shopping once a week, I have been living completely naked and relishing the freedom for as long as it lasts. I am also still researching nudism and naturism as lifestyle in historic Europe, so I will hopefully have some new blogs up sooner than later.
For now, all of you who are stuck at home due to the rampant pandemic...spend as much time as possible in the nude, take time to grow comfortable with your body, use the time to get healthy and finally be able to live life without even thinking about whether you are clothed or not...just keep it legal!
Until next time,
Me
* the naked lady at the computer
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