Author: Greg

Greg writes, teaches and sleeps. Sometimes he plays D&D.
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Corona – Day 5 – Remain Indoors

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No big news today. I’m settling in, students seem to be working and home-office starts to become normal. I have a broad plan for the next few weeks and I’m now trying to find ways to make those tasks more fun for students or to maybe prepare a reward for them. I testing out a bunch of software and I’m making progress. I’ll probably try to cut a little movie tomorrow and figure out how to properly record a podcast.

The plan is to start writing creatively this weekend as well. As I said, I’m getting the hang of this and between tech-support and watching tutorials I’m sure I can find some time to write.

That’s it for today. Stay healthy and remain indoors.

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Corona – Day 4 – What to consume during the Apocalypse

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Today was a holiday, but that didn’t stop me from working. I updated the tasks for tomorrow, so I’ll only have to answer questions and still tackle that exam I need to grade.

I promised you some entertainment tips to help get through these days, so without further ado, here’s a list of suggestions:

Books

On the non-fiction side:

  • Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell: A fascinating exploration of why certain people succeed.
  • Winners Take All by Anand Giridharadas: A critical look at the rich elite and their philanthropic endeavors—and why that’s often a problem. Entertaining and thought-provoking.
  • Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari: An intriguing look at the history of mankind.
  • Five Came Back by Mark Harris: The WWII experiences of five legendary film directors.

On the fiction side:

  • Anything by Neil Gaiman is usually a great idea.
  • John August recently released the final book in his middle-grade series, Arlo Finch in the Kingdom of Shadows—fun and exciting bedtime reading.
  • For a little apocalyptic preparation (just kidding): World War Z by Max Brooks.

Music

I listen to a lot of music while working from home. Subscribing to streaming services is great for trying out new things. Right now, I’m really into Max Richter’s work. I also stumbled upon an “Early Music” playlist—those old chords have a soothing quality that I’m finding quite comforting these days.

Movies

With theaters closed, now’s the time to revisit classics or explore some lesser-known titles:

  • Everyone seems to be watching Contagion or Outbreak right now.
  • If you’re into self-punishment, Cats is out on VOD.
  • For something animated, the recent DC flicks The Death and Return of Superman and Superman: Red Son are worth checking out.
  • On my rewatch list: Dawn of the Dead (both versions) and The Andromeda Strain. Sensing a theme here?

TV

  • There’s a new season of Cosmos airing, titled Cosmos: Parallel Worlds. It’s quite good.
  • I started The Outsider and, three episodes in, I’m hooked—it’s a gritty cop procedural meets…well, no spoilers!
  • The latest episode of Star Trek: Picard was pretty interesting; the season finale is next week.
  • For something older and much weirder: Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. Too strange to describe, but it’s on YouTube. You’re welcome.

YouTube

Speaking of YouTube, here are some channel recommendations:

Games

I dusted off my PS5 and Switch recently. While I was waiting for The Last of Us Part II and Cyberpunk 2077, I’ve started playing Detroit: Become Human and Luigi’s Mansion 3.

So that’s it for today. Stay healthy and see you tomorrow! 😊

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Go figure. 🙂

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Corona – Day 3 – What’s in a day

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I’m a master procrastinator, so working from home is a dangerous game for me, but these first two and a half days of “Corona Time” have been surprisingly productive. Communication with students seems to be working, and most of them are hard at work. One big challenge will be ensuring no one falls through the cracks.

I listened to a couple of voice memos my students made while discussing a book—it worked great! Honestly, why didn’t I think of this earlier? Another class is writing their results in the ClassNotebook while discussing current events. If there’s one good thing to come out of all this, it’s that more people in schools are embracing the possibilities modern technology provides. I count myself among them.

I promised you some insight into my day, so here it is.

I get up around 7 and take a morning stroll. By 8, I’m back home, and by 8:30, I’m in “the office.” I usually start by checking emails and answering questions. After that, I make sure all my classes for the day have enough work prepared (though I obviously set up most of it earlier, just in case questions arise). As I mentioned, I listened to some voice memos today and started working on a little treat for my students… I might finally go full John Oliver. But more on that another time.

I also adjusted some teams, watched a few tutorials, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime. After lunch, it was more of the same, with a quick break to help my dad in the garden. I’m trying to make sure I step out of the “office” regularly.

I plan to break early today. I’ll still listen to a few memos and answer messages, but I’ve worked enough for one day. Tomorrow is a holiday, so no work for my students. I might even sleep in. I also need to correct an exam from last week, which I’ll probably tackle tomorrow or Friday. I’ve definitely put in my hours over the past few days, so I think I’ve earned a bit of rest.

I’ll definitely blog tomorrow—I’m planning to share some recommendations for things to watch, read, and listen to.

Let me end today with a little tease: Stay tuned! 😊

Mr. Vogt Explains the World

Coming Soon…

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Corona – Day 2 – Home Office

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Day 2, so far so good. I tidied up my (home) office a bit, settled in, and did some tech support for my students. You wouldn’t believe how bad they are with usernames and passwords—then again, if you’re a teacher, you probably would. 🙂

My new microphone arrived, and it works really well. I’ve also ordered a webcam and started looking into ways to create videos for my students. Yes, I’m trying to make the best of a bad situation. If this goes on long enough, I might end up with a full production studio. John Oliver: watch out, I’m coming for you.

My students should be occupied for the next few days, so the plan for tomorrow is to think big picture. I need to adjust my plans to fit this new situation. I also need to properly organize the “Teams” I have with my students. I did quite a lot today—it felt like the whole day was spent adding people to lists and sharing materials with them.

I’m not complaining, though. Things could definitely be worse. There was a confirmed corona case among the teachers, but so far no one besides “patient zero” seems to have it. I didn’t have much contact with that person last week and haven’t shown any symptoms, so I’m probably fine. Knock on wood.

This first week is going to be a lot of work, but I’m hoping that by next week, I’ll be set up and can focus more on teaching instead of tech support and setup. It’s going to be challenging, but as long as I stick to my daily routine, I should be fine. I’ll share more on that tomorrow.

Stay healthy!

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Corona – Day 1 – Don’t be a Scab

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Day 1 of who knows how many. I’m one of those “scabs” who went to school today. The argument I can make for myself is that I’m just here to help others, but starting tomorrow, I’ll have to do that from home. It doesn’t make sense to go to crowded places, but our Department of Education seems to need a bit more time to reach that conclusion—or at least, that’s how it feels.

As the head of the English Department at our school, I have a meeting scheduled for 13:30. Hopefully, it will be the last in-person meeting we need. We need to set clear guidelines: everyone who can work from home should work from home. It just doesn’t make sense to do it any other way. Let’s hope the people in charge agree.

I know everyone is either overwhelmed, out of their depth, or both. Admitting it is the first step—there’s no shame in it. Count me in for both of those conditions. But I firmly believe we can get through this, one step at a time. Do your part. If you can work from home, it’s the responsible thing to do.

Don’t “scab,” and stay healthy.

Strike

Stay home and stay healthy.

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Corona – Day 0 – This is weird

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I'd prefer this Corona.

I prefer this Corona.

This is weird. Really weird. I can’t believe how quickly it all happened. It doesn’t make much sense to dwell on the current situation—things will probably change again in the next 15 minutes anyway—but I’m going to share how it makes me feel and what I intend to do.

It looks like schools are closing for (at least) four weeks, along with restaurants, bars, and other public spaces. Public life is coming to a halt. This must be what it feels like when a war breaks out in a neighboring country. The uncertainty is the worst part. I know I’m going to be fine, but I can’t say the same for everyone I know. This sucks.

So, what am I going to do? First things first, I need to ensure my students continue getting a proper education. Not being in the same room with them is probably a good start. I already have some ideas on how to proceed, and I’ll do my best to adapt. It’s going to be challenging, but I hope I can rise to the occasion.

I’ll probably also need to help others get ready for this. Some of my colleagues are having a harder time navigating digital tools, and I’ll do what I can to support them. In a way, this feels like one of those “What would you do during the zombie apocalypse?” scenarios. I like to think I’d be a helpful survivor.

On a personal note, I plan to write more. The goal is to get some pages done each day (once the initial school setup phase is complete) and to post a daily blog to chronicle these strange, testing times.

Until tomorrow—stay healthy.

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So far so good

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Let me give you a quick status update. I haven’t been able to keep the writing momentum going, but I did succeed with my reading goal. I finished the first book and started the second one. Exercising has also been going great—at least 2-3 times a week—so there’s that.

The plan is to try and get Alaska moving this week as well. I’m usually quite tired in the evenings, so I’ll aim to write during school hours. I have some free periods, and if I can carve out just half an hour of writing each day, I’ll be good. The goal will be to write at school and rewrite at home—at least that’s the plan.

I’m also working on a new D&D campaign—the next chapter in my Driftworld Saga. I’m adapting Tomb of Annihilation for my setting and characters, scaling it down a bit, populating it with my own NPCs, and adjusting the setting to fit. I just came up with my version of the Death Curse, which I’m calling Snake Fever. It’s almost as devastating.

Yesterday, I went to Zurich with one of my classes, my 7th graders. We went to see Les Misérables. Since I won’t be able to attend their Maturafeier, I proposed an excursion as a “last hurrah.” When I saw an advert for Les Mis in Zurich, it seemed like the perfect idea. Not because teaching them was miserable, but because it felt fitting to share something magnificent with them.

For some of them, it was their first stage musical, and while Les Mis is definitely a tough introduction, they all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. It’s such an impressive show, and the stagecraft alone is worth the price of admission. On the way, we had some great conversations and a good time together. Mission accomplished.

It’s a shame that writing isn’t as easy as entertaining a bunch of 18-year-olds.

Let’s end this post with my favorite song from the show, which also happens to be one of the best songs from the (inferior) movie.

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I know….

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Looking back at my blog history, it seems like my last couple of posts have all followed the same pattern:

  • It’s been a while.
  • I’m not even trying to apologize.
  • I’m sorry.
  • I completely screwed up the goals I set myself.
  • I promise to do better.
  • I have new goals.

Then, inevitably, no new posts for 3–6 months, and the cycle starts all over again. So, let’s just agree to never ever talk about this again.

I actually thought about deleting this blog, but it’s dearer to me than you might think. It’s a big part of who I am, and in some ways, it’s probably closer to my true self than I am on a day-to-day basis. Many of these posts have helped me clarify things about myself, and I want to keep this outlet. Sometimes I have things to say, and sometimes I just don’t—at least, not here.

The last few months have actually been quite good. I didn’t get much writing done, but otherwise, I feel great. I played more D&D than ever, and my newest toy (an Oculus Quest) keeps me moving—well, at least my hands. School is going well, and I feel really on top of things. Not sure if that’s an accomplishment at 37, but I feel good about it.

I even managed to rewrite the first 40 pages of Alaska over the last two and a half weeks. I’m really trying to put my general well-being to good use. I’ve started reading for myself again (Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell—highly recommended), doing some exercise, and, as I mentioned, fixing my writing muscles. Hence this post. I finished the rewrite yesterday, so I’m taking a little break to gather my thoughts and figure out where the story of Ajuk and the Uglies is going. I’ve got some notes, and I think I’ve finally cracked one of the biggest issues.

So, where do I go from here? Don’t know, don’t care, and I’m not making any promises.

Happy 2020—take care and stay tuned… maybe.

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“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”

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… why doesn’t that apply to writing?

To say that I’m behind on my updates and writing would be an understatement. I completely failed after those first few days, and I take full responsibility. No excuses this time. One could argue that I’m exceptionally good at finding excuses or reasons why now (as in any moment I could have written over the last few weeks) isn’t the right time. This “talent” extends to pretty much every aspect of my life.

That said, I’m feeling really relaxed at the moment—and while that’s true, I don’t think it’s the reason I’m not doing the things that are good for me or that I truly enjoy, at least once I get started. 1

So, do I have a plan to change that? Not really. But I’m taking it one day at a time. Next weekend, we have our big concert, so this is a terrible week to start—and that’s exactly why I’m doing it. I’m setting aside some time to work on Alaska. I hope to get back to my “one page a day” schedule soon, but for now, I’m starting with 30-minute writing sprints. That feels manageable, even during a busy week, and the goal is to make writing part of my daily routine again.

Other than that, life is pretty good. I’ve got a handle on my diet again, and I’m on track to be my best possible self. School is going great too, so there’s really nothing to complain about—except my lack of drive and #Momentum. But I’m working on that.

Now, though, I need to rehearse for the concert… and squeeze in those 30 minutes of writing.

  1. Starting to write is so much harder than actually writing. ↩
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#Momentum – The first five Days

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Quick update: I started the “One Page a Day Challenge” on Monday, and so far, it’s been a success. I had to force myself to start, and the first two days were a bit tough, but once you’ve got a “streak” going 1, you don’t want to break it.

I decided to stick with the one-page goal. There were days when I could have written more, but I figured it’s a good idea to always know how to start the next day. So, I’ve been ending each session with a prompt for the following day. I like having a starting point, and once my brain is in writing mode, new ideas naturally come. But that initial spark from the day before really helps me get up to speed.

I’m quite happy with the pages so far. They’ll definitely require a few rewrites—the dialogue is a bit too on the nose, I’m still “finding” the story, and I’m probably missing opportunities to develop the theme. But getting this first version of the story written is more important than aiming for unachievable perfection. First drafts always suck, but that’s what rewriting is for. Fingers crossed I can keep the streak going. The plan is still to have a decent draft by the end of the year.

In other news… not much. The Netflix Dark Crystal show is pretty good. Based on its premise, Carnival Row should be right up my alley, but I had to force myself through the first episode—not a good sign. Other than that, no new shows have really caught my eye lately, probably because there are just too many to keep track of.

While I wait for the next must-see show, I’ll focus on writing and might dive into some D&D or Pathfinder 2nd Edition books. Speaking of that—Amazon, please hurry! I’m really looking forward to comparing rules. I’ve seen the Pathfinder 2 Playtest, but there’s just something about having the actual books in hand that makes it better than scrolling through PDFs. And this is coming from a D&D Beyond power user. 🙂

  1. I’m on day 4—probably too early to call it a streak, but hey, this is my blog, so… ↩