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Up North

July 16th, 2014 at 05:58 pm

I wonder if anyone except Midwesterners use that phrase, Up North" to designate a particular place. In MN it meant places north of the Twin Cities--Brainerd, Alex, Duluth, and everywhere in between. Here in Cheeseland it means Rhinelander, Minoqua, and all of those parts of the state.

I spent a big chunk of yesterday searching for a getaway spot for us now that we're not heading to "our" lake. I found three that would take the dog too, and quickly narrowed it to the mid-range option. They've also knocked 10 percent off because we'll be staying midweek. Now I'm trying to budget meals. It has a kitchen, but we won't want to eat every meal in. I guess I'm figuring between $50 and $75 a day for the three of us. That will give us the opportunity to have some great local food, but not blow the budget further. Does that sound reasonable?

Frugality abounded (sort of) yesterday. I'm on the waiting list for the new Robert Galbraith mystery (aka JK Rowling)at the library, but I think I'm #367. I saw it yesterday marked down at Half Price Books, and had another 40% off coupon, so relented. I'll sell it back when I'm done. DD escaped without purchasing anything, but got a $5 reward in their summer reading program. She'll save that for later.

We spent nothing else, ate from the fridge and freezer, and started gathering trip essentials. I mailed my ebay sale, transferred money from checking to savings, and found a few more potential ebay sales.

In larger news, the university seems to have money available for online course development. My boss offered me a chunk of change to work on converting a class I already teach into a more viable online offering. Things are never done there until they're done, so we're cautiously optimistic.

Posted in Junk and more junk, hit the road, jack | 8 Comments »

8 Responses to “Up North”

  1. Bob B. Says:
    July 16th, 2014 at 08:30 pm 1405542613
    1405542613

    In Michigan, I think it means anywhere at least 100 miles north of wherever you are standing at the moment.

  2. nhgirl1970 Says:
    July 16th, 2014 at 09:35 pm 1405546528
    1405546528

    I second Bob B.'s comment having grown up in Michigan. I now have lived in NH for several years and we use "up north" as well, but not as much as I heard it in Michigan.

  3. creditcardfree Says:
    July 16th, 2014 at 10:21 pm 1405549285
    1405549285

    I'm not sure we say 'up north' down here in the south (Nebraska and Iowa). I'm sure there are some that do, but I don't really hear it.

  4. snafu Says:
    July 17th, 2014 at 01:14 am 1405559642
    1405559642

    On-line courses are a major goldmine for some faculties at our university. Grad students are willing to pay 3 x regular fee for the convenience of these courses. Depending on structure, the drop out rate can be horrendous. How do they want it structured? Rules are not an issue or problem in traditional lectures but critical to success for online delivery. What rules do you want or are you being directed to require? Readings and questions are the foundation of your course, solid and understandable by everyone up and down the line. Instructors can expect to put in double hours.

    The standard is higher, demands are higher, time very focussed, no flex in assignments or cohort participation. Each lesson is timed, each answer is timed. Do they want individual participation, teams, dyads? Are students responsible for structure? Are students responsible for relevance?

  5. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    July 17th, 2014 at 01:08 pm 1405602481
    1405602481

    Ha-ha, I don't suppose most people where I live think there is anything at all to the north within our state. Maybe just rural flood land? So, no, I never hear "up north."

  6. littlegopher Says:
    July 17th, 2014 at 01:22 pm 1405603329
    1405603329

    What a fun trip for your family - there's nothing like MN's up north!

  7. My English Castle Says:
    July 17th, 2014 at 03:16 pm 1405610161
    1405610161

    Yep, I figured "Up North" was a pretty specialized phrase. But it's widely used here and in MN--and apparently in MI! @snafu: yep, I suspect all universities are viewing online classes the same way. We currently add a hefty surcharge to our online classes, supposedly to pay for technology. In reality, that money, up until now, has come back to the departments. And you're so right, the dropout rate is horrible. The online version of one of my regular classes has a 15-20% dropout rate. I've taught online for over five years, and frankly, I don't like it much. But maybe having the time and thought to sort this one out will help. It's an advanced class, and students tend to be a bit more responsible. Because the class is at a higher level, they have longer, more independent assignments. I spend a lot of time conferencing with them and trying to keep them on track.

  8. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    July 24th, 2014 at 07:49 am 1406188171
    1406188171

    I don't think I've heard the phrase up north anywhere I've lived.

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