Why This Blog

Or, "why would a middle-aged man be teaching himself math using texts intended for children and teenagers?"

I got the idea from Tom Baugh's very adult book Starving The Monkeys. He recommended working through the eight Saxon kits, from 5/4 all the way up to Calculus, as self-improvement. I'm giving it the old pre-college try because I'm a public-school refugee, the kind of person he recommended go through it.

Also, I have to admit I was a bit slipshod when I was a youngster despite getting a low A each year in high school. The public school system in Toronto was pretty good when I was attending, so the shoddiness I accumulated is a result of my "mathematical immaturity." Sadly but fittingly, I embarrassed myself later in life because of it.

In large part, this blog tracks a journey of self-edification. The number of times I use "I" in this post illustrates its personal nature. It also serves as a record of me putting the Saxon method through the paces. Mr. Baugh is a former Marine who attended the Naval Academy, and he was sold on the Saxon approach because it reminded him of the education he got there: he considers the military's method to be top-notch for acquiring practical knowledge.

There'll be one post for each lesson I plow through. Any tips or tricks I come up with, likely from me remembering my formal schooling, will be in those posts. I hope they help any others on a similar journey.

Since I'm a writer with varied interests, I'm sure there'll be posts that digress from the focus of this blog. Since the Saxon courses aren't really designed for grownups, I'll be tagging those posts with the label "adultstuff." The label's tongue-in-cheek; it does not connote anything that goes under the euphemism "mature themes." I avoid those in my writing.

Admittedly, it's a little unusual for a middle-aged man to plow through educational materials meant for youngsters. This blog will have entertainment value at times. However, it's primarily meant to be educational or informative. Homeschooling has gone from almost nothing to a serious alternative for serious people; this blog is my attempt to join in.

I haven't got the materials yet, but I've ordered the first four and plan to order the rest once I get hip-deep in the first. I'll be churning out the posts once I receive the Saxon 45 kit. Any such post will be marked with a tag denoting the text it covers.

For entertainment purposes, I present my codger credentials. I: communicate primarily through E-mail; have only a landline; have never owned a cell phone; still send letters through snail mail; avoid instant messaging; have never used a chat room in at least ten years; have no idea of how to tab or text. Laugh if you must.