Summer is Done

Well summer isn't really done...not technically. But it feels like it when I can't have as much fun as I did during the summer. Homework and lesson planning takes up a lot of time.

I haven't made any snap judgements about my classes yet. Well, no snap judgements about Modern Rhetorical Theory and Cultural Criticism, but I know my Document Design class is going to rock the casbah.

The tech writing class I am teaching feels to be off to a slow start, but this week we get into actual activities and assignments so hopefully it will get better.

Good to see some people after a summer away. Emphasis on some...

Per Murph - pictures from my trip to Oklahoma:

Here's a few of me being a bad-ass.

Ok, so this is a blurry one of Murph and K - but just know that Yahtzee was happening.

This is a tombstone from the Showman's section of a cemetery in Hugo, OK. Lots of people who performed in the circus are buried there and have some really elaborate stones. It was cool to see and a little sad. But mostly cool.

Summer is Coming to An End

Today is my last day working in the Writing Center. Then I have a little me time. Next week I head to Oklahoma to swim and shoot some guns with Murph and K. I return next Thursday and immediately the next day I have to attend a meeting and move cubicles. Then some in-service the following Monday and then school starts that Thursday. Which is two weeks from today. Damn.

Where did the summer go?

I do have a pretty solid draft of a syllabus and schedule (for six weeks) for my tech writing class. I am excited and nervous. I know the suck rate rises when you teach a class for the first time, but hopefully it won't suck too much and at the end of the semester I'll have learned just as much as my students.

And hopefully they don't a pull a mutiny on me, which is my greatest fear in teaching.

I'm in Mad Men!

I imagine this is the beginning of my torrid affair with Don Draper.

Get Outta Here...

...that is what you are going to tell me when I describe the soup I made last night. It is called African Chickpea and Spinach Soup. Now, if you click on the link and see the ingredients, you might be a little weirded out. Peanut butter blended with vegetable broth? Gross, right? Wrong. That mixture makes this soup the best thing ever. Delicious, delicious, delicious.

Another thing that I felt was blog-worthy today was the Safari 4. I started using Firefox a few months ago because everyone said it was awesome and the only web browser worth using. I actually hated Firefox when I first started using it. I grew slightly more fond of it, but only slightly, and I think that is really because I just got used to it.

But the new Safari is SWEET. I will never turn my back on it again.

Oh and I watched The Pirates of Silicone Valley. It is about the early days of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. It was pretty interesting. They made Steve Jobs look like a real dick, but from everything I understand, he kind of is. They made Bill Gates seem exactly how I would imagine him. Anyhoo, all you computer fans might want to check it out if you haven't already.

I don't know about you all, but all this blogging is exhausting me.

Pictures!

As promised, pictures of the boys...

Here is Liam
















Logan













Liam, very close the camera





















Jack on the trampoline














Logan and Jack in the pool








Logan and Jack watching Weird Al videos

Wow, I Haven't Blogged This Much Since April

Back to the old grindstone, but it seems new too. I've been working my internship, which hasn't been very busy yet. I may work on a grant. I am working in the games lab helping participants navigate through games and help them with game concept ideas. It's cool. Yesterday I did DDR and Wii boxed. This morning I did a little Jillian Michael fitness. My arms are going to be sore from it. And I get lunch. So it is pretty awesome.

The grant I am writing isn't due until September, so I won't be following through with it. I am afraid they aren't going to like that, but I have to get back to school and teaching. That is my first priority.

The second job is in the Writing Center. It should be fairly laid-back.

It's hard to believe that I've only been home a few days, it already feels as though I have never left.

Next time I blog, I'll update with some pictures of my nephews. They are as awesome as ever.

Happy 5th of July

Wow, I am the suckiest blogger now. I am averaging a post per month. That's pretty weak. I should make an Independence Day resolution to be a better blogger. But then again, I think resolutions are problematic and actually make people less likely to do things. I'm at a loss as to what to do here.

California and Computers and Writing was awesome. It was fun to see old friends and hang out with new friends I haven't gotten to know as well outside of school. At first I was nervous that I wasn't going to be discussing anything new or cutting edge, but I quickly realized, everyone was talking about the same thing, just calling it something different. I saw people I actually read and cite in my papers. And then, when it was all said and done, I went to the Winchester Mystery House with Robin and Kaleb. It was awesome. San Jose was pretty awesome.

For the last two weeks I've been in MI. I actually leave today. It's been nice, a lot nicer than my trip at Christmas. I saw my nephews who were hilarious as always. I saw my friend Molly who is about to give birth to a boy in about 4 weeks. She asked me what I missed about MI and OH and I did manage to come up with a few things:
1. Panera. We don't have any in NM and I really miss the Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich
2. Good sushi. Well, I actually haven't had sushi in Las Cruces. There are sushi restaurants, but I don't know...it's the desert, where are they getting the fish? I did break down in Albuquerque and eat some, but it was the big city. Anyhoo, I had some sushi here and it was delicious.
3. My gym. I loved, loved, loved my gym. It was so clean and always had a machine open and everyone was friendly. My gym in Las Cruces gets the job done and it is fairly clean the people are friendly, it's just not the same.
4. My dr. She was very nice and the appointments were quick and she always was very encouraging about my weight loss.
5. Sunday Morning - the show, not the actual morning. It's on in Las Cruces, but at 7 am and I am never up at 7 on Sunday to watch it.

I may miss these things, but sunny, warm weather all year round and beauiful mountain scenery and a laid back atmosphere make up for this all.

Oh, and I read alot. I finished:
> Pigs in Heaven
> March

And I read from. start to finish:
> My Antonia
> Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name

I have Then We Came to the End for the plane ride home.

Well, the next time you hear from me, I'll be back in the desert. Hopefully I'll remember to blog and it won't take too long. Until then...

Been a Long Time I Know

Yes, I've totally ignored this blog, but not on purpose. Life is some sort of busy right now. I only have time for 140 characters or so I guess...

I've been working 40 hours a week (or so, haha) and still trying to enjoy my summer and still try to exercise. And tomorrow I head to sunny CA for a conference that I am still only about half prepared for. I am not going to be able to go out and have any fun tomorrow night...I will have to stay in my motel room and finish my PowerPoint presentation. Oh well, it'll all get done...it has to.

On Monday I fly from Sacramento to Detroit to see mi familia. I am looking forward to that because I am not going to do anything for two weeks but read and watch television and movies and shop (because my mom will buy me clothes...YAY!) and I am going to exercise. Maybe this will be the vacation that I lose a little weight.

The books I am taking with me to read:
Pigs in Heaven
March
My Antonia

Anyhoo, just wanted to drop in and let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. But you all probably guessed that anyway. Hope you all are having a great summer.

Ok, Now I Should Figure Out a Routine

I had an unexpectedly fun Memorial Day weekend. My friend Justin came into town and we went golfing and to the Wine Fest and to Chopes. It was a really good time. Just like old times; somethings don't change...even when you kind of want them to.

It's interesting how friends can be like family. People revert back to the roles they have in friendships, even if they haven't been in those roles in years. I find myself always in the role of the baby of my family and I fulfill a certain role with my oldest friends, although I don't know what the name of it is. And I don't really have that same role in my life now, so it is weird.

Anyhoo, today is the day I am going to start to get busy. I took a week off of exercise, so I gotta get back to that. I need to write some papers for Computers and Writing. I am not going anywhere for a month, so I have a month to get stuff done. Yay me.

Summer Job

So yeah, I have a summer job. Two actually. The bigger one has me working at the College of Agriculture working on a grant and whatever else needs writing. I've never written a grant before, so this is pretty exciting. I may also get some class credit for doing it. Or internship...whatever happens to work out. And if everything goes well, I could have this summer job, every summer.

The one downside is that it is full-time - 40 hours a week. I was kind of looking forward to some time off this summer. But now I am looking forward to an iPhone. I am going to get one in July when my current contract runs out and this job allows me to pay for that without worries. This job allows me to pay for everything without worries. Or eventually it will. University payroll systems suck. I have no idea when I will get paid.

It's been weird being out of school. I feel anxious over nothing. I probably feel anxious because I really have nothing to feel anxious about. A friend said that during the school year there is always so much drama that during the summer we probably have to create our own drama in our head. I hope I get over it.

Tomorrow I head to Phoenix to see Flight of the Conchords. Then when I get back, no effing around, I have to work on some conference papers. I also need to find flights to the conference and back to Michigan.

Ahh, summer time.

Summer is in Sight

By this time next week, I'll be free of school...kinda...for a little while.

One class is done. One is practically done - I have a draft of a final paper and I have to meet with someone to workshop it, but the hard part, I am going to believe is over. This weekend I have to do a final project for my third class. It shouldn't be hard, just time-consuming.

Then of course, the grading of my students final reflective essays, but that's easy too and I have a whole week to get that done.

Then once school is done, I can take maybe a week off and then I have to write up some papers for Computers and Writing. One is pretty much done, but the other one needs to start, and before I can start, I need to have an idea.

The rest of my summer...well...I have learned to not make plans until summer is actually here. I was going to take a class and decided not to. I didn't think I was going to have a job, but now I apparently do. I was asked to work in the Writing Center for the second summer session. I am pretty excited about it; the center is only open limitedly and they asked me to do it.

So it looks as though my summer may be planned before it even starts. But at least it'll be less stressful.

Dirty Feet

Yes, I have them. I have dirty feet all the time. I can spend as much time as I want in the shower washing them, SCRUBBING them actually, but as soon as I get out of the shower, they are dirty again.

The problem is that I live in the desert, which is dusty and dirty. Every surface out here is covered in dirt. I wear flip flops and they get covered in dirt. The other day I came home and even the tops of my feet were BLACK.

It's gross. I totally admit to that. But my choice is either dirty feet or cold feet in the snow.

I take dirty feet.

Feeling Guilty

I feel guilty all the time. Why, you ask? I feel like I never do enough work, like no matter how much I work, I could always do more.

This weekend for example. Friday, I ended up having to go to campus to get some paperwork for the Computers and Writing Conference signed. So I was there for a while. While I waited I got a letter written about working in the Design Center instead of the Writing Center. After I got home I got reading done and started a final paper...got about 3 pages written.

Saturday I was a little hung over from Friday night and was having lunch with Jen, and then I decided to work out and by the time that was done, it was pretty much ready for me to go to my friend Patti's for dinner. Short story, long...I didn't do any work on Saturday.

On Sunday I finished a draft of my online portfolio, revised the letter for the Design Center, did some reading and research for a paper. But I still feel like I should've done more and still feel a little bad that I didn't do anything on Saturday.

Deep down, I know I get a lot of stuff done and a day of not doing anything isn't the worst thing in the world, but I always feel so bad. I wish I could work past this. I'll have to put it on one of my lists of things to get done.

Check it...

I created my own ice cream flavor

You can do it to here

Uh-Uh-Uh

I've been experiencing some l'esprit d'escalier lately. I've been throwing up some words that make little sense and then later think of a much better comeback. It's not a hostile situation or anything; I actually really, really like this person who keeps teasing me. It's just, I which I could think on my feet and be really witty right away...not later as I am laying in bed trying to go to sleep.

Sleep, which has been alluding me a little this week. I think I am slightly stressed about all the things that have to be done in the next couple of weeks. I feel pretty on top of things, but maybe my lack of sleep is telling me that I am not and I should devote more time to work.  

I don't know...I can only work so much in a day.

55 mph winds today. Please keep your fingers crossed that I don't blow away.

Nearing the End

I am in a weird place right now. I have a ton of work to do, but none of it needs to been done immediately. So working a little bit on the big stuff doesn't seem like I've been really working, but I have. I've written two pages of a 15-18 page paper due during finals week and I started my template for my online portfolio. Could probably be doing more, but a little bit is better than nothing.

I'm just going to keep telling myself that to feel better. 

I've been eating like a crazy person. Today I am going to try to detox from shit food by making and then eating Tabouli. About the only thing saving my ass is the fact that I've been back to exercising nearly every day. 

Well, I am off to read about online pedagogy. 

I Know Why People Don't Want to Go to the Dr.

Miserable from a sinus infection, I went to the Dr. today to get some antibiotics so I can kick this thing. 

I was told I drink too much and was then reminded that I am fat.

I am livid. I am not deluded and think I am skinny,  I know I need to lose weight. But they don't ever ask questions that lead them to find out that I have actually lost around 50 lbs in the past few years, that I exercise 3-4 times a week (way more than the average person), I drink a ton of water, and while I don't eat well all the time, I try to eat the right things. But I'm fat, so of course they assume I don't do these things. I could've told them I wear a smaller jean size than the average woman.

And I do drink a little too much. But I drink less than A LOT of people I know. Besides, I answered their questions honestly. People probably drink more, but lie about it. 

So I can see why people don't want to go the dr. A simple visit turns into a rundown of everything that is wrong with a person. This actually makes me want to eat and drink right now.

I want to tell you about the Grand Canyon, but I am too pissed right now. Just know that everything I saw was grand, amazing and looked fake because it was so beautiful.  If you haven't been, I suggest that you go, but don't get too close to the edge...people do fall to their deaths that way.

Hope you all had a better start to your day than I did.

You Can Always Rely on Post Secret

This week there was a small graduate school theme.

This one is not very me. I think adding uppers to theory would make me crazy.

This one I do get. I feel incompetent all the time now.

Semester

This semester is turning into quite possibly, the longest semester ever. It feels like we are in week 17, rather than nine. Thankfully spring break is right around the corner, although once it is done, I will have even more work than I could ever imagine.

Speaking of spring break, I am heading to the Grand Canyon. I have never been before so I am psyched. I am sure it is going to be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I will make sure to take a bunch of pictures so you can live the experience through me.

Don't say I never did anything for ya

Tomorrow night I am going to hear Salman Rushdie speak. I really have no expectations about it, but the little I know about Rushie, it's bound to be interesting.

My Love for Will Ferrell Never Fades...

BAT FIGHT with Will Ferrell from Will Ferrell