Sunday, August 26, 2007

Draft Done

I finally have a draft done of my paper for the Burke class that ended nearly a month ago. God bless Dr. Metzger and his patience. I discovered some really interesting things about what Vance Randolph was promising in his introductions. It is no wonder the "back to the land" movement gained so much popularity a decade after Randolph's work. I wonder if there would be a journal article at some point on the rhetoric of the back to the land movement? Or on the "intentional communities"? Hmm...

I dragged Todd to Kohl's with me today (along with Miss O) to hunt for shoes. I found one really comfortable pair of Sam & Libby ballet flats and a pair of wedges. Todd found tennis shoes in his size (which never happens), and I got W some jeans and a polo. I have a hard time finding W cheap clothes, so we just have to get what we get.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Should be doing something productive

But instead I am typing here.

I have met with all but one of my classes, and I meet with that one first thing Monday morning. I finally have my desk copies, which makes me happy.

I have Miss Olivia down for a nap-- a much needed nap. She was pitching fits over everything all morning. Her first week of Kindergarten has gone well. She has made new friends and likes her teacher. We finally have pick up thing sorted. Her school just never got the pick-up right. I have been waiting in line forty and forty five minutes in over 100 degree heat. After sitting in the hot sun all day, it takes my van a *long* time to cool off.

My phd class begins meeting on Tuesday. 19th century rhetoric. I can hardly wait.

I am working on a new project... I am going to be helping coordinate with the high school teachers who do concurrent enrollment. Just because I don't have enough to do.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Self-flagellation

So I am convinced that the reasons that diets work is that the food that is low calorie and low carb sucks your will to live, and by extension, eat. At this point, I am avoiding food, because I just don't want anything to do with anything I can actually eat.

Bleh.

Meleah and Olivia and I went to Hancocks today because Simplicity patters were $1. The air conditioning was broken. Olivia was bored. Overall not the most fun I have ever had (although I did get some nice patterns. Now if I could only steal some time to sew...)

Last night, I went to a scrapbooking crop in Greenbrier. I took Meleah, but not Olivia. I always enjoy that. I am working on an album from when I spent spring break in Ireland in 1992. It was another life, but really lovely to revisit. Since Meleah usually goes with me, we get to talk about who I was, before she came along and changed my life. At some point, I'll run out of those pictures and I'll scrap what normal people scrap-- kids.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Something is brewing...

Something is brewing at work, and I am really not sure what it is, but I am almost certain that I am involved... But if there is a renewing contract involved, I am all over it.

I moved my stuff into my office today. Yea! Office!

My paper is going better. I am applying Burke's principle of rebirth to Randolph's introductions to some of his Ozarks books. And that is, at last, going. And only 70% of my grade. (quiet whimper).

Monday, August 13, 2007

Stardust and Alice Cooper

Re: previous post. The house appraised for enough that we did not have to have mortgage insurance, but not enough that we can buy the pretty new one. On the bright side, our payment is low.

I still have an incomplete.

But I had a fabulous weekend. My husband and I took the kids to see _Stardust_ on Friday. Some details were changed, but I was pleased with the result. Even though my youngest is only five, she really liked it too. She hid her eyes a couple of times, but that is all.

On Sunday night, we went to see Alice Cooper. This time my brother and I took the big kids. We saw Crooked X, Black Stone Cherry, and, of course, Alice Cooper. It is funny, but of all the shows that we've taken the kids to see, the cleanest are Eric Bibb, Eddie Money, and Alice Cooper. And this was Alice doing a *show*. He killed a "man" as the show started, drove a stake through a baby doll, slapped a ballerina (during "Only Women Bleed"), sang "Cold Ethel" to a mannequin, was encased in a straight jacket and hung on a gallows. But not once did he, or any other the other other bands utter the f-word. Amazing.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Relief

Two classes are done. Done. Done. Done.

I had to take an incomplete in my Burke class because I simply could not get all three papers done. I need to get this one done this week though.

Grades are not posted yet. Which is reasonable, since papers were due yesterday.

We looked at a house yesterday, in my favorite neighborhood in town. The price is really reasonable, and they put in a covenant so that no one is allowed to rent out home there. The house is big-- nearly 2000 sq. ft.-- but still only has three bedrooms/two bathrooms. But it has a nice living room, and a big den. The laundry is in a hall closet, which I hate, but it is really a lovely house. The price is a little more than we're comfortable with (more than twice what this one is), but depending on what this appraises for, may be a possibility. I just hope this appraises for more than we have put in it! It would be depressing for all our work to be worth nothing.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Done

At least for the moment, we are done with our house. The appraiser came today, which means that we no longer have to push to get everything done, because it is either done, or can wait.

What I did not get done today was my papers. I need to nearly double the length of my socio-linguistics paper. And I need to settle in with my visual rhetoric paper. I have most of the theory written out, I let it sit all day today... Tomorrow I should be able to look at that with fresh eyes. Socio is due Sunday, VR is due early Monday morning.

And I need to go see my dept head on Monday for work.

What I should have done tonight was edit and expand. Instead I watched the new Casino Royale.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Another House Update

We are making a full-out press to get the house ready for the appraiser tomorrow. I think we have every surface painted, which is the biggest thing. Everything has to be "finished" and I think we have managed to coat every surface with paint and to fill every hole. Todd wants to paint the living room next week. I am ambivalent about that. On the one hand, the house will be in order tomorrow, and I hate to take it apart again. On the other hand, my life will only get busier after next week.

I had coffee today with Becky. Really, it was more of a mad dash through Target while we drank our coffee. I found some cool toys on sale, that I put up for W's Christmas, along with a few assorted birthday gifts to put away.

Last weekend, we had our annual alumni meeting. We had several people come, which is unusual. (Last year, we had the exec committee, and not even all of it). We voted to join with the university alumni association as a chapter, so it is all over but the shouting. We did see that the improved communication is valuable, so we are going to continue that. Willie has worked so hard this year, it was great to see that pay off.

I am working on a sociolinguistics paper, that is really fun. I have done an analysis of Warner Brother's "Hillbilly Hare" that has really changed the way I see the cartoon. It is still funny. But is not funny in an innocent way anymore. It is funny is a really offensive way, like Dave Chappell.