Three Pointless Confessions

Finally, some understanding of why people claim to like Fall.

Sometimes a quick road trip is just the thing.

There's still no sense to the people who like Winter (I guess Goths have to have a season to enjoy, too), but it's nice to finally have some grasp of the mentality of the elusive Fall lovers.

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Long weekend - zero productivity + big car repair = Ah, well!

The only plus side to this is that for the first time in something approaching five years, I was able to afford a big car repair without having to wait for months and give up things like friends and name brand canned goods. We'll call it progress.

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Honestly, watching "Heroes" is like sending myself to nerd-conversion camp. Every week, it's like a beating that I've earned for liking comic books. It physically hurts me. And yet, I can't seem to stop watching. I think this may be the equivalent of wearing a hair shirt or self-flagellation. It's like a super-hero train wreck, attempting to set back every moment of mainstream acceptance of anything comic bookish.

And since I'm still stinging over the last 10 minutes of BSG's finale and am feeling a little underwhelmed by "Dollhouse" in Season 2. I need some nerd-hope to latch on to.

Things I've Accomplished Today That Weren't Related to my Book

So I realize now that tomorrow is the Fourth of July. That's made today require a bit of hurry up and go because tomorrow is not only mother #2 and my sister's birthday (and I didn't get either of their cards in the mail), but it also means that, in spite of virtually everyone I know here being out of town, tomorrow must be given over to barbecue.

The thing I like about summer holidays is that they are social events in a way winter holidays can never be. No one ever gathers up their friends, packs a cooler and runs off to the beach for some sun and fun in January (at least not here in the forsaken lands). And let's be honest, as much as I love Thanksgiving, I can't think of anyone who has the same level of fear that their family or friends are going to unload every ounce of drama over the meal the way they do at winter holidays (unless you've reason to always be afraid your family is going to do that, in which case summer holidays would be better because it's easier to get away when it isn't likely to be snowy).

Of course, at least part of the theory is that if I'm going to have to spend hours on the phone tomorrow in the "apologetic son/brother" role, I might as well at least be well-fed.

And so today's been less focused on work than other days (and those of you who know me know just how little focus that means). Instead, I've been accomplishing things for the barbecue I am throwing for myself. It's all prep time, baby.

1. Pico de Gallo. This was accomplished in spite of the fact that the cilantro I bought seems to have vanished. The pico de gallo may be the most important part here because it can be used for ages - pico de gallo goes great in an omelette, for example.
2. Lemon Poppy Seed Bread. Well, technically, I could still screw that up by forgetting to take it out of the oven, but honestly, if it reaches that point, I'll have bigger fish to fry. This is also a bit about set up. The bread'll be good, I hope, but I'm intending it to go with some specially prepared strawberries and whipped cream. If it works, it'll be grand. If it doesn't, it'll be the worst clash of flavors since the great Dr. Pepper/Crunch Berry Experiment of '93.
   
3. Fajitas. Technically, they're marinating still, but that is at least as important as the application of heat. There are also peppers and onions marinating, but this is an experiment.
   
4. A load of laundry. Because you can always rustle up a load of laundry, and doing one always feels like an accomplishment.
5. finished "Spook Country" by William Gibson. Eyed "Drown" by Junot Diaz. Recommended books to others. Sharing is important.
   
6. Brushed the dog. Also played extensively with dyno-mutt, as this is a significant portion of why we keep each other around.
   

Notice how much of this is justification about how doubly-useful this form of procrastination might be? Don't mention that. I noticed it first, and anyway, you don't want me coming to your blog to point out your defense mechanisms.

So anyway, it's an odd thing that today I feel like cooking for friends which would necessitate inviting people to my apartment. I never feel like that. Ever. But I'm pining for grad school in loads of ways - most of the people I want to invite over cross my path first there (but not all). There's actually, likely, a post coming up on how grad school pining may be part of what's leading to the desire for the Big Leap.

And now, I must make dinner and do some book work. Happy 4th to the lot of you.

Of the Madness of Fridays (and other things)

Why do Fridays never feel productive? I'm putting together a list of things, and still I don't feel like I've done as much as I should have today. So far, I have:

• done two loads of laundry
• taken clothes to the dry cleaner
• made breakfast and done the dishes
• taken bills and such to the post office
  
• gone to the grocery store
• completed and submitted a teaching grant application

Of course, I still haven't managed any work on the book today. Maybe that's the glaring hole in my day (week/month/term, too). Two days ago I had my meeting with the Dean about my 3rd year review. It was painless, really, except when the question about how the book was coming came up. I could only laugh. Still, at the end of it, when it came time to kick me in the ass and tell me what I needed to do for tenure, the comment was "Keep publishing and maybe try and do something in the community." So I left feeling alright.

But yesterday one of my students came in. I've written numerous letters for graduate schools for her, and she was upset because she'd received her first rejection. She was rejected not because she didn't fit the bill but because all of her application materials hadn't arrived.

What was missing? Transcripts. Why were the missing? Well, technically, no one can say in part because the records office here doesn't actually - and this is capital-I irony - keep any record of when (or if) they send out transcripts. They know they were asked to send them out. They just don't know if they did. When she explained, they said they could re-send them but they'd have to charge her again. She was near tears when she said, "I'm really disappointed in the University right now."

What could I say to that except "Me, too."

Reference Letter Friday

Thelonious Monk is playing right now, and there's somehow sunshine creeping in through the window. I've managed, though, to hide out in the office with no one the wiser (and no complaints over the noise). In my one encounter with someone in the building today, I was told that my evals of the freshman course I taught in the Fall were so positive they had to be read twice and now the person who looked them over wants to take the class themselves.

All of this makes today such a ridiculously good day to have me writing reference letters. In fact, I've managed to put six of 'em in the mail today. Also two articles to review for the journal I (perhaps foolishly) agreed to help edit. I should probably take this moment to write a letter for myself to one of the jobs that's opened up a bit closer to the family.

And later this weekend, I'll take on the meme Dance tagged me for about why I teach what I teach, once I've had a chance to look at the format and allow the general giddiness that comes from listening to good music in the sun to reach a level that makes me seem less like a morning person or someone with inspirational kitten posters hung up around the office.

Big noise in the sky

So here in the land of nodding off, there's big storms tonight, and big things in the air. The afternoon was spent in a two and a half hour department meeting that attempted to map out the next five years of the program course-wise as we shift from our current teaching load to a more realistic one (except that there's not a coherent explanation of how sections currently taught will be dealt with university-wide). It was, in spite of being hella long, a good meeting.

I like this department. I want to carry it in my pocket to someplace I'd like to live. But I like this department. As a model of how things can run, this place isn't bad (see above about long meetings). There are big dreams that are a bit frustrating, but there's a level of respect and consideration that has been sometimes lacking in previous departments.

And tonight I got a proposal off for a book chapter which, as such things go, feels like one of the best and most coherent proposals I've written in ages.

And now there's a wicked thunderstorm which I've missed for years. Today's been good.