What a Night!

My sister had her beautiful baby girl! She arrived at 10:33 p.m. on June 13, 2009, weighing in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and measuring 20 inches long. Both Mom and Baby are doing great. That's definitely the biggest news and happiest!!! Congratulations Candice and Casey. Congratulations Mom and Dad, who are now officially Grandma and Grandpa. :) Love you all.

News item #2 -- my brother ranked well in the Burley tractor pulls. He finished in the top 5 out of 15, and this was his first year even entering the competition. Good job Chad.

And finally, our bit of random weirdness to contribute to otherwise happy things. I smelled something really funky coming from the basement about an hour ago. (Having a Watterson nose can be invaluable). Anyway, I asked J.D. if he would go investigate because it smelled like someone burning something (actually it was a very strong incense-type smell, overwhelmingly sickly-sweet). So I had the phone in my hand, and J.D. went down there with a flashlight and large, heavy cane he got for Halloween. In the dark corner of our laundry room some guy was passed out. He obviously had been doing drugs and the funky smell was just from him and his clothing! We called the cops and the lady asked me: "Was he breathing?" I replied: "Well, we didn't get that close. . . . we think so, we don't really know if he needs medical attention." The police showed up about 5 minutes later and had him sit outside on the curb. Eventually they cuffed him and hauled him away. Maybe he had warrants out for his arrest. I just know I don't want "help" at night doing my laundry from strangers, no thanks. And I certainly don't want to smell that sickly-sweet scent anymore... which is still lingering. Does Febreze have a Stoned-out-Hippie-be-gone fragrance?

Anyway, now it's after 2:00 a.m. and time for a little rest. Goodnight. Congratulations again for the happy news. :)

Maybe time to dust it off

Today I began research into getting my passport renewed and acquiring one for J.D. Apparently, it costs $75.00 to renew them and $100.00 to get a new one! Sheesh. And they're only good for 10 years. Although, I was rather surprised to learn you can renew your passport via mail.

Anyway, I have a bit of good news. I heard back from the British Association for Romantic Studies that my Blake paper was accepted. I decided to send my paper, sort of saying "what the hell?" to myself-- "I'll give it a try." I mostly did it just because I made myself meet a deadline. And, to my amazement and joy, they want me there! So, it occurred to me, this would be an excellent opportunity to get my beloved husband to travel to Europe with me. It gives us a reason/excuse to go. (J.D. can be adorably cheap). It's also something I'm looking forward to and think will help motivate me to get going with other things I need to do. So, right now it's my dream that hopefully we'll be able to work toward, save for, and realize together.

Also, I'd like to invite friends to come with us in July. Let's all go!

Random thoughts

February is a difficult month. You begin to want spring, but you know it's still distant.

I've been feeling sad for Marley a great deal recently. It's almost a year since he died. I also always think about my Aunt Colleen. It will be 10 years she's been gone. My Grandpa Baker also died in February. The only good points are my friend Holly's birthday, Ryan's birthday, and the anniversary of J.D. and I getting engaged. (I'm sorry if anything else slipped my mind right now. I'm sure there are other good points to the month). Anyway, I guess there's also the year anniversary of my ABD status, but that feels more like a slightly negative reminder right now.

On the pleasant side, we're very happy to learn that J.D. will have employment in the foreseeable future. His company is cutting jobs. They asked people to leave voluntarily last week. Approximately 250 people out of 800 left because they were scared they were going to lose their jobs anyway in this terrible economy and the walk-away package was so attractive. We decided to stay, and it was a good choice for now. Hopefully things will continue to go well. It was going to be very scary if J.D. lost his job.

I need to get myself moving. No more excuses. I only have a couple of months left and some big things are coming up soon. I need to get more work done, so I'll be able to do those important things. My sister is having her baby (girl) in June. In March Catherine and I are going to a conference. It's just time to really make myself produce something. Therefore, I may not be blogging as much for those dear friends and family members that check-in with us. I just need to focus my energy where it should go right now. I'm sure I'll still write something time-to-time.

Much love to all.

Are you going to San Francisco?

Yes! And I can't wait to meet the gentle people there.


San Francisco, March 11-14, 2009

I seem to be experiencing delayed-happiness since finding out last Thursday. Maybe it just sunk in that I'm presenting at my first national conference. I am really happy. Most of all, I'm joyful Catherine and I will both be there. It's NO fun going to a conference alone.

J.D. is even planning to make the trip. It would be great to turn it into a mini-vacation. Now I just have to figure out how to wrangle some money out of the department. I know we're allotted financial help with three conferences. This is definitely one for which I'm calling in my chips.

What session are you in Catherine? I'm in the following:

Session: E/16 4:45 to 6:00.
Session Title: Peer Review in Three Settings.
Presentation Title: "Measuring the Wavelengths between Silence and Learning: The Influence of Gender and Institutional Policies on Graduate Instructor End Comments."
Role: Speaker 3.

Before I officially respond to the invitation I would like a little help with my title though. Rereading it now, it seems extra wordy. I want to be detailed, but I recognize the value of conciseness too. Please leave your ideas for the title.

I would very much appreciate any help.

Now to get some flowers for my hair. . . .

Work News

Just briefly, to any family or friends that may not know. This week J.D. got a new job! Yay! He will now be a "Contact Center Operations Analyst." He's excited about it and will start in about 2 weeks. He gave notice to his current job on the 6th.

I'm happy because this change is really good for us. J.D. will be doing a job that fits better with his education. It also means he'll work normal hours; he will be home before 11:30 at night! And we'll have the same weekends! And hopefully when he leaves in the mornings, it will help me get an early start on my work as well. We may even be able to visit family on holidays now too!

Bat Boy Announces Summer Plans

Bat boy has nothing to do with anything... not really. I just like him. Well, perhaps he is connected to the English department. He did come from the cover of computer paper from the graduate lab. I gave him his makeover. Believe me, he has a lot more personality now. I just needed an illustration, and random odd things appeal to me. Anyway, the purpose of this blog is to note that I know what I'll be doing this summer (at least part of it). Bat boy is pleased to announce that I've been admitted to the Mellon Dissertation Seminar. Yay! It's a class of 15. We'll study modernism, and I'm supposed to use the material toward my dissertation. Also, it makes life easier because I'll get a stipend, so that's cool, and it's only 6 weeks. So, this makes me very happy. Well, that's all. Otherwise life in the bat cave is fairly normal. I really need this class. It will hopefully keep me organized and productive.

Earthquake?

It woke me up last night, well, this morning around 4:30 a.m. Did you feel it in Chicago? The windows rattled, and I could feel things shaking. And we just now, about 5 minutes ago, had an aftershock. The building moved again, and Sophie looked at me like "What's happening"? Very weird.

It's funny, the first thing I thought this morning was, "What are the neighbors doing now?" Then I realized, oh, this might be an earthquake. I went right back to sleep though, without waking J.D. And he didn't feel a thing!

I called J.D. at work around 10:30, and he didn't feel the aftershock either! Silly man.

Later update: The earthquake was 5.4, and the aftershock was 4.6.

Live in the Loop

Off-campus protest against Scientology draws students - News
(The news article is from February, so evidently they've done this multiple times)

Saturday J.D. and I were just driving to the mall, minding our own business, when we noticed about 50 people in full face masks walking around the loop. Most wore V for Vendetta versions of Guy Fawkes masks; although, one individual wore a green alien mask. The protesters stood huddled against the cold across the street from the Scientology building. They carried signs like "Scientology Kills" and "Scientology destroys families." They claim to be protesting the recruitment practices, but when you wear an alien costume and carry those signs. . . .

Anyway, the whole thing was odd.

People love nothing so much as belonging to a group, unless it's protesting a group.
And then, that's best done, in a group.

As for me, I'll stick with my caffeine and pass on the (what was it, potassium or vitamin B...? I can't remember). Oh wait, it was niacin!


P.S.

* The insider joke is that a year or so ago, I went inside the Scientology building during an Open House with my friend "Ellen." We saw the lie-detector gadget, the meditation room, the video tape room, and the basement/exercise room. But mostly I remember the guy, at the end of the tour, asking me if I'd ever taken so much niacin my skin and face turned bright red.

I don't know how I did it, but somehow, I managed to keep a straight face and give my most sincere, sweet: "No, actually, I never have." That was a feat of acting because right now I'm cracking up remembering it. "Why yes, I try to turn bright red all the time!

Amused in St. Louis,
"Rita"

Apple, Banana, Ding-dong

Thanks to the support and encouragement of many good friends, one does go on.

Time

J.D. saw this pile and said, "This means something."

One more paper finished. I want to remember/quantify this exact moment. 12.14.07. 2:03 a.m. 49 pages. 6 of Works Cited (not Bibliography). 108 books from the library. 8 literary authors, 6 primary. 5 philosophers. A gaggle of scientists. 65 footnotes. 1 Abstract. 2.5 months. Not perfect, but workable. So much more to do from here. I wish I could savor being done a little longer. The end of December and beginning of January will be one of the most busy and stressful times of my life. But this is one more thing... one more... hopefully done (pending advisor/committee approval).

Goodnight.

(To clarify, what I finished was my second major field paper. I still have one more and then the oral exam, then the dissertation... so there is a LONG way to go yet).

One more section...

One more done. One to go. Woolf is finished. I have to do Joyce now, then the conclusion, then read it all and edit the hell out of it. But thank God I only have one more section. I'm really mentally exhausted on this paper. I'm so ready to be done. But the good news is, the end is in sight.

Alma Mater

My "nouishing mother" of higher education is changing her name (again). I just found out today that ACI, Albertson College of Idaho, will now go back to their former name of College of Idaho.

No more jokes about graduating with a B.A. in bagging or stocking.

News just in....

Burley, Idaho: Art Exhibit

Theft caused a local art exhibit to be closed.
Stolen art included "one by a seventh-grader."

-KBAR, Burley Radio
10:05 a.m. April 9, 2007