Tuesday

I have a cold. And I always feel sorry for myself when I have a cold, but this time even more so, because it's been hot out (we were near 100 for a few days), but Hubby insists we not run the AC because it's the end of September and we shouldn't need AC at the end of September. And I'm too sick too argue, so I've been sick and hot. Blah!!

In other news, Hubby and I have been watching Six Feet Under on DVD. I missed this series when it was originally on, and it's fantastic. We're in season 2 now. We're also actually following 2 current series, which I haven't done since the writers' strike. One of them is Dexter, which just started Season 3 on Showtime. I don't normally watch cop shows, but this one's too good to miss. And now we're hooked on True Blood, which debuted a couple weeks ago on HBO. True Blood is about vampires in Louisiana. It's based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlene Harris. Those novels are great fun, so when I heard about the series, and heard it's produced by the same guy who did Six Feet Under, I subscribed to HBO. And so far, the tv series has been way fun, too. And if you notice a certain theme to my favorite tv shows, what can I say? I have a macabre sense of humor. It's one of my eccentricities. :-)

Thing 1 is participating in a school spelling bee tomorrow. They gave out the list of words ahead of time, so she's been preparing. There are several hundred words and most of them are really hard for a 4th grader (reconnaissance, rheumatism, and antimacassar are a few). I know I can't spell some of them correctly. But T1 is a good speller and she's been working hard. She won't win--she'll be competing with 5th and 6th graders as well--but I'm sure she'll do great.

Okay, I'm back to my Kleenex now.

Eccentric

This morning, one of my students was complaining that another one of her professors is pretty strange. Actually, he is. But being a professional, I just told her that a lot of academics are eccentric. Her response? "No, professor. You're eccentric. He's crazy." I've decided to take it as a compliment.

Tuesday Miscellany

A few comments today:

• Am considering buying another pair of Docs. These. Can't make up my mind. Input?
• Shout gel will do a reasonable, if not complete, job of removing black magic marker from beige/tan microsuede upholstery. Ask Thing 2 how I know this.
• I'm going to go to Warsaw in January (yes, I am slightly insane), and I've begun pricing plane tickets. There are no direct flights from San Francisco to Poland, and, since I have to connect somewhere anyway, I figure maybe I can swing an extra couple days in the connecting city. Right now London's looking like a good bet, but I've been there a couple times already. So maybe Paris. If any of you have been to Paris, I'd surely appreciate tips. Is it worth it for, say, 2 days? What should I see in that short time frame? Where should I stay?
• Thing 1's 9th birthday is next month and--shhh!! Don't tell her!--we're going to take her to Disneyland. Plus she wants a slumber party.
• On Sunday we hired an actual babysitter and went to see a movie without Things. We saw Dark Knight, and both really enjoyed it. Lots of stuff blows up. So nice to have occasional grownup time.

I wouldn't have done it....

I've completed a draft of the story I wrote in response to last week's contest. You can read it over on LiveJournal. I hope you like it, and I would prostrate myself in thanks for feedback. :-)

Thursday

I made a tiny bit of progress on that story today. I'm only getting in about 2 words at a time, before those pesky work-related interruptions interfere.

Today one of the students in my Intro class, which is 90 minutes long, came up to me after class. "Wow! Time went by really fast today!" he said. Which was nice. Always glad to know I'm not boring them all to death.

Yesterday evening when it was time for Thing 2 to go to bed, I told her to get her jammies on while I put some things away in my bedroom. When I went to find her a few minutes later, she was in her bathroom. She was stark naked, standing in her sink, bent over double and looking between her legs toward the mirror behind her. "I'm looking to see if my butt is sandy," she explained. Ooookaaay.

My students have been noticing my tattoo. They're impressed. Yesterday I had a whole tattoo-related conversation with one student who got a tat this summer on his forearm. It's his mother's name and dates of birth and death, in Aramaic. Which is sweet, but as a parent, I'm not sure I'd want my offspring to memorialize me by inking their arms.

Happy today

I am happy today.

I learned this weekend that there's a new Thai restaurant in town. Our previous only Thai place, which was really good, closed several years ago when, in the process of "redeveloping" downtown, they tore it up so much that for months it was pretty much impossible to get anywhere the businesses there. Looks pretty now, I guess, but no Thai has made me very sad. So I checked out the new place today for lunch, and it was quite good. Mmmm.

It was cool enough this morning that I could wear my new Docs without risking baking my lower extremities. I'll have to wear them with thicker socks next time, because they rub a bit in the heel, but they're otherwise comfy. I've had a request for a pic of me with boots, so here you go:

I think blue hair would've completed the look nicely, but the dye's washed out. ;-)

Fall Knitty's up.

And tonight is ceramics class.

See, doesn't take much to please me.

Future Noise

Oh, no.
Look what we're in for now:

Could be worse, I guess. At least it's acoustic and not electric.

Really, the main worry I have is what kind of music she'll want to play on the thing. Kids seem to want music that annoys their parents, and, considering that this Thing's parents have been listening to The Sex Pistols and Tool, respectively, what's she going to choose? Shudder.

On another note, I've actually written the first couple paragraphs of the "I wouldn't have done it" story. Now I know exactly what I wouldn't have done. Once I get the story poured out of my brain and into the computer, you'll know, too. [chuckles evilly]

And the winner is...

"I wouldn't have done it under normal circumstances."

Thanks for voting, folks! As soon as I get something written, I'll post it. I'm anxious myself to find out what happens. :-)

Wednesday

Thanks for the votes so far--only 3 more days to get your vote in. And I promise, no Alaskan governors will be involved.

The semester has begun, so this was my third consecutive weekday of solid meetings. I think that, in general, meetings could be reduced by 90%, and the world would continue to function just fine. Better, maybe. Classes begin tomorrow, so tomorrow at 9:40 am I expect to have 100 or so freshmen all ready for me. Heh heh heh.

I decided on which pair of Docs I wanted. I ordered them last night, and--score another big one for Zappos--I already have them in my possession. I got these. They're comfy and they come with regular laces and ribbon laces. It's going to be 99 degrees tomorrow so I won't get to wear them yet. Now I'm really looking forward to cooler weather!

Thing 1 has taken to writing me notes at bedtime, which she leaves on my nightstand. Here's a recent one:

Dear Mom,
I'm not tired. I'm upset because you're not helping with this Toontown
thing. Neither of you. By the way, I want to go to Hawii, not Canada and Death
Desert/Valley. And my stomach is STILL hurting so, CALL THE DOCTER! Plus, I want
a computer in my room. And I want a phone. Why? Because almost EVERYBODY has a
phone at my school. And don't forget, CALL THE DOCTER! And I'm half tomboy and
half girl. Tomboy = tough. girl =hates dead worms and flies.
Love,
Thing 1

Oh, the joys of preadolescence. Dad, remember when you used to accuse me of being melodramatic and I'd get angry? Well, you can laugh now.

Inspire Me!

Way back BC (Before Children) I used to like to do some creative writing. I've posted some of my old stuff on Live Journal, if you want to read. But in recent years, my responsibilities have been piling up and I haven't done anything but academic writing. I miss the fun stuff.

I used to also keep a journal of sorts, and, as a self-prompting exercise, each entry would include just the first sentence of a story. Some of those sentences eventually made their way into stories I wrote. Most didn't.

So...I thought maybe I'd try to get some creative juices flowing again, and maybe I'd start with those old sentences. Here's the deal: I'm going to write 5 of those sentences below. You vote in the comments for one. Whichever gets the most votes by September 6 gets turned into an actual story. I have no idea yet where any of these sentences will go. So, folks, please. Vote and inspire me. :-)

1. She had her own web page.
2. He was going to have to start over.
3. As always, she burned her tongue drinking her hot chocolate.
4. Nick Ford was stopped at a red light on Ninth Street when he decided to become a woman.
5. I wouldn't have done it under normal circumstances.

Blue

Okay, by popular demand, I present my blue hair:

Thing 1 took the pic a couple days ago. The blue has faded, but it was still definitely there yesterday when I met with the police chief. Oh well. My boss, the Dean, was there, too, and it didn't bug her any.

Saturday Update

Thanks so much for the comments, you guys! Keep them coming! :-)

So Thing 1 started 4th grade this week, and seems very happy with it. I'm not too thrilled with the school district, though, because (without notifying anyone!) they messed with the bus schedule. Now, instead of being the last stop of the morning, T1 is the first. That means I have to get her out the door nearly an hour earlier, and that means we have to get up nearly an hour earlier. Joy.

Thing 2 officially becomes a kindergartener on Monday. No bus problems with her--she commutes to school with Hubby.

I have been dealing with a moderate administrative crisis at work. And yesterday I attended a freshman orientation. One of the girls there was wearing a Ramones shirt, which amused me because I owned a Ramones shirt back when I was in high school, probably 6 years before this kid was born. I even almost went to a Ramones concert, but it was on a school night, and my cruel, mean parents wouldn't let me go.

Today I dyed my hair blue. It'll probably wash out before classes begin. I don't know what reaction 100 plus freshman Intro students would have if their professor showed up with blue hair, black fingernails, and a tattoo. Oh, and I have a meeting with a police chief coming up, too. I rather like the blue, though; it's almost the same color as my eyes.

This week I finished the last season of Angel, and we've now begun season 2 of Dexter. I don't usually watch cop shows--too much like work--but Dexter is really fun.

Hubby has two--count 'em, two--fantasy football drafts this weekend. So in exchange, he has taken the Things for the day. They are currently at the movies. This is why I had time to finish line editing a chapter, dye my hair, polish of the next Anita Blake novel, and post this update. :-)

Lizzie and Lizard

Thanks for the comments yesterday, Sharon and Angela! :-) No, I haven't finished Lizzie yet. Still need to block and assemble, and it's too hot to think about afghans right now.


But, speaking of Lizzie...or at least lizard...look at what Hubby rescued from the pool this afternoon:

Isn't this the cutest thing ever?!? Look at those itsy bitsy claws and those bulgy little eyes! (click on the pic for a close-up view of the lizard and my hairy arm). I think it's a baby of the same species I fished out of the pool earlier this year. From nose to tail-tip, this little guy was shorter than my index finger. He (she?) was just fine, and seemed perfectly happy perched on me. In fact, when I tried to put him down in a nice sunny spot next to my orange tree, he tried to climb up my arm. I wonder what kind of critters such a tiny thing eats? I wish I'd been able to get a better picture, but it's hard to get a good shot with a tickly lizard on one arm, the sun shining brightly on the camera viewscreen, and two pool-wet Things helpfully dripping all over you.

I'm baaaaaack

Wow. I sort of disappeared off the face of the earth, didn't I? So what have I been up to?

• I am currently mourning the near-end of the summer. Although I am not mourning Thing 1's return to school on Monday. And lest I seem cruel, I'll point out that she's anxious for school to start, too.
• Thing 1's feet are now only 1 size smaller than mine, so she has been stealing my shoes all summer. I don't mind as long as she sticks to the flip-flops.
• A few months ago, I began making a concentrated effort to Eat Healthy. I'm eating way more fruits and veggies, and way less fat, carbs, and processed crap. I've lost over 20 pounds and I have a lot more energy. And I don't feel deprived. Still, I've decided to reward myself soon, I think with a new pair of shoes. I've wanted a pair of Docs for some time, but the question is which one: these are awfully cute, but I kinda like these too, or maybe these? I told you I've reverted to my punk period.
• My co-authors and I finished the second draft of the Textbook We've Been Working on Forever. Hallelujah! And next week I'll complete the line editing for a chapter I wrote for someone else's book. My desk will be momentarilly cleared of writing projects, just in time for the new semester.


• I haven't been knitting. Dunno why, really. I have been reading, though. Specifically, I've gotten myself hooked on the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. I just finished the 9th book in the series. They're perfect summer reading, for me: just enough blood and monsters, and minimal intellectual value. My only complaint is that the editor deserves to be shot with a silver bullet or something; there are an inordinate number of typos and grammar errors, as well some minor but annoying plot holes. Argh.
• Remember how I gradually worked my way through all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Well, I'm now in the last season of Angel. Then I'm going to have to pick another series to watch (although Season 2 of Dexter comes out next week). I haven't watched any actual tv since the writers' strike. And I am sad, sad that nobody commented on the Spike doll I knitted. :-(


• We drove down to San Diego a couple weeks ago, and visited Legoland and Seaworld. It was fun. The weather was perfect, as it nearly always is there. Here's Thing 2 at Seaworld and Thing 1 at Legoland.

So there's a quicky update, and I promise not to disappear again for so long, if you all will just do me the favor of leaving a quick comment, so I know I'm not just writing to myself. :-)

Finally an update

Sorry about the lack of blogging. I'm teaching a summer class right now that's short but intense. It'll be over on Sunday afternoon. :-)

I finished the outfit for that doll I knitted. Here he is, completely dressed and posed with some of his favorite music. Which I've been listening to a lot lately, too. Maybe I'm having a midlife crisis and reliving my youth.

Do you recognize him? I don't seem to be able to get a really good picture of him. Well, maybe vampires don't photograph well, sorta like they don't cast reflections.

And, here for your entertainment, is another picture:

This, my friends, is what your house might look like if you had a Saint Bernard. That attractive splotch on our 9-foot ceiling is dog fur, cemented in place by slobber, and flung there by Ruthie.

Back in California

We're back in California now--flew back yesterday afternoon. But here are a couple pictures from our trip:


Here's Thing 1 as she was getting on the bus to camp.

And here's Thing 2 enjoying pirate day at her camp.

This building is where I lived for 3 years during college. It was my first apartment, and it was a quirky one: the tiny bedroom had 2 doors but no windows. But I liked living there. There's a big park right behind the building, and it was within easy walking distance of campus. See the third window from the left in the front of the building, on the first floor? That was my living room.

I promised the other day that I would post a pic of the knitting project I was working on. This is a pretty crappy pic, but here ya go:

Can you guess who this is? The object he's propped against is a hint, actually. I adapted a pattern from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation, the same pattern I'd previously used to make Joey Ramone and Sigmund Freud. I'm still planning to make a shirt and coat for this guy. The knitted version is buffer (hint, hint!) than the real guy, and you'll have to click on the pic to be able to see his very light-colored hair, but I'm pretty satisfied with how he turned out.

In other news, I came home to discover two fun surprises in my pile of mail. First, there was a thank you note from the place where I got my tattoo, which I think is very nice. And second, there was a gorgeous skein of Hand Maiden Sea Silk, sent as a surprise from a generous friend. :-) Boy, that yarn is really scrumptious!

And one more thing. Have you noticed that the Bush Countdown on the left of the screen is now under 200 days?

Wednesday Night

Thanks for the nice comments on my fused glass plate. You are very kind. :-) I think glass fusing is one of those things where you can make something that looks pretty good even if your talents are limited!

On other creative fronts, I've posted another story on LiveJournal, and I'm finishing up a fun little knitted project. I'll fill you in on the details and post pix when it's done.

Thing 1 made it back from camp. She had a great time, and sustained only minor injuries. She received a certificate for being the "Most Athletic," which actually isn't surprising for her, but is seriously ironic for my offspring. She lost her backpack and disposable camera, but both were found. She got a sunburn on her nose (despite the sunscreen I packed). She decided, after discussing the matter with the other 4th graders in her cabin, that she now needs a bra. :-)

We're down to our last couple days in Portland. I have managed to make 4 separate trips to Powell's this time, including 3 different locations (I went to the main downtown one twice). And tonight I went to this place, because it's one of those stores I've passed a zillion times (it's a block from Powell's), and always been curious about, but never managed to visit. Turns out it's way fun (I scored glow in the dark skull and crossbones stockings!), and the heavily pierced and tattooed sales staff are really chirpy and nice. Who knew?

Glass Class

My Mom, my sister, and I took a glass fusing class the other day. We made plates. Here's mine. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. I love working with glass.

Letter from Camp

Received a letter from Thing 1 today; she's away at camp until Monday. Here's what it says:

Dear Mom,
How you doin'? I'm having a great time. You know about bug juice and how
thier isn't really any bugs in it? Well, mine did actually had a bug in it! By
the way, can you send me letters and stuff.
Love,
Your caring daughter,
Thing 1

Please send me my Webkinz and bunny

Tagged Too

Angela tagged me, so here goes:

What was I doing 10 years ago?

Actually, pretty much the same thing as now. But I was kidless then and had just been tenured.

5 snacks I enjoy:

1. Biscotti
2. Ice cream
3. Grapes
4. Cookies
5. Chocolate

5 things on my to-do list today:

1. Take T2 to day camp
2. Attend glass fusing workshop
3. Have lunch with Mom & sister
4. Catch up on email from work
5. Pick T2 up from day camp

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1. Travel, travel, travel
2. Give lots to charity
3. Hire my own driver
4. Buy big houses for relatives
5. Write more

5 jobs I have had:

1. McDonalds
2. Take and bake pizza place
3. Law clerk
4. Teaching assistant
5. Professor

5 of my bad habits:

1. Eating junk
2. Not exercising enough
3. Interrupting people
4. Overspending on books
5. Overspending on yarn

5 places I have lived:

1. Bolingbrook, Illinois
2. Beaverton, Oregon
3. Portland, Oregon
4. Lincoln, Nebraska
5. Turlock, California

5 people who I'd like to get to know better (this means you're tagged!):

1. If you're reading this, consider yourself tagged!!

5 random things:

1. I went through a punk period when I was a kid, and my iPod is still loaded with the Clash, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, Iggy, etc., etc.
2. I hate scallops. Ick.
3. I am a klutz.
4. I'm going to Poland next January!
5. Maybe someday I'll get another tattoo. :-)