Monday, March 17, 2008

Spring is lurking....

The weather has turned a bit brighter and lighter. Maybe it's because of the daylight savings time that I'm in a better mood but I just get the feeling that spring lurks nearby. A few things are sprouting (which is a bit sad since I won't have time for a garden this summer) and the robins are looting the fields for worms.

I have no other deep comment than "hey, look I noticed the weather is changing." Maybe something deeper soon.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

I'm back in business

My laptop cord made it in the mail today. I can finally retrieve and relive my virtual life. Did you miss me? Probably a good thing that I didn't have it because I was laid up this past weekend with a nasty cold. All I could do was sleep. Pumpkin was delighted because that meant she could sleep on me and I wouldn't kick her off.

Speaking of cats, (and I know that you were wondering). P-kitty had her check-up with the vet. It was surprisingly easy to get her in the carrier. Usually it's a replay of every act of civil disobedience throughout history. She's the most pleasant, uncooperative cat. Check-up went well and now she's home and happy. Boo was throwing a party hoping that she would stay away.

For your viewing pleasure, Miss Kate sent me a link to the hilarious video by animator Simon Tofield (who is best known for the wake up kitty that hit the web a few weeks ago):

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Stupid, stupid rat creatures

Well, to quote Jeff Smith's Bone. I survived my trip to Milwaukee this weekend despite the fact of the snowstorm here and the one there. It's gotten so bad that they haven't been able to clear the sidewalks, and stupidly I walked to lunch on Sunday in non-snow boots. This meant I was wet and in constant danger of falling on my keister. Despite previous posts that have lauded slapstick as some antidote to daily boredom, I didn't want to eat icy sidewalk.

My talk went well, if not exactly well-attended. Still, showing up is half the job, right? But stupidly, again, (hence my thematic title), I left my laptop cord there. They are sending it to me, however, I'm not sure when it will show up. Therefore, I have two hours of computer time that I need to use sparingly. (I write this post from an undisclosed location at the moment -- hey what is Cheney doing here?).

I would have posted earlier to report on the trip, but on Monday, I felt like I had been run over by a truck. I was so achy from carrying stuff and from avoiding all the "sneeze-sneeze" and "cough-cough" on the plane. Obsessive handwashing didn't seem to do the trick. Then Monday and Tuesday evenings, I was at school. As I always tell my students and colleagues, "gosh, this would be so much easier if I didn't care." On the bright side, the students held a poetry slam which was a lot of fun. Students nominated others for "best poem" and "best performance" from each class. I take full credit that both of my nominated "best poem" kids placed. I have warned them that with the bookstore gift certificate as a prize, I will be spending it for them in the form of a reading list.

But now the midterm grades are in. I can finally take a breath and rest. I need to become more acquainted with my bed. I'm so exhausted and sick that I have lost my facility for spelling. All words seem completely foreign to me at this moment. More, later.