Bugs Bunny: Sheesh! I leaves ya alone for a minute...

Has it really been that long since I blogged. I must be feeling guilty about my writing so I avoid the computer at all cost. But now I am back and typing away. I've been working on a Powerpoint (death to powerpoint tyrants everywhere!) for my weekend trip to Milwaukee to talk about manga (I'm on Sunday!). It's going to be a whirlwind and I hope I can fill the numerous hours they are giving me. Probably just a forty minute talk and then questions. I think I can handle that. I'm no Steve Bissette though with his multiple slides about horror comics. Amazing to think that I could through a four hour show just riveted to my seat looking at images that deal with sharp objects plus eyeball.

So, what else is new? Hmm. I've booked a massage tomorrow night because my life needs to be full of much more decadence than it is. And I spent last Saturday at the local Tiki Bar with QOE and Johnny 10x. Despite the fact she served me Windex, I was able to hold my own at cribbage.

And I've been working. I gave a midterm exam today. I glanced through them and was pleasantly surprised by a kick-ass psychoanalytic reading of a poem they had to analyze. Gosh I'm so proud (an actual quote from me to a group discussing a short story "c'mon, people! What could be more Freudian than confusing sex with death!?!" They gave me a bunch of blank stares. I love my job -- eventually I will have to let them know that Freud is oh so out of fashion).

Still planning Alaska trip and having lots of family drama involved -- Fun! I think we plan to spend a couple days in Vancouver as my mother has discovered that there is nothing in Alaska. I plan on catching this fab exhibit there. Maybe I'll drag my niece along. I still haven't renewed my passport. I dread the picture taking, especially since I looked so young in my previous picture. Speaking of which, I need to take some pictures to load up to various things online. This, I also dread. Been thinking of picking up a digi cam for the cruise. And an Ipod and...whatever. Just too much to prep.

In other good news, looks like I will be in LA for at least three weeks. I got a "hey, this is not a contract, but we will probably be sending you a contract and wanted to make sure you haven't made other plans" e-mail. Anybody up for a visit to La-La land? I was toying with the idea of booking my plane ticket with frequent flier miles. I could even go First Class -- how absolutely decadent!!!

Catching Up

So, my friend's father passed away peacefully last Thursday night. He was just a few days short of his 92nd birthday. We should all be so fortunate to live not only as long but to be as independent as he was until the end. The memorial service is next Thursday, and I will arrange for someone to cover my afternoon class so I can attend. There's more family drama but I'd rather not write about that. I'm trying to be helpful but distant.

I'm watching the Red Sox/Indians game tonight (looks like the Sox will have won by the time you read this post). I really like having baseball on while I'm multi-tasking (made some phone calls, wrote some bills, now blogging) because I grew up listening to it on the radio. It's rather soothing, especially when it's not your team clinging to life in Game 7. Though I am a die-hard Braves fan, the Sox are my adopted team. Living in Connecticut is weird since there is no national team but rather is split down the middle between Yankees and Sox fans (and the occasional weird Mets fan). I've been to Fenway a few times (when the Braves were in town) and enjoyed it. It's the only park I've been to besides the ones in Atlanta (Altanta-Fulton County Stadium and then Turner Field).

My mother has turned into an obsessive baseball watcher. She's been glued to the TV watching all the playoffs and got really, really irritated with me when we discovered that I had a thirty second lead on what was going on. (Me: "Oh, he just struck out" HER: "WHAT?") For some reason, her broadcast was being delayed. My sister also watches it. It's a safe subject that all of us can talk about.

Phone calls

You know when you need to make a phone call to someone and you feel guilty that you haven't done it yet, because you know it will be a tough one? Well, by using second person I'm trying to wiggle my way out of this difficult phone call. Ah, family. What can you do? I won't go into too many details in this public forum, but when you have three people who are absolutely sure that three different versions of right thing to do should have been done a few months ago and now, not much can be, it's incredibly frustrating. But I am glad that I did call even though the first twenty minutes were of me biting my tongue unsuccessfully.

Still, as screwed up as everything is, at least we know we would pull each other out of a burning building. Although we may fight about why the fire started in the first place...