that was darren's response to my giddy excitement over having slept in until 8:30 this morning and knowing all i really have to do today is get 6 research papers graded. piece of cake.
needless to say, it's been a good day so far. it started with a yummy cup of french press coffee, caffeine and all. it was, perhaps, the yummiest coffee i've had in a long time. but since i've severely restrained my caffeine intake of late, it did leave me quite zippy, if you will. hence the aforementioned giddy excitement.
desperate for structure lest i should waste the entire day, i called my good friend karen-the-great, who gave me a firm talking-to. "I'll only meet you for lunch if you have two papers graded by 12:30," said she.
i graded three.
then, we shared a fabulous lunch at the stand of tacos. and today, unlike most days, the cashier actually agreed with me that, since the menu says chunky salsa comes free with the soft quesadilla, he should give me the chunky salsa free with my soft quesadilla. twas delicioso.
so now it's 2 pm. i have a meeting at 4, and three papers left to grade before going to bed tonight.
i think i'll write some Christmas cards.
07 December 2006
16 November 2006
an early wish
so, it's not snowing any time soon in athens, but becca inspired me to make my own snowflake. i think i will offer it to the snow gods as a plea for some real snow in georgia this year. and i'm putting it here for you all, because i am very proud of it, in a kind of silly, infantile way...
15 November 2006
William Mason Grem
Like any true Mason or Grem, little Will's first instinct was to quietly prove (almost) everyone wrong.*
Even though lots of people were convinced this one was a little girl, we have pretty solid proof to the contrary. Which means someone else could be having a little girl soon...or maybe that will be our next one.
As for his name, William is after Darren's father, and Mason is after mine. We're still considering Miles in place of Mason, but my brother has made some serious threats regarding that one.
But then again, Scøupe hasn't seen my middle block and back leg roundhouse kick. I could take him. Piece of cake.
*i am, in fact, aware of this split infinitive, but i am using it purposefully for the sake of both the meaning and rhythm of the sentence.
Even though lots of people were convinced this one was a little girl, we have pretty solid proof to the contrary. Which means someone else could be having a little girl soon...or maybe that will be our next one.
As for his name, William is after Darren's father, and Mason is after mine. We're still considering Miles in place of Mason, but my brother has made some serious threats regarding that one.
But then again, Scøupe hasn't seen my middle block and back leg roundhouse kick. I could take him. Piece of cake.
*i am, in fact, aware of this split infinitive, but i am using it purposefully for the sake of both the meaning and rhythm of the sentence.
08 November 2006
an instructor's best friend
so last night, post-post, i finally gave up grading with 6 essays to go and went to bed at midnight. i managed not to completely fulfill my horoscope--the rage at the disastrous midterm essays* did not, in fact, turn murderous. because i don't know where my students live.**
i realize now, however, that i was not alone in my distress.*** to the contrary, i discovered that Feral Cat, with all her whiny meowing last night, which also irritated me, was actually uttering cries of sympathy and possibly even threats against my students to parallel my own anger.
i know this because, this morning, darren related to me the events of the evening after i went to bed. apparently, for a few moments, Feral was choking in that way that cats do when they have a hairball. gross, i know.
but then, the marvelous Feral Cat walked directly to the stack of essays i had abandoned beside the coffee table and vomited on them.****
all i have to say is, thanks Feral Cat. you read my mind.
and thanks, darren, for cleaning it up so i could carelessly enjoy the poetic justice of it all.
*disastrous because they confirmed my suspicion that 67% of my students have not, in fact, taken advantage of the comments i have so tediously written on their 6 response papers so far. comments which i basically repeated , verbatim, on said midterms (for the last time).
**to be fair, not ALL the essays were bad. in fact, nine students wrote papers that provided such great relief from the verbal wasteland of despair that i joyously gave them A's and even A+'s.
***of course, darren and karen have shared this burden all semester, but that goes without saying.
****fortunately (or not), i had left an unrelated piece of paper on top of the stack, so none of them were actually damaged. but, hey, it's the thought that counts, right?
i realize now, however, that i was not alone in my distress.*** to the contrary, i discovered that Feral Cat, with all her whiny meowing last night, which also irritated me, was actually uttering cries of sympathy and possibly even threats against my students to parallel my own anger.
i know this because, this morning, darren related to me the events of the evening after i went to bed. apparently, for a few moments, Feral was choking in that way that cats do when they have a hairball. gross, i know.
but then, the marvelous Feral Cat walked directly to the stack of essays i had abandoned beside the coffee table and vomited on them.****
all i have to say is, thanks Feral Cat. you read my mind.
and thanks, darren, for cleaning it up so i could carelessly enjoy the poetic justice of it all.
*disastrous because they confirmed my suspicion that 67% of my students have not, in fact, taken advantage of the comments i have so tediously written on their 6 response papers so far. comments which i basically repeated , verbatim, on said midterms (for the last time).
**to be fair, not ALL the essays were bad. in fact, nine students wrote papers that provided such great relief from the verbal wasteland of despair that i joyously gave them A's and even A+'s.
***of course, darren and karen have shared this burden all semester, but that goes without saying.
****fortunately (or not), i had left an unrelated piece of paper on top of the stack, so none of them were actually damaged. but, hey, it's the thought that counts, right?
07 November 2006
my Onion horoscope
Seriously, here it is:
Gemini:
You will fly into a blind, towering, destructive, psychotic, and ultimately murderous rage this week over the excessive use of adjectives in today's popular writing.
I've been grading midterm papers all day.
Gemini:
You will fly into a blind, towering, destructive, psychotic, and ultimately murderous rage this week over the excessive use of adjectives in today's popular writing.
I've been grading midterm papers all day.
23 October 2006
eat it.
it all made sense today.
i've always wondered why the old adage chose cake as the thing that you can't have and eat.
more importantly, why would someone want to just have a cake? i mean, cake is for eating. simple as that. even a wedding cake isn't too pretty to gobble up.
then today, i glanced at the almost-gone carrot cake that i made last thursday for some company we had friday. there's probably enough left for three or four hefty slices. and this made me sad.
me, the same person who begged people to take some cake home with them friday night so we wouldn't have too much left over. me, who's only eaten one more slice since friday...and a couple random bites here and there.
now, it should be known (if you weren't here for the girly candle party friday night) that this is my step-mom's infamously decadent carrot cake, which has converted many a carrot-cake-hater into a carrot-cake-devourer. but still, why this sudden sadness when everyone had enjoyed a slice, and i had enjoyed two?
well, here's what i've decided. to have a cake means to know it will always be there whenever you want it. i have some cake right now, but there's not enough left to convince me that, should i have a craving for carrot cake three days from now, it will still be readily available.
so which should one choose, to have a cake or to eat it? the obvious choice is still to eat it--if you don't, it will go bad and you will neither have nor eat it (hopefully). but, knowing that you can't have it forever should impact the way you eat it: slowly, passionately, hedonistically relishing every bite.
of course, the same goes for everything a cake could stand for, that is, everything good in life. when things are going well, your bills are paid, your friends are true friends, work is bearable, the weather is nice, whatever it may be, eat it up. and don't feel one ounce of guilt about enjoying things that are meant to be enjoyed. just remember cake is always better when it's shared, and if it runs out, you've still got 2 things left:
great memories and the hope that someday, there will be more cake.
i've always wondered why the old adage chose cake as the thing that you can't have and eat.
more importantly, why would someone want to just have a cake? i mean, cake is for eating. simple as that. even a wedding cake isn't too pretty to gobble up.
then today, i glanced at the almost-gone carrot cake that i made last thursday for some company we had friday. there's probably enough left for three or four hefty slices. and this made me sad.
me, the same person who begged people to take some cake home with them friday night so we wouldn't have too much left over. me, who's only eaten one more slice since friday...and a couple random bites here and there.
now, it should be known (if you weren't here for the girly candle party friday night) that this is my step-mom's infamously decadent carrot cake, which has converted many a carrot-cake-hater into a carrot-cake-devourer. but still, why this sudden sadness when everyone had enjoyed a slice, and i had enjoyed two?
well, here's what i've decided. to have a cake means to know it will always be there whenever you want it. i have some cake right now, but there's not enough left to convince me that, should i have a craving for carrot cake three days from now, it will still be readily available.
so which should one choose, to have a cake or to eat it? the obvious choice is still to eat it--if you don't, it will go bad and you will neither have nor eat it (hopefully). but, knowing that you can't have it forever should impact the way you eat it: slowly, passionately, hedonistically relishing every bite.
of course, the same goes for everything a cake could stand for, that is, everything good in life. when things are going well, your bills are paid, your friends are true friends, work is bearable, the weather is nice, whatever it may be, eat it up. and don't feel one ounce of guilt about enjoying things that are meant to be enjoyed. just remember cake is always better when it's shared, and if it runs out, you've still got 2 things left:
great memories and the hope that someday, there will be more cake.
17 October 2006
me and Big Brown
yep. he's back. warm, cuddly Big Brown and i have been spending lots of time together...drinking hot cider...reading (student papers)...cuddling up on the couch with the Feral Cat. this makes four years that we've spent autumn together, and it's better every year. especially since it's my favorite time of year. and don't worry, darren's not jealous--he's got The Boss and Maverick to keep him company.
in other news, we went to the doctor again and discovered that we have a magic scale at our house. seriously, i could sell it for big bucks. according to our scale, i haven't gained a pound in 14 1/2 weeks of pregnancy. according to the doctor, i have gained 6 pounds in 2 weeks. this is a relief for me, but imagine the ordinary, non-pregnant woman. who wouldn't want a scale that miraculously kept you from knowing you had gained weight?
now, if they're like me, they would still question why their clothes fit differently. but, many women obviously rely more on numbers than appearances, because they will flip out over gaining two pounds even when they look as fabulous as ever. so, surely they would believe my magic scale as well.
hmmmm. maybe i can make a little income on the side by marketing this thing. maybe even put little willmily through college....
in other news, i think i found an atrocity to rival the $3.75 small steamer at jittery joe's. $5.25 baked potato at the bulldog cafe.
yep.
$5.25.
for a potato.
with butter and sour cream.
it's appalling what people will charge when the majority of their clientel are not spending their own money.
in other news, we went to the doctor again and discovered that we have a magic scale at our house. seriously, i could sell it for big bucks. according to our scale, i haven't gained a pound in 14 1/2 weeks of pregnancy. according to the doctor, i have gained 6 pounds in 2 weeks. this is a relief for me, but imagine the ordinary, non-pregnant woman. who wouldn't want a scale that miraculously kept you from knowing you had gained weight?
now, if they're like me, they would still question why their clothes fit differently. but, many women obviously rely more on numbers than appearances, because they will flip out over gaining two pounds even when they look as fabulous as ever. so, surely they would believe my magic scale as well.
hmmmm. maybe i can make a little income on the side by marketing this thing. maybe even put little willmily through college....
in other news, i think i found an atrocity to rival the $3.75 small steamer at jittery joe's. $5.25 baked potato at the bulldog cafe.
yep.
$5.25.
for a potato.
with butter and sour cream.
it's appalling what people will charge when the majority of their clientel are not spending their own money.
12 October 2006
our baby weighs as much as a slice of cheese
whether this means american processed cheese-based "food product" (yep, read the label), or a slightly denser, much more delicious deli cheese such as cheddar or meunster, who can tell? and how thick is the slice? how big? everyone knows that deli slices are about twice the size or regular singles.
the people who write these little "as your baby grows" factoids have no sensitivity to cultural bias.
the people who write these little "as your baby grows" factoids have no sensitivity to cultural bias.
05 October 2006
high five
many of you know that we got our first ultrasound the other day, and many of you have already seen the picture on darren's blog. he always beats me to the punch, mainly because he works in front of the computer all day and needs to divert his attention from work every now and then. but, for those who haven't seen litte grem yet, here he/she is!
we were obviously thrilled to get such a clear picture of our little baby in there, giving us either a thumbs up or a #1 signal. or, as others have postulated, singing into an air mike.
top 5 things we know about the baby so far:
1) baby LOVES potatoes in all forms
2) baby likes for momma to get lots of sleep
3) baby has no desire to try boca burgers
4) baby loves shakespeare. i mean, he/she's already been in a shakespeare production!
5) baby will either love roller coasters, or have an awkward sense of balance, since momma definitely went on six flags' new "goliath" at a mere 3 weeks pregnant
top 5 things we've learned about being pregnant:
1) no matter how much or how vehemently you object, people will call you "prego" and "preggers". why this is, we have yet to find out. i mean, really, people. prego is a spaghetti sauce.
2) like baby, momma LOVES potatoes in all forms
3) being pregnant means no cooking raw meat or changing cat litter :(
4) even before you start showing, people will try to carry things for you, offer you their seat and do all kinds of little favors, just because they know you're pregnant. it's awful. really. ;)
5) and finally, pregancy makes you an airhead. for example, in the past few days, here are some words that have completely escaped me mid-conversation: reassure, distraught, the spanish word for scissors (tijeras)....also, i just had a student in my 1002 spanish class make up an in-class composition. rather than give her the right topic from the 1002 class, i mistakenly gave her the topic from the 2001 class. needless to say, she was surprised by the difficulty of the question, though very forgiving when she realized what had happened.
on a last note, thanks to everyone for all their congratulations. it's comforting to know that people aren't frightened at the thought of more little grem-mason children. and fear not, there will be plenty more to come!
blogs that is...we'll decide about more children once we get the first one out.
we were obviously thrilled to get such a clear picture of our little baby in there, giving us either a thumbs up or a #1 signal. or, as others have postulated, singing into an air mike.
top 5 things we know about the baby so far:
1) baby LOVES potatoes in all forms
2) baby likes for momma to get lots of sleep
3) baby has no desire to try boca burgers
4) baby loves shakespeare. i mean, he/she's already been in a shakespeare production!
5) baby will either love roller coasters, or have an awkward sense of balance, since momma definitely went on six flags' new "goliath" at a mere 3 weeks pregnant
top 5 things we've learned about being pregnant:
1) no matter how much or how vehemently you object, people will call you "prego" and "preggers". why this is, we have yet to find out. i mean, really, people. prego is a spaghetti sauce.
2) like baby, momma LOVES potatoes in all forms
3) being pregnant means no cooking raw meat or changing cat litter :(
4) even before you start showing, people will try to carry things for you, offer you their seat and do all kinds of little favors, just because they know you're pregnant. it's awful. really. ;)
5) and finally, pregancy makes you an airhead. for example, in the past few days, here are some words that have completely escaped me mid-conversation: reassure, distraught, the spanish word for scissors (tijeras)....also, i just had a student in my 1002 spanish class make up an in-class composition. rather than give her the right topic from the 1002 class, i mistakenly gave her the topic from the 2001 class. needless to say, she was surprised by the difficulty of the question, though very forgiving when she realized what had happened.
on a last note, thanks to everyone for all their congratulations. it's comforting to know that people aren't frightened at the thought of more little grem-mason children. and fear not, there will be plenty more to come!
blogs that is...we'll decide about more children once we get the first one out.
13 September 2006
"...so much to say and no language to say it in"*
i confess. i have coweringly postponed the posting of "the news".
how does one blog about something so completely life-altering? it's a daunting and tremblesome task, emotionally comparable to the President's delivery of a memorial address two days ago.**
you must give a speech. everyone already knows what you will say, but you still have to say it. and make it sound new and unexpected and engaging. the information is neither new nor unexpected, so your audience will likely concentrate on style rather than content. it is style that engages...or exhausts.
you want to use those weary, worn-out words because, for you, they have taken on new life.
miracle. future. joy. life. love.
but you know these empty clichés only clash with your heart-filled purpose.
how do you polish a word to make it convey truth when everyday use has so cheapened its meaning?
a miracle is not the nearest parking space at the mall.
a future is not a dream job with six figures.
joy is not clean dishes.
life is not a sport.
love is not mcdonald's.
what these things are, we will continue to discover little by little. and we will spend lifetimes trying to articulate the revelation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*from My Name is Aram, by William Saroyan
**i am aware of the pretentiousness of this claim--forgive me if i overstate my case
how does one blog about something so completely life-altering? it's a daunting and tremblesome task, emotionally comparable to the President's delivery of a memorial address two days ago.**
you must give a speech. everyone already knows what you will say, but you still have to say it. and make it sound new and unexpected and engaging. the information is neither new nor unexpected, so your audience will likely concentrate on style rather than content. it is style that engages...or exhausts.
you want to use those weary, worn-out words because, for you, they have taken on new life.
miracle. future. joy. life. love.
but you know these empty clichés only clash with your heart-filled purpose.
how do you polish a word to make it convey truth when everyday use has so cheapened its meaning?
a miracle is not the nearest parking space at the mall.
a future is not a dream job with six figures.
joy is not clean dishes.
life is not a sport.
love is not mcdonald's.
what these things are, we will continue to discover little by little. and we will spend lifetimes trying to articulate the revelation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*from My Name is Aram, by William Saroyan
**i am aware of the pretentiousness of this claim--forgive me if i overstate my case
12 July 2006
maybe a quarter-life crisis...or just a stirring in my soul
(props to anyone who recognizes the title of this post)
i definitely wouldn't call it a 'crisis', because that term carries such negativity that it doesn't describe at all what life post-25th-birthday has been for me. i would rather say it has been a turning point, or a getting-over-the-early-twenties-plateau, as it were.
un punto de partida.
i also wouldn't call it 'quarter-life'--i mean how many people really live to be 100? maybe someone invented that term so as not to admit that they were probably 1/3 of the way through. (if you're bad with fractions, that's even more than a quarter)
anyway, in light of the irrecuperability of an estimated one-third of my life span, i've decided i'd better start acting like a kid again. taking chances. learning new things. possibly looking stupid and not caring.
it started with the knitting, right around the time of my half-birthday back in december. that's in full throttle now, and you've all got handmade Christmas presents coming up. but knitting is something you can do in the privacy of your own home, and if you make a mistake, no one has to know about it. (except darren, who will attest to the dramatic rise in my use of profanity when i am knitting. and all you people thought it was a relaxing and brainless activity...)
just after the big-two-fiver, i joined a karate class. though i had no previous knowledge whatsoever of karate, it's a freaking blast. and (youngest child--must brag about every little thing!) my sensei said i was progressing really quickly.
even though i can hardly stand up right now due to monday's karate class, i am hooked. not just on karate, but on trying things i'm not sure i can really do.
so last night, on a whim, i auditioned for The Tempest with the fabulous Karen the Great (Karen the Fabulously Great?). i made this decision not knowing that the audition would involve singing.
by myself.
in front of strangers.
those who know me well can imagine my horror at the idea.
and i was cast...
...
...
...
as a member of the chorus.
yes, i am quite shocked. i'm also really excited, especially since the part i was going for (Miranda) might've been a bit much for a super-busy rookie with not as much time to practice as she would like to believe.
(unlike the never-busy-and-actually-quite-lazy (ha!) Karen the Spectacular, who was cast in a lead role as Evil Woman Usurper, a.k.a. Antonia.)
so, if you've ever asked me to sing and i vehemently refused, or if you've never seen karen's evil side, here's your chance!
i definitely wouldn't call it a 'crisis', because that term carries such negativity that it doesn't describe at all what life post-25th-birthday has been for me. i would rather say it has been a turning point, or a getting-over-the-early-twenties-plateau, as it were.
un punto de partida.
i also wouldn't call it 'quarter-life'--i mean how many people really live to be 100? maybe someone invented that term so as not to admit that they were probably 1/3 of the way through. (if you're bad with fractions, that's even more than a quarter)
anyway, in light of the irrecuperability of an estimated one-third of my life span, i've decided i'd better start acting like a kid again. taking chances. learning new things. possibly looking stupid and not caring.
it started with the knitting, right around the time of my half-birthday back in december. that's in full throttle now, and you've all got handmade Christmas presents coming up. but knitting is something you can do in the privacy of your own home, and if you make a mistake, no one has to know about it. (except darren, who will attest to the dramatic rise in my use of profanity when i am knitting. and all you people thought it was a relaxing and brainless activity...)
just after the big-two-fiver, i joined a karate class. though i had no previous knowledge whatsoever of karate, it's a freaking blast. and (youngest child--must brag about every little thing!) my sensei said i was progressing really quickly.
even though i can hardly stand up right now due to monday's karate class, i am hooked. not just on karate, but on trying things i'm not sure i can really do.
so last night, on a whim, i auditioned for The Tempest with the fabulous Karen the Great (Karen the Fabulously Great?). i made this decision not knowing that the audition would involve singing.
by myself.
in front of strangers.
those who know me well can imagine my horror at the idea.
and i was cast...
...
...
...
as a member of the chorus.
yes, i am quite shocked. i'm also really excited, especially since the part i was going for (Miranda) might've been a bit much for a super-busy rookie with not as much time to practice as she would like to believe.
(unlike the never-busy-and-actually-quite-lazy (ha!) Karen the Spectacular, who was cast in a lead role as Evil Woman Usurper, a.k.a. Antonia.)
so, if you've ever asked me to sing and i vehemently refused, or if you've never seen karen's evil side, here's your chance!
16 June 2006
i post; therefore, i am*
given the long delays between posts on everyone else's blog lately**, i don't really feel obliged to begin with the typical apology. but i will give a explanation of my descent into blogospheric obscurity by way of a brief update in the lives of the grems.
we have been cleaning our house.
it's more exciting than it seems, really. we ditched an ungodly amount of junk which, in our post-matrimonial rush to get settled in, we apparently had just hidden wherever we found space. we organized and appropriately stored what we had left. we've also purchased a few accessories to give each room some shred of character or consistency, and we tossed a bunch of unwanted knickknacks we'd accumulated over God-knows-how-long.
less clutter = easier to clean = less stress.
likewise,
less clutter = more relaxing atmosphere = less stress.
to make a long story short, we're really excited about our new, clean home, and everyone should come see it while it still looks this way!!!
other than this life-changing process, darren and i have both been teaching reading classes, and darren has been writing up a storm on his dissertation prospectus. and i'll be taking karate lessons starting next thursday, so you only have six days left to make me mad before i will know how to really mess you up. watch out.
i've also been running a lot of errands, many having to do with our home makeover, which leads me to my final comments before knitting myself to sleep. i'd like to thank the following people for making today as successful and pleasant as a full day of running errands can be:
1-Darren--for taking the initiative on most of the house-cleaning/purging/reorganizing process. and for helping with dinner.
2-Michael's--for having a "1/2 off all custom framing sale***" that has finally allowed me to frame a huge sepia-tone print of grand central station in 1939.
3-the nice teenage cashier in Target who, unsolicited, passed on his mom's tip to use both sides of the swifter sheet before throwing it out.
4-the kind manager at the Shell station who gave me a free upgrade (from "express" to "the works") on my car wash since it wasn't working the day i paid for it.
5-the pleasant, possibly indian, owner of the new package store around the corner. for opening a new package store around the corner.
*holla if you caught my meticulously correct punctuation. minus the capitalization.
**rather than link all of them in the text, i will simply direct you to the side bar.
***sale ends this weekend.
we have been cleaning our house.
it's more exciting than it seems, really. we ditched an ungodly amount of junk which, in our post-matrimonial rush to get settled in, we apparently had just hidden wherever we found space. we organized and appropriately stored what we had left. we've also purchased a few accessories to give each room some shred of character or consistency, and we tossed a bunch of unwanted knickknacks we'd accumulated over God-knows-how-long.
less clutter = easier to clean = less stress.
likewise,
less clutter = more relaxing atmosphere = less stress.
to make a long story short, we're really excited about our new, clean home, and everyone should come see it while it still looks this way!!!
other than this life-changing process, darren and i have both been teaching reading classes, and darren has been writing up a storm on his dissertation prospectus. and i'll be taking karate lessons starting next thursday, so you only have six days left to make me mad before i will know how to really mess you up. watch out.
i've also been running a lot of errands, many having to do with our home makeover, which leads me to my final comments before knitting myself to sleep. i'd like to thank the following people for making today as successful and pleasant as a full day of running errands can be:
1-Darren--for taking the initiative on most of the house-cleaning/purging/reorganizing process. and for helping with dinner.
2-Michael's--for having a "1/2 off all custom framing sale***" that has finally allowed me to frame a huge sepia-tone print of grand central station in 1939.
3-the nice teenage cashier in Target who, unsolicited, passed on his mom's tip to use both sides of the swifter sheet before throwing it out.
4-the kind manager at the Shell station who gave me a free upgrade (from "express" to "the works") on my car wash since it wasn't working the day i paid for it.
5-the pleasant, possibly indian, owner of the new package store around the corner. for opening a new package store around the corner.
*holla if you caught my meticulously correct punctuation. minus the capitalization.
**rather than link all of them in the text, i will simply direct you to the side bar.
***sale ends this weekend.
11 May 2006
through the eyes of a 50 year old stoner
so, i went to the eye doctor today. mainly because the right lens popped out of my glasses, and i'm tired of fixing it myself, but also because my eyesight has gotten notably worse from spending the past four months glued to a computer screen. and because i've been seeing this little spot floating around in my right eye for at least a month.
so, they fixed the frames (permanently, i hope), gave me an eye exam, and dilated my eyes to check out the mysterious spot. that's where the fun begins.
while i was waiting for them to finish up my new lenses, i wandered over to the GAP and New York & Co to look for a new white t-shirt and white sleeveless shirt--must-haves for a hot summer of teaching and pretending to be all professional. can't show up to class with a dingy white shirt on!
anyway, the ever-so-nice-though-probably-not-sincere GAP employee kindly told me her name and to find her if i needed anything...while i most likely had a bizarre look on my face as i tried to get her face in focus. remember--dilated eyes.
i'm pretty sure she thought i was high, and i'm pretty sure she went and told all her GAP buddies that some girl was totally stoned and asking about white tops. so now i know how stoned people feel when they shop at the GAP: paranoid.
back at the eye store, i had to sign my credit card receipt, which was also rather embarassing, since my pupils were the size of tangerines. this meant that to find the appropriate line to sign, i had to--oh, yes--hold the receipt at arm's length. now i also know how it feels to be fifty.
on a positive note, though, my vision is only slightly worse prescription-wise, and the 'floater' is harmless and not a sign of anything serious. and, since i don't graduate until saturday, my conscience was perfectly clear as i used my student discount for the last time. for now, at least.
so, they fixed the frames (permanently, i hope), gave me an eye exam, and dilated my eyes to check out the mysterious spot. that's where the fun begins.
while i was waiting for them to finish up my new lenses, i wandered over to the GAP and New York & Co to look for a new white t-shirt and white sleeveless shirt--must-haves for a hot summer of teaching and pretending to be all professional. can't show up to class with a dingy white shirt on!
anyway, the ever-so-nice-though-probably-not-sincere GAP employee kindly told me her name and to find her if i needed anything...while i most likely had a bizarre look on my face as i tried to get her face in focus. remember--dilated eyes.
i'm pretty sure she thought i was high, and i'm pretty sure she went and told all her GAP buddies that some girl was totally stoned and asking about white tops. so now i know how stoned people feel when they shop at the GAP: paranoid.
back at the eye store, i had to sign my credit card receipt, which was also rather embarassing, since my pupils were the size of tangerines. this meant that to find the appropriate line to sign, i had to--oh, yes--hold the receipt at arm's length. now i also know how it feels to be fifty.
on a positive note, though, my vision is only slightly worse prescription-wise, and the 'floater' is harmless and not a sign of anything serious. and, since i don't graduate until saturday, my conscience was perfectly clear as i used my student discount for the last time. for now, at least.
02 May 2006
Ode ao quiejo quente
O queijo quente
O amo muito profundamente.
Quando estou com fome,
Eu penso em seu nome.
Minha amiga me apresentou você,
e agora é o tema preferido de Josué.*
Preciso come-lo todo o dia,
e isto me da muita alegria.
Quando eu estou a seu lado,
Meu espírito diz obrigado.
Na aula de português,
Escrevi sobre você con rapidez.
O queijo quente,
O amo, obviamente.
~Amy Hernández
*Josué é o nome de nosso professor de português
[tradução em inglês:
Oh, hot cheese,
I love you profoundly.
When I am hungry,
I think on your name.
My friend introduced you to me,
And now you're the favorite topic of Josh.
I need to eat you all day long,
And this gives me much happiness.
When I am by your side,
My spirit says thank you.
In Portuguese class,
I wrote about you very quickly.
Oh, hot cheese,
I love, obviously.]
19 April 2006
Easter, baskets, eggs and chickens
these have all played an important part in my week thus far.
first, we had a lovely Easter, complete with family (mostly via telephone), friends, food, and...Easter baskets! mine contained a stuffed bunny that smells like chocolate. pretty fantastic.
speaking of baskets, remember the old aphorism "don't put all your eggs in one basket"?
wise folks, those aphorists. while there were no eggs in my Easter basket, i had unwittingly put a lot of proverbial eggs in the a certain proverbial basket labeled 'Getting Hired as a Spanish Instructor at UGA for the Academic Year 2006-2007'. you know, eggs like "how we will make money for the next year" and "how i will evaluate my own skill and value as a person with an MA in Spanish Literature". clearly, those eggs belong in another basket.
okay, so that metaphor is getting a little out of hand. let's move on to the chickens. yes, yes, the chickens you're not supposed to count before they hatch. apparently, i also had been doing just that, subconsciously of course, when i considered being hired as an instructor as a given (since i had been awarded an Outstanding Teaching Award by the same department one month prior).
i think you can see where this is going. jenna, the chicken-counting basket-stuffer did not, in fact, get hired.
after the initial splattering of eggs on the ground (remember, the ones of financial security & self-esteem?), i've now decided to take a different stance on the whole situation. for one thing, i can now sympathize with some dear friends in similar situations, and put my money (or lack of it) where my mouth is. that is, believe what i've been telling others about how God is our source of worth and provision, not our job (or...lack of it).
as this is an issue with which God really likes to beat me over the head, i would appreciate your prayers.
so, coming back to Easter, that afternoon, i was surrounded by folks for whom God has been faithfully providing despite difficult circumstances. i am poignantly reminded of His grace to us, which comprises the real reason we celebrate Easter. He has made the ultimate provision, a substitute to pay for our outstanding debt to him. what else do i have to worry about?
first, we had a lovely Easter, complete with family (mostly via telephone), friends, food, and...Easter baskets! mine contained a stuffed bunny that smells like chocolate. pretty fantastic.
speaking of baskets, remember the old aphorism "don't put all your eggs in one basket"?
wise folks, those aphorists. while there were no eggs in my Easter basket, i had unwittingly put a lot of proverbial eggs in the a certain proverbial basket labeled 'Getting Hired as a Spanish Instructor at UGA for the Academic Year 2006-2007'. you know, eggs like "how we will make money for the next year" and "how i will evaluate my own skill and value as a person with an MA in Spanish Literature". clearly, those eggs belong in another basket.
okay, so that metaphor is getting a little out of hand. let's move on to the chickens. yes, yes, the chickens you're not supposed to count before they hatch. apparently, i also had been doing just that, subconsciously of course, when i considered being hired as an instructor as a given (since i had been awarded an Outstanding Teaching Award by the same department one month prior).
i think you can see where this is going. jenna, the chicken-counting basket-stuffer did not, in fact, get hired.
after the initial splattering of eggs on the ground (remember, the ones of financial security & self-esteem?), i've now decided to take a different stance on the whole situation. for one thing, i can now sympathize with some dear friends in similar situations, and put my money (or lack of it) where my mouth is. that is, believe what i've been telling others about how God is our source of worth and provision, not our job (or...lack of it).
as this is an issue with which God really likes to beat me over the head, i would appreciate your prayers.
so, coming back to Easter, that afternoon, i was surrounded by folks for whom God has been faithfully providing despite difficult circumstances. i am poignantly reminded of His grace to us, which comprises the real reason we celebrate Easter. He has made the ultimate provision, a substitute to pay for our outstanding debt to him. what else do i have to worry about?
18 April 2006
for those who thought it wasn't me
| Your Superhero Profile |
 Your Superhero Name is The Shatter Ninja Your Superpower is Paranormal Your Weakness is Crystals Your Weapon is Your Golden Saber Your Mode of Transportation is Dinosaur |
06 April 2006
Favorite Uncle John Quotation of the Day
"Don't be surprised if you get a hangover along the way to redemption."
02 April 2006
a post so interesting, you'd think i wrote it myself!
April Fools' Day Origin
There are several explanations for the origin of April Fools' Day, but here is the most plausible one. April 1st was once New Year's Day in France. In 1582, Pope Gregory declared the adoption of his Gregorian calendar to replace the Julian calendar and New Year's Day was officially changed to January 1st. It took awhile for everyone in France to hear the news of this major change and others obstinately refused to accept the new calendar, so a lot of people continued to celebrate New Year's Day on the first of April – earning them the name April fools. The April fools were subjected to ridicule and practical jokes and the tradition was born. The butts of these pranks were first called poisson d'avril or April fish because a young naive fish is easily caught. A common practice was to hook a paper fish on the back of someone as a joke. This evolved over time and a custom of prank-playing continues on the first day of April.
and on a completely unrelated sidenote, happy birthday to cool hand crawdaddy longlegs wraparound.
There are several explanations for the origin of April Fools' Day, but here is the most plausible one. April 1st was once New Year's Day in France. In 1582, Pope Gregory declared the adoption of his Gregorian calendar to replace the Julian calendar and New Year's Day was officially changed to January 1st. It took awhile for everyone in France to hear the news of this major change and others obstinately refused to accept the new calendar, so a lot of people continued to celebrate New Year's Day on the first of April – earning them the name April fools. The April fools were subjected to ridicule and practical jokes and the tradition was born. The butts of these pranks were first called poisson d'avril or April fish because a young naive fish is easily caught. A common practice was to hook a paper fish on the back of someone as a joke. This evolved over time and a custom of prank-playing continues on the first day of April.
and on a completely unrelated sidenote, happy birthday to cool hand crawdaddy longlegs wraparound.
31 March 2006
stress relief
the other day darren and i were taking some, um, online quizzes together...for like an hour or two...because we're dorks. very fun way to learn new things about your hubby/wifey. there was one question, though, that threw us for a loop. not a big loop, but a little "hmmmm" loop: "What do you do on a stressful day to make yourself feel better?" some of the choices were watch tv, take a nap, go buy lots of stuff, talk to friends, etc.
to my surprise, darren thought i should put "go buy things". i mean, i like to shop, so there is some truth to his assessment of me. but on stressful days, i will usually just buy one little thing. like fun socks or a cool shirt on sale. does that really count?
this, then, made me wonder if i actually do shop to relieve stress. which would be bad. because we're in GRAD SCHOOL. so i've been paying extra careful attention to my stress management strategies this week....
which brings me to today. it had all the makings of a bad day, especially since i was expecting a good one.
to begin with, i got up before dawn. i should've known this was a bad idea--it leaves way too much time for things to go wrong. but, i got up before dawn anyway, with the purpose of going to the gym, showering there, and getting to work on my thesis by about 9am. getting things done relieves stress, right? right.
the exercise was great. all downhill from there, though. painfully downhill, since i strained my IT band (again) while doing 15 minutes of warmup walking on a stupid elliptical machine. this makes for a lot of pain walking down hills (like i have to do everyday to get to one building where i teach) and steps (like i have to use everyday to get to my floor in the other, newly renovated building where i teach--which has no elevator.)
even after the straining, i was still in a pretty good mood, as long as i wasn't walking anywhere. i went to my department and planned my lesson for today. done. and getting things done relieves stress.
then i went to starbuck's and purchased a delicious vanilla latte to be had as i sat down to work at the corner of downtown athens on a perfect 76-degrees-and-cloudy-so-the-sun's-not-even-in-my-eyes kind of day.
but what's this? my computer gives me an error message saying it basically hates me, it hates itself, and it wishes i would just go throw it in a dumpster down the street. either that or melt my jump drive in a fire somewhere. the two apparently have not been getting along. and here i am in the middle of an electronic love triangle:
jump drive not liking laptop, but working fine with desktop. desktop finds out about jump drive's escapades with laptop and starts picking fights with jump drive, too. chapter-i'm-supposed-to-be-writing gets corrupted by fighting parents and locks himself in a dark room somewhere, not giving me permission to come in.
fortunately, sneaky me found a way to get to the file...after another hour and a half (involving a little anger, some colorful words, and a painful walk back to my department).
this puts us at roughly 12:45. i teach from 1:25 to 3:20. then i realize i haven't eaten since that cup of yogurt before sunrise, and i'm stressed because getting things done relieves stress, and i haven't gotten anything done.
so (back to the point of this post), what do i do?
THIS.
this, my friends, is a homemade veggie sandwich on ciabatta bread brushed with olive oil and toasted, complete with greek style hummus, cucumbers, monterey jack cheese, plum tomatoes, banana peppers, garlic and herb feta, avocado, and sundried tomato vinaigrette dressing.
what does this mean? that i pig out when i'm stressed? sometimes, but that's not really it. no more than the shopping theory.
when i'm stressed, i do something i'm good at. like using a dangling preposition. and i am good at making myself a sandwich. i make myself pretty much the best sandwiches i've ever eaten. and the pleasure's as much in the making as in the eating.
same with shopping. i am pretty awesome at finding great deals on things. and that's why it's so satisfying. the pleasure's as much in the deal-ing (?) as in the wearing.
and, finally, i am darn good at rambling on my blog about silly things in order to ultimately give myself a compliment on my sandwich-making abilities. but don't come asking me to make you one--i've got a chapter to write.
to my surprise, darren thought i should put "go buy things". i mean, i like to shop, so there is some truth to his assessment of me. but on stressful days, i will usually just buy one little thing. like fun socks or a cool shirt on sale. does that really count?
this, then, made me wonder if i actually do shop to relieve stress. which would be bad. because we're in GRAD SCHOOL. so i've been paying extra careful attention to my stress management strategies this week....
which brings me to today. it had all the makings of a bad day, especially since i was expecting a good one.
to begin with, i got up before dawn. i should've known this was a bad idea--it leaves way too much time for things to go wrong. but, i got up before dawn anyway, with the purpose of going to the gym, showering there, and getting to work on my thesis by about 9am. getting things done relieves stress, right? right.
the exercise was great. all downhill from there, though. painfully downhill, since i strained my IT band (again) while doing 15 minutes of warmup walking on a stupid elliptical machine. this makes for a lot of pain walking down hills (like i have to do everyday to get to one building where i teach) and steps (like i have to use everyday to get to my floor in the other, newly renovated building where i teach--which has no elevator.)
even after the straining, i was still in a pretty good mood, as long as i wasn't walking anywhere. i went to my department and planned my lesson for today. done. and getting things done relieves stress.
then i went to starbuck's and purchased a delicious vanilla latte to be had as i sat down to work at the corner of downtown athens on a perfect 76-degrees-and-cloudy-so-the-sun's-not-even-in-my-eyes kind of day.
but what's this? my computer gives me an error message saying it basically hates me, it hates itself, and it wishes i would just go throw it in a dumpster down the street. either that or melt my jump drive in a fire somewhere. the two apparently have not been getting along. and here i am in the middle of an electronic love triangle:
jump drive not liking laptop, but working fine with desktop. desktop finds out about jump drive's escapades with laptop and starts picking fights with jump drive, too. chapter-i'm-supposed-to-be-writing gets corrupted by fighting parents and locks himself in a dark room somewhere, not giving me permission to come in.
fortunately, sneaky me found a way to get to the file...after another hour and a half (involving a little anger, some colorful words, and a painful walk back to my department).
this puts us at roughly 12:45. i teach from 1:25 to 3:20. then i realize i haven't eaten since that cup of yogurt before sunrise, and i'm stressed because getting things done relieves stress, and i haven't gotten anything done.
so (back to the point of this post), what do i do?
THIS.
this, my friends, is a homemade veggie sandwich on ciabatta bread brushed with olive oil and toasted, complete with greek style hummus, cucumbers, monterey jack cheese, plum tomatoes, banana peppers, garlic and herb feta, avocado, and sundried tomato vinaigrette dressing.
what does this mean? that i pig out when i'm stressed? sometimes, but that's not really it. no more than the shopping theory.
when i'm stressed, i do something i'm good at. like using a dangling preposition. and i am good at making myself a sandwich. i make myself pretty much the best sandwiches i've ever eaten. and the pleasure's as much in the making as in the eating.
same with shopping. i am pretty awesome at finding great deals on things. and that's why it's so satisfying. the pleasure's as much in the deal-ing (?) as in the wearing.
and, finally, i am darn good at rambling on my blog about silly things in order to ultimately give myself a compliment on my sandwich-making abilities. but don't come asking me to make you one--i've got a chapter to write.
25 March 2006
fun things
just thought i'd share the highlights of st. paddy's day, and a few shots of daily life since then.
be sure to find a hiding critter in this photo--at first i thought it was my own reflection, until i realized that was physically impossible...
here's why i really married darren--i wanted our children to learn how to drink guinness the right way.
and here's a game of scrabble the other night. darren pretty much got played under the table...
by Feral Cat
and finally,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KAREN!!!
woohoo!
be sure to find a hiding critter in this photo--at first i thought it was my own reflection, until i realized that was physically impossible...
here's why i really married darren--i wanted our children to learn how to drink guinness the right way.
and here's a game of scrabble the other night. darren pretty much got played under the table...
by Feral Cat
and finally,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KAREN!!!
woohoo!
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