Goodness, I’ve been gone for a week! Time certainly flies . . . except when it doesn’t . . .
I was at a conference in Baltimore from Thursday through Saturday – most of the time spent in the hotel, and any time not spent in the meeting rooms were spent in my room, exhausted. The hotel we were at was pretty cool – they had just renovated all of the bedrooms so they all had state-of-the-art bathrooms with the mosaic tiles, along with flat screen TVs in front of the bed. Unfortunately, the hotel didn’t have any decent cable channels so I was stuck falling asleep to CSI:Miami. May I say that that is one show that I do NOT need to see in high definition, super-sharp TV. Eeeeeeewwww!
Saturday night, a few hours after I came home, I went to see a friend of mine perform at a hotel comedy club in Bethesda, MD. The last time I saw him perform was in January, the first night that he had returned after a hiatus of many months. This time he did wonderfully well in his 7 minute set, and many people came up to him afterwards being very complementary. I thought he was one of the best ones on the bill that night, and I’m not being biased, I swear . . .
My birthday happened while I was stuck in Baltimore and it passed by quietly – I didn’t tell anyone which made my life easier, because I really didn’t want any fuss while I was at the conference . . .
A wonderful, wonderful friend gave me Annie Leibowitz’s new book, A Photographer’s Life, which is the best birthday present EVER! She is an amazing photographer, not just for her portraits, but for her shots of her family and other documentary moments, and all of the pictures moved me in some way – some to tears . . .
Yesterday was the Marine Corps Marathon and Mr. Random easily completed his 5th one! It was a bit more confusing to find him at the end this year since they changed the finish line area, so I spent an hour moving among the masses of people trying to find him, which was next to impossible since the cell phones were either (a) not picking up or (b) you couldn’t hear the ringing. Mr. Random is in a lot of pain and questioning why he does it, but I know that it is only temporary since the Marathon is the main reason that he tries to keep in shape every year – I just fear that without it, he won’t take as good care of himself or expend as many calories . . .
I’ll stop writing for now – I actually want to get this post up today, and if I don’t stop now it will languish for the rest of the day and then I’ll never post. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend . . .
Monday, October 30, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Just Following Directions . . .
On Saturday, I spent the day with a really good friend of mine. It was one of those beautiful, cool but sunny, autumn days that you hope for this time of year. We went and did a bunch of touristy type-things, as we usually like to do, taking advantage of all of the wonderful free sights that D.C. has to offer . . .
We went to Ford’s Theater, since my friend had never been, and we also spent some time at the National Archives. Of course, since this is DC, we stood in line to go through the metal detectors at the Archives and then *both* of us managed to set off the alarms somehow and had to be frisked . . . yes, I always love that part . . .
I am always amazed that people want to take pictures inside of museums and places like the archives. I mean, why? If you take a flash picture, you are helping to disintegrate the original source documents, and if you don’t use flash then you can’t really tell what you are taking a picture of, since it’s so dark. Just keep the memories in your head, people! You don’t have to take pictures of everything! . . .
But it was a lovely day with lovely company – a day to just be and do and see. Those days can be few and far between sometimes . . . especially when the workweeks and weekends are filled with activities and projects that must-be-finished-yesterday. Mr. Random had his final project due for his first class on Saturday, along with a final exam to study for, and we both were laden down with work from the Random Non-profit. So being out and about on Saturday, thinking about those things not one bit, was rather nice . . .
While we were out, I bemoaned my writing on this blog as being way depressing. In a tone of utter obviousness, my friend said that I should just write about something that made me happy . . .
Well, my dear friend . . . consider it done . . .
Thursday, October 19, 2006
The Other Side of the Story
I don’t know if this is big news in other areas, but right now there are huge protests going on at Gallaudet University, the premiere college for the deaf in the United States, over the appointment of a new president to replace the popular I. King Jordan – who himself was swept into office after protests from the deaf community to be represented by one of their own. In the media, all of the coverage has been a bit one sided, portraying the protesting students and faculty as quibbling that the prospective president “isn’t deaf enough,” which is not the case at all and distorts the real issues at hand.
A friend of mine who works at Gallaudet wrote on this issue much better than I could, and I wanted to share this with everyone so you too are informed about what’s actually going on.
A friend of mine who works at Gallaudet wrote on this issue much better than I could, and I wanted to share this with everyone so you too are informed about what’s actually going on.
I don't know if you have heard about what's happening here at Gallaudet University where I work, but the students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents have been protesting the appointment of Jane Fernandes as the next president of the university. Since the president of Gallaudet is an ambassador to the hearing world, the president of Gallaudet is also viewed quite literally as the president of all Deaf Americans. Jane Fernandes is a person that the current president, I. King Jordan, appointed to the Clerc Center (the deaf elementary and high school where I work) as the director 11 years ago. She decimated the place and fired anyone who disagreed with her. King then promoted her to Provost without going through a normal search committee 6 years ago. The community is protesting her now election as the next president to take office in January 07. The protesters took over the university last week forcing the closure of the entire campus for 3 full days. 130 plus protesters were arrested late Friday night in the dark when they could not see interpreters to know what was happening. The university is open now with only gate allowing passage on and off campus.
Tent cities have sprung up all around the country in support of the protests.
Alumni and parents from all over the country have come to support the protest movement, especially when so many of the protesters were arrested last Friday night.
Websites have sprung up detailing the [grievances against] Jane Fernandes and listing advice from several prominent members of the academic and Deaf Communities.
Please share with people you know. The more people are aware of the real issues (not the red herrings put out there by Gallaudet Administration) the more momentum this will get. Encourage local news stations to investigate and cover the story. Right now the media is presenting the impression that the students are spoiled children avoiding schoolwork and that they don't think Jane Fernandes is "deaf enough." I can assure you that that is not the case. Please visit the following websites for more information:
www.fssa.org
www.deafdc.com
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Random Prose and Poetry - Rainy Day Edition
What I Did to Time
By Kate Light
What I did to time was ball it up, and
throw it out, when I was unhappy,
years ago; chucked it, sprained my hand
wadding it tight, waiting for an end,
the end of a long season, haul
too long to tolerate, questions
I couldn't answer, changes I couldn't make, tall
orders hovering. Couldn't take suggestions
(stubborn pride); couldn't find solutions
(ignorance, fear); but I could hold my breath
and squeeze away a year—nuisance
years fell into faints and met their death.
Now I'd give anything to have that plethora, that stack;
to feel its truth and call its slow pace back.
Since the debacle of my attempts at poetry for National Poetry Writing Month, I haven’t posted a poem in a while. Poetry does not come easy to me – there are times when I can not write it or understand it. These tend to be times when I feel most out of sync with the rest of the world, when I am feeling disconnected and down, when I feel overwhelmed and beaten. It is hard to appreciate the beauty and rhythm of words when you aren’t that thrilled with the actual concepts conveyed . . .
Secret Poem
— after Seferis
By Scott Cairns
Yes. I have seen the end, and yes
I was disturbed by what I saw.
That I yet glimpse occasional
and frankly stirring satisfactions
in the way the paper draws the ink
may prove one mode of consolation.
That I continue to appreciate
a morning walk, an evening's
intercourse should also speak
encouragement, no? The end
appalls. Quite so. Though I wouldn't say
the end appalls more fully
than the interim. The present
situation—electoral
absurdity, real TV, unprovoked
slaughter thoroughly explained—such
assaults attain a state insisting
that the end arrive, and quickly.
The past is ever with us, but most
have pared it to a less demanding
heft, utilitarian. For me, the past
has become lately my own
articulation of that scene
I saw, just now, as very like the end.
But I do love poetry, when I can love poetry. Sometimes it is the only way to say close to what a feeling is, and said so much better than I could ever say . . .
As the Fall wears on, I feel like I need some assurances that everything is going to turn out OK. I mean, Mr. Random is doing wonderfully in grad school, my ESL class is going well so far, we still have jobs that still sort of pay us – but there is a tinge of uneasiness about everything on my part. I don’t know whether the state of the world gets me down or what. I think that I really need some major time off. I need something fun to look forward to. I need a little creativity, a little whimsy going on in my life right now. We are kind of in a rut at the moment . . .
A Strange Disorder
By Diane Ackerman
A strange disorder rules the house
where lately slender method scared
papers into files neat as hedgerows
and caution laid its dropcloth everywhere.
Now books lie slaughtered on the rug,
the telephone rings, old letters dune
among bills and maps and coffee spoons
in a room spontaneous as a compost heap
where you work the oracle of my thoughts
and haunt the prison of my sleep.
I don’t think I’m majorly depressed or anything – I’m just kind of in limbo, waiting for something to happen, wondering if I should be making something happen, but not knowing what that something is.
My birthday is next week, but I will be out of town at a conference. In some ways, hanging out in a hotel room at night reading does sound attractive, but I do wish that I was going to be home for it. The day I return is the day before the Marine Corps Marathon and Mr. Random will need to rest beforehand, so there won’t really be an opportunity to go out when I get back. I could plan something for later, but by then it will have passed and there will be other things that require more attention – the daily schedule fills up, the nights are spoken for with school and homework and work.
Birthdays are an odd lot, aren’t they? Some people like to pretend they don’t exist, some people dread their coming, others love to celebrate the day that they are born. I’m in the last category – I think that celebrating the accomplishment of another year is a wonderful thing. I could be bummed about turning 36, but I’m not. I am kind of happy with the way I am, the way I turned out. There are some things I wish I’d done in the past, but there is still plenty of time – I’m not 100, there are more years to go . . .
I just have to remember not to compare myself to other people . . . HA! HA! That’s a lot easier said than done, isn’t it? Especially around here . . .
I am looking forward to the weekend a great deal, it’s just the weeks that are getting harder to get through . . .
Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day. You’re bumming me out, man!
By Kate Light
What I did to time was ball it up, and
throw it out, when I was unhappy,
years ago; chucked it, sprained my hand
wadding it tight, waiting for an end,
the end of a long season, haul
too long to tolerate, questions
I couldn't answer, changes I couldn't make, tall
orders hovering. Couldn't take suggestions
(stubborn pride); couldn't find solutions
(ignorance, fear); but I could hold my breath
and squeeze away a year—nuisance
years fell into faints and met their death.
Now I'd give anything to have that plethora, that stack;
to feel its truth and call its slow pace back.
Since the debacle of my attempts at poetry for National Poetry Writing Month, I haven’t posted a poem in a while. Poetry does not come easy to me – there are times when I can not write it or understand it. These tend to be times when I feel most out of sync with the rest of the world, when I am feeling disconnected and down, when I feel overwhelmed and beaten. It is hard to appreciate the beauty and rhythm of words when you aren’t that thrilled with the actual concepts conveyed . . .
Secret Poem
— after Seferis
By Scott Cairns
Yes. I have seen the end, and yes
I was disturbed by what I saw.
That I yet glimpse occasional
and frankly stirring satisfactions
in the way the paper draws the ink
may prove one mode of consolation.
That I continue to appreciate
a morning walk, an evening's
intercourse should also speak
encouragement, no? The end
appalls. Quite so. Though I wouldn't say
the end appalls more fully
than the interim. The present
situation—electoral
absurdity, real TV, unprovoked
slaughter thoroughly explained—such
assaults attain a state insisting
that the end arrive, and quickly.
The past is ever with us, but most
have pared it to a less demanding
heft, utilitarian. For me, the past
has become lately my own
articulation of that scene
I saw, just now, as very like the end.
But I do love poetry, when I can love poetry. Sometimes it is the only way to say close to what a feeling is, and said so much better than I could ever say . . .
As the Fall wears on, I feel like I need some assurances that everything is going to turn out OK. I mean, Mr. Random is doing wonderfully in grad school, my ESL class is going well so far, we still have jobs that still sort of pay us – but there is a tinge of uneasiness about everything on my part. I don’t know whether the state of the world gets me down or what. I think that I really need some major time off. I need something fun to look forward to. I need a little creativity, a little whimsy going on in my life right now. We are kind of in a rut at the moment . . .
A Strange Disorder
By Diane Ackerman
A strange disorder rules the house
where lately slender method scared
papers into files neat as hedgerows
and caution laid its dropcloth everywhere.
Now books lie slaughtered on the rug,
the telephone rings, old letters dune
among bills and maps and coffee spoons
in a room spontaneous as a compost heap
where you work the oracle of my thoughts
and haunt the prison of my sleep.
I don’t think I’m majorly depressed or anything – I’m just kind of in limbo, waiting for something to happen, wondering if I should be making something happen, but not knowing what that something is.
My birthday is next week, but I will be out of town at a conference. In some ways, hanging out in a hotel room at night reading does sound attractive, but I do wish that I was going to be home for it. The day I return is the day before the Marine Corps Marathon and Mr. Random will need to rest beforehand, so there won’t really be an opportunity to go out when I get back. I could plan something for later, but by then it will have passed and there will be other things that require more attention – the daily schedule fills up, the nights are spoken for with school and homework and work.
Birthdays are an odd lot, aren’t they? Some people like to pretend they don’t exist, some people dread their coming, others love to celebrate the day that they are born. I’m in the last category – I think that celebrating the accomplishment of another year is a wonderful thing. I could be bummed about turning 36, but I’m not. I am kind of happy with the way I am, the way I turned out. There are some things I wish I’d done in the past, but there is still plenty of time – I’m not 100, there are more years to go . . .
I just have to remember not to compare myself to other people . . . HA! HA! That’s a lot easier said than done, isn’t it? Especially around here . . .
I am looking forward to the weekend a great deal, it’s just the weeks that are getting harder to get through . . .
Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day. You’re bumming me out, man!
Monday, October 16, 2006
Carrying a Heavy Load
It’s funny – I’ve started to write and stopped, started to write and stopped, many times today.
I’m a bit distracted, I guess. My reading has fallen down a bit in the past two weeks – but I think it was what I was reading that was the problem. A Whistling Woman started out promisingly but then there were all these story threads that I really had no patience for, which made me either not want to continue or want to skip ahead to find the thread that I actually liked. It was all a big pain, so I just read the last couple of chapters and called it finished. Life is much too short to struggle through a fiction book that isn’t an important work of some sort. I’ve started reading White Teeth and I’m proceeding cautiously, since it seems to be starting out a little bumpy . . .
My writing is suffering a lot – not just here, but elsewhere. It pains me a great deal. Inspiration has not been easily found, which I think is mostly a function of the problems I’ve been having with reading.
I’ve also been quite tired lately. On both Saturday and Sunday I took naps for several hours. The drama going on at the Random Non-Profit is weighing my brain down. If this experience does not kill me, it will make me a stronger person. However, I have another 8 months of this stuff to go through and I don’t know if I can last that long . . .
Not much exciting going on – I’m hoping this is a quiet week. Tonight, I hope to work on my lesson plan for tomorrow’s class and do a little reading for my online class. Tomorrow night – teach class. Wednesday night – Choir practice. Thursday night – online class. On Saturday, do some Theater and museum-hopping with a friend and then dinner with Mr. Random.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
I’m a bit distracted, I guess. My reading has fallen down a bit in the past two weeks – but I think it was what I was reading that was the problem. A Whistling Woman started out promisingly but then there were all these story threads that I really had no patience for, which made me either not want to continue or want to skip ahead to find the thread that I actually liked. It was all a big pain, so I just read the last couple of chapters and called it finished. Life is much too short to struggle through a fiction book that isn’t an important work of some sort. I’ve started reading White Teeth and I’m proceeding cautiously, since it seems to be starting out a little bumpy . . .
My writing is suffering a lot – not just here, but elsewhere. It pains me a great deal. Inspiration has not been easily found, which I think is mostly a function of the problems I’ve been having with reading.
I’ve also been quite tired lately. On both Saturday and Sunday I took naps for several hours. The drama going on at the Random Non-Profit is weighing my brain down. If this experience does not kill me, it will make me a stronger person. However, I have another 8 months of this stuff to go through and I don’t know if I can last that long . . .
Not much exciting going on – I’m hoping this is a quiet week. Tonight, I hope to work on my lesson plan for tomorrow’s class and do a little reading for my online class. Tomorrow night – teach class. Wednesday night – Choir practice. Thursday night – online class. On Saturday, do some Theater and museum-hopping with a friend and then dinner with Mr. Random.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Pet Peeve of the Day
Not to get all “Andy Rooney” on you all, but it really bugs me when people walk onto elevators already talking on their cell phones. Can’t you wait until you get outside, or at least finish the conversation in the hall? Why do you think that everyone else in the elevator has to hear your conversation, which is so totally NOT important, by the way . . .
For the past two weeks, the same woman has been getting on the elevator in my office building just a chattering away – whether there is one other person on the elevator already or six . . .
Ok, that is all . . . I’m glad I got that off of my chest . . .
Otherwise it is just another gorgeous Fall day here in Virginia . . .
For the past two weeks, the same woman has been getting on the elevator in my office building just a chattering away – whether there is one other person on the elevator already or six . . .
Ok, that is all . . . I’m glad I got that off of my chest . . .
Otherwise it is just another gorgeous Fall day here in Virginia . . .
Monday, October 09, 2006
Naps Do a World of Good
I am feeling a bit better today . . . having the day off and taking a nap does add a bit of perspective . . .
I’ve just signed up to take an online class in adult learning. I’ve never taken an online class before so this should be quite interesting. I rather prefer being face-to-face with teachers and other students, to get the full give and take in the classroom and to make new friends in “meat space,” but I feel compelled to try this out. Besides, it is free and is rather low key – it’s not for a grade, but for a certificate. I’ve always been curious about how adults learn and are eager to figure out how to apply this knowledge to communications and outreach, whether by a non-profit trying to get its message out or by a campaign trying to get factual information out about a candidate and the issues involved . . .
The Random Cat also has not been acting up today . . . I get the feeling that she only likes to act up when Mr. Random is here because she feels like he is not giving her enough attention or treats. She knows that I am not willing to put up with her hissy-fits and that I will quickly put her in “her room” and close the door for a time out. The Random Cat has lost quite a bit of weight on her “cat”kins diet, but as a consequence she likes to sniff around Mr. Random and me when we are eating and try to grab the food off of our plates . . .
Watched the first part of “Casanova” on PBS last night – I love Peter O’Toole, and utterly adore David Tennant. I just heard of the guy last week when watching Doctor Who, and now I’m willing to seek him out elsewhere. It’s a really well done story, with some surprises, and I’m looking forward to the next installment on Sunday . . .
I’m going to have to find a new co-teacher for January – I just found out the person I team teach with is expecting a baby in early December. We teach on different nights and I actually hadn’t seen her in person since the end of April, so I’m glad she let me know . . . I could only imagine being quite surprised to see her at the end of November . . .
. . . And so another busy week begins . . .
I’ve just signed up to take an online class in adult learning. I’ve never taken an online class before so this should be quite interesting. I rather prefer being face-to-face with teachers and other students, to get the full give and take in the classroom and to make new friends in “meat space,” but I feel compelled to try this out. Besides, it is free and is rather low key – it’s not for a grade, but for a certificate. I’ve always been curious about how adults learn and are eager to figure out how to apply this knowledge to communications and outreach, whether by a non-profit trying to get its message out or by a campaign trying to get factual information out about a candidate and the issues involved . . .
The Random Cat also has not been acting up today . . . I get the feeling that she only likes to act up when Mr. Random is here because she feels like he is not giving her enough attention or treats. She knows that I am not willing to put up with her hissy-fits and that I will quickly put her in “her room” and close the door for a time out. The Random Cat has lost quite a bit of weight on her “cat”kins diet, but as a consequence she likes to sniff around Mr. Random and me when we are eating and try to grab the food off of our plates . . .
Watched the first part of “Casanova” on PBS last night – I love Peter O’Toole, and utterly adore David Tennant. I just heard of the guy last week when watching Doctor Who, and now I’m willing to seek him out elsewhere. It’s a really well done story, with some surprises, and I’m looking forward to the next installment on Sunday . . .
I’m going to have to find a new co-teacher for January – I just found out the person I team teach with is expecting a baby in early December. We teach on different nights and I actually hadn’t seen her in person since the end of April, so I’m glad she let me know . . . I could only imagine being quite surprised to see her at the end of November . . .
. . . And so another busy week begins . . .
Sunday, October 08, 2006
The Autumn Leaves Are Starting to Fall
Hello, everyone.
It’s been a busy week and many things have been preying upon my mind lately.
Today is gorgeous and sunny here in Northern Virginia, as I sit in my bedroom and look out on the piles of dirt that the construction in back has turned the lush woods into. It lets more light into the condo, that’s for sure, but I really miss the trees. It was always so beautiful to see them turn the different colors this time of year . . .
I am in a sad mood. I finally heard from my friend, L, after about a month, and she has said that she has moved back to her hometown. I had been so looking forward to her moving back to DC, but then she needed a place to stay right away, and Mr. Random and I could not accommodate because of our frenzied schedules at that time, and now I feel responsible in some way for driving her away. It is probably not true, but I am feeling that way . . .
I only found out because I sent an e-mail to her on her birthday, and she responded with a terse “thanks!” Not leaving well enough alone, I invited her out to dinner with me and Mr. Random so that we could all catch up, and then she wrote back that she had moved back home and was too busy to write more. Maybe I’m just overly sensitive, but I’m thinking not . . .
My other friend, L, is expecting her child any day now – we’re just waiting on word. Another friend came into the office on Thursday to say hello and show off her new baby girl . . .
I am still trying to figure out what I want to do, and I am getting anxious. I feel like I am being pulled into all different directions and that I don’t have many people to share this with. It makes me feel very lonely . . .
What does it mean to be a good person? What is it that I am meant to do? I just don’t know anymore . . . and yet each day the treadmill keeps running and I keep going, trying to do the best I can, trying to add a little bit to the world in my own way, hoping that something I do is making a difference to someone . . .
Mr. Random got a perfect score on his first exam yesterday. We went out to dinner to celebrate. He’s really enjoying his class, and I am so happy for him. He also finished the Army Ten Miler today, and is not out running to get a few more miles in to finish training for the Marine Corps Marathon at the end of the month. He is also overwhelmed at work, and is going into the office tomorrow, despite it being the Columbus Day holiday. Me? I’m taking it off no matter what – I need the day off, I’m just so deep-down tired . . .
I’m at a loss for what to say next, so I’ll stop for now . . . I’m just hoping this is just the end of a bad week, and my optimism will come back really soon . . .
It’s been a busy week and many things have been preying upon my mind lately.
Today is gorgeous and sunny here in Northern Virginia, as I sit in my bedroom and look out on the piles of dirt that the construction in back has turned the lush woods into. It lets more light into the condo, that’s for sure, but I really miss the trees. It was always so beautiful to see them turn the different colors this time of year . . .
I am in a sad mood. I finally heard from my friend, L, after about a month, and she has said that she has moved back to her hometown. I had been so looking forward to her moving back to DC, but then she needed a place to stay right away, and Mr. Random and I could not accommodate because of our frenzied schedules at that time, and now I feel responsible in some way for driving her away. It is probably not true, but I am feeling that way . . .
I only found out because I sent an e-mail to her on her birthday, and she responded with a terse “thanks!” Not leaving well enough alone, I invited her out to dinner with me and Mr. Random so that we could all catch up, and then she wrote back that she had moved back home and was too busy to write more. Maybe I’m just overly sensitive, but I’m thinking not . . .
My other friend, L, is expecting her child any day now – we’re just waiting on word. Another friend came into the office on Thursday to say hello and show off her new baby girl . . .
I am still trying to figure out what I want to do, and I am getting anxious. I feel like I am being pulled into all different directions and that I don’t have many people to share this with. It makes me feel very lonely . . .
What does it mean to be a good person? What is it that I am meant to do? I just don’t know anymore . . . and yet each day the treadmill keeps running and I keep going, trying to do the best I can, trying to add a little bit to the world in my own way, hoping that something I do is making a difference to someone . . .
Mr. Random got a perfect score on his first exam yesterday. We went out to dinner to celebrate. He’s really enjoying his class, and I am so happy for him. He also finished the Army Ten Miler today, and is not out running to get a few more miles in to finish training for the Marine Corps Marathon at the end of the month. He is also overwhelmed at work, and is going into the office tomorrow, despite it being the Columbus Day holiday. Me? I’m taking it off no matter what – I need the day off, I’m just so deep-down tired . . .
I’m at a loss for what to say next, so I’ll stop for now . . . I’m just hoping this is just the end of a bad week, and my optimism will come back really soon . . .
Monday, October 02, 2006
Farewell, Mr. Robinson . . .
Yesterday, Mr. Random and I went to the final Washington Nationals baseball game of the season. I love going to baseball games – they are so much fun to watch in person, especially when you have really involved fans around you. It was Frank Robinson’s last game managing the Nats, temporarily ending his 51st year in baseball – His farewell was quite moving and I was so happy to have been there to see it. I do hope he gets some sort of front office position, because who can imagine him just sitting at home when the new season starts . . .
The Nats really need to get some better pitchers - they gave up 6 runs in the 2nd inning - the second inning! It isn't just that one game - the pitchers seem to suck every time I see them. It isn't a Nats game unless they go through 3 or 4 pitching changes . . . and it's really bad if even *I* can tell they suck . . .
There was a shout out to Eric McClain’s Off Wing Opinion blog yesterday in the Washington Post, mentioned by Ted Leonsis in an article about the Capitals. Their season starts this week and I really want to go to one of their games this year. I have never even set foot in the Verizon Center yet, which is really sad . . .
I’m don’t really like football, so there will be no ‘Skins talk here; basically, baseball, hockey and soccer are all that I can get my head around . . . along with a little curling, once every 4 years . . .
I seem to be in a bit of a melancholy mood today (I know, you are probably asking “when are you not?”) but I am really not digging the stuff I have to do here at work this week. There is just too much to do and I keep being pulled in all of these different directions. My boss is not helpful, since she is being pulled around too, and isn’t one to sit down and prioritize and make deadlines. I know I should do so myself, but, um, she’s the boss . . .
Actually, that’s not true – there is stuff that I am psyched to do, but it is buried under all of the other junk. I may try to take a few days and work from home (if they aren’t using the earth movers behind my condo that day, that is . . .) and get some actual writing and analysis done . . .
Anther packed week ahead – Mr. Random is doing the Army Ten Miler on Sunday. They are banning the use of water bottles/backpacks and cell-phones. How am I supposed to know when to come get Mr. Random then? I don’t want to have to wait around the Pentagon parking lot until he finishes – I’ve been there, done that and almost caught pneumonia some years because it was cold and rainy. I’d hang out at the nearby coffee places, but they are usually packed with other non-running spouse waiting around.
Also, this week is packed with the usual teaching/choir/random meetings. I guess Friday night is my downtime, while Mr. Random finishes his homework and watches the season premiere of Battlestar Gallactica . . .
By the way, may I say that I love the new Doctor Who series? I didn’t watch it last time, but I saw the premiere Friday night and I guess I am hooked . . . the new Doctor is such a dashing fellow anyway . . . However, I refuse to watch anything else on that station, because I get tired of the same plots being recycled – especially the Stargates . . . you know, visit a random planet, poke, poke, oops! We got the aliens mad at us, how are we going to get out of it? Get out of the scrape just barely . . .
I want the leaves to start turning, darn it! I want to see pretty colored trees when I look out of my office window . . .
I hope everyone had wonderful weekends . . .
The Nats really need to get some better pitchers - they gave up 6 runs in the 2nd inning - the second inning! It isn't just that one game - the pitchers seem to suck every time I see them. It isn't a Nats game unless they go through 3 or 4 pitching changes . . . and it's really bad if even *I* can tell they suck . . .
There was a shout out to Eric McClain’s Off Wing Opinion blog yesterday in the Washington Post, mentioned by Ted Leonsis in an article about the Capitals. Their season starts this week and I really want to go to one of their games this year. I have never even set foot in the Verizon Center yet, which is really sad . . .
I’m don’t really like football, so there will be no ‘Skins talk here; basically, baseball, hockey and soccer are all that I can get my head around . . . along with a little curling, once every 4 years . . .
I seem to be in a bit of a melancholy mood today (I know, you are probably asking “when are you not?”) but I am really not digging the stuff I have to do here at work this week. There is just too much to do and I keep being pulled in all of these different directions. My boss is not helpful, since she is being pulled around too, and isn’t one to sit down and prioritize and make deadlines. I know I should do so myself, but, um, she’s the boss . . .
Actually, that’s not true – there is stuff that I am psyched to do, but it is buried under all of the other junk. I may try to take a few days and work from home (if they aren’t using the earth movers behind my condo that day, that is . . .) and get some actual writing and analysis done . . .
Anther packed week ahead – Mr. Random is doing the Army Ten Miler on Sunday. They are banning the use of water bottles/backpacks and cell-phones. How am I supposed to know when to come get Mr. Random then? I don’t want to have to wait around the Pentagon parking lot until he finishes – I’ve been there, done that and almost caught pneumonia some years because it was cold and rainy. I’d hang out at the nearby coffee places, but they are usually packed with other non-running spouse waiting around.
Also, this week is packed with the usual teaching/choir/random meetings. I guess Friday night is my downtime, while Mr. Random finishes his homework and watches the season premiere of Battlestar Gallactica . . .
By the way, may I say that I love the new Doctor Who series? I didn’t watch it last time, but I saw the premiere Friday night and I guess I am hooked . . . the new Doctor is such a dashing fellow anyway . . . However, I refuse to watch anything else on that station, because I get tired of the same plots being recycled – especially the Stargates . . . you know, visit a random planet, poke, poke, oops! We got the aliens mad at us, how are we going to get out of it? Get out of the scrape just barely . . .
I want the leaves to start turning, darn it! I want to see pretty colored trees when I look out of my office window . . .
I hope everyone had wonderful weekends . . .
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