Me in Anime

What Neon Genesis Evangelion character are you?

Kill the fatted calf!

That's right boys and girls, the prodigal son has returned... well, at least for the time being. A kind woman from Time Warner came by the apartment yesterday to install Road Runner, so now I am able to access the web on my off time -- not simply between classes. To celebrate, I thought I'd post in my blog that hasn't been touched in nearly eight months. There's not too much to say about life. Classes are a bit of a pain this semester, but I've only got six or seven more weeks of the little monsters. Today is Big Daddy's birthday, so I dined on pizza and ice cream with the whole famn damily at lunch, then Lamar and the rest of the Nisly's had several of us over for dinner at their place. It was a good Sunday, following a good St. Patty's Day.

I'm debating renewing my Newsweek subscription, as they continually refuse to spell my name correctly.

Tuesday night marks the beginning of another season of Workout on the Bravo channel. My friend (who happens to have cable) and I plan on getting together in sweatpants to throw back some chips and beer and watch the over dramatic gym employees interact with one another.

In two weeks I begin a Saturday graduate grammar class. I'm not sure which is more disturbing: the fact that I have to surrender six of my Saturdays between March 31 and May 19, or the fact that I'm looking forward to spending six hours each of those Saturdays drawing tree diagrams and comparing descriptive and prescriptive grammars.

I need a talent to perform at a TESOL talent show being held Friday evening. Right now all I've got is singing Kermit the Frog's "The Rainbow Connection" while a Japanese classmate accompanies me on her ukulele.

Finally, the semi-warm weather is supposed to return later this week. The weather people are calling for 68 degrees on Thursday. The short shorts cometh!

Play nicely with each other.

Oppressive Heat and Automated Electric Companies

It's so hot, even the backs of my kneecaps are sweating.

Today was one of those days that comes with a check list of things to do. For the most part I was successful in accomplishing everything on my list: I shaved manually; finished and turned in grades; went to the dentist to get my permanent crown; returned to the university to change my mailing address and direct deposit information; had a blueberry doughnut; picked up the keys to my new apartment; took some measurements of my new place to see how many of my belongings can fit; called the electric company no fewer than eleven times in order to have the utility switched over to my name, only to be greeted every time by an automated voice telling me that all operators are currently busy and to please try again later; ate dinner; and made a pathetic game plan to get me through this week of moving and transitions.

Tomorrow I begin the process of moving in by purchasing renter's insurance from our local agent and then taking the "bare essentials" to the apartment -- items belonging to the kitchen and bathroom -- as well as a few random boxes. The rest will follow in some sort of disorganized fashion. I've got a decent view of an alley and the backs of several of Main Street's old, historic buildings. I'm also only half a block from the river. I like it; it gives me the illusion of big city life. My goal is to be entirely moved in by Saturday afternoon... maybe sooner if I can round up enough people and vehicles to move the bed, couch, dresser, and other more difficult items. I'll be sure to post pictures once I'm established.

Now I'm going to close this muggy day of perspiration by retiring to my air conditioned bedroom with a good book and a White Russian, thankful for the inovation of climate control, and even slightly appreciative of weather I presently despise, but will yearn for come January.

If we are to eat, we must first be eaten

"Will you let me be your servant..."

As I was drying off after showering, I noticed an irregularly shaped, bulbous mole on my right thigh. Just above my knee was this dark brown bump that, after running my finger over it, seemed to actually be more of a scab than a cancerous mole. However, after picking at the scab (like I do to most scabs I encounter... both my own and others') I discovered that it was not dead skin at all. It was, in fact, a TICK!

I took a very short walk through some very cut-back woods yesterday with Maria and friends, was wearing pants, and even had tick repellent spray on my exposed feet, so I was very surprised to find this tag along tapping into my blood supply. I was also slightly concerned, considering that if the tick was from the woods, I had been playing host to its feasting for some sixteen hours. Eeep. However, I put on shorts when I got home last night, and it seems like I would have noticed this thing when I got undressed last night. But if it didn't come from the woods, how else did I get "ticked" when I went straight into the house upon my return home? I didn't even take a stroll through the vegetable patch or anything.

It's been a puzzling and humbling experience all the same.

Me Undermining Higher Education?

I'M A TEACHER!

An adjunct instructor of ESL, actually!

Oh Daddy, it's so surreal.

Good News Confirmed... (no, the rapture didn't happen)

It's official: I DO have good news to share! Whee!

News?

I may have exciting news to share in the very near future...

Everyone cross your fingers and think of pleasant things like cheesecake and manatees.

Glimpses of the Emerald Isle

Following are a few pictures from my excursion across the pond. I've only included six of my 470-something digital pictures to save time and space. If you'd like to see more, come to my house for a weekend and we'll eat and discuss. Another entry detailing the trip and pre-Thanksgiving misadventures will follow soon. Enjoy.


Since Joel's flight arrived about an hour after ours, Lowell and I had begun to grow slightly Joel-sick. Here you see Lowell rushing to greet our long-lost companion at baggage claim.


One of the many lakes we saw while meandering through the Irish countryside. Oh Daddy, me legs have gone all-a-wobble! So beautiful.


"The Great Valley!"


Joel, Lowell and I on a cliff above one of Ireland's many secluded lakes. This lake is known by the locals as "Lake Guinness," due to its especially dark water, coupled with the frothy, shallow water near the sandy shore. We should have made the 400+ foot dive into the lake to "test" the brew.


If only I had grown up in a church like that... during the early 1700s... surrounded by underaffectionate monks... oh hum.


The great Zen master, Father Koerner, engaging in deep meditation from on high. (With the glare in his eyes, he looks slightly evil.)