Happy Holidays!!!!

Well, it's 80 degrees here in South CackyLacky. Can you believe it? Still no rain, so no paddling. We're heading to MO this weekend for the holidays. I hope to see some Tennesseans on my way. Had a GREAT first semester. I'm so happy to be here. (I just posted grades and am glad it's over, can you tell?)

Jacob has had his share of holiday orchestra concerts. Then last weekend we went to a music party. He played fiddle until midnight, then got bored. I lasted until 2am. Fun fun.

Hope you all have a great holiday season. Hope to see most of you. More blogging next semester.

Some woo woo...

This really resonated with me this morning. My additions are in ().


If a (wo)man thinks that his (her) happiness is due to external causes and his (her) possessions, it is reasonable to conclude that his (her) happiness must increase with the increase of possessions and diminish in proportion to their diminution. Therefore, if (s/)he is devoid of possessions, his (her) happiness should be nil. What is the real experience of (wo)man? Does it conform to this view? No. -- Sri Ramana Maharshi

reception at the presidents house

Yesterday, the AAUP (American Assoc of Univ Professors) was invited to a reception at the president's house. The AAUP is sort of a policing organization to support university professors and make sure they are treated fairly and allowed academic freedom by their administrations. The house is an old plantation home, absolutely gorgeous. Just goes to show you that he (Fred, the pres) knows where his "bread is buttered" so to speak. Last year, he won the highest award given by the AAUP. This is such a weird and wonderful place, one where the administration respects the faculty.

I have also been asked to sing at the annual Pee Dee Fiction and Poetry Festival: http://alpha1.fmarion.edu/~pdfiction I am singing and doing a presentation about Appalachian folk music. Jacob is going to play fiddle with me. I am playing after Sharon McCrumb's keynote (mystery writer who sets many of her novels in Appalachia). Cool huh? I'll remember you little people....

RAIN RAIN YiPPEEEEE

Finally some rain! It is humid as all of hell, but who cares. My little grass seedlings are up and about 3 1/2 inches high. I hope by tomorrow I'm knee deep in new grass! I am so tired of/opposed to watering. Not enough rain forcast to fill up the rivers. I may be finished paddling before I even got started here in SC. Spring will come...

I made friends with some boys at an antique store. Have a cool new wool rug from India and a really funky shelf at much reduced prices. You know me and certain types of boys... It's why I'm single probably... See picture of the rug and den.

As I was out working in my sandbox...

I mean yard, guess what I found under my neighbors' air condition unit? (Now that I'm a city gal, it is right next to my car). Three kittens! After a week and my asking my classes, I'm down to two. The shelter isn't taking any cats right now. The mother came with my house, I just didn't know she was pregnant. The previous owner left her for me as a present, evidently. The mother is feral. I have got to catch her and get her spayed. I won't even launch into what I think of people that dump animals. Because schmucks like me find them and have to help them... And of course, Jacob wants to keep one...

Lord God will it ever rain?

Today is reseed the backyard day. Yesterday Jacob mowed (with my $25 lawn mower - what a deal) the 3 blades of grass that are alive, I raked where the dog (previous owner's) had dug out a hole under the gate, and spent $220 at Lowe's buying a shovel (it is a great shovel)...along with a weed eater, hose, plants, grass seed, etc. So in a few weeks, we hope we'll see lovely little grass shoots. Note the before pictures.

School is still great. People are lovely, just a little wilted.

The conclusion I've come to...

I hate to teach Speech Com. No offense to my beloved ex-colleagues. I think it's my personal weakness. I am so non linear and it seems all speech comm depts. want some kind of linear measurement of how well they are doing. Maybe I should say, adminstrators want some sort of linear measurement device for a non linear art. I can't even follow the instructions for this particular request to evaluate my students beyond how I evaluate them already?

Theatre is my bag. I'm enjoying it here.

First day of school!

The bus was 25 minutes late to get him and he didn't get home until 4:45 (yes, I panicked and called the school). But his first comment was, "It was fun and I met some cool people." Thank God. He had one homework assignment and decided that he was going to "relax" tonight because "I need it." sigh. I guess he does after all that last minute reading he had to do because he put it off.

My day: new syllabi and a faculty cookout. Tomorrow: a faculty breakfast, dept meeting, faculty luncheon and finishing my first lecture in Theatre History. They feed us well.

It's 95 degrees out there right now and it's 9:30pm. Hope some of you are getting rain and a break.

Oooweeee...

it's hot! And I have been working my buns off (I hope literally). See the new pictures of the front porch. Maybe when it cools to the 90s, we can go out and enjoy it!

Jacob's school starts tomorrow. He's going to ride the bus and everything. My school started (orientation, etc) this past Friday. Everyone is SO happy. I think I am so happy.

Short post. I have to go to Lowe's (I should own a wing of that building by now).

Tuesday tunes...

I just returned from "Tuesday Tunes;" a group of faculty gets together and plays music. Wowee, what a deal. And what's more, we are encouraged to get together and fraternize. And everyone seems to be smiling. Don't let "the devil, Dubyah" read my blog, but couldn't he take some lessons? Remember when the other "Dubyah" won his second term and there was that website where people from the US could apologize? And then this other website from Canada sprang up that told us it's OK, we could come visit? Well, I'm your Canadian website. When it gets too crazy, come visit!

A lovely day on the Little Pee Dee River

We paddled SC for the first time. The rivers are certainly different here. Sandy, black bottoms and lots of fauna. See the pics. The cypress was really beautiful in its own way and the turtle actually "posed" for us. CM from Augusta, Jacob and I had a fine time. The weather even gave us a break. It rained the night before so it was overcast and the humidity was down a little. I don't know, I kind of miss rocks and running water. I'm not going to judge after only one trip though.

Why? Why? Why?

Please tell me, does EVERYTHING for a 14 year old have to involve an argument?!!! I know everyone says that teenagers have similar traits, but I just thought it was those "other kids," not mine...he won't be that way. I guess the hormone, "smartass," just kicks in...or maybe it's the 115 degree heat?

Crushed ice...

it's a beautiful thing. I love crushed ice... in water, in cokes, in scotch... Especially when it's in the door right next to the cold water... I love crushed ice.

I just finished cooking...

on my new GAS STOVE!!!! Weeeee! Yes folks, yesterday there were dozens of men here randomly hooking things up (not me, unfortunately). So as of 4pm, we have a water heater, fridge that has running water and ice in the door, a working gas stove, and gas logs (of course we won't be needing those for a while). I can't wait for all the bills! The living room is clean, but couchless (we'll be taking care of that soon). The kitchen is clean. Our bedrooms are clean and mine is actually unpacked. So my next room to clean and get together is the dining room. I have to paint and clean. I'll try to post pictures tomorrow! It's just like a real house!

The lawn...

What the hellfire do you do with sand? Not that I'm ready to do anything, but... My backyard is a travesty (thank you Big Lebowski). I do have a gorgeous hydrangia in the back. Redoing the backyard will come this fall after the boxes are unpacked.

This house in South Carolina...

Some of my more avid readers know that this house was absolutely FILTHY. I don't claim to be Dr. Clean, but I have never seen anyone live like these people did. So, five theatre students, two colleagues and I cleaned for four and one half hours. Then, to clean even further, and because I had to change things, we painted for 4 days. Now, I'll unpack for 6 months. You'll get pictures, I promise. I'm posting one of the house before the screened in porch addition.

Furniture's here...

If you ever have to move, lookup UPack.com. That was the most painless move I have ever had. (I can't say as much for the unpacking part). And inexpensive. Moving help and all, it cost $1400. I budgeted for $4000. Wowee, I can buy a leather couch. Only a couple of pieces got damaged and that's because I didn't wrap them well enough.

The refridgerator and stove are coming today. How did they do it way back? My old fridge is outside in the shed-- inconvenient to say the least.

I'm not going to be redundant so for the next couple of weeks the posts will say:
unpacking

"Moving" (get it?) right along...

I am typing this post on the internet IN MY HOME! (Wow this city livin is great). The satellite man is on my roof. The contractor was only 1 1/2 hours late. 2 friends are coming to help paint tonight. And I found a Big Lots. What more could a girl want?! I will post pictures very soon.

Off to South Carolina...

I bought a fabulous house in South Carolina! I am loving my colleagues and my dept chair. I have spent the last week vacillating between bursting into tears and laughing like a maniac. sigh. I leave at 9am tomorrow to start the "new life."

So let's talk about the move experience. The house closing in TN was "interesting." The wife beater showed up 40 minutes late with his dogs - to the lawyer's office. He asked the lawyer to let him bring his dogs in and the lawyer said, "no." The lawyer also had to be in Nashville by 4:30, so I didn't get much explained to me. At one point the lawyer came into the room where I was "hiding" and asked, "Are those people insane?" I just smiled. He said, "I can't make them understand anything." The wife beatee was very concerned about the tray of flowers she had purchased and wanted to plant them the next day. I told my realtor to gently explain to her that she could plant anything she wanted, but she can't come in the house and complain to me about the husband. He told her I was very busy and had to pack. She called the next day and left me a message that said, "I'll just let the new flowers die. I don't want to bother you." Sheesh. Get me a gun.

The house closing in SC went very well. It took eight of us four and one half hours to clean the new house (the people were filthy) - five theatre students, two colleagues and me. Great to meet the new students. I think it is good that they met me before they have to take my classes (reading and writing...a lot). So yesterday, I... no let me back up... Two weeks ago I made a reservation with Adam Bumbalough (mover). They were supposed to be at my house at 4pm yesterday. They never showed up. By the way, his cell phone is 615-474-3519. You are welcomed to call and say whatever strikes you, although he probably won't bother picking up because he evidently has no cahones (sp). I left a very "colorful" message on his phone at 7pm. He didn't pick up for me then either. I am so fortunate to have four friends that were there for "supplemental" help. The five of us loaded the truck in three hours.

So far the whole experience has been fairly uneventful. I guess if the movers are the "event" I can live with that. I have a good contractor (I think. Is that an oxymoron?) and he is starting to build a screened in porch, lay a new floor in the kitchen and get the house ready to have a gas stove, gas logs and gas water heater. WEEEEEEE. I have always wanted to have gas...I mean... Really, I have always wanted to have a gas stove.

When I arrive tomorrow evening, the demon cat and I will be sleeping on a cot for a week. My furniture comes in July 25 or 26th. I'm glad because I need to paint (over the filth). The house is a 1935 bungalow across the street from a gorgeous park. It has over 1800 square feet, all hardwood floors, three bedrooms, two baths, a den, and a small (weeeeee) fenced in back yard, which I plan to landscape so that all I have to do is pinch off three blades of grass and the yard is mown! I think Jacob and I will love it. I ain't never done no city livin afore. I get trash pickup, recycling, and fast internet!!! woo-hoo!

So stay tuned. Since I have fast internet now, I will keep you all apprised of my situation. No, don't hold your breath...

PS: if you're nice to me you can have 1 complimentary beach time share...

I released my job to the universe...

And I got a new one! So to catch you up: I am the new theatre historian at Francis Marion University in Florence, SC. I sold my house in 5 days (to the weirdo neighbor across the street). His money will spend like anyone else's. I am looking at houses and rentals on June 26th. So, I am going to try to chronicle my journy of transformation from a sad and sarcastic person to a happy one.

The "resignation": My dean said (and I'm not kidding here), "Oh we'll miss you can I help you pack?" Very funny. For those who read my resignation letter, I am VERY proud of that!

Finding a moving company: There are 2 great websites to look at when undertaking the "move." They are - movingscam.com and movingboxes.com. I plan to use ABF moving co. They said two weeks was enough notice and if it was shorter, they would work with me.

About my neighbor - he beats his wife and she calls periodically to terrify me that they may not come through. You see, they made an offer in 5 days with money down (in April), but we don't close until June 29.I may seem calloused, but she won't leave him and I hear the same story every time she calls. A year ago I told her that I would be happy to take her to a shelter, her mother's, whereever, if she left him. If she didn't, she couldn't talk to me any more about him. Now that they are intending to buy the house, the calls have started again. This last time I told her that there must be something she likes about being abused (like the attention) because she won't do anything about her situation. May sound harsh, but someone had to say that to me before I got angry enough to leave. So we'll see what happens June 29th!

A journal to keep my moving thoughts. Stay tuned for more!

Wonderful people in the world..

Please visit this link: www.bookcrossing.com

Fabulous idea!

My new favorite quote

Well behaved women rarely make history.

I release my job to the universe 2...

Let me just point out that online classes are for the birds in most cases, especially in the arts in my opinion. I teach a very bad theatre one because my college thinks they are THE thing. And let's get them up on the server before we even look to see if they are competent and correct.

I just answered these two questions from students:
1. what is MLA style?
2. where do I find the assignments?

1 answer: If you don't know what MLA style is, you shouldn't be in this class.
2 answer: On the assignments page.

Good God! This was right after a phone call from a student who doesn't know how to: write and send an email OR post a discussion message.

Do you know you can get a degree without EVER having been to a face to face class? AND your transcript is exactly the same as a student's that has been to class with humans and listened to a human teacher? I don't think that is right for the student or their potential employer. I am going to write my state rep and ask him to file a bill mandating that all online classes be reflected as online on a student's transcript in this state.

I release my current job into the universe...

And attract a new job that is perfect for me. One with colleagues that are educated and competent and fun and easy to get along with. One with fewer teaching hours so I can start my book. One with a better salary in an area with a lower cost of living. One with a little more liberal culture. One where I can have as good friends as I have here. One with good schools for my really smart kid. One in an area with lots of creative (music, theatre) opportunities. One with access to GORGEOUS rivers.

Help me come up with some positive (and humorous, if you like) intentions to get me the hell out of here... Thanks.