look at http://homepage.mac.com/onkachinka for new pictures and a short clip of the little boy. Of course, if you're reading this, then you probably already got the email.
Monday is the last day of class; by the end of the day on Friday, I'll be done with the exams for the year.
4.29.2006
4.26.2006
Nope, nothing here
That's right--no updates, because there's nothing to say these days. I'm working on an update to the .mac pages, but that will take a day or two.
Hey, it's the end of the spring term . . . just about out of fuel.
Hey, it's the end of the spring term . . . just about out of fuel.
4.21.2006
My New Obsession
Time to face it: the running thing isn't working. I have, periodically over the past four years or so, taken up running with my wife. She loves the sport--and these days is up to 5-6 miles at least three times a week . . .while pushing JD in the baby jogger. Meanwhile, I spend every spring huffing and puffing my way through three or so miles three days a week, and pretty much stay at that level through the summer and into early fall. Then it gets cold, and my breathing gets to the point where it's excruciatingly painful, so I give up.
Here we are, and it's April again. I've tried to enjoy running, I really have. I've tried to make it work as a regular exercise. But because I literally cannot breathe outside in the cold air, I find myself at the same beginning place every April.
So, here's the new plan:
We live in the perfect place for it: lots of flat land, wide roads, low population. I don't aspire to be a Lance, but I would like a moderately decent bike for riding to work and a good aerobic workout.
Unfortunately, as beautiful as this new plan might be, there are a couple of flies in the ointment. Six flies, actually. All with Ben Franklin's face. And then there are the accoutrements. Yow!
Yet, somehow, I'll make this happen!
Here we are, and it's April again. I've tried to enjoy running, I really have. I've tried to make it work as a regular exercise. But because I literally cannot breathe outside in the cold air, I find myself at the same beginning place every April.
So, here's the new plan:
We live in the perfect place for it: lots of flat land, wide roads, low population. I don't aspire to be a Lance, but I would like a moderately decent bike for riding to work and a good aerobic workout.
Unfortunately, as beautiful as this new plan might be, there are a couple of flies in the ointment. Six flies, actually. All with Ben Franklin's face. And then there are the accoutrements. Yow!
Yet, somehow, I'll make this happen!
4.20.2006
Life with a Toddler, Volume 4
two mornings ago, we're all sleeping snug in our beds, when I hear the little boy squalling in the next room. Well, I know that my dear wife needs some time in the mornings, so I go to get him. We talk, he asks for milk, I pull on his pajama pants since the morning is a little cool. I then take him out into the living room.
goodness, it's still really dark outside.
W taps me on the shoulder . . . "it's four o'clock!"
oh, no. . .
NB: W says I "catapulted" out of bed to get him. I don't remember the catapulting part, though I ended up on my feet in his room somehow.
goodness, it's still really dark outside.
W taps me on the shoulder . . . "it's four o'clock!"
oh, no. . .
NB: W says I "catapulted" out of bed to get him. I don't remember the catapulting part, though I ended up on my feet in his room somehow.
Surprise Visit
We got a welcome visit the other day . . . RR, a friend from our NC days, was in the area visiting his father, so he stopped by for a brief chat. We hadn't seen him in several years, so it was neat to catch up for a little while. He's still going strong at Baylor U., still liking the multiple opportunities for barbecue-scarfing that Texas offers, still a rabid Tar Heel fan . . . which means, among other things, that he understands that true barbecue comes from swine, not kine. A good combination in an english professor, I'd say.
4.17.2006
"Easter"
Rise heart; thy Lord is risen. Sing his praise
Without delays,
Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise
With him mayst rise:
That, as his death calcined thee to dust,
His life may make thee gold, and much more, just.
Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part
With all thy art.
The cross taught all wood to resound his name,
Who bore the same.
His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day.
Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song
Pleasant and long:
Or, since all music is but three parts vied
And multiplied,
O let thy blessed Spirit bear a part,
And make up our defects with his sweet art.
--George Herbert
Without delays,
Who takes thee by the hand, that thou likewise
With him mayst rise:
That, as his death calcined thee to dust,
His life may make thee gold, and much more, just.
Awake, my lute, and struggle for thy part
With all thy art.
The cross taught all wood to resound his name,
Who bore the same.
His stretched sinews taught all strings, what key
Is best to celebrate this most high day.
Consort both heart and lute, and twist a song
Pleasant and long:
Or, since all music is but three parts vied
And multiplied,
O let thy blessed Spirit bear a part,
And make up our defects with his sweet art.
--George Herbert
Happy Easter (?)
I hope all my friends and family had a wonderful day. My little family went to church, of course. . . and were surprised that there was basically nothing special about the day. Nothing out of the ordinary in the service . . . and in fact, it all seemed rather flat and by-the-numbers. I'm not sure why folks at a (very) conservative Baptist church wouldn't see fit to do something at least a little special.
In which Piers returns to the Magic City
Last Thursday, I drove down to Birmingham to take part in a tribute to one of my old professors from Samford. It was a quick trip--down and back in the same day, with a dinner and speech thrown in the middle--but she appreciated the effort.
I relished the opportunity to finally say "thank you" to not only her but to the entire faculty of the SU English Department--for taking me seriously even as a scrawny, squirrelly 19-year-old with too much hair. Their influence propelled me to UNC, and they showed me the nature of the work I love so much.
I relished the opportunity to finally say "thank you" to not only her but to the entire faculty of the SU English Department--for taking me seriously even as a scrawny, squirrelly 19-year-old with too much hair. Their influence propelled me to UNC, and they showed me the nature of the work I love so much.
4.12.2006
Life with a toddler, Vol. 3
Nowadays, every time we pull into the garage, before we even get out of the car, the little voice in the back of the car says:
"Waffle?"
No, you had a waffle this morning.
(pause)
"Apple?"
Ummm. . . no, it's not time to eat yet.
(pause for thought)
"Dapes?"
No, you silly.
"Nana?"
"Waffle?"
No, you had a waffle this morning.
(pause)
"Apple?"
Ummm. . . no, it's not time to eat yet.
(pause for thought)
"Dapes?"
No, you silly.
"Nana?"
Choose Your Own Adventure (updated)
You are staring at the end of the term. The tenure clock is working away. You have multiple tasks to achieve.
If you
If you
- Worry about teaching your classes first, grading papers promptly and keeping up with the reading you've assigned your students, turn to page 57.
- Hunker down to work on that article you've been needing to send out for over a year now, thereby making tenure progress and perhaps even meriting a raise, turn to page 33.
- Try to do both at the same time, turn to page 39.
- Throw your hands up in despair and put your brain in neutral with a good ol' online game, turn to page 41.
4.11.2006
Life with a Toddler, volume 2 (?)
Yesterday, a couple of really special moments for me:
1. In the morning, as Weslee was bringing me up here, I sneezed. . . and from the back I hear, "bleshoo daddee."
2. The boy and I got to play barefoot out in the grass.
3. After he'd had his bath, his cup, and his book, and as Mommy is taking him to the back, he looks at me and, unprompted, says, "I laaayoooo."
I had to sit for a while and store up the moment.
1. In the morning, as Weslee was bringing me up here, I sneezed. . . and from the back I hear, "bleshoo daddee."
2. The boy and I got to play barefoot out in the grass.
3. After he'd had his bath, his cup, and his book, and as Mommy is taking him to the back, he looks at me and, unprompted, says, "I laaayoooo."
I had to sit for a while and store up the moment.
4.08.2006
Springtime, and the town comes alive
It seems that over the last week or so, the town has been bursting with activity. Some good, some not-so-good.
I guess everyone knows that we had a bit of rough weather this past week; it actually all skipped right over our corner of Weakley County, so we had sunshine & clear skies while other places were being torn to bits. Still, lots of folks around here have kin or friends who have been directly affected by the storms. I have one student who actually had the misfortune of coming upon a couple of his neighbors after they had been slain by one of the tornadoes.
This weekend, our church choir is presenting our easter musical (verdict: noisy!); meanwhile, the Spring College Rodeo is going on at the university. It's a three-day event, and it's a big, big deal, drawing folks from all over. There's also a light opera being presented by the music department, and a brass concert coming up on Monday night.
Today, we had the annual easter egg hunt out at the park; it was about 50 degrees with a stiff breeze, so we froze. Jonathan didn't seem to care--it was too fun to put all those colorful things in the basket. Lots of folks came out, but fortunately there were plenty of those nasty candy eggs for all.
Our neighbors (the ones up the hill) are in town for a couple of days; in the past two weeks, they've been home about one day. They're spending most of their time fishing on the Tennessee River.
The new 'fancy' restaurant in town is now open; it's called "The Opera House." Seems to be a nice place--at least the facade is impressive.
Everything's turning green again. It sure looks a lot different out here when the leaves and grasses start coming back. And the general level of activity in the town has dramatically increased--when the plants come out, so does everyone else!
I guess everyone knows that we had a bit of rough weather this past week; it actually all skipped right over our corner of Weakley County, so we had sunshine & clear skies while other places were being torn to bits. Still, lots of folks around here have kin or friends who have been directly affected by the storms. I have one student who actually had the misfortune of coming upon a couple of his neighbors after they had been slain by one of the tornadoes.
This weekend, our church choir is presenting our easter musical (verdict: noisy!); meanwhile, the Spring College Rodeo is going on at the university. It's a three-day event, and it's a big, big deal, drawing folks from all over. There's also a light opera being presented by the music department, and a brass concert coming up on Monday night.
Today, we had the annual easter egg hunt out at the park; it was about 50 degrees with a stiff breeze, so we froze. Jonathan didn't seem to care--it was too fun to put all those colorful things in the basket. Lots of folks came out, but fortunately there were plenty of those nasty candy eggs for all.
Our neighbors (the ones up the hill) are in town for a couple of days; in the past two weeks, they've been home about one day. They're spending most of their time fishing on the Tennessee River.
The new 'fancy' restaurant in town is now open; it's called "The Opera House." Seems to be a nice place--at least the facade is impressive.
Everything's turning green again. It sure looks a lot different out here when the leaves and grasses start coming back. And the general level of activity in the town has dramatically increased--when the plants come out, so does everyone else!
4.05.2006
Spring Yard Report
Tulips are coming out. We didn't plant enough, so we'll make sure to triple the amount of bulbs next year.
Burning Bush by the back door is budding, as is another bush with clusters of fragrant flowers. I have no idea what it is.
The Japanese Maple has leafed out nicely; the red leaves are still tender and translucent.
The Ginkgo is just starting to bud. It's still small, but it's my second favorite tree, after the Maple.
That runty Oak sapling in the front yard is budding too; we're still waiting to see if it'll ever become anything.
Oh, and we're growing a bumper crop of dandelions.
Burning Bush by the back door is budding, as is another bush with clusters of fragrant flowers. I have no idea what it is.
The Japanese Maple has leafed out nicely; the red leaves are still tender and translucent.
The Ginkgo is just starting to bud. It's still small, but it's my second favorite tree, after the Maple.
That runty Oak sapling in the front yard is budding too; we're still waiting to see if it'll ever become anything.
Oh, and we're growing a bumper crop of dandelions.
Lessons from C. S. Lewis, Part Two: Screwtape
Hard Choices
I can't do everything I want to do. In any given day, I want to be able to cook a meal for Wes and Jonathan, I want to play with Jonathan and spend some time with Wes, I want to work out in the gym, I want to play a computer or video game, I want to catch the new episode of Lost or Scrubs or House, MD, I want to watch another Muppet Show episode, I want to check another item off of that 'movies I want to watch but haven't got to yet' list, I want to read my serious books, I want to read my fun books, I want to get my class related work done, and I want to do some work on that article I need to be getting done. Oh, and I want to work out in the yard. And the bathroom needs cleaning. Kitty needs to be brushed too.
All of these things give me pleasure. All of them have some worth, and they're not all mutually exclusive. Watching The Muppet Show with Wes is in fact quality time. But. It's absurd to think I can get to them all in one day, or even one week. What ends up happening is that I don't get to the gym because I have to prepare for class and get all the other related work done. I don't cook because I need to relieve Wes and spend some of my own time with The Boy. We hardly ever catch a movie, and I rarely get to play the games I enjoy. My own personal reading? fifteen minutes before lights out.
I know, I know, 'wah.' I'm not complaining, I'm just realizing that adulthood and parenthood means the ability to make choices in situations like this: where you realize that whatever you choose, you're going to be giving something else up. Since I'm realizing that my fight over depression/anxiety is going to be--how to put this?--long term, it helps to realize that feeling the pressure doesn't mean anything's wrong with my priorities or my desires. It's just living, being thoughtful, being responsible.
I can't do everything I want to do. In any given day, I want to be able to cook a meal for Wes and Jonathan, I want to play with Jonathan and spend some time with Wes, I want to work out in the gym, I want to play a computer or video game, I want to catch the new episode of Lost or Scrubs or House, MD, I want to watch another Muppet Show episode, I want to check another item off of that 'movies I want to watch but haven't got to yet' list, I want to read my serious books, I want to read my fun books, I want to get my class related work done, and I want to do some work on that article I need to be getting done. Oh, and I want to work out in the yard. And the bathroom needs cleaning. Kitty needs to be brushed too.
All of these things give me pleasure. All of them have some worth, and they're not all mutually exclusive. Watching The Muppet Show with Wes is in fact quality time. But. It's absurd to think I can get to them all in one day, or even one week. What ends up happening is that I don't get to the gym because I have to prepare for class and get all the other related work done. I don't cook because I need to relieve Wes and spend some of my own time with The Boy. We hardly ever catch a movie, and I rarely get to play the games I enjoy. My own personal reading? fifteen minutes before lights out.
I know, I know, 'wah.' I'm not complaining, I'm just realizing that adulthood and parenthood means the ability to make choices in situations like this: where you realize that whatever you choose, you're going to be giving something else up. Since I'm realizing that my fight over depression/anxiety is going to be--how to put this?--long term, it helps to realize that feeling the pressure doesn't mean anything's wrong with my priorities or my desires. It's just living, being thoughtful, being responsible.
Lessons from C. S. Lewis, Part One: Perelandra
Those of you concerned about my state of mind after the entries of last week can relax; I am feeling much better since they removed my frontal lobe.
Seriously, though, I am indeed doing better, and attribute the change of attitude to my reading Perelandra. The lesson? Get up! So you fall on your face once or twice. . . get up! Success only comes if you keep trying.
Banal advice, I know, but it made a big difference this week.
UPDATE: I was reading The Faerie Queene as well, and Redcrosse Knight learns the same lesson. . . so it was providential, huh?
Seriously, though, I am indeed doing better, and attribute the change of attitude to my reading Perelandra. The lesson? Get up! So you fall on your face once or twice. . . get up! Success only comes if you keep trying.
Banal advice, I know, but it made a big difference this week.
UPDATE: I was reading The Faerie Queene as well, and Redcrosse Knight learns the same lesson. . . so it was providential, huh?
4.03.2006
Is this who I am, or who I'd like to be?
Or is it just a bunch of bunk? (mouse over the blocks to see what they represent) (h/t Hermance)
What do you think?
What do you think?
4.02.2006
Sunday Night Family Fun
We just spent about half an hour in the hall bathroom, listening to the tornado sirens, the weather radio, and Jonathan's snoring. Sidney eventually settled down, purring, on my belly. Thankfully, the little boy didn't ever fully wake up. It was hot in there with four bodies!
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