Announcement.

Compline

Now, as desire and the things desired
Cease to require attention,
As, seizing its chance, the body escapes,
Section by section, to join
Plants in their chaster peace which is more
To its real taste, now a day is its past,
Its last deed and feeling in, should come
The instant of recollection
When the whole thing makes sense: it comes, but all
I recall are doors banging,
Two housewives scolding, an old man gobbling,
A child's wild look of envy,
Actions, words, that could fit any tale,
And I fail to see either plot
Or meaning; I cannot remember
A thing between noon and three.

from "Horae Canonicae," W. H. Auden

Terce

Sprites of hearth and store-room, godlings
Of professional mysteries, the Big Ones
Who can annihilate a city
Cannot be bothered with this moment: we are left,
Each to his secret cult. Now each of us
Prays to an image of his image of himself:
"Let me get through this coming day
Without a dressing down from a superior,
Being worsted in a repartee,
Or behaving like an ass in front of the girls;
Let something exciting happen,
Let me find a lucky coin on a sidewalk,
Let me hear a new funny story."

--from "Horae Canonicae," W. H. Auden

The Bears' Picnic

performed by The Little Boy. No, he's not reading it for real . . . more like reciting it. Excuse the sound effects provided by little brother.

The Little Boy is a Photographer

Or at least he'd like to be.  Here's some of his recent output:

Hey, I know that cat!

Piers hanging his head

Argh. The more I study, even over the past week or so, the more and more ashamed I am of that document that earned me that degree. Ugh. How they let me out of there, given what I wrote, is beyond me.

It may be a mark of my habitual ways of thinking that I often look up at that document on the wall and think, "how have I matched up to that today?"--not satisfaction, but a cattle prod in the back.

For that matter, don't even get me started on my family.

Hmmmmmmm. Time to double up on the Zoloft? (j/k . . . nobody panic...if anyone's even reading this, which is highly unlikely)

Confession for Mid-July

My research program is a mess. An absolute mess. That is all.

A big day for the Two Boys

W is taking both--that's right, both--for a run today in the double baby jogger. For the first time. Oh, what a thrilling life we lead!

English Teacher Humor

Merged Books.

first item:

"Machiavelli’s The Little Prince" - Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s classic children’s tale as presented by Machiavelli. The whimsy of human nature is embodied in many delightful and intriguing characters, all of whom are executed.

Biking Item #2 for Today

from indexed:

Continental Ultra Sport

I guess the "Sport" is tire-maker code for "cheap piece of crap." I got home from my ride this morning only to find that the front tire has gone down again (this makes 3 times in the past 2 weeks). I know that flats are a cyclist's cross to bear, but for heaven's sake.

Time to spend $35 on a bike tire, I guess.

What that meant was that I rode the ol' Schwinn to school. That would be cool if it were indeed an old Schwinn. But this is a Schwinn I bought from Target a couple of years ago. It's fine, I guess, for riding across campus & stuff, but for my commute: ugh. And since I have it on good authority that there is some hilarity when my students see me on my regular bike, I can only imagine what they would think were they to see me on the one I rode today. Yow.

Time to spend $400 on a Townie, I guess!

Four Months

One was taken almost four years ago, one just the other day.

The Child is Loud

It's a Major Holiday!

Life With Two

Jr. Photography Edition. Below, pictures taken yesterday by The Little Boy:

It's Another Summer

Shirtless Little Boy: check.
Sea of grass: check.
Popsicle: check.

A new dad of our acquaintance

Mr. Phipps is now Papa Phipps!  Huzzah! 

We here in West Tennessee are glad that all three down in South Florida are doing well.