Monday Update, time for a change edition

Despite our best efforts, it seems that the time has come to look for another place to live and work. It would take too long to describe all the things that have led us to this point, but I will list a few:

1. My lack of confidence in the administration of my department, college, university, and university system.
2. The Triathlete's recent troubles withe the running club.
3. Our significant misgivings about the elementary school, to say nothing about the ms and hs.
4. We are about to outgrow our house.
5. Mistrust of the leadership at our current church.
6. The town and region are suffocating us.
7. I find that I have to leave work as soon as possible every day for the sake of my sanity.

If it were merely a question of my difficulty at work, I could knuckle down and make it work. But every detail, from home to recreation to work, indicates that a change is necessary. We have been thankful for this place and for what we have experienced as a family...but the well appears to have run dry.

I am looking at the MLA Job Information List to see if there is something I might qualify for, knowing that the opportunities are bound to be slim. It is profoundly unsettling to be in this position. I am thankful that I don't have a replay of the fall of 04--having to apply to everything in sight, guessing I might get a bite somehow. I'm afraid this uncertainty is coloring everything about my performance at work, but what else can I do?

Thank goodness for the old reliable bicycle, and for a couple of trustworthy friends, cause peace of mind is hard to come by right now.

Adventures in Parenting, Vol. 41

We have had an adventure with Number One Son in his current class.  We felt like we were making progress just a few days ago, but then we were thrown a curveball when he felt too sick to attend on Thursday & Friday of last week, and again on Monday morning (he went on Monday anyway).  We have tried to explain to his teacher that he is an introvert and might be more comfortable in some circumstances than in others.  We have also tried to explain to him that he's not always going to be in an ideal environment, so he has to learn to cope with distractions and pressures from others.

His grades have been fine for the most part, and his behavior scores have been fine.  This is a relatively small concern, but it is a concern, especially because we found out yesterday--though not informed officially by anyone at the school--that he was to meet with the school counselor today.  I eagerly await (as does The Triathlete, who happens to be a counselor herself) the official notice of what happened, or (failing that, as seems most likely) his account of what took place.

If they try to recommend drugs or suggest that an introverted personality is somehow a pathology, it will be on.  I'm already pretty low on confidence regarding this place, so it won't take much to set me off.

The good news is that the primary school, where Little Red is in Kindergarten, is a well-run place, and he's having a great time.

Monday Update, Return from Parts East Edition

The trip to Wise, Virginia was a refreshing and inspiring one, as usual.  I am glad I do that every year.  I'm especially glad this year, even though as I've come home I find myself less patient for the various flavors of bullshit I'm forced to taste when I get back to the usual work week:
Item, biting my tongue while the new SS teacher says stuff that's just wrong.
Item, sitting through yet another simplistic sermon.
Item, having my office suite invaded by a banned book reading.

Yes, I know, I'm doing the unthinkable and expressing skepticism about the usefulness of "banned" book readings.  Because of course all right thinking people are against books being "banned" or "challenged" or "questioned" or whatever. You will excuse me while I check on how broad the definition of "banned" or "challenged" is.  Apparently, any book that has ever been questioned in any public forum is now eligible for "banned" status, even though it is ridiculously easy to find copies of said books in any number of online and physical merchants, and many libraries to boot. No legal penalties involved. I even had a student ask me why I didn't read from Shakespeare for the little meeting.  I told her that she should talk to me when Shakespeare is actually banned, i.e., when one can be put in jail for reading the plays.  To suggest that a book may not be useful or appropriate for compulsory reading in a classroom, for instance, is hardly to censor or ban it--in fact, I would welcome those kinds of discussions. Especially when students are put in the position of having to read said work or suffer punitive measures. Isn't that an appropriate thing to discuss? It seems odd to me that academics, teachers, and librarians are some of the most touchy when their practices are questioned. We should be more ready to engage in a discussion about why we do what we do.  But instead, people gather in a little group in a student lounge on a college campus, an older man reads a selection involving a teenage blowjob, and everyone gets to feel good about how much smarter and more daring they are than everyone else.  The smug is palpable, and all the more galling because no one is actually risking anything though they get to claim the frisson of reading! something! banned!

Count me out.  I'll continue to let my children read whatever they wish, and insist that they read some things they'd rather not, and never make a demonstration about my open-mindedness or whatever. And if anyone mentions Areopagitica to me, I'll point out that Milton was quite in favor of after-the-publication censorship, thank you very much...he just didn't like the idea of books having to be licensed.

I think I enjoyed talking with folks on a pretty high level this past weekend, and am not enjoying having to come down off the mountain.

Once the slow start has passed by

 If I were a major league pitcher, I'd be down by at least three runs by the end of the second inning.
If I were a quarterback, I would have turned the ball over twice by the end of the first quarter.
If I were a professional cyclist, I'd be barely ahead of the broom wagon by the first feed zone.
In Jeopardy I'd be down $3000 by the first commercial break.
In Age of Empires I'd be overrun by the Hun before I got an army together.

I'm the slowest starter I know.  Once I get going, I'm alright, but it's a hard slog there for a while.  Every semester is this way--I flounder for like three weeks before I finally have my head in the game.  I think I'm at that point right now; it usually hits right about the time I have to drive eastward for my annual pilgrimage to Jefferson's Dream . . . In the Mountains.

Also, as I begin to think about the remainder of the semester, I wonder how best to spend my time. It's not like I'm short of options.

Monday Update, Soybean Festival Edition

The Runner is now The Triathlete. She came home from her triathlon event as happy as she could be, and she'll be anxious to do it again when the time comes.

Little Red had his first soccer game of the season on Saturday at noon.  He was, predictably, a little unfocused.  It was hot, and lunchtime.  But he is strong and energetic, and he has a good time talking to the others out on the field.  He also doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body.

Since this past week was Soybean Festival week, our days and nights were especially busy. The boys have gotten to the point where they could easily spend $100 on rides and food every night, but have not yet gotten to the point where they understand why we won't allow them to spend $100 on rides and food.

We are getting the impression, as the school year settles into its regular schedule, that Number One Son has a bit of a dud for a teacher.  It is a challenge to figure out what's required of him. We are trying to be constructive right now, but I'm close to going into papa bear mode.

Every couple of months, it's a new challenge! Adulthood doesn't let up . . . not if you're doing it correctly, that is.

This week's Nemesis

Giant Ragweed.

Of which we have a bunch lining the fence row between our yard and the fields behind. 

It feels like I have the flu.  URRGH