changes

It may be time for some blog changes, some renewal maybe? I don't even know if anyone reads this anymore... I keep forgetting I have it. Regardless, I thought I'd say something before the well of somethings runs dry...

Good semester so far. It is hard to balance all the beautiful things I want to do in life with classes & teaching & responsibilities... This semester I am working hard to focus all my classwork into my area of interest, and it seems possible which is exciting. I'm also planning to attend the FemRhet conference in a few short weeks, so I really need to get going soon on that conference presentation. With my laptop on the fritz, I'm not sure how much of my website is still out there. I didn't want to publish it since it wasn't quite finished... Oh well. I've got the primary images & body of research, just need to tweak it a little.

My classes are on Literature & Science (really we're just reading theorists I wanted to read & some sci-fi novels which I always enjoy), so that's totally up my alley. It's my first literature class in grad school, and I find myself a little uncomfortable at times, but we're theorizing about technology so I can handle it, for now. My other class is on Aristotle's Rhetoric, and actually I've never taken a course on Rhetoric in Writing Studies (only Speech Com) so that's also a very different experience. Both classes have tons of reading, so I just barrel my way through as much as I can and basically skim the rest. I've finally learned some skimming strategies that work. I don't really understand giving us so much to read... we can't possibly talk about all of it, so why do us such an injustice by expecting us to read it? It doesn't really make sense to me. Then again, I sadly don't get to make the rules.

Things are going well with teaching. It's fun talking about this stuff with my boyfriend. He just looks at me and says things like "You think you're a bad teacher, why? I wish I had a Rhet teacher like you." This is my first time teaching two courses. I enjoy my students, and I'm finally getting to a place where I can actually listen to them & let them say what they say. It was hard to do that last year with an advisor, but this year it's just me & them, so I'm actually going to allow them to take things in directions that they find meaningful & important.

Last but not least, we are having a teacher training course for Writing With Video, a potential course to be taught here in the future. If nothing else, I am really enjoying shooting footage & figuring out how to put it together. It is so neat to do something a little different than what I'm used to and use that other part of my brain that I deny too often. And plus I get to learn iMovie. Now if only my laptop were back...

Anyway, that's an update. Hope there are still a few readers left. Hope to hear from you soon!

strange goodwill

So, a couple of months ago I was walking on Washington St. and found a check. There was an address on it, so I sent put it in an envelope and mailed it back to the person who lost it.

Then today, I opened my mail, and inside was a nice note and a $20 bill from the guy I sent the check back to.

Isn't that nice? He has no idea how much I need this $20 right now.

completing some resolutions

Well, I'm not really one for resolutions, so they're more like things I just wanted to do, maybe this year. And I've gotten around to a few more.

One, I have fallen in love, so I'm crossing that off.

Two, I have harvested 3 tomatoes from my garden, so yay for that one. Next year I'm going to try peppers & cucumbers too.

There's not much time left in the summer session. My students are working on their final projects now, and doing an excellent job, which is fabulous because I don't have to do much. I'm excited about working with such smart students this semester. I wish I was teaching business writing in the fall because I feel like I'm finally getting it, but I'll just go continue to challenge myself and see if I can get it teaching rhetoric as well.

I'm busy, teaching days, working nights, taking care of my sick boyfriend (he's better now which is good), working on some personal writing, doing a little reading and watching a few TV shows in my spare moments (finally got through SG1, and am now watching the Sci-fi Friday line up, SG1, Atlantis, & Battlestar Gallactica).

All is well really in my life. Don't think I've ever been happier. It's thrilling and terrifying all at the same time.

Summer

Things I love about summer:
1) being on campus with far less people
2) sleeping in the sun in the afternoons
3) fresh organic produce from the farmer's market & my farmer (in fact I have to say the biggest advantage of living in central Illinois farm country is the produce, it's out of control)
4) hours of sunlight
5) parties every weekend

Things I hate about summer:
1) teaching in the summer means I teach 4 days a week
2) more time off means I work more hours at my other job, and I work harder cause there are more people around who want to walk through gardens in the summer
3) more things I want to do like sleep in the sun & grow vegetables but not enough time to do them

Well at least there are more things that I love than hate.

lots of stuff

Not sure where to start really on this one. If I blog everyday, I have lots to say, but when I forget about it, it seems that blogging moves off my radar. It's a funny thing really.

Anyway, lots going on. I finished the semester with a bang, spending 48 hours straight holed up in my house writing. I created a semi-masterpiece. It'll be a lot better when I revise it again.

I am going on a mad amount of weekend trips this summer. Last weekend was to Naperville, IL to see Star Wars Episode III, which was way better than I & II, though I don't understand why some of the main characters have to be such sucky actors. Next weekend, camping in IL somewhere (perhaps someone will comment on this entry and tell me where we're going since I can never remember), weekend after that, to Philly to visit my folks.

In July, 1st weekend to Rockford IL for a much needed relaxing girls weekend, and 2nd weekend to Kansas City, Missouri to visit some new friends. In August, one weekend in Chicago visiting friends, another in St. Louis with my dad when he comes to visit. It's fun to take some mini-trips and make the summer a bit more worthwhile since I'll be stuck here teaching. I might be able to squeeze a trip to Madison, WI in somewhere.

rest

One of the things I'm learning about being a grad student is that it's important to rest and to take care of myself. I really think I function better when I've gotten enough sleep, but sleep is not always rest. It's important to do what I did last night, take a break from all the work, hang out with the girls, have some drinks, relax, etc. I just feel so recharged now to face the next week, couple of weeks, month. I still have the same pile of work. Now, it just seems manageable.

productive (or not so productive) weekend

I am currently procrastinating from grading a zillion online student portfolios by putting all of the new music I got this past weekend on my mp3 player. Here is the list:

Kristen Hall Be Careful What You Wish For
The Frames DC fitzcarraldo
John Gorka Between Five and Seven
PJ Harvey Is This Desire?
Steve Earle I Feel Alright
Disappear Fear live at the bottom line
Disappear Fear Deep Soul Diver
Amy Correia carnival love
Catie Curtis Truth from Lies
Jonatha Brooke & the Story Plums
the Story the Angel in the House
Abra Moore strangest places
Patti Smith Gone Again
Cosy Sheridan Ant Hymn
Sweet Honey in the Rock Still on the Journey

Also, I got some nice items at garage sales: a few books, a cat pillow cross-stitch, and a huge handful of gardening magazines. I love garage sales.

Anyway, my hand is starting to ache from too much typing, so I'll cut it short. Can't wait (I emphasize the CAN'T) until this semester is over!