Crazy Train

I'm still alive, although the lack of posts on my blog would suggest otherwise. Actually, all the lack of posts means is that I'm busy, busy, busy. Every time I sit down to blog, something comes up: a student email, TLO needs attention, or I realize I need to get to bed or survive on four hours of sleep. What the heck is cutting into my precious time? Teaching and parenting, mostly. I'm teaching a couple of new courses this semester and that means about 2-3 times as much prep as usual. From 10-1 AM, my prime blogging time, I'm usually outlining a journal article or two for class discussion the following day. Tonight, for example, I spent a couple hours tightening up my lecture on individual and collective subjectivities. The book we're using for the class is generaly decent, but the chapter on subjectivity is puresuckage. So, I generated a lecture from scratch. Did I mention the department Chair is observing my lecture tomorrow? She tells me its a regular part of my review but I think she's been ordered by the Bush Administration to see if I'm subverting the minds of college students. The answer: of course I am. I'm just doing it in a way so insidious that even the watchdogs won't ferret me out.

Speaking of reviews, I already heard from the school that I'll be promoted up one step as Assistant Prof and will be receiving a corresponding 6.5% raise for the upcoming school year. Considering I haven't had a real raise in years, 6.5% sounds good. Now, if the damn condo would sell our financial situation would be all roses.

Despite all the school hustle and bustle, STK and I managed to engage in some recent leisure activities. Last week we attended a lecture by a Norse mythology scholar/storyteller; despite my familiarity with the Norse pantheon via the Thor comic, he did tell some stories with which I wasn't familiar. With our interest in all things spiritual, we picked up a copy of his book. We also engaged in something of a mini Asian film festival this weekend. Saturday night we took in 2046, an artsy film featuring nonlinear storytelling. The film follows the life of a writer and jumps back and forth between his real life relationships and the setting of a science fiction story he's writing. Add in a time shift or two and you have a film that requires some concentration to follow. STK and I both offer our recommendation. Tonight, we went with a change of pace and viewed Godzilla: Final Wars. I'm not sure I've mentioned it here before or not, but I'm a huge Godzilla fan. The film doesn't disappoint. Terrible acting, mediocre special effects, and a man in a rubber monster suit! What a great way to close out the weekend.

I'll try to improve the frequency with which I'm blogging but no promises. This week, T arrives in town for her visiting scholar presentation at school. STK, TLO, and I can't wait to spend three days with her. The only bummer is that her partner, J, won't be traveling with her. He has to work or something, I guess. Since the trip to Boston, we've come to realize how much we enjoy having T & J in our lives and regret not spending more time with them while we all resided in Denver. With any luck, future events will bring them closer to our little corner of the Midwest. ::crosses fingers::

Oh, and to all our Denver compatriots who still read my blog: we're thinking of making a trip back during spring break (March 25-31). After six months of small town living, I'm ready for a few days of Goth clubs, coffee houses, delicious bagels, and everything else the city has to offer.* Add in the fact that we have babysitters galore in Colorado (aka TLO's grandparents) and we're looking at a fun trip. I wish my spring break occured in April as that seems to be about the only way we'll make it to the M and N toga party on the 21st. Flying is proving too costly and I can't get away for more than a three day weekend. Seeing as the drive to SLC would entail two 12 hour days in the car, we just don't have the time. The fact we're traveling with an infant doesn't help matters, either.

*Would you believe I even miss city traffic? I had a really bizarre moment of homesickness a couple weeks back while listening to a Denver radio station via the internet. I heard the traffic report for an area I used to drive several times a week, a week with nightmarish congestion, and I really missed Colorado for the first time since leaving. This was a "Wow, I really miss Colorado" moment with the sinking feeling in the stomach and everything.