Nothing like a blogger meet-up...

...to get me blogging again! Yes, I'm still here. Of course, a lot of you already know that since I'm friends with you on Facebook, but for anyone else still out there, I've finally decided to check in. What better format could there be to catch up on the last month, than RBOC?

• I had a blogger meet-up with Dr. Super Babe and her man this afternoon. They were in our general area to visit some friends, so H, D, and I met up with them for coffee before they got on the road this afternoon. It's always wonderful to meet virtual friends in person, and it was especially nice to meet them both. We all bonded over our shared liberal views of the world and wondered why more people don't agree with us. We had a great talk about all sorts of things and after they left, I thought of more things I wanted to ask them! No foot pictures this time- we took a couple 'real' photos that will likely end up on FB, though. I'm so glad that we were able to meet up. :)
• I'm giddily (ok, that's an exaggeration) counting down the days in this 5-teaching-days-a-week semester. The end is definitely in sight, but I have a mountain of grading to climb before it's all over. I've already been scheming about next fall and how I can avoid teaching five days a week again. I really miss having just one day a week when I can stay in my sweats, take D to the school bus, then get some work done without having to be anywhere.
• Personally, I'm not too thrilled with things right now. I'm generally upbeat and happy most of the time (as I have always been), but I have been noticing some real low periods creeping in now and then. I'm exercising three to four days a week, so that should help, but I still seem to get into a funk now and then. I can't point to any one thing, but I know I am still being haunted by last year's miscarriage. It doesn't help that I have two friends (who live far away) that had babies when I was supposed to last fall (and they both celebrated their first birthdays in the last few weeks). And these friends were BOTH at D's birth- how's that for a coincidence? There are times when I enjoy seeing photos of their kids, but other times I just can't bear to see a baby at all. I keep thinking the feeling will fade, and I can't believe that I'm feeling like this almost two years later (ok, 18 months). Good grief, people.
• I have to end on a more positive bullet point, right? Well, I am thrilled with my RA this year. She is doing great work and I get along with her on a personal level. It's SO refreshing after last year's disaster. Hooray for good grad students!!

So, that's it. Four bullet points to summarize the last month. I guess I could have gotten into more details about the crazy traveling for my friend's memorial, followed by my mom's annual visit and D's 10th birthday, then H's friend visiting from Very Distant Country right after that, and D's swine flu shot, and going to the ballet, and some other things, but that about sums it up! I hope everyone out in blogland is doing well.

Thinking of years gone by

I have been in Adopted Home State for the past few days on an unscheduled trip. One of my good friends from high school days (and after) committed suicide. I hadn't seen him in a couple of years and last spoke to him about year ago, but the news hit me really hard. I came out for the memorial and I'm really glad that I did. I got to see his family and mutual friends that I had not seen in many years. I met people that knew my name, because of my friend and his brother, and it was comforting to see the look of recognition in their faces when I introduced myself. It also made me sad that I hadn't kept in touch. We were friends on Facebook, but he was not a fan of digital communication- he much preferred talking on the phone. It's been a sad couple of weeks since I heard the bad news, but most of the memorial was spent with his friends sharing their memories and laughing about the things that he did.

This trip also reunited me with other friends that I hadn't seen since D's baby shower ten years ago. I went out to dinner with some of my core group of friends from high school. We're all married now- one with three kids, two of us with one kid, and another who just got married and is trying. I was surprised to learn that two of my friends have had multiple miscarriages, too. It made me feel kind of like a wimp or something for being so affected by *just" one. I hope my friend gets pregnant and stays pregnant soon so that she can have her first! When I was pregnant, few of my friends were even married and none were having kids yet. I had no one to connect with over pregnancy and baby things then.

I also got to spend some time with my step dad and his wife while I'm here. This is my first visit to my mom's house alone in ten years. Since that baby shower trip in 1999, I have always been here with D and H or just D. The only solo trips I ever take are for conferences and we try to do those a family anyway.

OK, I'm digressing- I wanted to write about how the death of my friend has caused me to dig up memories that I'd forgotten and see people that had almost fallen out of my memory. Thinking back to those days of high school, college, and when I moved back here for 8 months after undergrad, makes me sad for losing touch with those friends. I haven't lived in this area in 16 years and left the state 12 years ago, but people can stay friends over the miles if they want to. I think I have been so caught up in my own things- work, especially- that I haven't made it a priority. I am determined to stay in touch now, but I hope that it happens. Maybe, we'll go back our busy lives and lose touch all over again. I hope not. I can't help but feeling like I've been living my own version of the The Big Chill this weekend. I'm doing a lot of reflecting and thinking about a lot of things... and missing my friend.

Quick Update

I started a rant post yesterday about some really stupid things work, but was too annoyed to finished writing it. I don't know if I will, either. It boils down to me getting tired of being "the nice guy" and feeling like I am taken advantage of (teaching more days than anyone else*, not being accommodated for childcare issues**) I'm just glad it's the weekend now.

I have survived a whole week of D on crutches. It turns out her knee injury is a sprain (I think her LCL) and she starts physical therapy on Monday. The orthopedist was a little surprised that she can't put any weight on it, so I'm guessing he'll order some other diagnostic if she still can't walk by our appointment next week.

Did I mention that I am teaching EVERY day of the week? Taking D to all of these appointments, picking her up from school, taking her to school, leaves me little time to get anything done. I have a ton of teaching prep to get done this weekend- and some research stuff I need to get to, also. At least it's Saturday. Ugh.

*Only one other faculty member ever teaches 5 days a week like I am right now.

**Our weekly visiting speakers are scheduled too late in the day for me to attend, since I have to get home before D does- or pick her up from school while she is on crutches.

Two weeks in

So much for getting back to blogging more regularly. Things have been hectic as I anticipated with my 5-day-a-week teaching schedule, but I have been pretty organized and kept on top of All Things Teaching. Research has taken a back burner, as usual, but I have an awesome new research assistant this year, so I feel good about the prospects of accomplishing something on that front this year. Here are some highlights (or lowlights) of the first two weeks:

• Attendance has been surprisingly good in my Big Freshman Course. I haven't been taking attendance, but the room seems pretty full so far. This surprises me, because I am not keeping track of who shows up for the first time AND my lectures are posted on Blackboard. Whether this holds for the whole semester, we shall see.
• Small College Town U changed class times this fall and it seems to have reduced traffic (both people and cars) and parking issues on campus. It's been a little confusing adjusting to 9:05 and 11:15, but I'm enjoying the way that things seem less crowded between classes. I think that schedules are more staggered now, so that that it's not EVERYONE out of class between 9:50 and 10:00 on MWF. We had some construction finish up, so more parking is available, but I think the schedule change has also helped.
• I turned 39 last week. It was anticlimactic in many ways, which is fine- I don't really make a big things about birthdays and H is particularly low key, too. I had to teach that day, but went out for lunch with friends. I ended up cooking dinner, because I didn't want to go out again- especially since H and I had a date night planned for Friday night. Unfortunately, date night had be cancelled (see next bullet). H bought me a new mp3 player to replace my ancient Creative Zen Micro from many years ago, and my mom sent tea, and a vegan soul food cookbook. I can't wait to make something from it! I love the idea of celebrating more, but H isn't much of a planner, so I have to do everything myself. At least I got to blow out candles at lunch that day (on a brownie).
• I guess it's only fitting that the official end of summer involved a trip to the ER, like the beginning of summer did, but I sure don't enjoy it when D gets injured. This time, she fell off of some playground equipment at school and hurt her knee. The ER people x-rayed it (nothing broken) and told us it was a contusion- she would be on crutches for two or three days. Well, she fell on Friday and it's Monday. Almost 72 hours since the fall and she still can't put any weight on her leg. I am going to call the orthopedist tomorrow to have her checked again. In the mean time, she has already missed a day and half of school in the first two weeks (one day for a cold, the half day when she fell). I really hate for her to miss any more! This injury also means that she can't go up and down the stairs of our house without help, she can't shower, or carry anything herself. She certainly won't be riding the bus to and from school for a while, either.

So, that's how things are going. We've been stuck at home all weekend, but I haven't gotten a lot of work done, since it's hard to concentrate. I hope D will be up and around soon!!