March 2007 Archives

our dog likes to point out the obvious on an occasion.  she likes to point out that we need a maid or that we need to clean the house just a little bit more often.

if we don't, she will leave us little reminders throughout the house that say, "ya'll are dirty."  she speaks southern.

for example, if you look real close at the image of the tv there, you will see a nice, clean and clear outline in the dust.  that's an outline of her toy duck.  a duck she flung at the tv because she can't write, "ya'll are dirty" in the dust.  she's a southern dog, therefore she can't write.

if you are a music snot, and you read this, i warn you now, that what i am about to write is going to offend you and make me so much less cool in your eyes.  not that i was cool to begin with.  but i strongly suggest you stop reading and resist the urge to roll your eyes at me and make fun of me.

i am one of those people who makes friends, for whatever reason, with music snots.  you know the ones who own like a thousand cds or songs and listen to all the cool indie bands that when they get popular the snot moves on to some other uber cool indie band.  i know lots of music snots.  and i only remain friends with them if they don't make fun of me the way they want to when i admit...

have you ever noticed how much you can get done in a 20 minute period?  i love those sneaky 20 minute moments where i can take time to come to my office, answer five emails, grade a paper, make a couple of phone calls and cross a thousand things off my email, in 20 minutes.  that is my most favorite time warp of all.

you make me smile because you watch qvc.

you make me feel good because you care about the yard.

you make me proud because you work so hard for our little family.

you make me giggle because you are willing to call a westie "bernie".

you make me love you a little more each day.

do you know what i love more than anything?  i really don't love this more than anything but i am quite obsessed with it.

i love painting my toes.  my toenails to be exact.  i love picking out colors, painting them all nice and pretty, and then when spring comes around, showing them off.  love it.

right now, my toes are a fabulous deep red with sparkles.  the color is called something ruby, but i just don't think that that really defines the color.  so, i wanted to share with you that i am renaming the color on my toes "roxane red light."  i have truly missed out on a career there, naming nail polish colors.

i admit freely that i use tarot cards and such.  one of the cards that has always fascinated me is the wheel of fortune because it exemplifies what happens in life.  life changes.  life is change.  change is life.

as i have grown up over the years, it is something that i have come to terms with more and more.  i am not saying that i like change or that i accept it freely and easily.  it takes me a long time to realize it and then process it.

as of late, lots of things have come about that are changing my relationships.  not for the worse.  not for the better.  they are just changing into unchartered territory for these friendships.  the wheel of fortune has come up in my readings for life.

last night, we went out with friends.  nothing new there but we did manage to have good food, good drinks and a good time.

we went back to their place to hang out and entertain ourselves.  we did so by playing with the new wii.  thomas is not a game junkie whatsoever, but, i, on the other hand, loves it.  loves it.  and the wii was most def a lot of fun just because it got you up and moving and jumping around.  although, the jumping around is not necessary, it was just fun for me to do it.

we bowled, we played golf, we boxed.  i learned that i am not a good boxer at all but i did knock the dude out.  which was a very satisfying moment.   muhammed ali has nothing on me.

today at the quilt shop where i go and sew... so much fun... i worked on a project that thomas asked me to do at 12pm.  thing is, it's an easy project and only takes a few hours.

anywhoseit... i was working on making a stuffed hippopotamus.  fabulous word in the english language, even better to hear a french child say it.  try it some time, i dare you not to smile with glee.  so.  while i was cutting out the pieces, some japanese women came in to purchase some fabric.

this is where i tell you that i wish i could speak japanese just so i can eavesdrop and know what they are saying.  one of them had her son who was all of three.  when he saw one of the finished hippos, he chattered with sheer delight and pointed and smiled and squealed.  continuously.  for 30 minutes.

his mother would walk away to be with her friends and he would follow her order to come with her (it seemed like that is what she was doing).  he would then come back, peek around the corner, and just squeal when he would see the hippo.  i don't know if he knew it was a hippo.  he may have called it something else.  but i couldn't help but smile.

no wonder hello kitty was created in japan.  the squeals these kids make is totally worth it.

i know that i wow you each and every time you read this.  let me astound you with my day.  please, sit down.  take a deep breath because what i am about to write is so profound, so prolific, so peculiar, it will rock your world.

nothing happened today.  i had the most boring day ever.

i knew you would be amazed.  i sewed for a bit.  but there was a time when i didn't hear a human voice for three hours.  i was starved for any form of communication.  words.  anything.  i had no tv, no radio, no computer.  there was no one to talk to.  and i finished my projects so i couldn't do anything else. 

how did this happen to me?  such an amazing life...

seriously, there is nothing better on tv tonight and i do not know what to do with myself.  this is the one single problem with netflix.  when we have movies here that i can't watch because t wants to watch the ones we have.

oh what to do.  so, i then have this ethical dilemma of watching the movies and pretending that i haven't, or not watching the movies.  you have no idea how hard this is.  i have not watched either of the movies we have here but i really want to.

i feel like i have the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.  only problem is, even the angel is saying watch the movies.

i know that traveling is tiresome.  i know that it is a logistical nightmare to make it all work out each and everytime.

i know that when i arrive at the detroit airport to make my connection at 630 that a crew should be here.  but when it is 5 and you know that the crew won't be here until 830, isn't there something you can do?  anything?

i know you can reroute me.  i know you can bump a crew.  i know you can make this up to me.  but you don't.  why is this?

i just got blocked from looking at thingsmyboyfriendsays because the airport administrator proclaims it is porn.  yes.  porn.

somehow, i find this funny... and yet, not.

as of late, i have had to think of where i stand on a few issues.  as we all know, i teach for a living.  i love my job.  a lot.  but when it comes to my students, i am forced to answer questions and take a stand on several matters that are becoming more prominent within the classroom, including mine.

i need to give you some background information so you understand where i am coming from and where the students are coming from.  first, if you have never taught, then you may not know that teaching students at the university level dates you faster than anything else.  having children freezes you in time with your children as the distance remains a constant.  teaching only makes you older year after year, as the gap increases.  this was further brought up and emphasized by david warlick's keynote address about the flat classroom.

this is only validated with language.  they speak a different language than i do.  and i am constantly forced to update my language and learn theirs and i force them to reciprocate.  i think it only fair.  but the students are also learning to live in a way that my contemporaries and i never did.  they live in a very connected world.  with cell phones, laptops, ipods, wifi, etc.  they text message, they blog, they im, they email, they facebook, they myspace, they hook-up, and they phone.  they do all of these things at the same time.  and they do these things during class.

this is the dilemma:

i have to admit that study abroad is one of my passions.  i think that everyone should do it.  and frankly, if you want to go to college, it should be a part of your studies.  if it wasn't then you missed out on some of the finest moments.

what astounds me is that people who have studied abroad totally get what i mean.  they spent time away, they did similar things, had similar moments, lived the surreal life, and survived.  we all have very personal experiences that vary from person to person but even those are well-worth reviewing.  including the following:

i really don't have problems.  more like little things today that don't seem to be making me angry.  i am in a good mood but some things occurred to me.

it occurred to me that i didn't mind being ten minutes late to class today since i hit a time warp on my usual trek in.  i was really ok with being late even though i hustled to make it on time.  i didn't.  and the world didn't implode.

or how about that i feel like i am getting a cold and i am making that squinty face to focus.  now that could be due to a lack of caffeine, but frankly, i just don't want to analyse the face that is only going to encourage me to get botox.  yes.  i would get botox just because it sounds like buttox.

i hate wearing tights.  i needed to wear tights today, but i hate wearing them.  and even though i hate wearing them, i think i look good, so it doesn't matter that i hate wearing part of my outfit.

i have a faculty meeting this afternoon and normally i would be banging my head against a wall right about now.  not because they suck.  no.  just because i don't like going to meetings.  i didn't like it when i was in a sorority, i didn't like it when i was in clubs, i just don't like the idea of organized meetings.  i like spreading the word through email.  but once again.  i am ok with this.

weird when the little things aren't bothering me.  really.  really.  weird.

you know what is fabulous?  do you?  well let me tell you.

when you go to the office and you see a message waiting for you on the voicemail.  you hit play.  you hear a voice that sounds like your husband in a crowded room.  lots of voices.  then you try to figure out where he is.  and you listen in:

so there i was.  and there was like a bar overlooking the dance floor.  and you could tell that they were both getting what they wanted.  and they had both just finished.  that was the first time i had ever seen people having sex in a club.

he had accidentally dialed his phone while we were having a drink in new york.  nice.  happy monday.

one of the things i love doing more than anything on the face of the earth is going to the theatre.  i like any kind of performance really, movies, theatre, mimes (sometimes and from really far away).

we went to the big city this past weekend for a birthday party.  that person turned 30.  he is reading this right now and quite possibly crying because he is 30.  which in man time is like almost as old as jesus when he died.

anywho, he wanted to go see avenue q.  when i heard all about it, i felt all dirty inside and just knew i'd love it.  who knew how much i'd love it until i realized that adults need puppet shows like kids do.

i learned all sorts of things from this musical.  did you know that the internet is for porn?  i didn't know there was such a wealth of information for my sexual education.  i mean wow.  porn is on the internet.  i also learned that it sucks to be me and that it is ok to be noisy during sex.  i learned that schadenfreude was about my pleasure and not yours.  all of these songs taught me a valuable adult lesson.

seriously, this was the funniest show i think i have seen in ages, and if you get the chance to go to that big city, please check it out.  nothing better than naughty puppets.

SHOES Brown Patten "Patty" Leather, 4, friend and longtime love of Jeorg, died Wed, Feb 28, 2007 at her residence in a violent assault by Roxie the dog. Born in Berlin, Germany, the daughter of a cute loafer and a flat, she was a companion and a longtime walking companion.  Survivors are a friend and partner, Jeorg, allprincess*allthetime; her husband, Thomas; and many friends safely hidden in the closet. Funeral services and burial will be 6am Tuesday at the trash can performed by city officials. Visitation will not be held.  Thoughts and prayers are welcome.  You will be missed, my friend and companion.