Keep It Like a Secret

annoyed

2011-09-21T17:15:28Z

Last week, I had a tonsil infection and was sick most of the week with a sore throat.

This week, I have a cold and am so very, very stuffy.

I want to feel well for, like, two days in a row. Come on, body! You can do it!

So, I had a baby yesterday!

2011-05-07T11:24:13Z

I am too exhausted and overwhelmed to go into details. (I will later because I need to process my birth experience a little). But! Keith and I now have a beautiful, tiny daughter named Hannah. She is doing well despite being early (I would be 34 weeks today and 37-40 is full-term) and I'm recovering from my emergency c-section. Keith has been amazing. More details later!

Surprise!

2011-03-03T23:03:25Z

Guess which is more expensive: one year of daycare or one year of graduate school tuition at a top-20 university?

The answer might surprise you, however, it is mostly depressing me.

My neighbor to the north

2011-02-19T23:37:56Z

I was raised mostly in Wisconsin (ages 4-18) and went to college in Madison (18-23). I am sure that I'll move back there someday. My grandmother, one of my aunts, and one of my cousins are all members of the teachers' union there. They are all dedicated, hardworking women who have a passion for what they do. All of them are solidly middle class by what I consider a traditional definition ($30-$40K a year), not the Sarah Palin one, where middle class means that you have $2 million in liquid assets.

My grandmother spends half her year in Florida and half her year in Wisconsin (she has to live in the latter at least six months a year to keep her health insurance from the teacher's union). She lives off a fixed income, mostly the pension that she and my grandfather earned as members of one of Wisconsin's teacher's unions. In 2007, the year she turned 80, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and then, a few months later, breast cancer. She had fully paid treatment in an outstanding cancer hospital near her home in Florida (and not far from my parents) and then, when her breast cancer was discovered, entered radiation in Wisconsin. She lives in a cottage on a lake in a rural part of northern Wisconsin where the nearest hospital is a solid 30 minutes away, and so she was able to have her chemo and radiation completed at one of the better hospitals in the state, located near my uncle, so she could have someone take care of her between sessions. She's going to be 84 in September.

She would not be as healthy as she is today if it were not for Wisconsin Education Association Council. Hell, not to engage in hyperbole, but she may not even be alive if it weren't for WEAC.

This bill isn't about asking public and state workers to pay their fair share; if it were, the Republicans in the state senate would have accepted the contract that 16 of the 19 public unions ratified back in December 2010, which included $107 million in concessions on pension and health benefits. It's about destroying WEAC and its brethren, piece by piece. This bill makes it impossible for them to bargain for anything but a limited amount of wages (under this proposal, 1.4 percent for the next biennium) and makes it difficult for a union to stay a union -- yearly votes to stay in existence, the inability to collect dues via payroll, and much more. Those proposals do nothing for taxpayers and save the state nothing. And yeah, sometimes unions act in bad faith or protect employees they shouldn't. But you know what? That doesn't mean you take away their rights to negotiate and represent their members.

When Scott Walker and Ron Johnson got elected, I started thinking about how the Dixie Chicks felt when W. became president. But this week, I am really, really proud to be a Badger. I wish I could be there, but I can't. And I am so grateful to the tens of thousands of peaceful protesters who have filled the Capitol and the Square every day this week to stand up for these rights.

Super Bowl Sunday

2011-02-06T21:38:05Z

I have been watching football since before I can remember. My grandfather is in the Wisconsin High School Coaches Hall of Fame, for both football and basketball, and I am sure that I was attending his football games before I could walk. My father's family have been Packers fans for generations, like any other typical Wisconsin family, and I'm really sad I can't be in Florida with all of them today to watch the game. Every Sunday, after church, my parents have a "Packer party," where they lay out cheese cubes and summer sausage, and we all watch the game. When I was in college and even beyond, I'd call at halftime so we could compare notes (and if I called a moment before or after, they wouldn't answer the phone).

Most of my friends, being intellectuals, don't care about sports and find the NFL distasteful, a manifestation of machismo and rape culture, and I can't always blame them for that idea (as a football fan, I am horrified that Roethlisberger is even allowed to put on a uniform, much less be at a game, but I digress).

Being raised in Wisconsin, being a Packers fan is different that just rooting for a team. It's as much a part of our culture as knowing that cheese curds are fresh because they squeak or that vacations are spent in the North Woods or Door County. Being a Packers fan is weaved into our state identity, and I'm proud of the team's setup. There's no owner; technically there are 125,000 of them, all of whom bought stock (which is sold in limited shares) in the late '90s. The Packers are a publicly owned, nonprofit organization, the only sports team in the U.S. owned under such terms, and 60 percent of each game's concessions goes directly to local charities (there's a great New Yorker article about the setup). If the team ever goes under, whatever profits are left go the Green Bay VFW.

When I was in fourth grade, the Packers played the Bears in November and had a touchdown call given in their favor, owing to instant replay. That week, in art class, we had open drawing. I was not a very good artist, but I remember my art teacher began illustrating that scene, of the quarterback, Don "Magic" Majikowski (he was not) and some unremembered Bears player, two refs in the background with their arms raised for a touchdown. At the end of class, Mr. Austin gave it to me, for reasons I still don't understand, probably because I just sat there and watched him draw it, rapt the whole time. It was titled, "The Bears Still Suck." I was 10 years old. If my parents hadn't lost their house in a fire in 1999, I have zero doubts that the drawing would still be in my possession, somewhere.

When the Packers won the Super Bowl in 1997, I was a freshman in college. I watched the second half of the game with my friends at the dorm and we went out to State Street to celebrate with the rest of Madison afteward. At some point, near the bookstore, I got picked up and my feet didn't hit the ground for a few blocks. I'm sure there was drunken bullshit going on somewhere, but it was one of the most joyous things I've participated in (until I joined a second line in New Orleans last year, after they took the Lombardi Trophy home).

I always figured if the Packers got into the Super Bowl now, I'd throw a big party (because Packer fandom is about sharing with others) but most of my Packer-fan brethren live in other states and our schedule has been such that we opted against it. We've been spending the weekend moving books and bookshelves around, getting our office cleared out to be a guest room so we can turn our guest room into a nursery. It's just going to be me and Keith watching the game. We're having guacamole and buffalo wings. In a way, it's perfect. There's some famous quote from Lombardi about how his priorities were God, family, and the Green Bay Packers. The Packers were always about spending time with family, united, and it feels right that it's just our family, as it is now, for this game.

And next year, if they make it, we'll be having a huge party. For sure.

procrastinating

2011-02-02T20:51:47Z

I really should be catching up on reading for school, but I'm just not feeling it. As you've probably heard from everywhere, Chicago got hit by its third-worst blizzard in modern history (although my grandmother tells me this is worse than '67 because of the wind) so we were sent home from work at 2 p.m. yesterday and told not to come in today. And UW-Madison cancelled classes, which means nothing for distance students, but it's the principle of the thing. I ordered books I need in the next few weeks and will probably just buckle down and try to get through some of it in a little bit.

I am guessing I'll be back at work tomorrow, as it finally quit snowing around noon, but the city is kind of a mess -- mind you, I think they're doing as good of a job as they can, but given that Lake Shore Drive was shut down (and understandably so) and it took hours to rescue everyone from it, I think it's probably going to be a little while before we're all dug out. One of our neighbors just kindly shoveled all of our walks (even though we have a service, I suspect they are running behind so I appreciate his efforts!) so at least we can get out to catch the train in the morning.

At any rate, the storm was a doozy. I took some photos from inside the house last night and this morning. There was thunder and lightning, and our lights flickered a little, but we were inside and for the most part, it was pleasant enough to watch nature rage around us. The city does look very pretty, and it was a good reminder that sometimes the world is a greater force than we are.

wow

2011-01-27T16:17:47Z

You know what doesn't fuck around? N'oreasters. We got into New York late afternoon yesterday and met our friend Rob for a yummy Indian dinner then went to his place in Flatiron. It was slushy and not fun, but not, like, snowpocalypse now. When we left Rob's at 11, it was the absolute most horrible snowstorm I've ever witnessed. I live in Chicago and I grew up in northern Wisconsin, near Minnesota, so I know my snowstorms. This was an entirely different category. I've never seen so few people outside in Manhattan in all the times I've visited.

The city is fairly closed today, but we are venturing out anyway. We've gotta find some breakfast and if all else fails, we're not that far from the Angelika. I might also buy some snow-appropriate boots.

It is weird to be on vacation amongst 19 inches of snow!

editrix26 @ 2011-01-25T22:18:00

2011-01-26T04:18:59Z

So my flight tomorrow, accidentally scheduled for 6:30 p.m., was rescheduled for the 11:10 a.m. I wanted to be on. Apparently there's weather coming to NYC but I am hoping that it waits until late afternoon like it's promising to do. I packed, mostly, but there are a few things I can't throw in until tomorrow morning. I hope everything goes smoothly; wish me luck!

I'm looking forward to our trip -- it's probably our last vacation pre-baby, and I'm excited to see our NYC friends. One of our best friends is in the middle of chemo for a chest tumor (all signs positive, but fuck cancer nonetheless) and we're looking forward to seeing her. And we are eating at Colicchio & Sons, which I am also pretty excited to do.

I need to pack my homework next and find my camera charger. Traveling certainly makes you realize how high maintenance you can be.

editrix26 @ 2011-01-24T10:26:00

2011-01-24T16:26:27Z

I've been back in school for one week, and I've already earned a "++" on one of my assignments. Keith joked to one of our friends that I've been too busy overachieving to see any movies, and I'm starting to think he wasn't joking. (Side note: holy crap I have a lot of reading to do this semester. I'm taking Introduction to Organization, which is stealth cataloging, and Young Adult Literature, which is awesome but I have to read at least two books a week plus textbooks & articles. Good thing I like to read/have a decent-sized commute.)

Things here are pretty good. The Packers are in the Super Bowl, which thrills me to no end (esp. because we had to beat the Bears to get there!).

Pregnancy-wise, everything is going great. I am showing a little bit these days (I should be, I'm almost halfway done, for goodness sake!) and at my last appointment, the doctor was happy with my hormone levels and the baby's heartbeat. I have my official ultrasound on Feb. 8, and that's when I'll find out which sex my little feminist is going to be.

For the most part, I'm not too stressed or too babyzilla over the whole thing. I've been trying not to let it get in the way of how I live my life. I'm still working out and lifting weights, and I think that's helped me mentally/physically quite a lot. I am actually wearing a smaller pants size now than I did when I was pregnant (granted, those pants have no zippers or buttons but a giant nylon net at the top BUT LET ME HAVE THIS VICTORY.) I am starting to be better about accepting there are some things I can't or shouldn't do. I've been diligent about walking the dog, but with all the ice lately, Keith has been gallantly insistent that I let him handle that. I mean, that's really nice of him and I appreciate it, but it's just different. Also, on Saturday, I spent a few hours cooking for the week (as I normally do) and was a little breathless after being on my feet for three hours. So I just have limitations I didn't used to, and things I used to find relaxing are now somewhat exhausting, so that's tricky.

I'm starting to get excited about the baby actually being out and thinking about how I can't wait to hold him or her, to let the baby know how much we both love him/her, singing to the baby, all those fun things. Of course, with that is the knowledge that I'm going to have to actually take care of it, but I'm weirdly not as scared about that as I was a couple weeks ago, after I read a chapter in a babycare book about breastfeeding that made me feel completely inadequate and not up to the task. My mantra has always that dumber people than the two of us have successfully raised delightful children, and repeating that really helped me make it through my doubtful period. Not that there wont' be another one! But I am feeling more confident than I used to.

I am also kind of in awe of my body these days. I really do get the sense that it's up to the task, and it's amazing to see how it's grown and adapted the last 19 weeks. I am sure that's only going to become more obvious as time goes on. Also, I kind of love my figure right now, as maternity clothes are totally designed for someone who looks like me. I'm a little horrified at the money I've spent on clothes I'm not going to wear that long (and I have picked up a few things on consignment) but the fact is, I feel more confident when I look good, and having clothes I like goes a long way to helping with that.

We're working on de-cluttering our house and doing all the things we've meant to do in the eight years we've owned this place. It's been nice getting rid of stuff and shipping some things off to storage. We're clearing out our largely unused office and turning it into a sitting room/guest room (loathe as I am to bring futons back into my life, I think it'll be okay) and slowly getting our kitchen in order. I keep thinking of more things we can do, but our budget can only go so far. Nonetheless, it's been nice to really focus on our home and getting it into nice shape. We're going to be spending a lot more time there, so it's worth investing in. And, before too long, we're going to figure out how to decorate the nursery and start buying furniture for it. And that's just going to make it so much more real.

editrix26 @ 2011-01-18T16:44:00

2011-01-18T22:44:41Z

I keep writing posts in my head about being pregnant and all the attendant anxieties/joys that this development has caused me, but then I get sidetracked by real life. It'll happen someday. In the meantime, here's a list of things that I want pretty much 100% of my waking hours these days:

*a national program for at least a year of paid maternity leave
*to go back to bed
*steak, rare, preferably New York strip, but I'll condescend to a ribeye if I must
*cupcakes
*clementines
*cherries
*sharp cheese
*less crappy kitchen cabinets
*maternity tights in brown, gray, and navy with a belly panel that aren't expensive
*more time to do anything creative
*to never, ever do anything that lands me on STFU Parents

editrix26 @ 2011-01-05T10:12:00

2011-01-05T16:12:27Z

So, I wore jeans to work today, because it's cold and I only own one pair of dress pants (thanks, pregnancy!), and was fretting a little, until I saw one of the other directors is wearing a Blackhawks jersey.

Casual Wednesday!

2011 so far

2011-01-02T02:47:26Z

Last night, we went to dinner at a cute little Italian restaurant in our neighborhood, figuring it was probably the last time we'll go out to a nice dinner on NYE by ourselves for a few years. I had a very nice New York Strip, rare, with a butternut squash souffle. Keith had ahi tuna and a blood orange salad. We split a lemon panna cotta that was light and decadent at the same time. Then went over to our friends Scott and Ali's to ring in the new year. We watched a couple episodes of Parks and Recreation and Party Down, and had some pie and chatted. It was a nice, low-key evening and I even had a little bit of Champagne at midnight (don't judge me!). We came home around 1 and put on our pajamas and watched a couple cartoons on Boomerang and finally fell asleep a bit after 2 a.m.

Around 6:15 this morning, the dog jumped on our bed and paw-punched my shoulder in such a way that I knew there was no settling her down. I got up and walked her as dawn broke, then went back to bed.

When I woke up again, I realized that so far this year, I watched cartoons in the middle of the night and then woke up early, after not quite enough sleep, to attend to the bathroom and feeding needs of a creature who cannot do so herself.

Which is probably a pretty good harbinger of things to come this year.

good news overwhelms all else

2010-12-29T03:35:57Z

I was having kind of a crap day at work, and after lunch, I checked my courseware for the 9,000th time in three days to see if my final paper had been graded. It was. I got a 24.5/25 (I was marked down because I didn't include a bibliography after my endnotes, which seems like overkill to me but rereading my syllabus, I think I probably was supposed to, so there's that). My professor declared my introduction "superlative" and used the word wonderful to describe my paper. Twice. She even lamented that I hadn't included a bibliography because she didn't want to mark it down. That half-point is the only half-point I lost in that class this semester.

So it's now official: I got straight As. I've only gotten straight As once before, my last semester of my first round of grad school, and it feels great. I hope I can keep it up.

We went out to dinner tonight because it's Keith's birthday, and it's been nice to feel celebratory about things. The past few years, Keith's birthday hasn't been much fun, usually due to family stresses, and it was just really great to go out and have a nice date and be happy for a change. I hope we'll have a lot of moments like that in the new year.

editrix26 @ 2010-12-20T16:42:00

2010-12-20T22:42:52Z

I just got the grade for my final project in my reference class: 20/20. Assuming I get a 100 on participation (which I think I probably will), my grade will be 99.5 percent.

Even if I get zero points on participation, I have a 92, so someone's getting at least one A this semester. YAY! It is always nice to see your hard work pay off.

editrix26 @ 2010-12-19T22:40:00

2010-12-20T04:41:00Z

The past couple weeks have been a complete blur. I had five big assignments due by Dec. 17 (most due Dec. 15) and my brother and parents came to visit on Thursday for a couple nights, so I kind of had to be finished up before they arrived. I spent seven hours on homework each day of last weekend, and I completed most of my work by Sunday evening. All I had left was my research paper, which I finished on Wednesday night. I gave it one last proofread and uploaded it Thursday morning. I'm pretty pleased with it and feel pretty confident about how my grades will turn out.

My family visit was good; they came in Thursday afternoon and I had a half-day on Friday, so they met me downtown for lunch. Yesterday we all drove to Indiana to see my grandmother, and they will be there the rest of their trip. Keith and I came back and had a quiet night, then today I did some freelance work and we did some laundry and finished off our Christmas shopping (man am I loving Amazon Student and its free two-day shipping!). We went to Scott and Ali's for dinner, and that was nice. It just felt nice to do something that wasn't an obligation for the first time in ages.

I have a three-day week, then we're off to Ohio for four days for the holiday. I have to send the menu and recipes to my mother-in-law and hopefully I can do that tomorrow. It's been insanely busy at work, on top of everything else, so I sometimes feel like I arrive and then suddenly eight hours have magically passed and while I've gone through half my to-do list, it's also somehow doubled.

I'm back at work on the 27th, and then I'm taking a four-day weekend for the end of the year. I'm kind of hording my time off and I've only used four hours of vacation time since Sept. 1. And, if I recall correctly, I used that time to take my dog to the vet when she caused a literal shitstorm in my house. I am, as you may imagine, crazy excited to have four days with no plans and no one I have to see except Keith and the dog.

I had my 14-week prenatal appointment this week, and it went just fine. We heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time. It was a really moving moment. It also sounded like a pony gallopping, which is a little weird. It's starting to feel a lot more real.

yay work week

2010-12-13T15:59:52Z

After a weekend in which I left the house twice, I began my day thusly:

Leaving the house at 8:42 to discover that my back gate was frozen solid and one of my neighbors broke a key in the side gate and didn't report it, leaving our back entrance vulnerable
Heading to the bus, which according to the CTA, would be arriving at 8:47 with a follow up at 8:51. Both busses arrived before those times so...
...I ended up walking to the train in -1 degree temps, arriving at the platform at 9:03, where I proceeded to wait 12 minutes for a train
and then I got to work at 9:43, a full hour after I left.

I live six miles from my workplace.

this weekend

2010-12-11T04:57:21Z

I am finishing my bibliographic essay (3/4 done; just need to give it a reread and polish).

I am writing the remaining four pages of my research paper on e-books, comparing them to the emergence of DVRs.

I am doing my last five-point assignment, which is not difficult but is sort of frustrating and feels a bit like busy work.

If I write it on the internets, then it will all come true.

editrix26 @ 2010-12-04T11:34:00

2010-12-04T17:34:28Z

UPDATE: Just for the record, I know I should have brought a bag, but I just forgot. It was stupid. It would have been nice if they'd just offered me a bag rather than screaming at me about someone else's dog.

I just had a fight with couple of jerks in my neighborhood. So annoying! I kind of brought it on myself though. Anyway, I was babysitting and my dog was acting like she had to pee, so I ran her out, with Isabel in tow, and the dog unexpectedly pooped. Unfortunately, I didn't have a bag on me, WHICH HAPPENS TO EVERYONE, and I was like, fuck, what am I going to do? So as I was about to go raid a garbage can for a plastic bag, these two jerks with their dogs start yelling at me about whether I'm picking up the poop. And I was like, look, I didn't think she'd poop on this run, and I don't have a bag, and I need to get one, so I'm going to dump these two in the house and be right back. I just live around the corner. And they start yelling back about how the guy who walks the dog always lets her off leash and never picks up her poop, and we actually never let Sophie off leash so I was like, um, that's not our dog, we never EVER let her off leash and we're usually really good about this.

And then they both start yelling about how I'm not there, so how could I really know she's not allowed off leash. And I was like, um, I trust my husband, and I know that he a) always picks up her poop (in fact, he picked it up with his gloves this week when HE forgot a bag) and b) is fanatical about not letting her off her leash. And then they yelled again about how would I know because I'm not there, and I was like, seriously, I know my husband and you have the wrong dog. There's a number of dogs that look just like her.

And then I asked to borrow a bag and they were like, "Oh, we just have one," and I'm like, yeah, you have two dogs with you. And also, they were screaming at me in front of a two-year-old. And finally, I was like, "Look, I am out here in the snow, with this kid, and I'm usually really good about it and I didn't expect this, but seriously, I am just going to go bet a bag." And at this point, they finally back down and our like, "we're sorry, it happens to everyone, we just see this dog that looks like her who's always off leash and pooping" and then finally, some other guy comes over with his dog and he gave me a bag, and I went inside and luckily Isabel is oblivious to all of it.

I know I probably should have had a bag with me, but seriously, I am a responsible dog owner for the most part and they were just not backing down. It was so annoying. Or maybe I'm just being STFU Parents but about a dog.

editrix26 @ 2010-11-28T22:15:00

2010-11-29T04:15:38Z

I used my new dishwasher and stove for the first time today. The dishwasher is quiet, much quieter than the old one -- when it was running, you might be mistaken for thinking high tide was coming into the kitchen. The stove is also crazy efficient. It was nice to turn on a burner and have it light up, rather than listening to clicking for five minutes whilst desperately looking for something safe to use to light the damn thing. I made cornbread, roasted a squash in chipotle en adobo, and then used some leftovers to make turkey shepherd's pie for later in the week. Keith made quesadillas with turkey, brie, and leftover cranberry sauce in it too.

I'm sorry to see this weekend end. It's been a pleasant couple of days, and I haven't even had that much homework to do. It's been so relaxing, being able to sleep in and do whatever we want, without any kind of schedule. We caught up with a few things on the DVR (we're nearly caught up with "Terriers," which is this great show on FX about two scrappy private detectives), went out for a couple nice meals, saw the new Harry Potter movie, watched some football, and just kinda hung out around the house. No deadlines, no real plans, no drama.

I'm sort of starting to panic about how much work I have to do this week, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it, I suppose. For now, I'm going to try to hold on to the mellow vibe of the weekend.

good day

2010-11-27T04:16:27Z

I bought potholders with an illustration of a dog who looks just like my dog from the local artists' collective shop today. I also got a birthday present for a friend. I usually try not to shop on Black Friday because it's annoying, but I figured supporting the artists' collective doesn't count.

Before that, I met with a student who is about to graduate from Madison to talk about careers, which was really fun and amazing, and also Keith and I went out for a proper date to a nice restaurant, which we haven't done in ages.

And, oh, I did homework too. Because what's a day without homework any more?

Tomorrow, I get my dishwasher and oven delivered and in my head, I am seriously like, FIVE BURNERS, BITCHES!!!

Burtsgiving!

2010-11-26T04:19:27Z

So we celebrated Thanksgiving with another couple we know. I made a turkey, cranberries, and pecan pie, Keith made stuffing, and Leanne made mashed potatoes, candied yams, and broccoli casserole and brought rolls. So it was a nice split, and the food turned out pretty well. And there was tons of it, so I think we'll be eating it all weekend (even splitting everything up, there's enough food for the next three days). After dinner, we had a little Burt Reynolds film festival and watched White Lightning and Smokey and the Bandit, then we had second dinner. It was a really nice night, and despite being very full and a little tired, I am very happy to have had the Thanksgiving we did this year.

I hope everyone else feels as satisfied as I do.

woo

2010-11-24T23:24:46Z

Who just scored a 15/15 and a nicely done on the biggest part of her final project? This gal. I can go into Thankgiving mostly stress-free. Bring on the pecan pie!

editrix26 @ 2010-11-23T22:51:00

2010-11-24T04:51:43Z

I feel so boring these days; almost all I do is work and school these days. I have been trying to keep reading for fun because it relaxes me and keeps my head clear, but I am way off of my 2-3 book per week habit. I feel like I've been reading Homicide by David Simon for years, but it's probably only been a few weeks. I saw The Social Network a few weeks ago, but I have seen so few movies the past few months, it's depressing.

I haven't really been cooking either -- here and there, but mainly Keith has been picking up my slack in that department. Tomorrow, I'll be working on my turkey and a pie, and it is kind of sad how much I'm looking forward to it. I just haven't had time for baking or anything elaborate in awhile.

I'm worried about my last couple school assignments. I'm sure they're fine, but for whatever reason, I'm starting to panic and worry that I'm doing everything wrong. I think it's just that time of the semester.

I am very much looking forward to December, especially after my final paper is in on the 17th. On the 20th, we're going to see Elvis Costello, who I have only seen open for the Stones and at Ravinia (which means I didn't see anything and I'm almost certain I was drunk), so that'll be fun. I think I am going to book myself a congratulatory massage for getting through to the end.

editrix26 @ 2010-11-22T22:50:00

2010-11-23T04:50:24Z

I have one last assignment I have to complete tomorrow, and then I can concentrate fully on Thanksgiving. I ordered my turkey from the farmer who sells meat and eggs in the neighborhood each year, and was pretty excited until I put together today what $4 per pound really means. I am trying to rationalize it as supporting the local economy and local farmers who raise animals humanely. I'm also worried about defrosting the damn thing in time.

But I must stay positive. For this year, I am not traveling for the holiday. Instead, friends are coming over, we're having a traditional meal, and then we're watching a bunch of Burt Reynolds '70s movies. I sincerely hope Burtsgiving will take the nation by storm, led by our example.

mostly work, some play, feeling dull

2010-11-22T03:45:24Z

It is that time of the semester, in which all the deadlines are piling up together, so I have spent the better part of the past three days doing schoolwork of various types. My main project was writing an annotated bibliography of resources for romance readers to find more titles, but I also had to do a bunch of reading and post this week's lead-off discussion and begin writing my reflective journal, which I'm two weeks behind on. So yeah, lots of work. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, though.

Friday, I spent much of the day coffee-shop hopping and getting my assignments done. In the evening, I went down to Symphony Center because Keith was giving a lecture (with one of his coworkers) on Bernard Hermann at a pre-concert reception for a series that the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs, where they play the score of a film during a screening. So after the reception, we took our seats and watched Psycho, with the CSO playing the score. First, it was an amazing score to hear in person and second, they were flawless, so flawless that I sometimes forgot that I wasn't hearing the soundtrack played live. Afterward, we had dinner at The Gage, a fancy Irish pub/nightlife scene, and we had an amazingly frank waiter. The food was good too.

Saturday, I took the dog to the vet for a follow-up appointment and got a haircut. In between, I worked on my annotated resources. I could have worked all night, but at 7, I called it an evening because I could tell I was getting worn out and wouldn't be doing my best work. I turned down invites to two birthday parties because a) I had too much to do and b) I was completely useless and wiped. We used a Groupon-esque coupon to order pizza from Apart and caught up on some TV we'd fallen behind on, and I was in bed and asleep by 11.

Today, we got up and went to the new neighborhood grocery store, where we bought Thanksgiving supplies and got flu shots. Then we came home and I did more homework while watching the Packers. I met Ali at 3:30 for mani-pedis and then tea, then I headed back home to finish up my assignment. I finished writing around 8, gave it to Keith to proofread, and then watched one of my lectures for the week. My other lecture is audio-only and one of my classmates said it is extremely long, so I'm using another classmates' hack to make it into an mp3 so I can listen to it while I commute tomorrow.

And now it's off to bed. I didn't punish myself, but I definitely feel like I did a lot of work this weekend. I almost don't feel like it was really three days. At least it's a short week, and I only have one more assignment to finish before I can focus on Thanksgiving.