8 Things Meme

OK, I've seen this meme at Russian Violets, Dr. Crazy, and others. No one tagged me, but I thought it might be interesting to see what I can come up with, then to tag some folks and see if anyone actually follows through.


Here are the rules to play:

1. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.

2. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.

3. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.



So -- 8 random facts about Dr. Bad Ass:



1. I have a bad habit of picking at my cuticles; I can only keep myself from doing this by giving myself frequent manicures and keeping my nails painted.

2. When I was in third grade, I told a fellow third-grader (yes, a "popular" girl) that I had broken my leg the summer before. Somehow, I thought this would make me cool.

3. I went to Girl Scout camp every year between the ages of 8 and 14. Then I became a Girl Scout camp counselor.

4. When I graduated from high school, I wanted to be a truck driver. My mother did not approve. Now I'm THRILLED that I didn't become a truck driver, since I hate driving 45 minutes to the mall in the next town over!

5. I like going to conferences, but I rarely go to sessions not presented by me, my students, or my grad school colleagues (yeah, Margaret, Gwynne, Melanie, Cheri, George, and Alison!).

6. The young adult lit course that I taught last spring was my best experience as a college teacher ever. You guys were fabulous!

7. According to my mother, when I was two years old, I wanted to do everything "my-by-self." Still do.

8. I love our Farmer's Market here in town, but I wish they would just give away baskets of cherries and forget everything else.



I know I'm supposed to tag 8 people, but .... I don't think 8 people who blog read this! So here are the folks I'm tagging:



Tessa (your mom or dad can do it for you!), Jen, Kathryn and/or Paul and of course, anyone else out there who hasn't already done it.



Connie, it's time for you to have your own blog, now . . .



8-)

Once Again, with the Old Manuscript

Now I'm finally back to revising (for the umpteenth time) that old manuscript. We got a revise and resubmit for it, and fairly good and substantial reviews, so I'm at it again. I do like revise and resubmits, for the improvements I can make to my writing. However, having been burned last year with two revise and resubmits that were later rejected, I've become a bit cynical.

Some of you may find that hard to believe.

But really, the reviewers are asking for additional data (which we have!) and it's a matter of polishing up, adding material, being thoughtful about our implications, and in general, good researchers and writers. I think we can do it. Whether it will then get accepted and I can stop messing around with this old thing (which is now called version 17) is yet to be seen.

Anyway, it's Friday, and I've about done everything I can on it.

Bullets

• Recovering from a Weird Virus. Well, first Loving Spouse (hereafter known as LS) had it. Then I got it. What is "it" you may ask? It's a weird virus that only made us a little sick, but sick enough to feel crappy, dragged down, and lie around in our easy chairs for several days. Neither of us could figure it out, but we did lots of sleeping and lots of complaining for the 3-4 days that it took to work out of our systems.


• Underwater Video Progress. I've already got the camcorder; two days ago LS ordered the video housing for me. Yesterday I ordered a battery that should last 100 minutes. Next thing you know, I'll be posting videos from our next dive trip on this blog.


• Work Stuff. Movement toward this year's T&P review is underway. I won't say more about it, but getting confirmation of a manuscript's acceptance several weeks ago leaves me feeling pretty good about it.


• More Work Stuff. The Weird Virus (see above) put a big kibosh on my work, which means I have tons to do this week and it is already Wednesday! So I should stop blogging immediately and get to work. But I won't.


• LibraryThing. Love it. I can spend HOURS cataloguing my books, which means hours not spent working.


• Window Boxes. We put up window boxes on our house and filled them with flowers. They are beautiful!

Happy Nude Hiking Day!

OK, it's really the Summer Solstice, but to long-distance hikers, it is Nude Hiking Day. In 2001, I was hiking through the Shenandoahs on June 21st, so I didn't hike nude. Why, you may ask? Well, because I didn't want to freak out the little children and their parents (tourists) that I encountered multiple times a day as the trail crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway. I didn't think that little children should be exposed to adult hiker nudity. Way too hairy, believe me!

I did see several hikers who hiked nude, though -- using bandanas for strategic coverage. Let's see, the trail names of those folks were Hippy Longstocking, and a couple of others I can't remember . . . maybe Stovetop? I know that my buddies Skidmark and Balloo hiked naked in 2003, cause that's the kind of folks they are. Fun-loving and crazy. Anyone who takes their three-month old on her first camping trip has my complete love and respect.

It's been a week or so of helping Continental Divide Trail (CDT) thru-hikers. Today we shuttled Sly to Cheyenne, so he could take a bus to Glacier in Montana; and we dropped Haiku off at the bus station, where he's taking a bus to Denver as I write this. None of them were naked, by the way.

I spent a good bit of time today -- no, not being naked, get your mind out of the gutter! -- checking the edits of my fantastic chapter authors. You should know that almost all of them got their edits back to me within the deadline, and they did an excellent job of addressing all of the queries posted by the publisher. I just had one clarification to make, and it was easy. All of THAT makes me a happy co-editor.

I have a manuscript to review, a dissertation to read, and a manuscript to revise, but maybe I'll get to all of those tomorrow . . . when it's NOT nude hiking day.

Near our campsite at Lower Silas Lake . .

was this big rock. Cool, huh?

Lower Silas Lake

On Saturday, we drove to Rawlins, picked up Sly (a CDT thru-hiker) and drove to Lander, where we had a lovely lunch at the Gannett Grill. In Lander, we ran into Haiku (another CDT thru-hiker); we then drove both of them to Atlantic City/South Pass City so they could get back on the trail.

More driving (on a narrow, twisty Forest Service road) took us to the Christina Lake trailhead. We hiked in about 2 and a half miles to Lower Silas Lake, where we spent the night. Lovely campsite, quiet and peaceful.

Sunday morning we saw a moose munching on bushes across the lake, and we were glad that we were out there and not at home.

After we hiked out, the driving began again -- back to South Pass City to pick up Cheers (yet another CDT hiker), to Atlantic City for lunch, and then back to Laramie. Lots of driving, a little hiking, and then back into work for another week.

Wikis in Plain English

Yipparific!

Found out yesterday that our candidate for the literacy endowed chair has accepted the position. Hoorah! Hooray! Love that guy -- can't believe he's coming here -- so excited!

Cayman Islands Highlights

Our first week of vacation was spent scuba diving from a live-aboard (the Nekton Rorqual) around the Cayman Islands. We were married on this boat (by a captain named Chris Christofferson, but that's another story) and this was our first return trip. We've made other trips (several!) on the other Nekton boat, the Pilot.

Travel to Grand Cayman was seamless -- we arrived on Saturday early afternoon, and spent the rest of the afternoon sitting at the bar at Sunset House with City Girl (Loving Spouse's daughter) drinking bear and enjoying each other's company. The Rorqual crew picked us up at 7:00 and took us to the boat.

A week of diving, eating, and sleeping ensued. Some cool diving events:

• Being 40 feet underwater when it started to rain on the surface. Did you know that when this happens, it sounds like Sizzling Rice Soup? And with the visibility of 60 to 80 feet, we could see the dimpled surface. Very cool.
• On a late afternoon dive, we came across two Hawksbill turtles circling each other. We think they were competing for access to a tasty bucket sponge. One would circle in, wedge himself against the spounge, take a few bites. Then the other one would come in, take the first turtle's place, and take a few bites. We watched this for about 15 minutes, until 1 swam away and gave the other total access. Loving Spouse took some pics, but they turned out a bit dark, because of the lateness in the day.
• Great wreck diving -- a huge Russian destroyer and a boat used to carry bananas around the Caribbean.
• Interesting people on the boat, including a somewhat fundie group of tec divers who were extremely regimented in their routines and gear. But they weren't evangelical, so that was ok.

Traveling home got a bit sticky. We had only an hour to go through customs in a big southern city before catching our next flight. Needless to say, we missed our flight, but Continental was kind enough to give us a hotel. We arrived home a day later than we had originally planned and spent Sunday rinsing gear and doing laundry.

Now back to yard work, writing, and trying to continue the relaxation. Oh, and losing the 10 pounds I gained on the boat!

In the meantime,

While I'm waiting for Loving Spouse to get his pictures burned on a CD or otherwise sent to me, here's a link to a website with photos and video from the underwater world . . .

http://www.rnrscuba.net/

Enjoy!

Coming Soon . . .

Travel tales that will make you extremely envious, because you were not there when we spent last week on a dive live-aboard around the Cayman Islands, scuba diving every day.

And pictures.

But for now I'm so pooped from traveling (and missing flights!) and rinsing out scuba diving gear -- though to be honest, loving spouse did most of that -- that I must adjourn to my own bed and begin snoring.

I'll post some stuff in the next few days.

Um, ok, but . . .

Your Power Bird is a Vulture

You are always changing your life and the lives of those around you.You aren't afraid to move on from what holds you back.Energetic and powerful, you have a nearly unlimited capacity for success.You know how to "go with the flow" and take advantage of what is given to you.

What's" Your Power Bird?

Grudge

On Sunday mornings we walk downtown to a coffee shop, where we order breakfast (plain bagel, toasted, with butter) and coffee (Chiapas, large), read the newspaper, and chat. This coffee shop has cool art that hangs on the wall, and a big bulletin board with flyers for concerts by Freak Mother, yoga retreats, lost dogs, etc. One of the flyers that I noticed today -- because I make it a regular practice to stand and read the flyers on the board -- was for a writer's group in town. They meet on Wednesday nights, they read and respond to each other's writing, and it all sounded great. I was memorizing the email address when I realized that the last name on the email sounded suspiciously like the last name of the female half of the couple who shafted us out of our dream house several years ago.

It was then that I realized I've been harboring this grudge for much too long. I mean, I get emails from her occasionally, through the faculty/staff listserv, and I regularly delete them without reading them. I've seen her on campus a couple of times and have given her a hard stare and then refused to acknowledge her (I don't think this means much, as I doubt she remembers me the way I remember her!).

But when I consider NOT joining a writing group because the last name of the contact person sounds a bit like her last name -- but clearly isn't -- this is a sign that I need to just get over it. Or perhaps write about it. Either way, now it begins to injure me, and that must stop.

When all Goes Awry

My trip to Toronto was a string of what I'll call "bloopers" connected by a few wonderful highlights:

Blooper #1: waiting to check in for my flight from Denver to Toronto on Sunday, I heard the man behind me say something about his passport, and a dreadful realization dawned on me: My passport was serenely tucked away in my nightstand drawer in Laramie, a mere 2 and a half hours drive away. I decided to soldier on and see how far I could get -- I managed to get into Canada on my driver's license and charm, and out of it on the same charm and a faxed copy of my passport from Footslogger. Needless to say, I worried about this CONSTANTLY while in Toronto. Sunday night I had to say "Everything will be ok; everything will be ok; everything will be ok" in order to get to sleep.

Highlight #1: Lunch with colleagues from graduate school at Bistro 990, where the omelette was PERFECT and the frites were all that.

Blooper #2: On Monday, I checked out of my hotel room and into my friend Marilyn's (smile). I neglected to listen when the clerk mumbled something about the room; when I took my bag there, I realized that it was a smoking room. Not good! When Marily arrived we had to do some arm-twisting to get a non-smoking room, but . . .

Highlight #2: . . . the new room was not only non-smoking, it had 2 beds instead of 1. Since I'm a loud sleeper (translation -- a bit of snoring, I've been told) this is a good thing.

Blooper #3 [connected to Highlight #1]: I didn't look at the map, and we decided to walk to lunch at Bistro 990. I thought it would take about 10 minutes, but it was actually almost 2 miles and took us over half an hour. We were late, but our friends graciously forgave us. On the plus side, Marilyn and I got an excellent workout.

Highlights #3 and 4: Dinner at The 360 Restaurant in the CN Tower, with former advisor and aforementioned friend Marilyn. Presentation with both colleagues and friends at the International Reading Association; they're so smart and cool, and they make me feel smart and cool by association.

Bottom Line:

Your passport. Don't leave home without it.

What are the chances?

So I'm in Toronto, walking down Front Street with a cup of coffee, a donut, and a newspaper. I'm enjoying the urban thing and feeling good about just hanging out in such a cool city. The weather's good, I'm from Wyoming, and I know no one.

And then I see them: a colleague and her husband. Standing on the corner. In Toronto.

What the hell?

Now it's Summer!

My husband and I are sitting in our shorts with the doors and windows open, typing away on our separate laptops. Sunshine, cool breezes, birds chirping. The cats are outside enjoying eating the grass (and puking it up, no doubt), and we're planning a trip to Fort Collins for some dive gear in preparation for our trip to the Caymans.

Summertime, she has arrived!

Friday I completed the last of three day-long meetings on articulating our teacher ed program. OK, it was worthwhile, but . . . the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and we were sitting on our butts debating how we articulate basket-weaving in all of our courses. No, really, it was good and worthwhile. But I'm glad it's over.

Yesterday evening I dug up some weeds out of the front yard, which is looking incredibly lush right now. That's due to the massive amounts of fertilizer I've been putting on it, and perhaps to the fact that the neighborhood cats haven't started pissing and pooping in the middle of the yard yet. Yes, I live in the house whose yard serves as the neighborhood cat box.

Now I'm off to Toronto for the International Reading Association conference.

Oh, and by the way: I got an A in CHEM 1020 this semester. Let the jubilation begin!

Is It Summer Yet?

Last week we had a candidate in for an endowed chair position, that is, a position funded by the state designed to bring in a big-name scholar who will provide leadership to the college in his or her area of expertise.

Or, if you're my spouse, an endowed chair is a kitchen chair with big boobs. Take your pick.

Anyway, we had this person in for our endowed chair position, and then I spent the next couple of days agonizing over whether or not the candidate would take the position. When. We offered it. Because if we don't we're insane.

Now that I have that off my chest, I want to mention that snow in May is not cool, but it is so Wyoming. It was drizzling on Saturday as I walked to graduation, but during graduation it started to snow. And it snowed all day and all night. There's still snow on the ground. Damn. I'm so ready for some summer, I've got my shorts and t-shirts out and everything. I've bought planters to put flowers in, I want to do yard work! But I must be patient. This too will pass.

Graduation was -- as usual -- super cool. My students (now graduates!) are awesome; 75% of those who walked graduated with honors!! The way we do graduation is that as students in particular programs walk across and off the stage, faculty in those programs are there to greet and congratulate them. It's the typical time for me to be bawling like a baby, so proud of my students as they become professional educators. As I was hugging and congratulating one of my students, she took off her brown satin UW stole and hung it around my neck, saying "This is for you, Leslie, for everything you've done for me." Oh. My. God. Couldn't stop crying for several minutes after that.

So now I'm just mopping up -- finishing a few grading tasks and putting my grades in the system. Then the writing will commence.

Hokie Nation

Last night in my Young Adult Literature class we were talking about Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelson and the topic of the killings at Virginia Tech came up. I haven't said anything about that here, because I've been trying to sort out my own perspective on it. Initially, I was horrified and kept imagining it happening here, which caused me to burst into tears at odd times imagining my students and colleagues being attacked by someone who had come unhinged. I have a friend who teaches at Virginia Tech, and she talked about being locked down in her building (right across from Norris Hall) and watching as police and medical personnel swarmed the building.

I was especially touched by the groups of Virginia Tech students who focus on the campus as a family and support each other through their sorrow. What a sad and sobering commentary this event is on our world today. But along with the horror, there is much that is good about the human spirit being exhibited in Blacksburg.


And can I just take a moment to go on a tangent? Kudos to my Young Adult Literature class members this semester. They are a great group of students who participate in class with a serious but communal kind of demeanor. I tend to teach in ways that some students don't appreciate -- big focus on "how are we making sense of this together" -- and they always go with me. Last night I asked them to role play a character from one of the novels that we have read this semester and they all participated very well. I can't say enough about how much I appreciate these great students.

Spring Update

I know, I know. It's been a very long time since I've posted. I'm not going to make excuses, but here are a few things that have been going on:
*The Wyoming Cowgirls basketball team won the WNIT championship. NATIONAL championship. We went to every single game, and I was in tears at the end, because of the courage, heart, and determination of every member of that team. We have been season ticket holders for the last three years. Now we are fans for life.
* Chemistry 1020 is coming along well -- I made an 82 on the last test, which in this class is the equivalent of an A++. Lab is over, but I still have one chapter quiz, the lab final, and the course final to complete. I'm setting aside one hour every morning to study, and I feel pretty good about what I've learned in this course.
* Student teachers are in their last week of the student teaching semester. We made our last trip to Casper (!) for the semester, and much of the grading is completed. No serious meltdowns, no major crises, and most of my students are getting job interviews and job offers. Graduation is next weekend and I'm looking forward to dressing up in my fancy robes and celebrating with our graduates.
* The daffodils and snowdrop bulbs that I planted last fall are starting to come up and bloom, which is so beautiful and exciting. In spite of the fact that it is currently SNOWING, I feel certain that spring will arrive soon.

This summer I have so much to look forward to -- a week in the Cayman Islands scuba diving, finishing my last 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail, participation in the Wyoming Writing Project, and a reunion with my English education graduates (date still to be determined). It's going to be a good summer for traveling and I hope that it will be a good one for writing as well.

Thanks for continuing to tune in ....

It's Official: I'm Only Slightly Above Average

Got my chemistry exam #2 back on Thursday, and as I expected, my grade was a 54. Out of 100. Which is 2 points above the average for the exam.

Of course, I still have issues with the test, including the fact that it took me two and a half hours to complete, that it included questions on material we were not directed to study, and that obviously most of the students in the class (including me!) don't have a clear sense of the information that we should have learned.

But what the hell. Exam three is coming up this week, so I'm pushing on. I've decided to take a break from chemistry next fall and am taking a 2000-level geology class. That's not to say that I'm not learning a hell of a lot this semester, because I am. There are things I never knew I didn't know -- and those are the things I'm learning in this class. I find the material intrinsically interesting, (that may have something to do with my age) and I'm struggling to keep up with the fast pace set by the instructor. I do feel sorry for those students who are not interested, because I know the role that affect can play in helping or hindering learning.

I went to a presentation on quantitative reasoning Friday afternoon (not well attended, but then what is on a Friday afternoon) as I consider myself the poster child for lack of development of quantitative reasoning. In fact, my spouse says that my junior high and high school math teachers should be taken out and shot (do you hear that, Coach Chauvin?). It was interesting, but I would have liked a bit more that was relative to HOW we can help sudents to develop quantitative reasoning -- I think that some of the folks who were there teach college algebra classes, and I got the feeling they would have liked some help as well.