Poop

So my colleague whom Apollo and I had to tell he couldn't be on a paper because he did no work went on a similar trip to mine, but with another professor. I was talking to that other professor who told me No Paper Guy told him he's looking for a new job because he has to leave. And it's my fault.

And his wife's preggo.

So now I feel great.

Zucchinis

So I mentioned the zucchini dream to my students. The day of the final project presentations, I got 3 of them from students.

That is all.

Shopping

So, as those of you who read with regularity, we moved last fall so that Spouse and I could amicably split the hour's difference between our jobs.

Being generally religious types, this means that we also needed to find a new church.

It's been really rough. We're moderately moderate protestant Christians. I'd prefer an organ to a drum set, but I'm not going to get all hot and bothered about it. I believe the Jesus thing is really important and I'll talk to you about why if you ask me, but I'm not going to drag you bodily down the aisle at a church. We were considered liberals in the church we went to in Grad School State, kind of conservative at the one in Central State, and I'm good with that.

We had a church in Central State that we really dug. Could agree with most of it. Good people. Nurturing place for the kids. Felt good about it all the way around.

We've been visiting places of the same denomination here, and maybe we're too particular because we are looking at a place for being here for the long haul, but we're striking out left and right.

We are hoping to find a church that has enough critical mass that Offspring can have some kids to hang around with in an environment that's not school. That I can handle the theology of (let's just say when it comes to radio, I kind of like some the music on contemporary Christian, but when the announcers start talking, I'm usually done. Can't handle the smarmy singular interpretation of what the Bible says as it applies to how individuals live their lives.). We'd like a place where we like the adults, too. Spouse and I sometimes feel like all we do is work and drive, so some opportunity to meet people would be welcome as well.

On my mind today.

Welcome to my world

Offspring took the SAT this morning as part of a talent search thing she's doing.

She came out beaming, saying "That was fun!"

I'm not dead yet!

Sorry for the long absence! I did survive the trip (although I was sick pretty much the whole time). Since we came back, my students have had to work 7 days a week to finish their project, so that meant I was working close to that, too (I did take one day off). So I turned in grades this morning.

I'm exhausted, but wow. Every student in our program has to do one of these travel projects, and we had 5 groups of students who went to different countries to do projects about improving baskets and basketry there. My group had extraordinary success. To the point that at the final presentations, my student project manager got to say that we were glad to be getting some recognition. The basket heritage foundation is supporting our project. We have a promotional agreement with the national museum of cool basket stuff. And we ended the presentation by getting on the road to a local affiliate to tape a segment about the baskets in the part of the world where we went for PBS. Truly astounding. (One of my students was a communication major in undergrad, and sent press releases).

I told Spouse I would not be able to do this project again since I don't think it could ever go this well again.

And also, I got my teaching evaluations for last semester and, with the exception of the class that has institutional deficiencies that I can't overcome by myself (basically, I get two different groups of students who have completed completely different sets of pre-requisites), they were great. Comments like "MommyProf is the best professor in basketweaving" and from my freshman distribution requirement "I wish I could have MommyProf again, but she doesn't teach in my major."

Then my chair told me I'm not teaching the pathological class again after the Spring, for at least a year.

I know it's a fluke - a once in a career kind of thing. But right now, I feel pretty darned good.

Blerg

At the airport waiting for our flight. Woke up this morning with a pretty good fever. There used to be an urgent care in the airport, according to the web site. Now they don't.

Awesome.

I'll most likely be off the grid for a few weeks. So don't think I died.

So I didn't actually eat peas

But I think I will be ready to leave the country tomorrow. Except for one thing...I am sick as a dog. Bun had croup over Christmas, and I think I must have the same virus. Extremely sore throat. Hideous amounts of coughing.

I am sure this will be just fantastic for going to hang out in a foreign country in a part without good access to medical care.

I just hope I don't make my students sick.