Once again, my phone upgrade option came around with AT & T. I actually briefly considered just canceling my account and not having a cell phone. But I couldn't bring myself to do it.

What I did want, though, was a new phone. ( Read more... )

I went for a conference with one of my profs the other day. He's a tea snob of the Chinese tea ceremony variety, and he served me a delightful tea, utterly unlike any I'd had before. I don't really even know how to describe the aroma-cup + drinking cup process, except to say that it was really cool. But just now, after describing the visit to goldbug , I went online to look at tea-related stuff, just to satisfy my curiosity.

Since the prof had mentioned that the tea we drank was a little pricey, I went to look and see how pricey. Try over $120/lb! I'm stunned.

About Me

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Last evening, I went to my first single-author poetry reading. The poet, Charles Alexander, had visited our ENGL 5803: Postmodern Poetics class Monday, and was genuine, generous, and genial. That didn't change at the reading, which was a delight.

The thing is, I was mightily depressed yesterday afternoon and early evening. The disappointment I mentioned in my previous post had been constantly on my mind, and I was in the foulest of moods by the time my darling came home to dinner. I really didn't want to go to any public event, but rather stay home and wallow. But I had made a commitment, and was determined to honor it.

I apparently have a hard time being especially grumpy when greeted by friends with smiles on their faces, which started the turn-around I experienced at the reading. More than that, though, because of the nature of the poetry Charles Alexander writes, I had to really focus on him and his performance. I wasn't sure I could actually manage to sit and listen to Language Poetry for over an hour.

But I did listen, rapt. And it was glorious! I was in an amazing mood when I left Ellison Hall, and as I drove home I reflected on the shift from wanting to crawl into a hole and pull the hole in after me, to the pleasant satiety I was feeling. I concluded that the source of my improved outlook on life was rather simple: For about an hour and a half, I forgot to wallow. I was pulled right out of myself and my funk, and focused on others, and on the shared experience of hearing a gifted writer interpret his own work.

Additional reflection on this point is required. LJ friends: have you experienced a similar result under similar circumstances?

Yesterday afternoon, I was sitting in my office at school, thinking about all the time commitments I have to honor this week. Then I got to thinking about the other things I know I ought to be doing, but never make the time for.

I thought to myself, "What if I took a year off from school? I'm sure they'd hire me as an adjunct for a year, let me teach maybe two classes online. Sure, I'd have to pay on my student loans for a few months, but then everything would go back to normal the next fall term."

I got really excited about this, thinking of all the ways I could restore some balance to my life.

Then I remembered that two of the courses I need to finish my Ph D are only offered Fall 2010 and Spring 2011, and may not be offered again for four or five years. To say my disappointment at this realization was kind of harsh would be a major understatement.

Sigh. Life should include timeouts, damn it!

A student I taught in First-Year Composition three years ago just came to my office to see me, because, as he put it, my class made a significant impace on his writing and vocabulary. He's been working on a manuscript for publication, and wants me to be his first reader.

One of these students counterbalances twenty who didn't like me and/or didn't get much out of my class.

. . . when teens are more likely to find food on the streets than at home.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/26/us/26runaway.html?_r=1&hp

What's the skinny on Windows 7? I can get it for $30. Should I want to?

Okay, so I left our camera at home, and only had my phone with me. And the lighting wasn't ideal, so the detail's fuzzy. But at least you can see the sheer scale of the stage (we were sitting in the 27th row), and the joy on my face.

We just got back from the U2 concert (with special guests The Black-Eyed Peas). This has to have been the best birthday present ever! The Black-Eyed Peas were good, but U2 had 70,000 screaming fans on their feet for two straight hours. This is my first experience with real, live Rock Gods, and I have to say: I can see why groups like these build such a following. It was cold, my knees and back are killing me, and I still have to get up and go to work in the morning--but I wouldn't have missed it. I'll post some pics when I have time to download them from my phone.