22 June 2006

I promised myself that I wouldn't cry....

Today was my last day at Absurdly Large University. It was surreal. I have been teaching there (first as a T.A. and then as faculty) since 1999. That's longer than any other job that I've held. I'm going to miss that place....

18 June 2006

Spain, here we come!

The Hemingway conference in Spain begins in a week. Today, I finally finished my paper for the conference. Yes, that's cutting it close. It's hard to generate the sense of urgency until, well, until there's a real sense of urgency! I wish I could be more disciplined. Regardless, I am pleased with my paper. The fact that I am finished means that I can truly dedicate this week to final exams. I was having nightmares that Friday evening would be a mad rush to write my paper and finish grading exams.... Woo hoo!

14 June 2006

No longer homeless!

We closed on the Wisconsin house Monday. I was not very impressed with Bank of America and would probably not use them again. Regardless, it all worked out. We took out a warranty on the house for only $395, which seems like a pretty good deal to cover a 90-year old house. Insurance is also cheaper up there. We can't wait to get up there and begin setting up house.

11 June 2006

FSU wins national championship!

It's true, though it only made the back pages of my local paper's sports section. The Tallahassee Democrat gave it a more prominent placement. Winning the track and field championship may not carry the same bragging rights as football or basketball, but it's still pretty cool. Go Noles!

10 June 2006

Midwest noir?

We just got home from seeing A Prairie Home Companion. We liked it very much. I'd give it an A-. Overall, Altman caught the spirit of the show. It really felt that we were watching the radio show being taped and even had backstage passes!

*** MILD SPOILER ALERT ***

I had a few complaints. They needed to sing the Powdermilk Biscuit song, and GK needed to give a "news from Lake Wobegon" monologue. I'm not sure how I feel about Guy Noir being reduced to a bumbling idiot... but what a femme fatale!

Robert Altman directed the bizarre adaptation of The Long Goodbye back in 1973.

02 June 2006

My evil twin

Got a call from Happy (our realtor) this week.... He said there was a problem with the title company. It seems that when the title company ran my name, I came up as a deadbeat dad! I assured Happy that I had no children and gave him my birthdate so that the title company could distinguish me from the scumbag who shares my name. Grrr.

I've googled my own name before, and I know who the others are. I wonder if the scumbag is the respected jazz musician in the Pacific Northwest, or the foosball player in Alaska (who is also obsessed with home theater and audio), or if there's another person who shares the name....

01 June 2006

Long live the king!

Okay, perhaps calling him royalty is a bit much, but I want to brag about my beloved sheltie, Logan. My apartment complex is celebrating "Pet Month." They don't do much that's good, but this is. They are waiving the pet fee if a tenant adopts a pet from the Humane Society. Pretty cool. Anyway, they also announced a "Cutest Pet contest. Tenants were to post a picture of their pets in the apartment office. Votes were taken, and Logan has been crowned the winner! Now I can refer to my "award-winning Shetland Sheepdog." Besides, he got a bag of goodies-- dog toys, dog treats, a book about dogs, a pack of bags for when I walk him, and (best of all) a $25 gift card for PETCO!