Headlines

Today the campus newspaper published the wrong articles under the wrong headings.  The whole page is crazy.  I started reading an article about Virgina Tech being fined $55,000 and instead found myself reading an article about the CIA and a plane crash in Libya.  The VTech article was under the headline about how a stagnant economy frustrates citizens. 

It is a student-run, daily paper.  I am impressed they get it out everyday. 

It still makes me chuckle a bit. 

I know.  I'm awful. 

Coming out of the Dark

Does anyone remember that Gloria Estefan song?   I think she wrote it when she was in a car accident in her tour bus with all of the miami sound machine and she thought she would never walk again!

I'm pretty sure that is the story.

Well, I was not in a car accident.  My legs are fine.  My crew is all well.

That being said - I have to admit that I feel like I understand her song a little bit after the last month.  There has been a lot of family, friend, work, life crap happening and I have been digging deep to not fold into my mental darkness.  So I have had my head down and I've been pushing through.  I have only been able to focus on one thing at a time and focus on the immediate needs.  Quick run down of the last month - good, bad, bizarre & ugly:

1. I was in an episode of House.  Not really. My stepfather's illness over the last month has felt like that.  His kidneys are failing.  Give him emergency hema-dialysis.  STAT. He's had a minor heart attack.  We think there might be a blood clot.  He's slipping into a coma.  Doctor, we must figure this out.  Blood test. Cat scan. MRI. EKG. ECG. EGG. OMG! Spinal tap. He has bacterial meningitis.  Awake.  Alert.  Damaged.  Alive. Run credits...
2. Amazing weekend at the National Staff Conference for SLTP.  60 people that give me strength, lead by example and love fully.  AWESOME!
3. BFF finished the dissertation.  woo-hoo. 
4. Student sexually assualted.  
5. Student org attempts to fly through Japan after the earthquake and as the nuclear plant begins to melt down.  I say - uh...Wtf?  They proceed to get pissed at me for raining on their parade.  All ends well.  Students realize, perhaps Narita airport was not the best place to be.  
6. Missed 2 Thursdays of karaoke. 
7. Upside of above house episode - got to spend a good chunk of quality time with my niece.  love her. 
8. There have been a few warm days over the last month.  It gives me hope that spring is coming. 
9. I discovered "Just Dance" for Wii and I am addicted.  (I'll write a different blog post about that). 
10. Rebecca Black.  (who will also get her own post)

So yeah, the last month hasn't been all good or all bad - just challenging.  It's good to be back.  :) 

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Chipper people

I am spending this lovely morning at the laundromat.  I like places like laundromats and grocery stores because I find them kind of soothing.  It is my quiet time.  I get a lot of good thinking done while I am doing laundry or shopping for groceries.  I know lots of people hate these tasks but I really enjoy them.

There is also great people watching - particularly at the laundromat.

Well, one of my favorite human interactions is between the person that wants quiet time or isn't a morning person and the SUPER chipper person.  Now, I am pretty alert, awake and ready to go in the morning but I recognize that some people aren't and that they need a few moments to get invested in the day.  I like to smile and joke with them but also give them the internal space they need.  Well, when the SUPER chipper person meets the "I'm not a morning person" person, I know it is going to be good people watching.  This morning provided just such a show.  Super chipper person kept trying to engage and trying to make funnier and funnier jokes (which actually weren't very funny and I find a lot of stuff funny) and Un-morning person was trying to be polite.  It all came to a head when Super Chipper told Un-Morning, "What is wrong with you, why won't you smile." And Un-Morning yelled, "It is 7 in the morning."  Such good people watching.  Super Chipper has moved onto several other people.  And has currently found a conversation partner.

I love people.

Spring may come after all

I usually like the winter.  I prefer the colder temperatures.  The snow doesn't bug me too much.  I could do without below freezing temps, but mostly I like winter.

I have to say though, I have had enough.  I am tired of the cold and the snow.  I am tired of the winter.  I am done.  I want spring.

Tonight at 9:15pm the Ledyard Bank temperature jumbotron said that the temperature was 51 degrees.  Perhaps spring is around the corner.  I am not crazy enough to believe that we won't have one more giant snow storm but I am hoping that spring time is just around the bend.

For now, I'll enjoy an evening where I can walk from the car to the grocery store in just my sweater and scarf and not become hypothermic.

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Update: As I said, I was not crazy enough to believe that it was the end of the winter weather and *sigh* today we are supposed to get a big ole stupid snow storm.  Ah well.  I have heat and boots and all that good stuff, so I can weather one more storm but I a ready for it to be done. 

Better with friends...

Learning is not meant to be a lonely endeavor.  I knew this before but helping the BFF work on the dissertation has cemented that for me.  In order to do your best work you need help. You need people to bolster you and help you talk through things.  You need mirrors to reflect back to you the concepts, thoughts, theories and general ramblings that are going on. 

Like this blog, reflection and thought while often done alone are not meant to be lonesome or kept to oneself.  Learning, thought, depth, ideas, creativity, questions are meant to be shared and expressed and discussed. 

It has been a challenging lesson for me but one I am holding dearly to and working on daily.  Life, learning and love are all meant to be shared - keeping them to yourself is lonely and seems selfish. 

Things that sound dirty but aren't...

I will admit that there are many times that I have the brain of a 12-year old and I find it hilarious when people inadvertently say things that sound dirty but aren't.

I am sitting in Panera working and one of the employees said to the other - "you have to do it with short, fast strokes." 

My brain immediately went "DIRTY" and I laughed in my seat.