August 8

It is my sister's birthday today. I hope she has a great day, buys a winning lotto ticket and is able to retire and live the kind of life she deserves.

Today is also the end of the hectic week of work in the teaching intensive workshop. I have enjoyed the course so far, and I have learned a great deal. It is beneficial to enter a course with very little knowledge so that upon completion you have come a far distance. I think it would have been very boring if I had entered with more knowledge and experience than I did. Still, it has been a lot of work, challenging, and always interesting. There have been some great discussions throughout, and I must admit, my fellow classmates intimidate me at times.

Daph cat is doing much better now, she had her last pill Monday morning, and this morning she is sitting on the arm of my easy chair doing the purr/rub the monitor thing. I think she wants me to check her email for her, but I don't see why she can't do that herself.

School begins in 12 days.

August 5

Day one was busy, and interesting. I learned a great deal about teaching and the problem associated with creating a syllabus that agrees with my philosophy. I have known for a number of years that a syllabus actually reflects a teachers ideology, and as I learn more I think they go deeper and reflect the teachers personality as well. That is not really news, or a startling insight, it is even part of an essay I read last night, so... The point then is that my syllabus will tell the students who I am, though they may not have enough experience with them to realize that these texts can be close read as well.

Any way, it was a fun day, and today should be interesting as well.

On a side note, today's high should be 98 (real feel 101)! Ain't summer grand?

August 4

Today I begin my week long intensive so you want to be a comp teacher training course. I was a bit stressed last night, but I feel fine this morning. It will feel strange doing a full day once again. I have become accustomed to short days at school. I suppose the weirdest part of this whole thing is that in just 16 days I will start my first class. I am looking forward to it as well as fearing it, a common reaction I would guess.

The weather has been great here lately, though once again we need rain. We have received more this year than last, but not as much as we need.

I gave Daph her last pill this morning, we have been doing the swallow the pill thing long enough that she has become accustomed to having it happen. In fact, this morning she swallowed when she could have spit. She seems to be better, but still not very active. This house is full of inactivity, though the humans in it are still busy. The second law of thermodynamics in action (or inaction?). Ahh, equilibrium, how we are satisfied with our routine.

August 2

This has been a quiet week, other than a trip to the downtown farmer's market, not much occurred. A friend of Carol's came and spent the night, so I suppose that constitutes a huge event given that she was the first, and, so far, only overnight guest we have had. Daphne seems to be doing better, her ears look good, she is not scratching, and she is running away from me as I try to gather her up and stuff a pill down her tiny throat with my big mitts. Only another two days of pills left though, so soon that ordeal will be over. She has been remarkably gentle with me, only a few bites to show for the struggle, no scratches.

Two days and I will be going full blast on my fall program. Monday I start doing my training/syllabus polishing course. I am not as nervous about this as I was about beginning the program last year. Of course, I am far enough into the entire program that I really have no choice but to carry on even though my feet are voting for a visit to some very distant climates. Do you think they could find me if I migrated to the outback of Australia?

We watched Pink Floyd's The Wall this week. I can't help but think of the bathroom scene where Pink sits singing his new song: I want to take of this uniform and leave the show, but I'm sitting here cause I have to know, have I been guilty all this time.

Ahh well, in two days I will be too busy to feel nervous and anxious.

Wednesday July 25

Carol took the Daphenator (aka Purrball) to the vet Monday. Poor cat was a scratchy and was getting a urinary tract illness. Her itchiness was due to her being covered with fleas. Not sure how she could be getting those horrid insects, she never goes outside, but she is. To make it worse for her she seems to be allergic to the bites, making things much worse for the poor kitty. So, now, and for the next six days, we are stuffing pills down her throat (for the urinary thing), and pouring meds down her ears (ear mite treatment). Little kitty appears to be doing better now, at least she has stopped the scratching, but she still flaps her ears occasionally. Her discomfort came on quickly, from start to worse was only a few days.

The weather has been a bit warm here lately. Heat warnings in effect quite frequently, with very little rain. Almost a carbon copy of last summer, makes me think warm summers are standard fare for NC.

Today I am off to the library to get some poetry books, then down to the Harry Teet for some food stuff, and then back to my usual. I have outlined my basic syllabus for this fall, and I have been making some progress on my poetry. I need to spend some time organizing and collating what I have written this summer in an attempt to see where I am at, and how much further I will have to go this fall.

The fall butterflies have set up residence within my body. They move around a bit, but the panic level is becoming constant. Ain't life exciting?

July 15

I find myself unwilling to submit to necessity once more. I went vegan primarily for health reasons, which later morphed into ethical and environmental reasons. It feels good to know that my presence on the earth is not as large as it once was. However, a few weeks ago I saw an article on palm oil in my favorite margarine that has had me rethinking my position. I have managed to avoid thinking about the harm done by drinking non fair trade coffee and non fair trade chocolate. I am resisting the change because I would have to give up some of the things I like: Cheap Chocolate, Cheap Coffee, and Earth Balance better than butter margarine. I guess the next step is to determine what my options are. It is interesting to observe myself going through this dilemma. I have read/heard enough about the process of change that I can see the stages I am going through.

It has rained a little over the last week, and that is really nice. The greenery is really getting green and lush. I toddled down to NC's museum of art last week. It is a 2.5 mile walk through some very interesting spaces. I found myself uncomfortably searching for a bathroom a few minutes into the walk, but managed to survive until I arrived at the museum. I will have to go back there again some day and spend some more time wandering through the displays. There are some photos linked on the side to the walk.

Today is a Whole Foods day. Then back to my usual routine of working.