3.28.2007

a wonderful night out with a wonderful woman

last night, my lovely and amazing friend michelle took me to see a lecture by the author of "reading lolita in tehran". (side note: a perk of the big ten/research one institution). mind you, i haven't yet read the book (tho i did buy it and have it signed for Little One last night)but the talk was beautiful. by beautiful i mean full of the ideas and ideals i hold to: that literature isn't an escape or a bobby, or something you "splurge" your time on, it is a vital part of our lives and our democracy and, indeed, what is wrong with the world is a direct outgrowth of this notion that literature/art/poetry is something only for elites, is a luxury. (aside: you know i am an elitist--let me clarify: i think everyone should read poetry, fiction, etc. i don't think everyone is qualified to write.) one of the author's central points is that to lose touch with our ability to imagine another world, to hear another voice, leads to the loss of imagination, knowledge, and empathy. i am not doing her justice.

suffice to say i took notes on every piece of paper i had in my purse, and it was just fantastic to share a nerdy night out with michelle, who really appreciates that i threw away my sandals before buying new ones and so was wearing socks and tennis shoes with a skirt, was buying my 2 year old "reading lolita in tehran" for us to read together, was taking notes on my planner "notes" page and then on every open space of the month of august...and didn't laugh at me:) i've had a wors-filled week: tim and i visited sunday night to talk about the "problem of poetry" (remind me and i'll blog on this within the week", then lecture fun time with michelle last night, and finally back to dw's this saturday for workshop. to top it all off, i actually started a few drafts while sitting in the auditorium.

pretty good week. i'm lucky:)

3.15.2007

this sweet little girl

 



is home sick for the second day in a row--although at least today she isn't running a fever. (or as she says, FEBER, while pointing to the centermost point of her forehead.) she did wake up at 5:30 this morning (i think that's an unholy, early hour!) and crawl into bed with us, which is pleasant enough. not pleasant? hearing her stomach gurgle and realize she was about to vomit on us. of course, i've long lost my squeamishness about being vomited upon, especially by my daughter (ask me about the great puke weekend of july 2006) but jeremy herded the little one into the bathroom all the same. poor girl had the dry heaves. sigh. hence, i am home with her today. happy birthday to me!

adding to the fun: beans was neutered on tuesday and came home wednesday evening. he is wearing a giant cone, isn't supposed to jump or use the stairs, and can't have a bath! the bath moratorium wouldn't be so annoying, except that he has peed on himself in excitement a few times (first when jeremy and evie picked him up, then upon seeing me...although he mostly just peed all over my pants and foot!) and that damn cone is stinky too. never a dull moment here.

and yet i am more than happy to stay home with these two ailing toddlers!

by the way, we took beans to the vet over the weekend (poor little man had puppy worms, so he was eating like crazy but not getting fat!) and he is definitely 4 months or younger. and he weighs 45 pounds. and looks to be mixed with mastiff. and he will more than likely grow more rapidly now that the worms are gone. the vet told us to double his weight at 6 months to calculate his adult weight...well, even at his current weight, that would mean a low estimate of 90 punds, which puts him into the "giant breed" category. yes! he will be evie's own clifford!

and there is the pitter patter of evie feet....i'll pst a photo of beans and his cone soon. i like to call him conehead the barbarian. ha!

3.02.2007

holy snowfall, batman!


















it occurs to me that while i was taking these photos, the neighbors may have thought i was either spying on them (i was too lazy to open the blinds and so just peered between them) or gathering evidence for some type of conspiratorial allegation i would later make. which, let's face it, is plausible only because there is a scary-van in most of the shots.

be that all as it may, all of this snow started at maybe 130 or 2. i think. there was no snow on the sidewalk before then, and as you can see, well, now there is a lot. brrrr.

jeremy's driving back from milwaukee tonight; i'm hoping the snow is headed east and not west. i could check the weather channel...

i guess this is the "march comes in like a lion" part, huh?

beans is now begging to go outside. of course. here's hoping i don't screw up another part of my essential anatomy while walking to the door.....
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3.01.2007

it just keeps getting better

i have managed to sprain, at the very least, my ankle. and, true to form, in the most ridiculous/inane way possible.

last night, after spending some time doing a few work tasks on the laptop, i stood up and took a step to let beans out (lest he pee or poop and the floor and really make me angry). mind you, i am home solo until friday night when jeremy gets back; evie is visiting papa and grandma wittrock.

i don't know how exactly i managed to do this, but as i attempted to take a step with my right foot, i caught my big toe in the carpet. this had something to do with the entire ankle area and top of foot being numb. now, imagine an insanely violent toe-point combined with a roll-over the ankle joint, and you get the idea. ah, don't forget the definite (and loud) snap-crackle-pop sound.

this ends with me writhing and swearing on the floor, tossing the dog off me (who for some reason wants to sit on me and lick my face/climb on my ankle) and being internally furious at myself, because of course only i would hurt myself in such a moronic way, the night before i needed to run around campus for eight hours.

needless to say, i couldn't stand the throbbing in the shower this morning, so i am home. me and beans, who keeps trying to sit in my lap. bleck.

i'm slightly troubled by the fact that there isn't much swelling or bruising. if i have broken the damn thing, i am REALLY going to be angry.

throb throb throb.