Life is Constanlty Interesting

Lessee...since last we met....

I heard back from the University of Arkansas on my application for a slot in their PhD in English program. Seems they had everything but my actual application to the College of English. I had to track down my professional portfolio (it's assessment time again) and get info from it to fill out a whole new set of forms and have them overnighted (can we actually use that as a verb??) in order to make the requirements. Of course, they called on a Monday night and the forms were due on Tuesday...they got them Friday. We shall see what we shall see, eh?

I'm actually in the NSU Fall 2005 course schedule...by NAME! I guess they're gonna keep me (insert sally fields oscar speech here..) at least for another year. I've done good by the department and they appreciate it. I'm teaching two comp I and two comp II classes with a release for the fifth class because I'm the "tech guy" for the department as well as the webmaster and main lackey. That's cool. I'll play lackey if they continue to pay. I've done worse things for less money, trust me.

Spring is attempting to rear it's head out in the valley. Between freezing mornings and warm afternoons nature is schizophrenic it seems. The pollen count is insane and we've discovered where the dividing line is between the "breathe/don't breathe" parts of NE Oklahoma: just about at the bridge at Muskogee. Soon as you hit the nurseries, the sinuses shut down.

Linda and I had three days in Tulsa last weekend. We left Friday, went to the Maul, er, Mall...and I bought her the birthday present I've wanted to get her for years: a diamond ring. Looks incredible on her tiny little hand, I must say. We went to Philbrook and viewed the Hudson River Artists show...what amazing use of light and space! I just can't rant enough about how beautiful it all was. Philbrook was nice too, but, hey, once you've seen it, it's still the same building.

This week has been Mid Term Exams and the final turn-in for research papers....guess what I get to do next week while everyone else is on spring break? I've managed to cut the work load by 2/3 by buckling down and getting the baseline grading done. If I do it right, there's about an hour a day of the other grading....I may yet get some of this legendary "free time" that the students speak of....

Well, it's time to go teach other teachers how to create online syllabi and class websites....my evening shift is about to begin, so, peace and remember: Life is Good!