So, we're back

Told you I wasn't dead.  And you'll notice that Hammer, Penny, and Billy are gone, too.  After an incredibly stressful time, both personally and professionally, it's time I stopped killing people in Mafia Wars on Facebook (although there's no way in hell I'm going to quit doing that), and started venting again.

However, I think there's going to be a serious change of focus.  Yes, I'm still into politics, but frankly, I'm better than that.  It seems like we can't even have a serious adult conversation where we agree to disagree unless we already KNOW EACH OTHER WELL ENOUGH TO HAVE ESTABLISHED RESPECT.

WTF?  Isn't that the point of having a dialogue?  That we can defend our ideas and hear what the other person thinks without thinking that they're "evil", "stupid". "religious", "stoned", or whatever other words we hurl at each other.  And, frankly, since when did being a conservative make you an Ann Coulter or Michelle Malkin slurper?  Or being a liberal mean that you have to be in lockstep with the Obama administration?

So while politics will be here every once in a while, I'm going to take a page from Shannon, (and wow, how weird is it to be blogging and call her Shannon?) and just blog about me and my life.

Right.  So anyway.  Let's catch up, shall we?  Since I went on quasi-hiatus a lot has happened:

- The Tar Heels won the national championship in basketball
- I thought I was going to lose my job but it looks like that's on hold for a while
- Work went to hell and back and we made some serious changes to our administration
- My darling Princess turned 10 today.  What the hell would I ever do without her?

- I have managed to work through to level 161 in Mafia Wars.  I can't tell you what a stress reliever it is to log in and kill people
- I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic/ diabetic despite a serious increase in my exercise program and losing a very significant amount of weight over the last year.  My doctor thinks that it has something to do with my body reacting to the changes in my lifestyle and that by treating it aggressively we can knock it back and make it go away.  Hopefully permanently.  In the meantime my fingers look like a purple pincushion from testing my sugar at least 4 times a day.
-I don't doubt that the stress from my work situation has a LOT to do with the changes in my health over the last year

So I think that's about it.  Everything else is pretty good.  I have lots of pictures I need to post and more things to tell you about coming up.

Gee it's nice to be back.

A talent for avoidance

So here I am at work.  Which is kinda stress free for the nonce. 

I know, I know, you're getting tired of hearing about the end of the secret stressful thing, which, if I explain it, pretty much gives away my anonymity.  It being a momentous enough event so as to be googleable (and yes, that IS a word.)....

I have a pretty major project I am supposed to be working on right now.  As in at this moment. It's a PPT presentation for a  meeting next Tuesday about the work of a task force I was in charge of.  So I need to do it now so I can get feedback from the other membrs of our group before Tuesday.  See, I am trying to be responsible.

Also, all hell hasn't broken loose yet this week, so I thought I'd try to get ahead of the curve for a change.  As if.

And yet, here I sit, at the blog, at twitter, and at facebook.  Pissing away my time.  I rationalize: you work better under a deadline.... you're working it all out in your subconscious (I actually believe this to be true)....

You can't believe the shit I have invented for myself today.  I cleaned up my desktop on my computer, I made coffee, I organized folders under "My Documents" so that it's easier to find specific files rather than scanning a large number of filenames in one folder.

Big hint: if I'm organizing or cleaning either 1) I'm avoiding something else, or 2) the mess has increased beyond my ability to quickly find what I am looking for.

In the meantime, my phone chimes Dr. Horrible at me (the harp interlude from "everything you ever...") telling me that yet another work-related email demands my attention.  Crap.

Guess I should work after all.  The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can be off to the pool, and the less work I'll need to do tonight between rehearsal and jam making  (Strawberry).

Working for the Weekend....

Ugh.  The aforementioned "all hell" broke loose on me today.  I shall be working all weekend.

I have to finish the power point for Tuesday, a document to accompany it, a letter to our incoming students describing the contents of their admissions packet,review the graduation program (and make a list of corrections), write an announcement and application for our new faculty scholarship, and do whatever else gets thrown at me over the weekend.

Who said it gets easier when the semester ends?

A furious alchemy

I got this amazing book for Christmas.  Ever since, I have been addicted to the delicious science of jam-making.

There's really something terribly soothing about looking into the pink, frothy abyss of boiling mashed strawberries and making your kitchen smell like Jamba juice.

And it's reasonably easy on the hands.

Those of you who were around before the RA really took over remember how much I love to bake.  Perfecting the subtle chemistry of a light cake or a creamy cheesecake has the same delights.  Unfortunately, baking requires a lot more lifting, pouring, and manual dexterity-type of prep.

But no, I am NOT giving you my chocolate Bailey's cheesecake recipe or my no-fail Red Velvet Cupcakes.  Someday I will bake again, and those puppies are all mine.

So while I can't bake like a fiend, my inner domestic goddess satifies herself with jam, 3 or 4 little jars at a time.

Today's experiment: Strawberry Kiwi.... So far so good.  Pictures later!

Picture Pages!

Lots of new pics up at Flickr! Including from my recent zoo trip with my students.

Picture Pages!

Lots of new pics up at Flickr! Including from my recent zoo trip with my students.

My own private Idaho Strawberry Festival

About half of last year's strawberry plants survived the little brown digging machine otherwise known as the Dachshund puppy, and we are reaping the benefits.

More on Flickr! Including pictures of the Strawberry and Strawberry Kiwi jam.

Spare a kind thought...

...and a prayer if you're so inclined, for friend and fellow blogger Oddybobo who lost her sister today in a motorcycle accident.

Love you, girl.  Hang in there.