Jo's Miscellany

so it's a boring LJ entry. deal.

the tv cameras and reporters are back, everyone's busy busy busy around here, lots to do, lots to talk about. Part of me would really rather not be here, and the rest of me is reminding myself that I have *other* things to concentrate on besides 'what's going on outside my apartment door'.

This fire thing has been upsetting for me, but the effects I feel are nothing compared to what others are going through. I have no right to complain whatsoever.

Therefore, in spite of the drama outside, I have nothing exciting to report.

I got a lot done last night, lesson-planned this morning early, and am trying to do everything necessary tonight. Got a take-home midterm today from Dr. Taleghani (goody GOODY), so I'm seriously NOT regretting my choice to stay home this holiday weekend. I have enough to accomplish, for certain.

One of these moments I'm going to get up the balls to email Dr. Dreessen and find out if I can still turn in my Walther paper. Yes, in Germany. Still not done. Still not begun, actually. I have half a mind to talk to Dr. Keel to see if I can test into it. In fact, I think I have to... but we'll see.

I may have shot myself in the foot here, but right now there's nothing I can do but try to put one foot in front of the other (shot foot), and go with what happens.

If nothing else, they'll have it in the fall, and I'm here in the fall. Probably will want a review of all that anyway.

Oh, and I did go work out today. Apparently I can read 5 pages of single-spaced small-type German literary text in 20 minutes on the elliptical machine.

[crossposted to both the blog and the livejournal]

In the shadow of Katrina and Rita, a single fire seems a minor concern. For my neighbors, it wasn't.

At about 1:30 this morning I witnessed the burning of an apartment building about 50 yards from my front door. The aftermath was shocking. The building went up and was completely in flames within 30 minutes, and possibly less than that.

It wasn't my building, but as I could feel the heat from my front door.

I had looked at an apartment in that same building when I moved in, and decided against it because the kitchen was too cramped.

There have been camera crews, reporters, firemen, police, news helicopters, ambulances and utility repair vehicles all over this place today. Coming back to my apartment felt like checking onto Patch Barracks; I was stopped (even when I came on foot from the bus stop) by policemen, wanting to know who I was and if I lived here. The roadblocks have been disassembled now, but most of the crews are still working.

This post will likely be edited: I have much more to tell, but a dose of normalcy is called for. I'm probably going out with my sister and Viki, when Becca calls back in a few minutes.

Mine are not even friends-only-public right now. If you want to know, ask me. Email, IM, whatever. If I can tell you, I will.

Suffice to say, I'm surviving. Life in general is good, even wonderful at times, and I'm grateful for those blessings in my life. I'm usually aware of them, and consciously try to think about them when I catch myself in a foul mood.

Trouble is, I'm still letting those areas of lacking dominate my thinking. I stare into that abyss much too much to actually say I'm really happy.

I can't just sit here and say nothing, so this is what I wrote. It's not much, but it's a start.

A mere four weeks after finishing the semester in Germany, the new semester in the U.S. is starting. I've been really surprised -- despite the short break, I don't feel like I haven't had a vacation in these four weeks. I suppose it's because they have been jam-packed with activity of all sorts, including a relatively massive amount of travel. (Well, not as massive as a European tour, but still.) What with moving from Germany to West Memphis, then from West Memphis to Lawrence, there was plenty. I've also seen more people in more places than I normally would in a three-week span.

The routine that I normally fall into has not yet shown up, but it has left its calling card on my door once or twice. With adding teaching to my schedule this semester I will certainly have to regulate my time more thoroughly -- essentially making me more German than my Southern self could have imagined.

Normally I would bemoan the overlarge energy expenditure that such organization would surely require, but in the last few days I have not felt that way. On the contrary, I have become aware in several instances of a feeling of... dedication. Motivation. It may be that I have found where I belong, found what really excites me and keeps me going. I certainly hope that is the case.

I found myself wondering if a teacher would excuse my lateness occasionally to 9:30 class if I had to stay with a student after my class that ends at 9:20. Where are my priorities? I think that says it.

Other than my internet service seems to be cutting in and out on me, nothing is really ruffling my feathers right now.

Well, on to other things for tonight. I have a textbook to look at and a syllabus to read before I hit the sack tonight.

Well, SBC has been a complete and utter B-U-T-T for the last six weeks now... My dad is a Methodist minister and my parents live in a parsonage provided by the church. For some reason, the monster-company can't get it through their thick skulls that the parsonage is NOT a business... So, since they keep insisting that my folks pay the (much higher) business rates for internet, and my parents are so not interested in that, there is no internet at the house. I have to go other places to get access, and therefore, post here.

So, while I'm at my grandmother's this morning, I thought I'd check in.

The flight was long, but actually good. I got to Stuttgart airport at 6 a.m. with the help of Lyndsey (thanks, chica!) and go to check in. My flight is full, they say, but I can get on a flight with KLM (my favorite provider so far) that is will make my trip Stuttgart-Amsterdam-Memphis instead of Stuttgart-Paris-Cincinatti-Memphis. This is perfectly fine with me, so I take it. Then she says: hurry, it leaves in 20 minutes. So I do, and I make it. Goodbyes are short, but sufficient, and I make it on the plane with five minutes to spare.

After four hours of a six-hour layover in Amsterdam, I go through the rigamarole and go to the desk to get my seat assignment, where I am told that this flight is ALSO overbooked. They just manage to get me on the flight, though, and I get home a mere 30 minutes later than my original flight would have.

Nick (lionbard) came through Memphis next day, and we met for barbeque (oh, how I missed it!) after Mom and I got our hair cut in Jonesboro. Nick stayed at the house for a while before heading on towards Tucson. We had a really good visit, and he of course liked the little present I got him in Germany. (The man's more of a chocoholic than I am! And that's saying a lot!)

Got to see Kit (bluecanarykit) in Jonesboro Saturday; we went to Grammary's house (where I am now) and I invited her to come too. She and I went out driving around for an hour or so while Mom and Grammary watched a movie, so we got a little girl time. I'll be spending the night out there on Friday for some more good girl time, and hopefully also some good work-on-Blue-Canary time as well. :)

Sunday was church with Mom, Dad getting home from the conference in Alabama that he left for on Friday, and general laying-around. An ice cream social at church that night (wow, can those ladies make goodies!) was a good close to the day and the weekend.

Yesterday was a productive one; I took care of what phone business I could in one day, which, turns out, was quite a lot. I can officially get into the apartment on Sunday 7 August, and pay the deposits, etc., on Monday morning. That will save the cost of a hotel and take care of the kitty when we drive in on Sunday evening. Utilities are taken care of; address is changed at the bank; GTA contract sent to the German department and they know about it; tenative schedule given to Dr. Talighani so she can make the teaching schedules; the mess with the deposit from my room in Germany is a step closer to being resolved.

After all that I drove to Jonesboro and went to the Elks to sing karaoke with my grandmother. :) It was good to see her having such a good time. :)

So, this morning I'll be driving to Heber Springs to visit Granddaddy and Suphap, as well as to relieve them of my junk that they have so graciously stored in a closet in the spare room since I came home at Christmas. It will be good to see them both again, and maybe Suphap will teach me to cook another Thai dish. :)

Can't guarantee another update before Friday or so, and even then I may get distracted at Kit's house. Still, you never know. So, until then...

My last class was today! Whoo hooo!

I now am the proud holder of 3 Scheine, with two more to earn and one to be picked up next week. My last test (and the only one remaining) will be on Thursday July 21, 9:45 a.m.

In other news, I move out of my room officially (they come to check it) on Wednesday, July 27 at 3 p.m. They'll come by to check the condition of furniture, etc, on the 21st at 1 p.m.

Things are moving... and so am I, in two weeks. Thank goodness for Dory, and being able to stay at her house! I might even take some of my things over there early, if she doesn't mind...

I tell you what, I'd say I can't believe I've done it again, but I have.

No, not IT. Just plain 'it'.

I've managed to overload myself again, and I'm not stopping here. I have a paper to write in the next two weeks and rehearsals out the wazoo and and and. So, I get about a 30 minute breather at home before rushing off to rehearsal again tonight, and I would really like a nap. Well, that will happen tonight sometime. ;)

I've been reading more assignments in the train, which has been good. Now to get ahead of things and read the assignments before the day they're due. :)

Oh, and I'm sorry if I haven't posted comments to some of your LJs, all you dear folks who name me friend. I have taken time to write, but not to comment, and that's generally not-nice of me. I have been reading your LJs though, at least when I get on here. You're in my thoughts, every one.

*hugs* to you all.

Yeah, it's a better day now, despite the fact that it's tomorrow.

Had a nice little chat with walterka tonight... she was concerned for me, and after reading the last couple posts, I don't blame her. I appreciate you checking up on me, chica. *smiles*

After putting one foot in front of the other and doing what I was supposed to do today (go to class, do homework, etc.) I feel 200% better than I did this morning/yesterday. I still am not so bubbly-happy as to not think about things, but I am not moping nearly as low as I had been. I also got random IMs today from two other friends, and that cheered me up a good bit. (thanks to Gary and Tim for that!)

I also watched Ella Enchanted today... an enjoyable bit of fluff that Dory lent to me over the weekend. It was a nice brainless thing to do this afternoon instead of brooding. Much better for me, too.

I started to say I wouldn't bitch about my singleness here, but, well, it's my LJ, dammit. ;) Actually, today it's not that bad. I still don't feel comfortable in my own skin, but I've had a pleasant day and evening, with some lively chats and interesting class meetings.

Oh, and I got a Greek Euro coin in my change today. That one's a keeper. :)

I also registered for The Face Book due to an advertisement catching me unawares (this time it was in a comment on saxysai's LJ)... Realizing that I have put myself on a website with a bunch of early 20s sounds a little odd at times, but hey. At least I will be able to keep up with Katie, Ragnar and Nikki after we leave Stuttgart. *shrugs* Besides, I did find one of the German grad students on there...Joerg, of course. Well, I'll have four friends at least. ;)

Okay, it's quite a ways into tomorrow now... I think it's bedtime, even though bluecanarykit just came online. I do have class tomorrow, and I'm sure I need to read for it...

and it does, and it's good...

I'd been in a bit of a funk for the last couple of days, mainly because I was having trouble accepting the fact that, yes, indeed, I really do need to be single just now. When I say "having trouble", the best translation is "fighting tooth and claw". My ego wants to be impatient, but my heart knows better.

I don't know whether or not I have given up fighting completely, but the fact remains that I feel a great deal better today, and I'm getting excited about going back to school in the fall. I get to see first hand whether or not I really want to spend my life in a classroom or not. ;)

I have also been thinking ahead a bit, to the PhD program I will more than likely want to start as soon as the Master's degree is in my hand. I just started looking... so far the program that looks best on paper is Medieval Studies at Cornell. It is both an established program (begun 1968) and an interdisciplinary one - in fact, they require students to have at least one minor outside of their major field. Sounds like heaven to me. *grin*

I'm still looking at other programs elsewhere, but I know I will at least be visiting Cornell sometime in the next year (once I'm back in the States, that is).

Oh, and as blogged this morning... I finished my Old French translation assignment in record time. I'm getting excited about this!

After and up-and-down day, I get home, have a good chat with Tim today, and I get back on balance. It's nice to have friends who will listen to me vent and then offer their own wisdom, such as today's selection:

Just have fun. Life is simple -- it's people who make it complicated.

To top it all off, iTunes just played two Stevie Wonder tunes for me... just what I needed to get out of the minor funk I found myself in.