Trees, books, and anxiety

I helped mom put up her Christmas tree yesterday - it looks beautiful as usual and I was saddened to have to leave. Spending the week with her always makes me miss the old days when I lived at home. She came back to the dorm with me and we put up my Christmas tree - it's a cheapie little $20 one but it is pretty. You can see a pic of it on the previous post - its a pic from the past year - but it's the same tree.

I am working hard at the presentation for Rhetorical theory - but I wonder if I started too late. I volunteered to present this Thursday, but I'm almost kicking myself for that. My ideas are in such a jumble. Tomorrow night I'm out a couple hours because of meetings and Tuesday too. Wednesday will have to be my saving day - but I hate doing something last minute. And then I have to find time for grading my last papers. I need to have them done before we start panel-presentations in my class. Oh the time - i miss time. If you have seen any extra hours laying around - please place them inside an envelope and send them my way. I really need the help.

Anxiety - it goes without saying. Here's a list:

Grandpa - sick
Mom - Cancer check-up
Grades
Finals - German
Presentation
Time, or lack of it
RA job
RA Evals
Res Evals
Teaching Evals
Story - Chloe
Money
Bills
Bills Bills
Car
RA T-Shirts
EVALS - don't forget, they're due the 2nd! (personal note, sorry)
GA paperwork before 15 Grad credits
CW II preparation
LDR
Phones

oH bOY oH bOY

It is that time again - more than half my residents have gone home for the Holiday and I have invited three people to the Thanksgiving dinner this week. This should be a very busy Thanksgiving dinner hehehe.

It's still snowing - it never seems to stop. It's not all that cold either - but there is a windchill that goes right through your clothes and makes you wanna cry. (cold wind = watery eyes)

I have been reading about collaborative learning and groups all day - finally having narrowed down my thesis for Rhetorical Thoery with Dr. Morgans help. I had three previous pages of different theses that I had been working with - trying to get the wording right so I could find the information I needed and not have a pile of unnecessary info.

I have to say, my fishy, Bilbo, is very manly. An aggressive manly-ness. He's making this huge nest for my little statue (it has crystals and its colorful) and he also flares at *anything* pressed against the tank. Even when he gets fed, he flares out at the food and attacks it. I wouldn't want to put my finger in there. Ever see those Pirannah movies? *shiver* Scary! At least he's active - especially after that cold window accident =/

I have a thought on Michael Jackson..... WTF?!

I am in a total Christmas spirit - CRAZY!
http://cal.bemidjistate.edu/english/alindahl/images/ayaroom.jpg

sadness and excitement

I have been watching my next semester class fill up with students and have found only about half of my current students were able to get into my class. I have already recieved a few e-mails wishing they could be added somehow. But, it's not going to happen. There was no list and I can't push out any currently signed up students. I'm going to have to recommend some teachers for CWII and let them go - even though I am attached to them. I have begun to see exactly how and what they write, thier individual tastes and styles. It's very exciting to be able to read an essay and know right away who it was that wrote it.

I am very excited about next year, however. There is so much to plan and get ready for to integrate my ideas into the CWII course and see how it all works out. Hopefully those students who did not know it was a specialized course will not be disappointed. Perhaps, perhaps not.

I have been horribly busy the last week and have been in and out of my room. I have missed so many phone calls that I come home to find tons of messages. For those that are out there that have been trying to get a hold of me, I am still alive. Just bogged down - which hasn't lessened yet, since this weekend is going to be a horrific one in which I am going to study for the duration of the next few days. But first, a trek to the movie theatre to catch "Gothika" which came out today. Whoot!

Procrastination is like....

Yes, I am bad. I waited until the week it was due to write my fairy tale. The good news is that I did have it all ready in outline form and just needed to get through the writing process itself. honestly - I do better under pressure. Don't tell my students that.

I wrote a total of 28 pages yesterday and today I edited. And it is another of the Chloe Pinglehoff stories. Maybe someday I can get them published - But I am never fully happy with my editing and writing to take such a step. Who knows - maybe when I die they will be discovered. hehe

I have a Garfield and Odie on my window now. I took down the Peanuts one of Snoopy and Linus in the pumpkin patch. Now I have Garfield trying to use Odie as a Christmas tree. It took a while to draw, but when I was done I was happy with the results.

I found a great site for anyone who lives in the dorms http://www.reslifecomics.com/ . Check it out sometime!

Bilbo is doing fine - he is swimming around as we speak and eyeballing me as if I am supposed to feed him. Well, he doesn't get fed until tomorrow - poor 'lil guy.

It's Aspens Birthday today. If you see her, say hi! Were headed out to Applebees tonight at 7pm - and then I have my Oak Hall Staff meeting - which lasts until 11pm. So my night has been doled out.

Fishy Alert

I have now permanantly moved my fishtank far far away from the window. Yesterday morning I woke up to find him curled up in the corner - and when I dipped my finger into the water - I found out why. It was flippin' cold!! Poor guy was trying to stay warm.

So I ran from the kitchen - back and forth - with warm water and stirred him around until he was conscious and frisky again. Now, he sits next to my little coffee pot - next to the couch. Poor Bilbo =-(

Ohh, I should go to the Union and see if Aspen is around. I need to go eat lunch - I'll go see if she's there.