I am still a geek

I have been much more geek adjacent than full geek lately.

Then, tonight, I was cooking dinner, and as I was smashing the tomatoes in the skillet for my fantastic homemade tomato sauce, one of the tomatoes exploded and I got hit by flying, superheated tomato juice.

The first thing I thought was, "OOOOWWWW!"

Then next thing I thought was, "Splash damage."

And then I decided to figure out how much damage flying, superheated tomato juice would do.

I am still a geek.

Oh, and 1d2.

12 Big Things for 2012

1. Buy new mattress for our bed. Ours is ten years old and slumpy.
2. Finish the basement.
3. Fence the backyard.
4. GeekBoy and I take a real vacation, sans Cooper.
5. GeekBoy and I take a real vacation with Cooper.
6. Plant a tree that is at least as tall as I am.
7. Laugh more than I did last year.
8. Make an item of clothing - not an accessory - and wear it.
9. Read thirty books for fun.
10. Try thirty new recipes.
11. Find a new poet to adore.
12. Do something completely spontaneous and unexpected.

Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We decided not to go anywhere and just stay home so we could all (read:me) sleep as much as we wanted and finally get feeling better.

My annual pledge to not spoil Cooper was once again a total failure, and was helped out even more by loving aunts and uncles who treat him like one of their own. Let's just say I think I could set up a Playmobil store in my living room and leave it at that.

People always say it is better to give than to receive, and at Christmas I especially believe that. Watching Geekboy and Cooper open presents that I spent a lot of time thinking about, and how happy and excited they were was great.  Of course, they also did wonderfully in their choice of presents for me. True love is 180 pounds of fancy birdseed.

Next year, we're going to go spend Christmas with my family. That was the one thing that I really missed over the holidays, was my family and all the noise and crazy and cooking and laughing until you cry and new books that you steal from people when they set them down that goes along with my family.

Little Eyes

Sometimes you never know what your child is actually paying attention to. It's been a rough few months healthwise. Tonight, Cooper was saying his prayers, and he said, "Please bless Momma, that her body will get all clean." He says something is all clean when it is working right.

I managed to not cry in front of him.

I am a legend in my own time

From a student evaluation:
"This class was as awful and painful as everyone's says."

I am not familiar with Everyone's says, but apparently, it's pretty bad.

On a serious note, I do agree with all of the "How could this class be made better" comments. Every once in a while, you do have the random student that goes off on you, but in general, I have been impressed with the ability of my students to offer substantive feedback on what works and what doesn't in a class.

I have a hard time relaxing

I declared this morning that today was going to be my day to relax. It helped that I slept in until a little after 10:00am. At that point, why not declare a day off.

But instead, I wrapped ALL the presents. Two hours and four rolls of wrapping paper later, that was done. I love finishing off a roll of wrapping paper.

Then I decided to start sewing gifts for people. It turns out that, though I can make a stuffed shark with no pattern, I have problems sewing rectangles together. I am not sure what my problem is. Maybe I will wait until after Christmas to craft things.

Oh well, maybe tomorrow I will relax

End of the semester

I finished up all the semester end stuff today and a bunch of administrative stuff as well.

I went grocery shopping and got real food for my family, so we aren't surviving on leftovers.

And then I got home and realized I had left all my work I need to do over the break in my office. Grrr.

O break, where are thou?

Theoretically, my break starts tomorrow. Realistically, all day tomorrow will be spent in my office finishing up grading, writing letters of recommendation, and finishing up all the administrative tasks that I have to do. I honestly cannot imagine what it must be like to be heavily involved in administration.

Classes start again on January 4th. I have almost nothing done for my syllabi for next semester. One of them is for a class I am drastically reworking; another for a class I've never taught before.

Oh, and I have a conference paper I was planning on writing over the break, too.

Hmm. This does not seem very break-like to me.

My take on a Christmas Classic

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Professor Version

It's the most wonderful time of the year!
With the students appealing the grades they're receiving, 
"What's with this F?"
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

It's the hap-happiest season of all!
The finals aren't graded, the faculty's jaded,
And students I've not seen since fall!
It's the hap-happiest season of all!

There'll be stories of sickness
And grandmas who've kicked it
And slide-offs into the snow.
Academic suspension and
Scholarship tension and
Homework from long, long ago!


It's the most wonderful time of the year
My patience is fading,
I'll finish my grading
When students aren't here!
It's the most wonderful time of the year!

There'll be technology crashes
And tears on the lashes,
And deadlines that they didn't know.
The roommate's psychotic,
The boyfriend's hypnotic and
He just would not let her goooooooo!


It's the most wonderful time of the year
There is much celebrating 
I've finished my grading 
And I'm on my break! It's the most wonderful time
It's the most wonderful time
It's the most wonderful time
It's the most wonderful time of the year!


Honestly, I love about 99% of my students.  And I love the other 1% because it's a commandment. Every once in a while, I just have to write a song. It's who I am.

I love my job

GeekBoy: How do you deal with coworkers who say stupid political stuff?

Me: I work with political science professors. They don't say stupid political stuff.

GeekBoy: Oh, yeah.

The Princess and the Pea

Last night was bad. As I was laying in bed, I could feel something digging painfully into my side. I rolled over onto my back so I could look to see what it was. There was nothing on the bed, and as I ran my hand down my side trying to see if I had something under my night shirt, I realized I had been laying on a wrinkle in my shirt.

I have never felt more like a princess in my life.

Yes, this.

Everyone needs to read this.

Doctor appointment

We have run out of treatment options.

Let's put you on something you tried in the past, but at a higher dose.

Do you need a re-fill on your pain meds?

*sigh*

I love my body

1. My body is not actively trying to kill me.
2. My eyes allow me to see beauty every day.
3. I have a beautiful singing voice.
4. My body bore two beautiful children.
5. My ears hear my husband say, "I love you."
6. My body lets me hug my kid, tuck him into bed, and give him good night kisses.
7. I have lips that are the color and shape that most women try to get with lipstick.
8. My fibromyalgia means I am on so many medications that I can't donate blood, so I don't have to feel guilty about not donating.
9. I have gorgeous blue eyes, that I passed on to Cooper.
10. I have three little moles in the center of my back that form a tiny triangle. I'm grateful for that because if I ever get decapitated, I'll still be easy to identify.

Gratitude

1. Chocolate
2. Health Insurance
3. Laughter
4. A healthy kid
5. Pain meds
6. My husband who takes care of me without a complaint
7. The priesthood
8. Home teachers who care
9. Down blankets
10. Avocado
11. Books
12. My family
13. My kindle
14. Temple covenants
15. Glasses
16. Electricity
17. Heaters
18. Purple
19. Passion
20. Snickerdoodles
21. My grandpa who converted to our faith
22. Birdsong
23. Garden swings
24. Sunshine
25. Rain storms
26. Teaching
27. Learning
28. Love
29. Truth
30. Wendell Berry
31. Gainful employment
32. Meaningful employment
33. My mom's fudge
34. Christmas lights
35. Hedgehogs
36. Fuzzy socks
37. Friendship
38. My son that died
39. The resurrection
40. Sharpies
41. Notebooks
42. Donut holes
43. Faith
44. The desire to achieve
45. Candles
46. Cuddling
47. Music that you can sing along to at the top of your lungs
48. Music that inspires
49. Libraries
50. C.S. Lewis
51. Aldo Leopold
52. The Pacific Ocean
53. The Snake River
54. Redwood Trees
55. Bald Eagles
56. My cat
57. The scent of lilac blooming in the spring
58. Cruise control
59. The spot on my husband's stomach that is the perfect pillow for my head when I have had a bad day.
60. Poetry
61. BBC miniseries
62. The internets
63. My siblings
64. My parents
65. Toenail polish 
66. Barefoot weather
67. Craft supplies
68. Bookshelves
69. Streaming video
70. Indoor water fights
71. Falling in love over and over again
72. Inspiration
73. Revelation
74. Snuggling puppies at the pet store to stave off my "need something cute and little" urges
75. A husband who thinks it is sexy when I am smart
76. Happy rocks
77. Purple hippos
78. Having been married long enough to say, "Remember when...?"
79. Lip gloss
80. Massages
81. Nutella
82. Everything bagels with whipped cream cheese
83. Bountiful Baskets
84. Bacon
85. Geek webcomics
86. Fantasy novels
87. Indoor plumbing
88. Cute hair clippies
89. King Benjamin
90. Washing machines and dryers

My fibromyalgia and headache has been worse than normal lately. I have a doctor's appointment Tuesday. We'll see if we can make any more medication changes or if anything else can be done. My body feels like it is holding me hostage anymore, so I am going to see if I can come up with ten things about my body for which I am grateful, because I can't make myself be grateful for the fibromyalgia. Yet.

1. My fingernails that look like I have a french manicure with no effort
2. My intellect
3. Hair that grows superfast so I have no fear about doing weird things to it because if it doesn't work it will just grow back out.
4.