I’m a talker. I like talking. I like telling stories, making people laugh. I have lots of ideas and I like to share them. But lately, I’m trying to do more listening, to really hear what people are saying and what might be behind those words. The talking I want to do is to ask…

One of the things I’ve always liked about my kids is that they get along. Oh, there are moments where they each get on each other’s nerves, but there is not the constant nagging nor are there moments of sheer meanness that I have seen among some other siblings their age. Geeky Boy was genuinely…

A week from today, the kids go back to school and we begin the crazy schedule thing again. Last year, the kids were on the same schedule, leaving at 8:30, going to an afterschool program and we’d pick them up on our way home between 5:30 and 6:00. This year, all hell breaks loose. First,…

Over the weekend, Mr. Geeky and I celebrated our twelfth anniversary. We had a yard sale and then we went out for dinner. We were pretty exhausted by all the work from the yard sale, so we kept our evening out pretty low key. We stayed local, having dinner, then drove to another restaurant for…

That is the question I’ll be tackling this year in my class and more broadly throughout the college community. It is a question I think all of us in the academic world attempt to answer for ourselves and our students every class we teach. We may be teaching literature or writing or math, but we…

We’re in the transition period, from vacation to school. I, of course, had to jump right in less than 24 hours after our return. The kids and Mr. Geeky get a slower transition. But it’s a little rough going. The kids have shared a room for the last two weeks, had people around to play…

Over the last couple of days, when people have asked me how things are going as the semester approaches, I inevitably tell them about my teaching a class and working on the dissertation. At this point, their mouths drop open and they ask, “How do you do it?” I explain that it’s really not that…

I think a lot of us did this last year as well. I’m planning a Teaching Carnival post. I actually have lots to think about as I get involved in teaching as a broader issue across campus. But you’ll have to wait for that. For now, I have just the resolutions for the coming academic…

Oh, those horrible essays we had to write (neatly!). Who can possibly pack in everything about vacation into one of those. I spent two weeks at the same place with two different sets of people and one constant set. The first week I was with my family–father, stepmother and stepbrother. The second week with Mr.…

Finally returned from a looong vacation, but still seems too short. There’s lots to tell, and a few pictures (before the camera broke). As soon as I settle in a bit, I’ll give you more info. Man, I can’t believe I have to work tomorrow. Please consider donating to my efforts in the Susan G.…