Hoy Es El Dia de San Valentin

Sorry for lack of updates. The past weeks seem to have been a whirlwind of activity, even though only two major events have occurred:

1. Evan suffered a bout of pneumonia, which kept him out of school for a week... which means all his caregivers, between here and Troy, nursed him through another course of antibiotics (no diaper rash this time), and 4-a-day breathing treatments (which he'll be on in decreasing amounts, until mid-March).

I am glad to report that he is feeling much better and returned to school on Monday.

2. Andrew successfully defended his doctoral dissertation on Monday, 2/12. His committee asked him to make some changes to the introduction, but despite those revisions-- which are due to the graduate school in March-- I guess the title "Dr." still applies.

We felt very thankful to have Dr. Gary Murphy, of Dublin City University, here as part of Andrew's committee. We were also glad to see our very dear friend Matt McCabe, who drove 7 hours from Milwaukee to witness the defense and to spend a few short days with us.

All Big Things considered, life goes on as usual. It is a great relief for both Andrew and I (maybe more myself, in some ways) to be rid of that bitch, the dissertation. Now begins a whole new period of uncertainty, as we play, in full force, the how-long-do-we-have-to-wait-for-a-tenure-track job game.

3. I had a wee epiphany today in my Life Skills class during a student presentation. And no, you have not mis-read what I just wrote. Typically, when teachers learn great things from their students, it isn't in a class where the average GPA is a 0.14.

Well, here's what happened: the students were presenting a chapter about finding dreams, setting goals, and maintaining motivation. I really sort of suck at all three of those things-- despite my great ability to project otherwise. I'm not always the best person for investigating what all my options are: I tend to let life wander up to me, and then just go along with choices that present themselves. Lucky for me a lot of these things have been potential CV-builders. But anyway, here's what I came up with: 1) I like to cook-- I've often thought someone should pay me for it; 2) I like to write-- I've often thought someone should pay me to do it; 3) I like to teach-- I get paid for it, but I grow weary of politics, egos, and other not-so-student-centered things that go along with teaching in higher ed.

Couldn't I combine these interests into a literary-themed party-planning catering business? In other words, aren't there rich people who really like to read (and fancy themselves true intellectuals) who want to have book clubs but really don't have the time to organize meetings and such? I could do everything from sending out invitations and copies of a certain book (along with discussion questions), to cooking a thematically-appropriate menu (Irish food for Joyce-- or Patrick Kavanagh); roadside diner-type food for Kerouac's On The Road; to leading a discussion about the work. I think Oprah-watching types would really go for this.

Why I never thought of this potentially-lucrative career before I do not know.

4. Let's love one another, after all, it is Valentine's Day.