finding the axis again

Today wasn't a great day, really. I gave my first grammar test. Circle the subject. Label the parts of speech. And it was a long, hot ride home too, the landscape seemed slanted, off its axis, not quite earth-leveled as it should have been.

But when I got back into Athens and pulled into the parking spot at my apartment, I saw the neighbor girl who lives with her parents across from us. Four years old, Japanese, builder of flawless sandcastles on the volleyball court before smashing them with her white, Mary Jane sandals.

And as I was pulling in, I saw that she was on the deck, waving. At first, it didn't seem like to anyone in particular, and also it seemed like to just me alone. As I got out of my car, she yelled, "hello," and I said, "hi there."

She started to move in circles, and her blue dress made a bell around her waist.

She yelled, "My name is Akiko," to which I yelled back, "My name is Jessica."

Then, as I started to climb the stairs to the second floor, she rounded the balcony and looked right at me.

"You're here!!!!!" she squealed.

Her mother came outside, nodded her head, smiled, and they both went inside. I unlocked my door and went into my apartment.

It's amazing, really, how fast a bad day can turn around on itself. And who is capable of doing that turning.

one of those days

I wanted to get some writing done today, but I don't feel that well. It may be because while I was working out, some guys were painting the door to the small workout room, so I was inhaling fumes for about an hour while I was on the elliptical. Why was it taking so long to paint a door? I have no idea. Then again, it could just be one of those days.

For those of you in Ohio right now, this will sound insane, but I really miss the rain and clouds. It hasn't rained here in about a month, and as I did grow up in the cloudiest city in the world, I sort of miss a little gray or two.

I think I also might be grumpy because I haven't bought any new music lately. Though the last thing was Kate Havnevik and I've gotten a lot of miles on that CD. I was trying to find a video on youtube of her singing "Timeless" but all I could find were various Grey's Anatomy montages. But for the sake of hearing a rad song, take a look at this:



Oh, I know what will cheer me up. In honor of blogger adding the video feature--here is one of my favorite videos. ever.



We're going to baby sit a few dogs this weekend in Suwanee, so I'm going to try to take some videos on my cam. Nothing like spending hours and hours editing dog movies on ivideo instead of prepping for classes!

this place

In some ways, north Georgia is like a lot of places I've been to along the way. My drive to Gainesville every day reminds me a lot of Bloomington, Indiana. I always thought that the best thing about IU, other than the limestone, was the surrounding farms and quarries. Every day things with every day people, I guess. So regardless of the tedium that is grammar workbooks and parts of speech exercises, there really is something wonderful about this place. It's very different from NE Ohio, which I always miss when I leave. But I think I can find a placeholder here, so to speak. I'll try to take some more pictures to show you what I mean.

McSweeney's

I Am At Work, Wearing My Clothes

and

The Byronic Woman

and finally

Titles from Dr. Seuss's Brief Foray Into Realism

Flying Kamikaze Maki

Well the first day of classes has come and gone and I'm still here to write about it. I probably won't that much though. I was telling Kelly how pleasantly shocked I was to discovery how polite everyone was. I was getting ma'am-ed all over the place, and it was really nice, actually. Though any attention that I pay to it just singles me out even more as a yank.

I always feel more nervous going into composition classes. Much more than creative writing, in fact, because I know that no one wants to be there. I didn't want to be there when I was at IU. But I'm going to try my best to make it fun for everyone. And hopefully the ma'ams will keep rolling in.

Tonight we're going to go out downtown I think, maybe soak up a little bit of the Athens madness. I have to admit that I much prefer college towns in the summer, when I don't have to wait for my maki at Ru Sans or for a Kellerbier at Copper Creek.

Oh, and this is about as close as I'll ever come to getting married. Other than the middle name, it looks like I've done pretty well for myself.

rescue shift

My mother's family are West Virginia coal miners. But I've never known that life. My dad's family--Pittsburgh steel. I never really thought about the mining life until I started to write poetry. But there must be something, even just one small molecule in everyone that has coal mining in their blood, that takes you right back there. Anyway, this really isn't a time for sentimentality. But I thought I would put up this picture of some Slovak miners, and a Welsh miner prayer, just for a little hope for the miners who are caved in, maybe entombed now, and those men and women who are sacrificing everything to get them out.

The Coal Miners prayer.
By W.Calvert

Each dawn as we rise, lord we know all to well,
We face only one thing - a pit filled with hell.
To scratch out a living the best that we can,
But deep in the heart, lies the soul of a man.

With black covered faces, and hard calloused hands,
We work the dark tunnels, unable to stand.
To labour and toil as we harvest the coals,
We silently pray "lord please harvest our souls".

on excitement

Today, as I carefully set out my outfit for back to school tomorrow, it was very clear to me that I am turning into my mother, a woman who irons a week's worth of her school outfits every Sunday afternoon with Catholic precision, and who starts packing for vacations at least a week before the departure date. And there's something really comforting about this fact, the inherited sense of excitement played out in organization and preparation, attention to the details of even the most mundane.

My syllabi are finished, my copies are being run at Kinkos, and now all of a sudden I'm feeling those familiar flutters that can only mean school is starting again. It brings me back to myself at five years old, awake early and dressed at 4am, clutching the Crayola briefcase my mom had packed the night before with pencils and crayons, and an eraser that smelled like a factory of glittery Strawberry Shortcake dolls. That was 22 years ago. Not much has changed.

mojo

I knew it was coming--the wave of students returning to Athens for the fall. But it really didn't sink in until today, at Kroger, when I saw the hundreds of shopping carts rolling through the aisles, filled with ramen and natty light. I overheard one young gentleman tell his friends--no, seriously, you can buy that loose meat stuff right there and smash it together in a patty and it makes a cheeseburger. Good god, they get younger and younger, and preciouser and preciouser, don't they? Our cart was pretty full too, including all of the new stuff Women's Health suggests as part of the mid-day meal strategy. Mojo bars are the ish. Especially if you like pretzels or peanut butter or pretty much anything delicious.

offer a glimpse

Looking forward to teaching:

extra splicy

I'm writing syllabi. Feeling overwhelmed since school starts on Thursday. Is it inappropriate to include, don't be an idiot?

hot hot hot

Every day, when I see the heat warning on the news, I like to look at the government website, noaaa, to see what the "it feels like this temperature" temperature is. Today it was 130 degrees. Yeah.

Obviously, the only thing we had left to do was to go shop, until we heat-dropped.

party


study


clean


meditate


libate

Old Hog Mountain Road

Some things I saw today on my way up to Gainesville:

1. A man in a yellow tee shirt walking through an overgrown field, his arms outstretched.

2. Two dead geese like question marks, necks snapped.

3. Sign: Old Hog Mountain Road.

4. Four cows huddled under the afternoon shade-side of a Hawthorn.

5. Sign: Hatchery, turn right.

6. A hitched boat, Lady Lady, rattling on toward Lake Lanier.

passed the time with crosswords

update

Here is a mini update. I'm going to be teaching at Gainesville State next year. It's about an hour north of here, but really, I would drive 10 hours a day to be able to teach. Also, I have to decide on a non-fiction book to teach. I've taught War is a Force that Give Us Meaning twice and I'm heading there again. But I'm definitely looking for non-fiction suggestions. What are your favorite non-fiction books. What non-fiction books could you teach/ or have?

made for each other

Today, Sarah participated in what I feel to be a true rite in the modern world: she bought her first macbook. It's tax free weekend in Georgia, so she got a great deal on top of the education discount. The setup takes about 5 minutes so we had most of the afternoon and evening to play around. Well, really, I spent the time answering the questions...yes, it really is that easy, yes, it really is that cool. Her first desktop widget is called starry starry night, which shows you your night sky and what constellations you're looking at. Now I want another one.

Actually, it's been a good day of news all around. I got hired by a company in D.C that does online educational stuff, curriculum, writing, tutoring etc... and I can work from here so I'm pretty happy right now. Not teaching, but it will keep me sane for a little bit.

freckles