Let the record show

So my stepdaughter was listening in to her stepdad on the phone. And he mentioned going to a strip club. Anyway, SD says "I know about strip clubs." And her mom goes, "How?" And SD says, "IPG." For the record I have never taken her to a strip club. I have never had conversations with her about strip clubs. She and I walked past a strip club when we were in New Orleans. Let the record show I don't talk to nor do I take 11 year old girls to strip clubs.

Been Poaching from Jamie

Ok so I totally stole this from Jamie. :) Sorry. But I am so proud of this kid! She made straight A's last year all year! And this year she made straight A's in her first quarter of six grade! I am so proud of you little girl.

So to my darling SD. Bey and I are proud of you. You are costing us a fortune in good grade gifts. But it is totally worth it.

Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. -Millay

Since I am out of town…just a one nighter actually going home today…I wanted to write about Bey. I miss my guy. He is the person that fills the room up for me. Of course I am thinking about all of this because I am worried he is going to be jetting off to Phoenix without me. I want him to get the job. I know it would be best for us if he were to get the job. I just don't want to be left by myself indefinitely. I can handle life by myself, I lived alone until 2005. But it will be tough to stick it out in Mississippi if my heart is in Phoenix, AZ.

So time for a little introspection…how much of this is I am going to miss him, and how much is me just not wanting to be left behind? I woke up the other morning, and I was ready to move to Phoenix. There is not anything wrong with Mississippi, and I am going to miss so many things about it. One of my favorite things about Mississippi is when you tell people you live there they feel the need to spell it for you, and they can't just spell it "M-I-S-S" etc. They spell it like this "M-I-Crooked Letter-Crooked Letter-I" I love it. I tell people I am from Mississippi all the time just so that they will spell it to me. I am sure I will find little joys like that in Phoenix too, but really that gets me every time.

Dissertation is coming along. Not as rapidly or as completely as I would like. However it is moving…I guess I should be happy that I am chugging along. But mostly I am just impatient. Bey said to me the other day. "I do not know why you are rushing. Lots of people take 7 years to finish." SO help me Bey if you ever utter that phrase around me again…I am going to be a widow. ;) I am rushing because if I stop for a fraction of a second I am going to collapse. I might not get up and get started again which would be a terrible thing. That is truly why I am working so hard. There is no two ways about it.

I am working entirely too much. I really need to be working about 25% less. Other than that my cup runneth over!

I could not be any blonder today if I tried

I have got to get Thanksgiving booked. Everyone is bothering me about it. EVERYONE…MIL, Bey, my mom (who isn't involved at all), SD…the list is endless.

I swear I am going to take care of it THIS WEEK. I have to go out of town for work this week. It is only an overnighter. I will hopefully be able to get back on track with my dissertation after I get home.

I have a few things going on in upcoming weeks. I am going to be going to Birmingham to see some friends. I will be going to Jackson to have some girl time with one of my friends. I am going to a conference. My parents are coming to visit, and I am going to El Paso for Thanksgiving. That gets us right up to the holidays.

It is so fun because I started the year with so much travel, and now I am ending it traveling as well. :)

I love it!

Carpe Diem

It is still gorgeous here. A little cool but still gorgeous so we are taking the boat out. However the day is really starting with a bang because the boat's battery is dead again. The boat's battery pretty much dies all the time. Like around the clock. I hope this isn't going to be one of those boating days…the type of boating days where everyone is a tiny bit snippy. Ah well we will have to go to Columbus, trade out the battery again. But at least the sun is still shining and we can take the boat out.

:)

"Wit is educated insolence." Aristotle

I have had about all of the Y chromosome I can handle lately. I love my guys. Bey, guy friends, family, I love 'em.

But I have had my fill of them lately. I need some girl time. I need to go out to dinner talk about men and shoes.

I need to discuss the movie Sex and the City, and the relative benefits of Mac makeup versus Clinique.

I read a book this week that was so beautiful made me cry in TWO places. Yep definitely needing some girl time.

To remedy this situation I am going to see my friend in Jackson. Her husband travels quite a bit so we will be planning

one of those girls nights.

I am going to glam it up. Lots of makeup and hair…shoes that make my feet cry. Dinner and talking. I am going to talk

until I am sick of talking. I have been talking in my sleep lately…I am taking this as a sign that I need some girl talk time.

So hurray for girls! I am getting my girl night. No Y chromosomes allowed.

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Albert Einstein

The saying goes that if you lie down with dogs you rise up with fleas. Another one of those sayings is you are who you hang around. I overthink things. I know I overthink everything. However do I overthink things because I am an academic or am I an academic because I overthink things?

And why can't I just shut my brain off? I just can't…I think and think and think. I look at everything from 100 different angles. It makes for great insomnia. It makes for great research ideas. I am always full of creative research ideas. But it doesn't leave me with any sanity. After I leave the coffee shop today I want to go somewhere where I can't think. I don't know where that place could be, perhaps a loud rock concert. This might be difficult to find in the middle of the day on a Tuesday.

But back to the original question….do I overthink because I am an academic? Or am I an academic because I overthink? I mentioned a few weeks back about Bey's incredible ability to think nothing. I don't have penis envy…but I sure as heck have Nothing thinking envy. AND get this…I have thought about this phenomena so much…I want to research it. Read some papers on it. Never mind that it isn't in my area.

I need an off button.

Ha! All caught up!

I am sensing a trend! Like last Sunday…I am all caught up on my work. Now I just need to stop watching this stupid movie and go to bed. I love being caught up on my work. I will be implementing operation Coffee Bean tomorrow to help kick start my dissertation process. I will give an update on how the new plan works.

Whooo Hooo Goooo Saints

Today was a fun day at our house. Bey is a RAIDERS fan, and I am a Saints fan. The Saints handled the Raiders! YEAH!!!

At least my Saints took care of business. We will not discuss the Auburn Tigers…having a day of mourning for them.

Also the one and only true love of my life AKA Peyton Manning did AWESOME today too. (This is sort of an inside joke at my house, but I am not joking about my undying devotion to Peyton).

Tomorrow I am not going to change my routine a bit. I have been writing daily at the library. While writing at the library would seem to be ideal. I am mixing it up starting tomorrow. I am going to start writing at a coffee shop near campus. I think it will help jump start my creativity. I just need a bit of a change of scenery. Plus I love coffee shops. I was thinking about working at the Barnes and Noble on campus so I can sit and smell delicious Starbucks and BOOKS. I think those are 2 of the best smells in the world. However I am woman enough to admit that writing in the B and N is just too much temptation. I would be looking at the stacks and buying books every day. So I decided to give myself a sort of compromise.

“Hell is other people” Jean-Paul Sartre

I am having one of those days. Typically I am gregarious. I feel like being around other people. I love having my friends over. I came home last night from Atlanta. I walk in the door…people here. I just wanted to take a bath…but for reasons unknown there is a turtle in my bathtub.

I got some sleep thinking I was just tired and some rest would improve my mood. However I was sorely mistaken. I woke up in the same mood today as I was last night. Frustration over my dissertation…that would be my first reason…other things I am not at liberty to discuss here also could be causing this little mood.

So I am taking the day today. I am taking it back for myself. I am kicking that dang turtle out of the bathtub. Then I am going to watch football. Auburn better not let me down today. I could really use some good news. After a full day of football I should be back to my normal self. If not I will repeat this remedy again tomorrow. Rest…NFL…maybe even a good book. I should be back to something representing normal Monday.

IPG… in how did it get to be Wednesday already?

I woke up shocked that this morning was Wednesday. Where have I been? Obviously in some sort of trance because I don't even remember the week…Just too much going on I believe.

SD's mom called me today. SD doesn't want to trick or treat this year with her brother and sister. Nope! She is trick or treating with her FRIENDS. I want to cry. Why is she growing up so fast, and why is it all happening all at once? I want my little squirt back. My goodness…I held it together while I was on the phone, but I started crying when I hung up. She is going to be …gulp…a teenager.

I am not meeting with my advisor this week because I have to go to Atlanta tomorrow. I am NOT looking forward to the drive. I hope there is enough gas to make it there and back for me. I don't want to get stranded in Georgia.

Work has been stressing me out and p*ssing me off all week. It has just been one stupid thing after the other. I hate stuff that drives me crazy, and makes me do extra work. I also hate when I have to discuss stuff when it doesn't have anything to do with me. I just get randomly LUMPED into that category so I have to discuss. UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Frustration level rising. I think it is all taken care of now. However I am requesting the rest of the week be stress free.

;)

"Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?" Anon

I was unreasonably busy today. However it worked much to my favor as I got a lot of things done. For an anal retentive like to check things off a list person such as myself…this turns into a FAB day. I got so many checks today I even impressed myself. While I was out I had to buy a new dress for my upcoming conference to Atlanta. I was really good though because I bought a dress that matches with shoes I already own. This surely is one in the plus column for me.

I bought some new books today which I am allowed to enjoy because I am on fall break. I already read one of them. I think I talked a few months back about my Richard Matheson kick once I saw "I am Legend." I picked up a few other of his books. Tonight, though I am trying to enjoy the Saints game. I am super jealous that I am not at this game on Monday Night Football.

I should have mentioned this the other day, but forgot. SD had her hair cut for "Locks of Love." Can you imagine what a freaking AWESOME kid I have? My heart hurts I miss her so much. I know I have been dragging my feet about this moving to Phoenix thing, but the idea that I will be able to literally get in my car, and go and see her makes me smile.

I spoke to a very dear friend of mine today…he reads the blog quite frequently. Hello to El Paso…I know you are in a rock/hard pace situation. I wasn't able to continue our conversation today, but you have got to follow your heart on this. Get off your ridiculous emotional roller coaster, and do what is best for you. Last I checked you were not happy. You gotta figure out what it is going to take to get happy, and get there. 3

Finally that brings me to dissertation news. Zip. Zilch. Cero. Zero. None. Didn't even open the document today. And that is ok too. Go Saints!

"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." Oscar Wilde

I am completely done with all my work. My entire inbox is empty. The outbox is full…that is what I call a productive Sunday. Not only that I managed to get work on my dissertation done, I made it to church to the gym, and I cooked my loving spouse a well balanced meal. Feel free to call me super woman.

Bey isn't calling me anything other than probably annoying. I tried to have a state of the union conversation with him today about my dissertation. I am pretty sure he fell asleep when I started talking about Chapter 1. He managed to wake up when I said "Dinner's ready." That is a manly skill I would like to obtain. Actually I would like a bell. I would like to be able to ring my bell, and make all the men in the world go to sleep. I mean this very kindly, but it would be oh so helpful to me. For example, when I was trying to gossip with the neighbor today, and Bey insisted I help with something on the Jeep in the garage. I could whip out my bell. So in addition to the dissertation conversation I learned something AMAZING ABOUT MEN TODAY. In fact I am going to have to do some unofficial research on this. So that this makes more sense let me set the stage.

I get in from the store. Bey has been shooting. I say "What are you doing?" and he says "Nothing." The reason I ask is because he is laying on the couch hands folded behind his head. He is staring at the wall. Literally just staring. He isn't asleep…I checked. So I say "What are you thinking about?" And he says…get this…NOTHING. So I of course roll my eyes. "No one can think nothing." And he says "I think nothing all the time." And I say, "I never think nothing it is impossible." Then he makes me sit on the couch. I am supposed to think "NOTHING" for 5 minutes. I didn't even make it 1. I am sitting there going "Nothing…Nothing….Nothing…man I really need to …ooops ok…Nothing…Nothing…what is the origination of the word Nothing….ooops." Anyway, I made it silently thinking nothing for a grand total of 2 minutes. It is impossible. This is some sort of lie that men tell women. Tomorrow I am going to call my mother and see if she has conducted more rigorous research than I have.

Another manly skill I am going to learn. I walk in the door from Church, gym, store. I am carrying groceries, and Bey looks right at me and says "I am hungry." You can tell the way he says it that he expects me to do something about it. I love cooking, and I take kitchen duties seriously. But I just wish I could learn that type of entitlement. I am hungry and expect someone to do something about it. =) If I said "I am hungry" I would get…"Well when are you making dinner?"

Don't get me wrong. I am not knocking on Bey, when it comes to husbands there are none that are finer. I just need to pick up some of these skills.

Why so cold at the gym?

Why is it a refrigerator at the gym? Don't people go to the gym to sweat?

That is all I have today.

War Eagle!

Where the mundane meets the sublime

I had a rocking day on the dissertation. It was one of those days where click click click click everything fell together. This happens so rarely that I deserve a new pair of shoes. Sorry, Bey. Supposedly I am on a shoe diet, and not supposed to purchase new shoes until I "do something" about my shoe closet. Since the "something" has never really been specified I am just ignoring it. Sorry, Bey. Obviously my darling Bey is the one expecting me to "do something" about the shoe closet. He claims he doesn't want to move 5,000 pairs of shoes to Phoenix. I just have to stop here and say 5000 is such an exaggeration….500 maybe but 5000? Please.

But back to the dissertation for some reason I have like 5 bad days for every fantastic day. Wonder why that is? Again work has threatened to bury me. But I made it out alive. ;) Tomorrow night I am eating dinner with my friend Jessie. She and I have been too busy to get together since MARCH! That is ridiculous that we haven't made time to see each other. However I am rectifying that situation tomorrow.

Bey did fantastic in his interview. I hope he gets the job. He rented a regular car, but they ended up giving him a PT cruiser convertible. SD is going to DIE! I know she is excited. She and her daddy are going to spend the whole day tomorrow together. He is taking her for sushi tonight. It kind of hurts my family is getting together eating sushi and going to amusement parks without me. I will be in Phoenix with SD soon enough I guess. I really want to meet SD's new little sister, and I just haven't made it to Phoenix yet. Poor Bey says the desert landscape depresses him. We are going to move from our richly green landscaped home in Mississippi to the stark desert of Phoenix.

“I bring to my life a certain amount of mess.” Kitty O'Neill Collins

I am home alone. I LOVE being home alone. I used to live by myself, and when I get to be home alone I enjoy it for the first few days. Then I decide I am bored. Tonight I rented a few chick flicks that Bey wouldn't watch. I usually watch scary movies, but I have sort of ODed on them lately. I am kinda out of scary movies to watch.

Being home alone means I am off kitchen duty. YEAH! I can make stuff like toast and call dinner DONE! Tonight I ate a bowl of cereal. (Cereal does not constitute a meal when there is a man in the house…or at least at this house). I am going to stay up late watching crap television that I never get to watch. I also plan to get a bunch of dissertation work done. When Bey's home he usually comes home for lunch (interrupting my progress), and then when he gets home from work I have to pay attention to him. So it breaks up my writing day. It will be nice to just make some headway without distraction.

Bey messaged me and said he made it to Phoenix safe and sound. Some trippy chick stared at him the entire flight. That is hysterical because usually I am the one that flies next to crazy people. If you are ever on a plane with me…whoever sitting next to me is criminally insane. I have ridiculous stories about all the crazy people that have sat by me on airplanes.

I gotta go to Atlanta next week for a conference. I was going to fly because of all the gas problems Atlanta has been having, but flights were ridiculous. While I am there I intend to go to the aquarium that I have been DYING to go see. I haven't been to Atlanta in a long time unless you count the airport (which I don't). It is fall break next week for school so that means absolutely nothing to me since I am no longer taking classes! That feels sooooooooooooo good to say.

I have made some progress on the dissertation today. I sort of dug myself out of a hole…again this will make it easier to sleep knowing that I got some goals locked down.

There is an angel in heaven that exists to mess with me

So last night I write this long blog post about how I feel like I am getting old.

Then this morning SD’s mom emails me. SD wants to know if the curling iron is for wet or dry hair. WTH when did she start caring about her hair? This from a kid that I used to not be able to get to take a bath everyday. ..

Thank you whoever it is that arranges things to make sure I get a nice solid kick just when I need it.