Living in a Fish Bowl

Last year when I was here there were days when I just wanted to scream because I had to spend 6-straight weeks doing nothing but reading and writing and thinking about reading and writing. My "normal" life is full of different diversions--husband, family, school, students, book reviews, sports, exercise, etc.  Here, besides my brief interludes with Bryan, I am constantly faced with whatever it is I have to do.

So I've reached the screaming point again.  I find myself obsessing about things that I honestly cannot change, but we are always faced with our work here.  I live in a dorm room where my books line the shelves near my desk, where I wake in the morning to find my class journal next to my bed, where my computer is always just an arm's distance away (and constantly on).  My schedule revolves around due dates and class meetings.  I exercise, not just to stay in shape, but to keep my sanity so that I can expel some angst on something other than a picture book or the latest chapter of my "novel."

Part of my problem is that I cannot control everything around me, and if anyone would like to send me to a hypnotist for my birthday next year so I can be cured of my academic issues then I will be a very grateful lady.

OK, enough of that rant.  I have good news!  Robin is coming with our group next year to London.  Now I will have a travel buddy because she lives close enough that we can leave out of the same airport and an automatic bunkmate should we have to share.  We get along famously as they say and she is even willing to let me drone on about my neuroses whenever the mood strikes me.  And I can't even begin to explain how much help she has been with that picture book class.  She's awesome, and I now have even more to look forward to next June.

Also in the good news department was the fact that I had a much better go-around with my picture book dummy this time. However this one didn't involve pictures so maybe that should tell me something.  It was an ABC concept book.  Here are the first few letters:

"A is for Aeneas, a Trojan man who fled his burning city on the last day of the Trojan War in order to fulfill a prophecy that one day his descendants would start the city of Rome."

"B is for Bacchus, the god of wine and theater who had such devoted followers that they would gather in the woods and dance in his name."

"C is for Ceres, the goddess of the harvest who helped farmers' crops grow and was the mother of Proserpina, the queen of the Underworld."

Etc.

Easiest picture book I have ever written because I teach that stuff every year and if I have anything stored in my head, it's Roman mythology/history.  

Time for bed...only 12:30AM tonight!  Last night it was 4AM, so I'm getting better.