Orienting

What a difference a year makes. Last year I had to map out how to get to all my various orientations and I probably arrived 15 minutes early to every one. Today, I woke up fifteen minutes before the first one started, rolled out of bed and ate breakfast, and then leisurely walked NEXT DOOR to the building where my one and only orientation was going to be held.

Today was mostly about meeting up with old friends and getting a few things squared away for our literature conference later in the semester. I am an entertainment co-chair and the theme of the conference this year will be Dr. Seuss. So, I, along with one of my classmates, am in charge of creating a Seussical extravaganza complete with singing, a little dancing, and some acting. I'm already feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of orchestrating around 15 students in a amateur and abridged production of a Broadway musical. Deep breath.

That along with finally seeing my Creating Picture Books syllabus has certainly helped me get into full swing here. I have to create a mini 8-page children's book by Friday. I have to create a 24-page WORDLESS picture book by next Wednesday. Yep. I am in WAY over my head, but I'm going to be a good sport and see what I can come up with...wordless picture books....oy vey.
Anyone have any ideas they would like to share?

I have enjoyed reconnecting with some old friends. I stayed up late last night watching the new Pride and Prejudice with some classmates (probably the 10th time I've seen it, to be honest). Today I have mingled with a ton of different people in the program--new and old. I'm trying to be a good ambassador to our new students but also get some quality time with my friends from last year. Everyone here is really nice; some people like to keep to themselves but most see the benefit in coming out of their rooms for fresh air once in a while.

Speaking of fresh air, I am loving being able to bike everywhere again. I used my car to take my neighbor to the grocery store this evening, but otherwise I have been able to bike or walk everywhere. The campus is so gorgeous and I just can't get over the landscapes. I envy the people who work here year-round because they are in an idyllic little setting here. It's paradise.

Not bad, eh?

Coming to Virginia

It all started with this:

And then a 3.5 hour car ride that brought to mind such questions as: Why did ANYONE think it was a good idea to name a county, Pittsylvania? And, why is it that there are so many duplicate city/town names? It's a little confusing that there is a Rocky Mount, VA in addition to the Rocky Mount, NC. Maybe it's just me....

And then we arrived!
Carvin Hall, my new home

So this is my first go-around with the dorms. The apartments were quaint and I enjoyed having two roommates that I could get to know pretty well but the apartments aren't technically on campus which means that I was looking out on a parking lot instead of this:

I think you can see the advantages to my new digs. Living in the dorms does mean that I have a lot PBJ sandwiches in my future (no stove!), but I didn't cook that much even when I had a stove last year so I don't think I'll miss it too much.

As for the accommodations, I didn't do too bad this year:

The mess above eventually became:

So far I'm enjoying the beautiful scenery, and I'm sure I'll like my roommates as soon as they start in move in. It has been a slow trickle around here; I've met a few nice new people, but most of the returning guard is coming in tonight or tomorrow, so for right now, the hall is pretty quiet. I'm sure I'll be bemoaning the wait for the bathroom in no time.

As for my and Bryan's last moments together, we had a nice "anniversary" meal at Hollywood's last night, watched Knocked Up for the third or fourth time, and tried to share a bottle of wine. However, we forgot a corkscrew. Now this corkscrew situation has become a hallmark of my and Bryan's marriage. Over the course of our 7 years as a married couple, we have had at least three occasions where we've had a corked bottle of wine and no corkscrew. One time, in Paris, we had to have the man at the local grocery open it for us. The Swiss corkscrew we bought after that little fiasco was taken away by the German airport security (only because we were flying to the States, mind you; the Italian airport security official had no problem letting us on the plane with it when we were on our way to Germany).

Bryan and I really don't drink a lot of wine, but it really seems unfair we have to go to these lengths when we want to have some with our dessert:

I'm sure anyone living below me last night was thrilled to hear the reverberations of Bryan hammering on the cork of our bottle of wine.

Besides the Cork Craziness of '08, we had a nice evening and a somber goodbye this afternoon. I won't pretend it's not incredibly difficult to be away from him during these summer sessions. As much as I love this opportunity to immerse myself in writing and reading, I do have to make some sacrifices and our two-week separations are certainly the biggest. I am fortunate to be able to see him while I am gone, but it takes a day or two to really get used to not having him around every morning and evening. I immerse myself in a brisk schedule to make the time go faster, but I still get the pangs. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for the spouses of our soldiers who serve time overseas. I really don't think I could bear it.

So, I'm a Hollins resident again. I'm going to go for a bike ride and forget about the fact that I have to practice my "drawing" sometime this evening. Michele drawing...hmmm....

Father's Day

Today all I can think about is Luke Russert, Tim Russert's son. This twenty-something young man was in Italy with his mom and he got a phone call on Friday that his dad had died.

No warning.

No chance to say goodbye.

His father, the famous journalist Tim Russert, had a history of coronary artery disease but had controlled the problem with good diet and exercise and had done well on a stress test just a few months ago.

While Russert died doing something he loved and certainly did not suffer in his last moments, his family still had no idea that he, at the age of 58, would be gone.

And now, today, Father's Day, Luke is being forced to deal head on with the fact that he will never get to see his father again.

The reason this particular story is so painful for me is because it is my own. A little over two years ago, I got a phone call similar to the one Luke and his mother got on Friday. Just like him, I had no warning. Just like him, I was going about my life with absolutely no idea that at any moment I could lose my father. My dad had been doing well on his stress tests too. Yes, he had some blocked arteries in the past, but his doctors were being very vigilant about his care. Just like him, my dad was doing what he loved (mountain biking) and did not suffer. And just like him, a few days (in my case two weeks) later, I had to celebrate Father's Day with everyone except for my father. My dad was 55; his was 58.

I could try to impart some wisdom about appreciating your loved ones every day instead of just on Hallmark holidays and when it's too late. But for people who still have their parents, my story and Luke's will still probably not resonate through. It's just a fault of the human race that we can't appreciate what we have until it's gone or we worry so much about losing someone that we can't enjoy ourselves in the moment. There are some people who manage to avoid both pitfalls, but I don't know many.

I just know that today and every other day, I miss my dad, and when I read about Tim Russert, I got that same gut wrenching sensation I felt on May 28, 2006, because I knew that some other young person was having to deal with the unexpected loss of a parent. I do feel fortunate that I have so much to miss and I'm sure Luke is grateful for his father's amazing legacy, but the tributes and the outpouring of love and support can never make up for the loss of a good parent.

My dad, Joseph Hageman

Anticipation

I did get a little excited tonight. Bryan and I had our final Mexican dinner at Los Tres and he reminded me I wanted to get some picture books for inspiration for my Creating Picture Books class. So I went and grabbed about 20 different picture books with varying styles of illustration.

So much genius. I have the inkling of some creative juices flowing. Could be good. :-)

Oy vey

So, Saturday is it. I return. I get back in my car with my boxes of "summer stuff" and drive myself to the little (actually more medium-sized) town of Roanoke and live amongst my own kind for six weeks.

What kind am I, you ask? (I love to envision people actually showing interest in such a question.) I am a lover of children's literature (and proud of it, whoop, whoop!) I enjoy writing although this summer will determine if I have the determination to take it further than my personal computer. I enjoy mountainous landscapes with rolling green hills and the peacefulness of a mostly empty campus. Ahhhh... I enjoy the completely selfish endeavor that is a Master's in Children's Literature that could very well never make me any additional income.

My classmates are quirky, wonderful people. I am looking forward to living amongst them again. However, I am, of course, apprehensive about leaving my partner in crime. Bryan and I handled the separation so well last summer that I am going into this more confident that we will survive but also that our relationship will strengthen because of our time apart. However, I wonder if this time won't be harder because it's no longer a new experience. He knows what it is like to be here on his own and I know what it is like to immerse myself in my schoolwork for a while. And with London coming up next summer (oh yeah)...this summer feels more like a waiting period until the real fun begins.

I'm not a good waiter, which probably explains my fixation on the whole process. I don't know if it is teaching or what but I get itchy feet so quick these days. I find myself hurrying people a lot. Let's go downstairs now. Let's go for a walk now. Let's get this show on the road NOW. I can't just sit and smell the roses anymore. I need constant stimulation. Not the same kind of activity my students need (with their texting and other various annoying forms of communication), but I do need to constantly feel like I'm making progress towards a goal of some kind. So sitting around waiting for graduate school to start? A little difficult but I will try to enjoy these last few days in my own home, with my husband and my two little kitties. Deep breaths.... Smell roses...NOW!

Sigh

One of Senator McCain's spokespeople just told Wolf Blitzer that the Democrats are the reason that the U.S. dollar is so weak. Apparently their rise in popularity is frightening people in the world around us.

He also said Senator Obama shares more similarities with President Bush than McCain does.

Please, people. Please.

Back to School

Yeah, so I'm back. I got home and was overwhelmed by returning to my normal existence. To be honest, at first, I was really bored. I had two weeks to burn before going on vacation with my family, so I got to relax. I don't do well with relaxing. I was home while everyone else was at work. I felt lazy. I know I spent the summer reading books, but that surprisingly required a lot of work. So I got home and didn't have any deadlines all of a sudden.

During those two weeks, I did help a pair of friends move back into the area, had a few lunches with loved ones and got to spend every day with my husband (a rare treat after six weeks of separation). So it wasn't all bad, but I was ready for some entertainment.

We spent a week at Holden Beach; there were 10.5 of us in all. I don't really count my nephew Phoenix as a full person yet because he's only 7 months old. :-) He can't even use the bathroom outside of his own pants yet, you know?

Front row (from left): Josh (brother-in-law), Jenny (sister) and Phoenix (nephew), and Ruth (grandma);
Second row (from left): Me, Bryan (husband), Patti (Mom's best friend), Gina (Mom), and Mike (Mom's beau);
Third Row (from left): John (cousin) and Kim (John's girlfriend).

We had a great time in a fantastic house. My only complaint that it was almost too relaxing. After a summer of reading, writing and sitting, I could have used some roller coaster rides or something. :-)

And then it was back to school the day after I got back from the beach. I have my own room! Laudate deos! I made it all Latin-rific; I'll try to remember to take pictures this week. Coupled with a bunch of meetings and general information overload, the week flew by and I was back to teaching again before I knew it.

And now, a week later, I am enjoying a Sunday evening with my man and anticipating one more day of relaxation before another school week begins. Frankly, it's been good. My students are focused, they've got Latin names (that I'm acutally remembering to use), and all my Latin I students seem to know what I'm talking about. So far. ;-)

Besides not having enough books for about two days, I'm feeling good about the program's direction. I'm also excited about Knightdale's direction too. Last year was such a period of transition--this year, I feel like we have overcome some major growing pains and are reaping the advantages of our "new height." Still very early, of course, but I'm loving my job, loving my family, and loving my home. Besides wishing there was more time in the day, sum laeta!