Wow.

I haven't stayed up working on a project with a deadline in a very long time. But I did it last night. I had a presentation to make for TYCA-West, and I didn't go to bed till 2:45 a.m. And I got up at 7:30. It was out of control.

Why did I do it the night before? Well, crazy beginning of the semester and busy summer before that, and besides, none of your business, come on!

Here are the pros and cons, in case you want to know:




After I made my presentation which went just fine, although I might have hallucinated during it and also I was sweaty, I had a fine time at the conference. I felt, at times, like I was talking too much. I caught a glimpse of myself and I looked like a really dragged out vampire. Good hair, though.

And then we ate Vietnamese food and I made twenty slides for my pecha kucha session tomorrow. And why did I agree to do two sessions, way back when we were proposing things promiscuously? This now seems like a crazy nightmare to me, or maybe I'm hallucinating again? Which is to say, jeez, I don't know.

And then we watched the last two episodes of Mad Men ever. Don Draper, you guys. One for the ages.

And now, I am going to bed.

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Tragic all-nighter: the breakdown: the legend:

Motivated?: the little flames are the fire burning inside me.
Exhausted?: beds are self explanatory
Ready to go tomorrow?: red lightnings mean I've still got some juice left. Sleepy zz guys mean I am way tired frls.
Worth it overall?: the magic wands mean I still got the magic in me. The hearts with EKG lines mean someone should check my pulse, because I think I might actually be dead.

The ups, the downs, the ins, the outs, the whatnot.

I'll let you do the categorizing:

• the fact that several students told me they appreciated the opportunity to consult with me
• the fact that all my students remembered and attended their conferences
• the fact that I was prepared for all the conferences today
• the fact that I completely forgot a meeting that I had at 3 p.m.
• the fact that I ate an apple with cheese for lunch
• the fact that I ate Starbucks oatmeal AGAIN for breakfast because I am obsesssssed with it
• the fact that my colleague said I looked tired today
• the fact that I did, in fact, look tired today
• the fact that I am grading, still, at 11:25 p.m., in bed
• the fact that the historian gave a great lecture at the downtown library tonight
• the fact that we got french fries on the way home
• the fact that the Jazz won, but it won't matter

The fact that there was sun. The fact that there was no snow. The fact that I'm in bed, even if grading. The fact that I'll be getting up before the sun for more conferences. The fact that I will be eating Starbucks oatmeal again for breakfast, because I am obsessssssssed with it.

Between the last time I posted and now,

Christmas came and went, we delivered presents to eleven grandchildren and lots of children, made some great guacamole and a couple of lovely salads, listened to some but not all Christmas music in the megastore collection, saw my folks and lots more family. Also, I slept until after nine this morning, we saw a movie, I took a restorative trip to Target, and started to realize how much stuff I need to do before work resumes in January. This makes me feel like I might freak out, a little. Or maybe a lot.

Between now and then, I hope to see a big bunch of movies, read a lot of books, see the grandchildren some more, eat good food, sleep some more, avoid getting sick, and do a little writing. And read a lot and see a big bunch of movies. And organize my shirts and shoes and other stuff. And prepare for next semester. And not freak. Or only a little.

Tell me which way you liked that.

It is time to break the Summer of 2007 all the way down with the Best and Worst list:

Best new recordings: Rickie Lee Jones, The Sermon on Exposition Blvd., Feist, The Reminder, Rufus Wainwright, Release the Stars

Best family stuff: the Scots came to town, baby Deacon was born, family gatherings of all sorts when my brother came to town, my sister came to breakfast at my house. Running out with college daughter and running son for sodas late at night. Late night movies with college daughter.

Best household developments: I cleaned out my closet and gave away so many clothes, so many that I can now see that I still have a bunch to give (I told the historian last week that I bet I could reduce my sweaters by a third--and I did). I bought a vacuum cleaner. I got the downstairs carpets cleaned.

Best television: so many middle-aged actresses have shows now--Lili Taylor, Holly Hunter, Glenn Close, Kyra Sedgwick. I now have a weekly regimen of State of Mind, Saving Grace, Damages, and The Closer. I'm also watching The Office, 30 Rock, and the pretty horrible most recent season of Scrubs. Also, a brilliant series on AMC called Mad Men. Also random episodes of Top Chef. Aside from that one, I could never get into the reality tv scene, so summer has kind of been a wasteland--but now, there's actual new television: some shows that are only barely passable as shows but with terrific acting (State of Mind and Saving Grace), but also terrific shows with excellent acting (The Closer, Damages, The Office, 30 Rock, and Mad Men).

Best movies (aka, movies at which I had a good time): Superbad, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hairspray, Once, Hot Fuzz, Knocked Up, Disturbia, Away From Her, Broken English, and The Simpsons Movie.

I'm also adding the amazing vacation we took to the "Best" list.

Sundry other bests: I got to write new poems, including trying my hand at a canzone (still working on it), read new books, and relax a lot. I wrote a paper with counterintuitive. I've got some poems coming out this fall. I feel invigorated about my writing and submitting life. I can carry a lot of music around on my iPod.

Worst: Well, after a summer like that, it would be a little churlish to linger on "worst." Worst is, maybe, having to contemplate checking all the links on your readings pages for the online class you're about to teach. Or having to spend Tuesday in meetings. Or having to get your parking hang tag. Or thinking about how very, very whiny you have all of a sudden, after a pretty much blissful summer, become.