I can't promise you that I'll post a bullet list each and every Friday, but I do feel that I need to structure this blogging thing a little better in order to make my writing life easier to work around. It seems that all I do these days is write. There are my various blogs, comments on other people's blogs, my correspondence, my online historic portrayal, requests from people to write things, grocery lists, song lyrics, Facebook, my personal journal, and of course my trilogy. Gads! No wonder I never can find time to write!...
- Speaking of "never can", I find it really difficult to remember how not to / to not split my infinitives. Is it "can never", or "never can"? I've read the rule over and over, but I can never / never can remember it. Anyone out there have a little nursery rhyme clue like, "I after E, except after C"?
- Do you ever have things happen that make you wonder if you're going crazy, or having a flashback? Our next-door neighbor is a drama and speech professor at the university. He only lives here during the school term and goes home to his wife and kids over school breaks, including summer. When he goes, he always leaves three lights on: the front porch, a small light in his dining room, and one in the kitchen. All day and all night these lights burn, and they've been on now for the past three weeks. Last night at around 3:00 I went into the bathroom and noticed that none of those lights were on. It was pitch dark across our shared fence, so I pulled back the lace and looked around. Nothing seemed to be amiss, no noises or prowlers, not even a car in the driveway. About an hour later I looked, and the three lights were back on. This made me wonder if I'd gone temporarily insane and imagined the whole thing, or if writing and reading so much about the Sixties caused me to have a flashback. Hey, I did my share of hallucinogens. I know that weird crap like that can happen years later. Actually, considering it's one of the oldest properties in town, it's probably haunted.
- I guess Nettl and I are quasi-vegetarians now. We didn't mean this to happen, didn't even want it to happen, but here we are. When she was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery two weeks ago, we were instantly plunged into a new, healthy lifestyle to which I'm still adjusting. As the cook in the family I'm now having to plan my menus differently, shop differently, and eat differently. But you know, I'd much rather give up red meat than lose her, so it's no sacrifice. In fact, we're both feeling better and losing weight, and that's not bad. Red meat doesn't even sound good to me now, and I really do prefer mineral water over soda. Mostly, we've cut out all unhealthy fats. I know that I don't have to follow this diet with her, but you do things for the ones you love. To be honest, I was kind of wanting a good reason to quit eating red meat anyway, and the moral issues just weren't there for me. I admit it: I'm an insensitive, unenlightened knuckle-dragger.
- Sadly (for us), our dear friend Dr. Kiilbasa, who received the Fulbright Award last week, will be spending next year teaching at the university in Bratislava, Poland. Of course we're thrilled for him, but we're going to miss him terribly. He's become a member of our family. Add this to Lauren going to school in Bordeaux for the year and Micah probably moving to England, and it seems like everyone's going to Europe except us. It doesn't help that Bratislava is only 40 miles from Vienna. If we were living there we could still get together. And in such places! This isn't as sour grapes as it sounds. Really. I'm not bitter... Seriously, we'll miss everyone and we want them to have the time their lives. Just remember to bring me something when you come home.
- Speaking of kielbasa, tomorrow he's having a backyard cookout and Madeline Kahn Film Festival. You have to know the Dr. to understand this. It looks like the whole gang will be there, which means that it'll be a rip roaring good time.
Have a great Weekend!
