Spring Forward and Fall

There’s a slate-grey rat asleep at the back of my neck, small and effective claws dug into my skin to ensure stability should I suddenly get up and dance, or should an earthquake strike. We’ve had several of the latter situation lately. Last week, a high-3 on the Richter served as an alarm clock. It was better than the usual electronic beeping. The most recent shake was this afternoon: enough to to make my ears perk up, but not sufficient to drive me toward the door jamb.

For someone as busy as I am, I have precious little to write about. I wish I had more time. I wish I weren’t so antisocial. I wish I weren’t so weepy. It’s because of missing things that I love: new separations (Emmy, Eleni, Jason, Molly), relatively recent ones (most notably MF), and well-established losses (Dad, my Moominparents). I hate being broken thus.

On the bright side, technology has helped salvage shreds of my sanity. I am able to see and talk to my wee girleen in Chile. The night after her arrival in South America, I was with her in her living room, having a spirited (and grammatically disastrous) conversation in Spanish with her and her house-mother.

I continue to work way too much, from pre-dawn to bedtime. I work even when I’m asleep, according to Eleni. She claims I have made declarations, in my deep sleep, about the progress Emmy is making in English.

And while I’m overworked, I’m extremely fortunate to have my job. Anyone is lucky to have any job these days, of course, but that’s not what I mean. My colleagues make me laugh and make me think. Our department is small and the director innovative, so I get creative and intellectual challenges that aren’t possible in other settings. At the moment, I’m doing more than “just” teach. I’m tutoring two groups of students, acting as liaison and sounding board for two other groups, helping with some online classes, and more. I’m always exhausted, sometimes buckling under stress, but never ungrateful for the opportunities.

Oh, puke. I am Pollyanna reincarnate. This is humiliating, and unlike me.

Eleni and I made a plan before she left: that she and Emmy will come stay with me every Friday night. Last night, the second Friday since there their departure, I was blissful to have them here: that kind of happiness where you keep thinking every minute or two, “This is so cool.” It ended too fast, but the promise of next Friday’s slumber party will float me through the coming week.

Emmy has allegedly mastered such skills as articulating what a dog might say. I wanted to videotape these feats, but the camera was unable to capture proof of such ability. You will see, however, that she has potential in other areas, like head-banging.

[Technical alert: To watch this video, you  still have to click play, then pause, and then play again.]

[Stupid alert: Anyone who knows linguistics will know that when I said “headcount,” I meant “head word count.” Like, duh.]

[flashvideo filename=wp-content/video/reading.flv image=wp-content/video/reading.jpg /]

5 comments

  1. How you have any time at-all to post such amusing, heartwarming, and Ginna-esque musings is weigh beyond me! Love you’re point-counter point ups and downs. So reel. (Dontcha just luv hour homonym-rich lingo? (‘Case your wunderin’ I’m funnin’ with ya, cuz yore such a smarty, but you let me catch ya with this won: “the second Friday since there departure”. Sea? Hugs to my G.

    “naming yteion”

  2. Deer Naming Yteion,

    I cant be leave you wood dare two make fun of the weigh eye right!

    Your’s,
    ‘Come, Anuati

    ex oh ex oh ex oh

  3. But your audience demands to know: have you had any of the former situation, as well as the earthquakes? Tell us all about your random-dancing occurrences.

    I’ll take Pollyanna over Mopina any old day. I’m glad you feel challenged by your work, and I love hearing about how they (rightly) value your dedication.

    Also, I enjoy your narration of Em’s busy day, with her softened books. I think it quite apt.

    “CHAP. becament”

  4. eservial serotypes, my love: Involuntary dancing happens most frequently while I’m standing at the front door talking to solicitors. I don’t mean the John Cleese type.

    Thank you for commenting. I just love it when my girls (daughters, friends, figments of my imagination) leave comments.

    I really am fortunate to have this work, though I’m wiped out from zero down-time. It’s way cool to be in a small department where everyone has a voice, the voices are inspiring and lively, and where dedication is recognized. I LOVE the idea-bouncing process,

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