Friday night dinner...

13 July 2018: Had dinner this evening at the home of one of my favorite former students, along with her sister, another favorite. Bethany, the older sister, is due with her first baby in about a month, so it was lovely to see her, especially since I missed her baby shower because I was in NYC. Rebecca, the younger sister, is always a blast to spend time with, and we eagerly talked about TV and podcasts, two of my favorite topics. So it was a lovely evening and yet another reminder of how many blessings come from my job.

Belated reaction to good news...

12 July 2018: Since I got the news about my promotion to full professor, I have spent a lot of time thinking about how it will change things for me. Will I go a bit easier on myself in certain areas? Relax a little? Become an even more prickly woman? Say "no" more? Swallow fewer volcanoes?

I still don't know how it will all shake out, but--fully 24 hours later--I am stopping to have more of a reaction to some good news I got yesterday: an article I submitted to Transformations has been accepted for publication. It's my first sort-of-big post-promotion achievement. It won't get me anything substantial--no more promotions to be obtained, no raises in the near future--but it still feels great. Maybe a different kind of great? Like, here's this good thing that is just good in and of itself. Something I can be proud of just because it is good and I like it and I worked hard on it. That's kind of cool.

"for a a couple of teenagers..."

11 July 2018: Did my due diligence as a pet-owner today and took Bing and Wes in for their yearly visits. For some crazy reason, I took them together. As usual, they were fine until we got in the exam room. The vet and her assistant were lovely and kind, even when Wesley made the vet tech bleed. The good news? For "a couple of teenagers," in the vet's words, they both look great. Yay! And now I can not think about doing this again for 365 days.

(Yes, Veronica goes soon for her appointment, but she's actually easier, which is baffling.)

Here's Bing about 5 minutes after we got home, already back to normal, sitting next to me as I type. They are so weird.

Little Women

10 July 2018: Finally got around to watching the Little Women mini-series on Masterpiece and really enjoyed it. I thought the series did a good job with the Jo/Laurie dynamic (and I could write a lot about my own complicated feelings on all of that). And, of course, it was visually quite beautiful.

"Simple As It Should Be"

9 July 2018: Sweet, wistful, sigh-inducing song for a quiet and pretty Monday morning.

"So put your lips to my lips
Why not go on and take all of it
And just run as fast as you can
Just 'cause you can..." --Trista Prettyman, "Simple As It Should Be"

A weekend of meeting cute creatures...

8 July 2018:

Friday: met Anna and Josh's new puppy.
Saturday: met Jane's new kitten.
Sunday (today): met a friend/colleague's baby.

All of these little dudes and dudettes are adorable and reminders of how lucky I am to have their people in my life.

Henry and Max...

7 July 2018:

[Catch-up post]

Though I didn't get any really decent pictures (too distracted by the cuteness), the clear highlight of my Saturday was meeting Henry and Max, Jane's new kittens. Everyone in that group is very lucky.

These girls...

6 July 2018: These girls always make me smile.

"Could You Lie"

5 July 2018:

"Could you lie and say you love me just a little
One more wrong will keep us one more night
When quiet fades at the light of day
I see the truth
It's on your face again
When morning breaks my heart won't understand
Spend a lifetime raising houses on the sand
The rain outside is shifting in the wind
The road is looking lonelier
Alone again" --Alison Krauss, "Could You Lie"

Busy Fourth...

4 July 2018:

[Catch-up post]

What a weird, packed Fourth of July it was! Amy and I started the day off in Point Pleasant, waking up from an (uneventful) night spent at the "haunted" Lowe Hotel. Then it was off to Weston, to visit the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. Along the way, we stopped at Mike Fink's Grave (a bit hard to find!) and drove through Glenville, Amy's old stomping grounds. The Asylum was almost overwhelming in terms of its size and the stories it hold. Well worth the trip. After that, it was home to Shepherdstown before taking in a terrific fireworks show in Hagerstown. Slept very well last night, as you might imagine.

Meeting the Mothman

3 July 2018:

[Catch-up post]

Road trip to Point Pleasant! Met the Mothman and stayed at a "haunted" hotel. (Nothing to report on the latter front...)

"It Ain't Cool"

2 July 2018: That Reba concert has got me on an 80s country kick.

Reba!

1 July 2018: Three shows in three days! This one is closer to home: Reba at Wolf Trap. What a fun show!

Escape to Margaritaville

30 June 2018:

[Catch-up post]

This show didn't get the best reviews and will have a short run (it closes today), but it sure was fun. Sometimes, that's enough.

The Band's Visit

29 June 2018:

[Catch-up post]

“Nothing is as beautiful as something you don’t expect.” --The Band's Visit

Saw this amazing show on Friday. All of the adjectives you've heard applied to it--beautiful, touching, ravishing--hold up. What a show.