In Case You're Wondering

Citigroup buying Wachovia could be really, really bad for Charlotte. 

And Charlotte is still out of gas.  Thank goodness for the Jetta diesel.

Still Here

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth.  It just feels like I have, at least to me.

I never believed folks when they told me that life after tenure isn't really that much different than life before tenure.  And in some ways, folks who told me that were really wrong.  I am much less stressed about my future here.  And I am sometimes highly cognizant that I am an associate professor with all the rights and privileges that come with it (essentially, I can be cranky and it won't bite me in the butt).  I am very happy to be on this side of that employment decision.  And that makes me very happy.

Nonetheless, things are not easier.  I didn't work two Sundays ago and thought I would die trying to catch up the rest of the week.  I still have a lot of manuscripts to work on, including one I'm turning in today (a revise and resubmit that I think is going to make a big splash in my research area).  I've got more students who are working with me and who want to work with me--all bright, hardworking students who I am thrilled to have on my team. But it's a lot of work.  I'm also upping my service work and am having to deal with a transition in one group that is, quite bluntly, been one of the biggest pains in my booty in my academic career.  And I'm going to have to do something pretty big.  It's the right thing to do, but it's going to be tough.  

And things are moving along in the IVF department.  Since the last two times, I've felt burnt by having to come back and report bad news, I'm not saying squat here until we know absolutely for sure one way or another.  

And I'm still trying to exercise.  I gave up running, but with my new orthotics, I think it's a possibility again.  However, it will not be a possibility again on my normal running route.  Besides stepping on a dying bunny in the dark (I think it was a bunny.  I stepped on something and it squeaked.  Gross to the extreme, even if I do hate bunnies now), I literally ran past two men stealing a car!  This was definitely in the shadier side of my 'hood and they were definitely up to no good.  They were fiddling around under the front of the car and in the glove compartment when I ran by and waved (I always wave).  And then I heard the trunk pop and I thought, it that was their car, they wouldn't need to finagle it to open the trunk.  I then sprinted as fast as my fat flabby legs could take me to a local gas station and called 911.  I would normally have waited to call 911 until I got home, but they saw me see them and the look they gave me was not "Good morning, jogger!!!" Of course, maybe they had a flat tire. I don't know.  In any case, the cops could help sort that out.  

So there you go.  Running over bunnies and into potential car thieves and not getting to eat bon-bons all day at work.

That is how this academic year has started.  Thank God(dess) that fall break is in two weeks.

Those Kind of Peoples

Conor:  Mommy!  Mommy!  What are we?  

Mommy:  What, honey?

Conor:  What kind of peoples are we?  We're what kind of peoples?

Mommy (recalling a conversation they had earlier running out the front door to the big tree swing):  Oh, yes.  We're Southern.  We're Southern people, Conor.

Conor:  That's right.   Daddy!  Daddy!! Mommy and I are Southern people!  And we don't wear shoes!!

(Almost) Victory Garden

Well, we did it.  We took the plunge.  

No, we didn't finally buy a gun and shoot the bunnies.  Instead, we put a fence around the garden.  And for the first time in a really long time, I now have lettuce, chard, beets, fennel, and broccoli growing in my garden.  It has been so very long since I've had the positive reinforcement of planting something and have it grow that I keep staring at these very small and common seedlings and feeling quite proud of myself.  

It took two days of hot, sweaty work but I think I might actually have my garden back.

Of course, there were some nibbles off of two of the broccoli plants and we suspect a rat.  Indeed, Dave set several traps and this morning, the leaves were all still on the broccoli, but there was one less rat.  

We are also quite pleased now that should we choose, we could put rat poison in one secure corner of the garden and Patches would be safe.  We could also electrify the fence (with a very, very low voltage--static to us, big zap to bunny/rat).  But at this point, we're sticking with the regular fence and the rat traps.

And we are greenly happy.  

I'm not sure if anyone has noticed the Twitter on the side of my blog.  I am finding that it is a lot easier to post a quick tweet than a full on post.  Feel free to check back in to the blog or even follow me, if you'd like.  I am fully aware that my life is not *that* interesting, but the mother thing does have more to say than she has time to in the blog.  

And for those other academics out there who may be reading, let me share that this first semester after tenure is crazy busy.  I thought I'd be all sunshine and butterflies, but lord, stuff is going on and it feels crazier now than it ever did.  The good news is that it's just a boat load less stressful.

G*ddamned Bunnies

I am not going to garden any more until we can fix the bunnies.  And by "fix the bunnies", I do fully recognize that I have the capacity to make organic bunny stew. I bought some broccoli the other day to plant in the garden and before I could even get it in the ground, the bunnies ate it to the nub.  Then I bought some more and was able to actually get in in the ground and cover it with a "bunny repellant" cloth before the bunnies ate them.  

That's when I figuratively threw in my garden hoe and said that's it.  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  I am tired of spending 5 to 10 hours a week in my garden just to provide some effing bunnies a free, all-you-can-eat buffet. So I'm done until we can get a bunny-proof fence around the garden.  I'm just not going to do it.

So there.

In other news, we're moving forward on both our house remodel and our rain garden.  In my cranky state after our return from California, I whined that I wanted to see progress at least on one of our major life goals this fall.  

But perhaps my main life goal right now really is the irradication of all bunnies near our house.  I truly hate me some damn bunnies.   I'm telling you that fantasies of bunny beatings are somewhat appealing right now.