This Is SportsCenter: The Manning Family

Neel was right. Nothing wrong with this post.

Is blogging bad for my health?

But since several people have expressed some concern about my unplanned hiatus, I ought to explain. I don't know if it's post-PhD blues, or winter in the Cool Blue North, or the news, or what, but the mood situation is not what is should be. This is not at all surprising to some, and really not to me either, considering the PCOS and the family history and the graduate school/job market and such. But the bottom line is that a change must come.

Is blogging bad for my health? I'm starting to ask that question. Not so much the blogging, 'cause really, how can cute stories about the kids, my weekly to-do lists, and my love affair with Peyton Manning be harmful? (Unless there's a Mrs. Manning out there, and she doesn't have a sense of humor.)

And after a serious evaluation of how I'm feeling and what I can do about it, I've decided to cut back on the blogging -- especially reading political blogs -- and turn to some other forms of time management that are a little more, uh, stabilizing. I'm exercising again, and I'm crocheting like a mad woman. I shall blog again. How much? I can't say. Anyway, that's what's going on.

On This Day in History

~N was born. She's smart, she's got wonderful bones, and she dresses really interestingly. (What was the middle thing again?)



In tribute to my fabulous sister Capricorn, a little Dar music:

I was all out of choices, but the woman of voices
She turned round the corner with music around her,
She gave me the language that keeps me alive, she said:
"I'm so glad that you finally made it here
With the things you know now, that only time could tell
Looking back, seeing far, landing right where we are
And oh, you're aging, oh and I am aging,
oh aren't we aging well?"

Love you.

"And I'm pissed that I'm not gettin' younger..."

Although two-thirds of the next line is up for debate.

What I've Learned

It's the first week of classes. Here's what I've learned, not all in the classroom, obviously:

• I freakin' LOVE teaching. It has been too long since I've done it.
  
• My subconscious must know what Phantom looks like, 'cause I had a dream I ran into her at a party and just went right over and said, "Hi, Phantom." (FYI, I've never met her and I don't know her real identity.)
  
• Who's Line veteran Greg Proops does the voice for Bob the Builder. Wild!
  
• It's National Delurking Day/Week/Eon. So if you are a visitor who has never said hi, say hi. Hi.
  
• The Wild Boy ranks the Sesame Street characters on his diapers (from favorite to intolerable) thusly: Elmo, Cookie Monster, Ernie, Big Bird, Bert. I kind of agree with him on the Bert thing.
  
• I have book orders due next week for Spring term. You've got to be kidding me.
  

Fun with High Speed Connections

Jo(e) just posted one of the most interesting ideas I've seen recently. The Wikipedia Game. Awesome.

Surge

Read this. Then read this. Then tell me how the hell Bush thinks he's going to do this?

On this day in history...

The Battle of New Orleans



The War of 1812 officially ended two weeks prior with the Treaty of Ghent, but news traveled slow and on January 8, 1815, Major General Andrew Jackson engaged the British troops at the Battle of New Orleans. He united pirates, freedmen, and many unsavory characters into a patchwork army that defeated the far superior forces of the British. The British lost nearly 2000 men, while the Americans lost 13.

The victory allowed the American public to convince themselves they won the war, despite the peace terms providing no victory or concessions to either side. Jackson parlayed this hero-making moment into a stunning political career and eventually the presidency.


Oh, yeah, and Elvis was born.

Gender and Parenting... again

A recent conversation:

Me: Do you want to wear pants today?
DQ: No, boys wear pants. Girls wear skirts.
Me: That's not true. I'm a girl and I wear pants.
DQ: I like skirts. Boys don't wear skirts.
Me: Some boys wear skirts.
DQ: No they don't!

Timeout to take her to the computer to do a google image search for kilts. Note to all parents out there: do NOT do a google image search for kilts with your three year old in your lap, unless you are prepared to follow it up with a lengthy discussion of male genitalia and its various uses.

You have been warned.

And in the end...

Julie employed a new take on the end-of-the-year meme, trying out the last line of each month of blogging. So here goes:

My own teeth (credit to Emily for that, a favorite phrase).

I have lost to February.

Last night, he brought me his "wheels on the bus" book and did all the hand motions with me.

"So does Jesus need to choose between getting you a job and fixing the copy machine?"

Yeah, just for you.

It's amazing how memories can make a mediocre song seem so much better.

Don't you wish you led a life even half as exciting as mine?

And for those of you who have never seen it, Baby's Named a Bad, Bad Thing.

It's almost enough to forgive them Shammond Williams. Almost.

If there's one thing that a "small" government does, it's try to run the sex lives of your average 28 year old.

Is Mommy ready for her (most likely last) child to be a big boy? Hmm...

My niece's Christmas present, a sweater and hat set that turned out remarkably well.


Observations: I cheated in the case of one-word sentences, in order to present more context. I quote people (like Dar Williams). I don't write in complete sentences. Blame it on the dissertation. Highlight: definitely Spouse's quote about the powers of Jesus! (And the comments that followed from several of my Christian readers attesting to the multitasking abilities of JC).

On a scale of good things and bad things...

These are good things:

• DQ's Holiday concert, which was scheduled for the night of the big storm, is going to be rescheduled. We had already accepted missing it, since we were at graduation in the Southland. Hooray for second chances!
  
• Pink Lady Apples! (Although I'm not all that fond of Pink Ladies... except for Rizzo.)
  
• Super Size Me. I finally saw this documentary, and it was awesome!
  
• I smell pine fresh after clearing the tree from the backyard. Anybody want some firewood?
  

These are the bad things:

• My winter term class may not make enrollment, which means it may be cancelled and I will be unemployed. This also serves to be the least motivating news I've received, on this the day I planned to genuinely get back to work after my post-graduation vacation.
  
  
• The swingset was not salvageable. The kids are sad. (Although, silver lining, the yard looks HUGE without it.)
  
  
  
• It's raining. Again.

Resolutions

1. Be more patient with the children.
2. Work out, for heaven's sake!!!
3. Spend more quality time with Spouse (or, as Corndog called him, "Mr. The Brain")

The last two feed into a larger category, which is the "don't waste time doing crap that doesn't matter" category.