Small Town Survival

One of my greatest pleasures this summer included traveling back to Michigan, seeing so many of my old friends and celebrating the joining of two of my dearest friends. The ceremony was lovely, the reception beautiful, and everything was full of joy and laughter. Having watched the relationship between Brian and Bethany grow, it was so wonderful to see them united, so happy and so much in love. I know their marriage is blessed and I can only wish them the best as time continues.

A group shot of those TNC members present. We just glow with happiness, don't we.

So, once upon this summer, I hinted at some really big news. At this point it's safe to share that we're buying a house. Not just any house, but one being created from the ground up. You can follow along with it's progress so far with the Home Collection over at flickr.

I managed to mess up the look of the page here. I'll fix it on Sunday or so once the play is over. Cheers.

The Play is tomorrow. Tomorrow. I am very glad about this for so many reasons. It's coming together quite wonderfully. It's wearing my out because I've been here so long so many days in a row (including weekend). I'm curious to see the turn out and the reactions and the cast as they perform in front of their real audience.

I've posted more on this website in the last 3 months than it has rained here. I miss rain.

I started listening to the new KT Tunstall album recently and I really like it. I feel like I've been really out of touch with music lately. Or the rest of the world for that matter. I'm fine but busy as usual. There's something about school that makes me really tired. I'm still learning how to balance the rest of my life with this entity that is school and everything that comes with it. I'm directing the fall play this year and that is also an interesting experience. Sometimes it's the things that seem like they will be the most fun that end up wearing me out to the largest extent. Along with the play comes the theater class. They are my largest class and by far the most work. Nothing seems to please them, although I am not sure what they expected this class to be or why they signed up in the first place or if they were just placed here because that's what happens when there aren't a lot of electives and there are students who need something.

At this point we're halfway through the semester and while that's scary because there is so much to do still it's good because... well, halfway through is a good thing. Next semester there is no drama, just english, english, english. I think that will be ok too, but there are moments of drama that I will miss.

Every once in awhile I consider letting the renewal on web hosting and the subscription to my domain slide. I consider whether I really write enough or do enough or care enough to update and keep the thing running. To be honest, I don't know why I hold on to it. Sometimes I think I will start writing again as passionately as I once did or at least as often if it isn't as emotion filled or exciting. I think about now, however, what might I write about? I don't take photos so nearly as often as I would like. I have enveloped myself in a more personal side of my life that I am not sure I'm ready to put out into the world. Mostly because it's so good and I am jealously keeping it to myself.

There are other factors too. I work in what can be considered a very public place where it's not at all acceptable to talk about it. Or at least not to write about it. Maybe I am making all of that up, but because I teach and my job involves so many other people whose consent to discuss them in writing for the world to see I don't have... well yeah. I like what I do and I want to keep it. Perhaps at some point I will come to some agreement with myself where I can write about pieces without giving away individuals. I also had a really, really, really rough first year and it was too painful to record. I tried to keep a lot of that pain and confusion private, and I think only a little leaked out. In the end I found people who are awesome support and people that I really love to work with and talk with. There's always the question of the coming year, but at least I know I have a wonderful group of people to back me.

I think the real question is, that I've gone so long without real updates, does anyone even visit this space anymore? I know that I used to read a lot of blogs and failure to update usually allows them to fade. Not to mention I lost my list of websites I looked at a lot. But really, if I start, maybe people will come back, and then they leave disappointed again when I can't manage to stick with it.

In the end, I will tell myself that I can do this once more, that I can find the little things to mention, that I am moving into a place in my life where I might have more to write about. If nothing else, I am still reading, seeing movies, and putzing around online to the extent where there must be some casual observation in me somewhere about something.

Thanks for reading.

It was hot and humid when I arrived, even at 11 pm at night. The next day the cooler weather moved in and we've been hanging around in the mid 70s during the day, perhaps creeping up to 80 degrees. The humidity, dare I say it, has been generally nonexistent and I have seen the first overcast skies in months. It's also been sunny for the most part and quite lovely.

I have some how managed to fit in the (FAMOUS) Chicken Broil and the (Ann Arbor) Art Fair into my stay. I will likely skip the former and attend the latter. Free look at art is better than paying for chicken I can generally cook at home. Although I still believe I am the only one in town who does not have the "secret" coleslaw recipe. I did learn in the paper that the chickens come from Georgia and are prepared and shipped the night before the broil so they are completely fresh and never frozen. They send quite a few as well (12k?).

I will also be touching base with some friends, so dinner and coffee is somewhere in the plans, a trip to Mackinac Island, and a wedding will all be part of my life for the next few weeks. Oh, and a lovely BBQ. Well, that one might not be pretty, but with lots of food and beer it will at least be fun!

That's the update as of today, although I am also secretly keeping a secret (not so secretly) that I may be telling you about soonish.

Today's the day I fly to Michigan for a few weeks. Hope to see some of you there. Cheers.

I guess I'm getting used to the fact that I don't have to get up at 5 something every day in order to be somewhere. That somewhere where I have to be on my toes, on my A game every moment for 3 periods a day.I'm not staying after school to straighten things out or bringing work home with me. I'm not losing sleep to wonder what else I can do to get the concept through to so and so or that one that sits in the back or the one who would rather sleep or the one who really is trying but for whatever I try it won't just click into place.

Instead I am developing resources for teachers to use next year. I'm playing computer. I'm reading. I make my own coffee in the morning. I play with the dogs and sleep in and watch Dr. Who or Food Network. I shop online and create jewelry. I experience brief moments of boredom and then I sink into them and enjoy them for the quiet moments of nothing that they are. I cook and don't clean and sometimes I think I might even get through some of my Blockbuster queue (which, if you have any suggestions, send them my way). I've been drinking more water and I might actually get to the gym today. I don't get through much on my list each day, but enough to make me happy and enough to know that it's ok if I don't. I have tomorrow. And I have tomorrow for the next handful of weeks. And this is my summer.