I’ve been a bad blogger lately. It probably correlates to the fact that I can either blog or use my scant free time doing things that actually matter. In a bulleted list, here’s what I’ve been up to:

– Parenting! Grey turned 10 weeks on Monday and things have definitely gotten better. He cries less often but also seems to be sleeping less often and requires more undivided attention when he’s awake. Still, we count ourselves lucky. He has a very easy going personality and has been affording us a lot of sleep, for which we will richly reward him throughout the rest of his life.

– Reading! I’ve been ripping through graphic novels lately and slowly but surely working through more of my list for my preliminary exam. I just started The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares and I think I’m gonna like it quite a bit. I’ve been rereading and picking at some of the criticism too, and as I read I’m getting a firmer and firmer idea of the questions I will likely be asked regarding magic realism, the fantastic, and science fiction, and (better yet) how I will likely answer them.

– Footie! I’ve watched very little of the Gold Cup, such as it deserves. However I’ve recorded the La Liga season review on GolTV for those bottle feeding moments, and it gets me really, really excited for the upcoming season. I would say, at this moment, if I had to choose between watching the Premier League and La Liga, I’d go the Spanish route. Watching the review show underscored how much I missed it, and how damn good even the bottom teams can play.

– Footie! I’ve been playing in a Monday night league that’s a step down in terms of competitiveness than the Saturday league. It’s still a lot of fun although my feet could probably use a rest. I find that indoor is a lot easier on the soles of my feet due to the flatness of both the shoes I wear and, more importantly, the field. The fields for the Monday night games are in considerably better shape than the ones we play on for the weekend league, yet I can still feel ever divot beneath my cleats.

– Writing! Yes, I’m actually closing in on the final revisions of a 4K-word short story. At present, I think it’s turning out quite well. This one is light on the speculative element so I’m starting with literary markets and I hope (hope hope hope) I get some kind of response, even if it’s just a “well-written but not what we’re looking for.” Anything except the standard rejection slip, please.

– Canoeing! When we’re at my in-laws, the extra help affords me time to get out on the water. I bought a kneeling pad and a crate to use as a saddle for solo paddling and tried it out yesterday with complete success. My paddling skills have improved a lot and I have a good feel for my canoe now, although my experience is limited to me being the only weight and paddling alone on flat water. Still, I can execute a nice J-stroke and can maneuvering the boat pretty much how I want. Someday I’ll need to take a lesson or two to smooth out the rough edges. Quite fun though.

– School! I’m trying to work out some kind of rough plan for the courses I’m teaching this fall. I should also be doing more research for the independent study I’m pitching, but that’s even more work. I’ll get around to it eventually.

That’s it for now. Back to doing one of the above points…

Current Mood: Fine |