Pleading for their lovers' fee?

Okay, everyone... what's going on here. I've had four days in a row... today is the fifth... during which every student has handed in every single assignment due.

Did they all get abducted by aliens over the summer and replaced with dopplegangers?

No, seriously. This is strange. It's wonderful, but strange.

And it means I have more grading to do than I'd originally planned on. You know, how we figure to grade about 10% less than what we assign? Or am I the only one who does that?

Life is so amazingly wonderful right now!

Kid + Candy Store = Me!!!

This year is proving to be the best yet out at the site. Not only do I have the love of my life sitting just over there, but the trailer we're borrowing has electricity and phone! That means internet. Sure, it's dial-up, but it's something.

And he's got such awesome fossils stashed away here, I can hardly believe it.

We start on the actual dig soon, and I don't think I'll have much time for anything, but we'll see.

It's good to see all of my old friends and nerds again!

I've got fifteen minutes until I give my final exam.

Someone want to bring me some ice cream?

I really want ice cream.

Luc! I got our confirmation today. We're expected down at University of Kansas on June 19th. My mother's kind of upset with me, as you might have guessed. So, she's not particularly keen on lending me the camper for my nefarious gay purposes. However, one of my long-time paleontology friends had a heart attack this year, and he's still recovering. So, he said we can use his camper. It's not as new, but it's nice and kind of permanently out at the site.

This year, I think we're going to start with the removal of a few icthysaurs. We had to save them at the end of last season, and we'll go back to them first, as far as I know.

Oh, and if there's anything you want to watch while we're down there, Mr. Larson's camper has a DVD player and its own generator. We'll just have to bring some diesel fuel and propane.

Yesterday was awful. Not only was I feeling ill all day, but then there was a faculty meeting in the afternoon, and ... well, it was awful.

And I should have been happy. I mean, I was happy, too, but...

Doesn't matter. At least I recorded the plays so I can watch them sometime this week. Maybe I'll show King Lear in class.

Or maybe a Midsummer Night's Dream, instead. Don't know if I can watch or read King Lear for a while.

Oh, the joys of teaching!

You guys have no idea how many hours I spend on any given Saturday going through the piles of grading.

Still, some of these essays are quite good.

Shakespeare Club meeting on Monday, everyone! I hope to see more of you there this week than last week!

I'm trying to decide which plays we should read and discuss in Shakespeare Club this semester. The students have asked me to come up with some ideas, as well.

I'll pick two comedies, two tragedies, and see what they think of them.

Especially since it looks like we'll get a few new students this semester. Comedies are good for starters. Especially since it isn't the end of the world if you don't fully understand the language.

I'm slowly replacing all of my records with CDs. It's a long process, and I think there are a decent number of them that will never be replaced. I mean, aside from Moby Grape.

Vonnie was driving me nuts this morning. Not only did she decide that 3am is the ideal time for me to rise from my slumber and cater to her ever-empty stomach, but when I got out into the hallway, I discovered that my modest jungle of plants (read that as two spider plants, one african violet, a dumb cane plant, and an ailing rubberplant) had been used as a cat-tree, and one-by-one she'd knocked each and every one of them over.

Tell me, why did I buy that elaborate climbing device for her with the green plush carpeting, sherpa-lined hidey-hole, and half-pipe perch, if she was going to jump and pounce all over my plants, anyway?

Well, perhaps it was so she could hide during my tirade. (almost typed "tired" there.) Oh, yes... look at the time of this post. Not a happy man here. I could have slept for the past hour, but no! I decided about two years ago that I ought to get myself a cat for a companion. And now, it's too late to get back to sleep. Gotta get up at 5, anyway, so I can get ready for class.

I swear, if I didn't love that creature already, she'd be out on her ears!

I can't believe they gave me four classes this year. Last term I had three, and I could barely make it through. Four, however, is just... well, it's a lot. Especially since I've agreed to continue on as advisor to the Shakespeare Club. (Well, really, who else could do that?)

So, this year, in addition to my Grammar and Usage, I'll be teaching Readings in Science Fiction, English Literature Through Shakespeare, and Readings in the Short Story.

I can't wait to get into the discussion of vintage science fiction with this year's students.

Maude called me again today, asking if I'd have time to edit her latest manuscript. Not that it's going to go anywhere, mind you. I swear that sister of mine has no idea how to market herself. She could be the greatest writer in the world (actually, she *is* a lot better than most of the hacks who are writing fiction today), and she still couldn't get a book deal. Sometimes I think she would have been better off taking auto body classes rather than English.

In more personal news, Vonnie gacked up the worst-looking hairball on my dark gray tweed last night. I don't know what's with her lately, but she always seems to shed or puke on whatever jacket I've decided to wear the next day. One of these days she'll get my leather jacket, and will find herself out on her orange pointy ears.