voncookie | December 31, 2006
Alas, I am not going to ring in the New Year in style as I did last year. I have managed to catch a stomach flu that is currently making me miserable. It seems both a cruel and fitting way to end the year… 2006 was both one of the most joyous years of my [...]
voncookie | December 28, 2006
I went early to the convention this morning after virtually *no* sleep. I think I got maybe 3.5 hours. I was just too jazzed after the presentation last night to really lie down and relax. (Relaxation is becoming a very foreign concept…) I went to a session on technology in the classroom—right up my alley—and [...]
voncookie | December 28, 2006
I’m at the MLA convention in Philly right now. There is *so* much to comment on, but for a recap of my presentation, it’s all at the serious blog right now. I’ll be blogging from the conference (or at least from my hotel room) tomorrow. (Stupid hotel making me pay $10 for a 15-hour connection!!! [...]
voncookie | December 27, 2006
I presented at the MLA tonight, my first major conference. There were about 15-ish in attendance (some did not have much interest in my topic, apparently, as I was the last to present, and it was easy to duck out.) I’ve presented twice before in other, smaller conferences, the MLA being sort of the granddaddy [...]
voncookie | December 25, 2006
This is the best Christmas gift ever (at least in terms of sports)! Nothing could be finer than to watch the Eagles TROUNCE the Cowboys 23 to 7 while playing in Dallas. Ha!!! Even sweeter since Terrell Owens was traded from the Eagles to the Cowboys for being an asshole. And sweeter still for the [...]
voncookie | December 24, 2006
In the spirit of Christmas and in lieu of a nice juicy photo of our Christmas tree here in NJ (I forgot the cable that hooks up my digi camera to my computer, so no Tannenbäumen for you) I’ve decided to tell you a wonderful tale–all true!–from my childhood. It’s a story of hope, of [...]
voncookie | December 23, 2006
First of all, who made it a rule that two days before Christmas, all radio stations must play nothing but (at worst) secular drivel or (not much better) Kenny-G-esque-jazz settings of “Away in a Manger” with Teddy Pendergrass moaning something about the Christ Child? Forgive me if this sounds a little Bah-Humbug-y—it is not meant [...]
voncookie | December 21, 2006
Yes, yes, I’ve made it to NJ for the biannual pilgrimage, summers and winters in the Mid-Atlantic. My hometown looks so beautiful, with the wreaths on the lamp posts and the candles in the windows. Then of course there is the spectacle of kids coming home from their first semester at college, telling their old [...]
voncookie | December 20, 2006
Doing some last minute errands today, I braved the Post Office. I’ve never heard a stonier “Happy Holidays” than the one that was issued to me perfunctorily from behind the blue counter. And I wasn’t even mailing packages to China!!! Just two heavy letters. Ach! But then I went outside and the day was so [...]
voncookie | December 18, 2006
Done by 8:30!!! A half-hour ahead of time. Now I just have to calculate participation grades and do the final tally. Hopefully I’ll be in bed by 10 p.m. WOO-HOO!!! The end is in sight!
voncookie | December 18, 2006
Two-thirds of the exams are graded. My goal is to be done with them by 9 p.m. Think I’ll make it? Stay tuned and find out!!!
voncookie | December 18, 2006
voncookie | December 18, 2006
I just finished giving the final exam for my class, and as it turns out, I think I might have made the exam too long. I was expecting them all to be done in 2 hours, but there were students there right up until the bell tolled 11 a.m. I’ve been up since 4 a.m., [...]
voncookie | December 16, 2006
Because of all the birthday festivities, I’ve fallen behind in my grading, so tonight and tomorrow are going to be chock-full of essays and exams, yay. I’ve decided to make this experience as cheerful for me as possible: I’m mulling some cider at the present moment, listening to Convidando está la noche” (a CD of [...]
voncookie | December 15, 2006
And it is now time to start lying about my age. But I’m thinking the proliferation of gray hairs will give me away… “She’s over 30!!! Just look!!!” Right now I’m seated at my favorite café having my traditional birthday eggnog latte, a tradition established back in 2004 when eggnog lattes were still exotic. The [...]
