The View From Kalamazoo

Mother Soprano is still with us, literally and figuratively. New fun: sudden onset dementia (following two closely-scheduled surgeries in Oct. Probably anethesia related, but the cause is neither here nor there at this point). I’m counting on your vote for eventual sainthood. Vote early, vote often.

The longer I’m in our house the more things I see need repair of a minor or major variety. I am asking for power tools for mother’s day this year. Or a ladder – some came with the house, and they are truly frightening. (I’m way too excited about this one. Articulating! w00t!) Next stop, tho: an electrician. Say it with me: Uuugggh!

Well, they let me in: I figure I’ll pick up a second masters while I’m sort of wondering what to do next. Entirely online. Totally free (since I’m staff). And the U. is doing more with online courses, so I’m thinking it may mean I can pick up a section here and there as a part-time instructor. Can’t hoit, better than a stick in the eye, etc.

I want to kick myself for agreeing to a Congress paper. I know better, this is the third time I’ve done this to myself – this is the worst, worst, worst time of year for me. I might claim that I’ll write it in the fall, but I’m terrible about procrastinating. So as we celebrate another New Year I begin to panic because now I really, truly, am drowning. And I have to write a paper. I’m sooo stupid. Needless to say we are no where near a draft, ok? GAH!

I’m still enjoying cheap therapy working with clay. One of these days I really should post shots from the last 2 terms, I know, I know. Spent the evening glazing. We loves the spray booth, we loves the precious.

Oh, and we’re expecting another recruit into the Carnell army around about Hallowe’en. As Gomer Pyle would say, ‘Suu-prise, su-prise, su-prise..’ My response? ‘GAH!’ Yes, you can quote me.

Good lord, I have been busy. Crazy, even. Program is mostly out in the mail system (or already recieved, for the USPS Priority Mail folks), should be totally gone by Wed. or Thurs. The pace here is frenetic, meetings up the wazoo (and I tell you, it’s uncomfortable to have a meeting in your wazoo!)

Have been keeping a list of links-o-interest, although I imagine most of this is old news to most of you, here they are:

Angel hidden for 1,200 years

Carving of ‘northern god’ found

Trove of Teutonic weapons uncovered in Krusne Hory region

TownÂ’s medieval bridge unearthed

14th Century wreck found in Stockholm waters

Lucky coin found in medieval ship

$600M Grafenwöhr housing project is on site of medieval village

Inscriptions point to horizontal social formations during medieval era

Archaeologists discover Saint Chad’s Burial Place and Shrine

Catalonia region reviving Jewish past

Mathematician asks: is our history wrong?: Dates ascribed to ancient events may be off by 1,000 years

Bronze Age Sky Disc Deciphered

Aaaand for those of us geeky about archaeology, even non-medieval:

Archaeologists Find Massive Tomb in Greece

Typhoid May Have Caused Fall of Athens, Study Finds

Ancient Greek shipwreck surveyed

Archaeologists unearth Alexander the Great era wall

3,000-year-old tombs found in China

2200-year old graveyard of children discovered in Inner Mongolia

Ancient village found in China

Team to excavate 600-year-old ship

3,000-year-old cliff painting found in Yunnan

8,000-year-old drill to make fire found in Zhejiang

Archaeologists Find New Ancient Egyptian Tomb

Tutankhamen dead of knee infection

And Yes, a real update is in order. Such news. Oy. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow… Right now I need to Get Back To Work, there’s barely time to take my ‘smoking break’ to cut-and-paste..gah.