The View From Kalamazoo

Did take Emma to OoTp. I won’t go all review on you, but WTF was up with the editing? Actors very good (given the strength of the adults alone, especially those playing the Hogwarts staffers, they could reenact an episode of Romper Room and get standing ovations, yea?), effects as much eye-candy as ever…but the editing was odd – choppy, seemed almost haphazard. Meh.

Emma’s best buddy is moving down to hurricane and ‘gator country in a few days.
Tonight is the last release party for the HP series. You know where I’m going with this.
So, yes, I will be taking two giggly girls to the bookstore tonight. Yes, I am certifiable, but I think that’s been demonstrated quite clearly before now.

This is last-minute. Again, lacking with the surprises, that is.
And it means….costumes. Do I seem like the dress-up type to you? No? Well, then, you’re paying attention.

Emma…I think I can pull off a quick Luna for her. Artsy, mismatched clothing? Check. Some bizarre jewelry choices? I can manage something. Quibbler? I have located a pdf online of a ‘cover’ and will be printing it to affix to a mag for some fancy prop action. Long blonde hair? Yep (although it would have been even better had I not gotten her a trim recently, as it was rather unkempt-looking). Vacant look? Already present, at least most of the time. *sigh* The wand tucked behind the ear, tho…have to think on that one. Gah.

Me? See the comment above about not playing dress-up. I can, grudgingly, probably come up with enough bohemian schlock to manage Trelawney, complete with divination class props. Or maybe I’ll just pull out graduation robes and go path-of-least-resistance since I think I’ll get The Look from our little group should I go 100% muggle. The things I get myself into…but hey, it’s not as bad as agreeing to giving yet another paper during a year I know very flipping well I haven’t the time to do that and produce all necessary miracles for the Congress!

Speaking of Congress – I need to slip the Dj some Primus, Kalamazoo has gotta make an appearance. Seriously.

I want to go see OOTP. Now.
As in, taking the afternoon off work sounds like a fine idea. *grumblesnarl*

Helped loan kiln last night. Nothing of mine in, tho, as I still need to dremel the last two pieces, since they (like nearly everything in the last load) suffered when so much of the wadding exploded and they have chunks stuck in the glaze. Bring the temp up slowly kiddies, candle that sucker for a while and don’t be impatient.
gah.
I have 6 mugs and a couple of porcelain pieces to glaze. And Thursday is the last day for fresh clay, so I should, really, spend my lunch tomorrow at a wheel.

And clearly I’m not blogging much. I’ve been reading others and thinking about a lot of things, but I’ve really not moved to jump into the discussions. Yet. Or not.

I do not like Thomas Hardy.

I had BritLit.

I had to read The Mayor of Casterbridge…there is a reason why I’m a medievalist. 19th cen. Naturalists don’t do it for me anywhere near like a lovely set of kennings. Really. (Yes, I know, I should have been an Anglo-Saxonist – I’ve heard it before..sod off)

I must, must own this audiobook.

One voice in the world sends my eyes rolling back in my head as I swoon.

One.

OMFG.

In other news, I have discovered that listening to the Squirrel Nut Zippers at work makes me file like a maniac. Anything that can make filing happen is a good thing, this place is like a paper Hell’s Maw yawning, open and ready to swallow me in one gulp.

You know, it occurred to me that I never posted about the blogging session this year. Bad me.

It was, by design, a mix of different opinions of using blogging (and, in addition, course management software with blogging-like bits since online teaching is growing more common) in teaching and from different levels of experience. This meant that it was a pretty large panel, but it went well, there were many very interesting things discussed, and the idea for next year’s blogging session was one of the topics that threaded through the session.

And so, next year. The thought I had, and tossed at my most excellent co-organizer (the unflappable Shana Worthen), was that this could consist of short presentations with a lot of time for jackjawing and questions (a departure from the roundtable, but without missing the best benefits of the discussion). I need to begin contacting folks – if you have names to suggest or you fit the bill please contact me, I don’t assume to know everything out there and who is doing it (really, even if the retired Director called me Madame Lisa Who Knows All – I don’t. I promise.)

Weblogs and the Academy: Professional and Community Outreach through Internet Presence

The blogger meetup was an enjoyable way to start a morning (seriously, as if I would have anything good to say about the early morning!) and there was so many people that we were scrambling for space. Another hearty Yay – I don’t network with any skill whatsoever, so I really enjoy these relaxed events.

Otherwise – I have a lot to say about the fun of interim years and searches, but I won’t. I would have to take some Tylenol just thinking about it, actually.

I’m considering adding ‘the long suffering’ to my business cards…

So I’m back working in the studio – loading the salt kiln, unloading, bitching about exploding wadding, dremeling out the crap that ended up fused to the glaze in my bowls when wadding went ka-blooey in the too-quickly-brought-up kiln, and then putting the pieces in again. Wash, rinse, repeat. And I call this my ‘sane time’…I’m certifiable, clearly.

Saner still was leaving the madness behind for a near-week and wandering my way down to visit a friend, road trip with her to attend the wedding of another medievalist, visit my sister and fam, and generally attempt relaxing around adults and the random and often amusing discussion that goes with that. Nice change from my regular role as harridan. Good beer, good friends, good conversation, good food…even decent weather through most of it. A thing of beauty to behold. I think eventually my shoulders relaxed despite the many, many hours car-bound. They’re re-knotting, now, but I swear they did relax.

And now…back to the chore of digging-out the desk.

14 years ago today.
like, whoah.

Lasers to shed light on mysteries of Book of Kells

The world’s first isolation hospital gives up its gruesome secrets

Medieval (1331) Jewish prayerbook, the Nuremberg Mahzor, now online!

The Big Announcement

Busy. Office nutz. Home nutz (The Grandmother is back in the house), but back in the studio.
Clay good.

I have something to write for Avista. I need to actually post my Congress reflection ramblings (a month late .. yes, I know.) I need to update my online store and put a bunch of mugs and stuff up there. I also need to mow the lawn and do some gardening. HA!

I moved the furniture in my cubicle around. When in doubt, move furniture – I think it’s a gender issue. I’m still organizing, reorganizing, and looking around in amazement at just how much paper I need to stuff in this place. Sheesh. Must begin work on Director’s office…my 1337 organizing skillz in action. BwahahahahaHAHAHA! Poor man….

Yo, Anglo-Saxonist cohorts of mine – my dear friend Wingal is dissin’ solo (sans advisor or any other committee members, all of them UK-bound) this summer and has been posting deep Anglo-Saxon-type thoughts and questions.

We know I’m not qualified to address them. Oh hellsyes.

I can think of several of you (and you know who you are, are your ears burning?) who are pinnacles and amazing and brilliant and all…so if you have time (and an inclination to discuss discourse, Wealtheow, thick language, and interesting Beo-stuff) pop over and visit her.

I haven’t measured these so I’ll have to add the dimensions later (been a little busy. g’figure) but here are some things I hadn’t photographed yet in the pre-Congress panic that came out of the last kiln loads of the winter term. And one of these days I’ll really learn to photograph well…clearly – it hasn’t happened yet.

(this one I’m definitely putting through again – the pink on the interior was actually a green glaze! the atmosphere did something different with the copper than I wanted or expected, although it’s not unheard of. there was one that didn’t make it in that I need to pick up today – I wonder what that will look like?)


(this one was donated to the PTO for auction)
(this had wadding so affixed it was damaged while we were trying to knock them off, so I repaired and it’s now mine, mine, mine. I like it – it has heft)
(this is a set I made for someone)

Lots of tart warmers, I’m still fussing with which size and shape I like the best…fickle moi.

This was a special order.

A veeeery small bottle, as in with a cork it would probably hold maybe 3ml (and that’s just a guess):

Porcelain! Bowl! Porcelain! (didn’t work much with porcelain last term, but I really want to do more with it! it’s wuuuunderful!)

There is also a porcelain vase that I will re-fire – the interior was all matte rosey pink (like the mug above) and while the exterior pale blue crackle was what I was aiming for, the interior…not so much. Oh well.

And one (out of three, grr) trays of the scent diffuser tiles were actually fired at the correct temp (of course, all that I had used my new cut-out for were on the first two trays, darn it all. these are hand-cut and rusticus).

Not much today – been waaay too busy to keep up with things.

Ethiopia – Muslim towns of medieval era discovered
Archaeologists unearth 4th century church