Finding my Footing

Sometimes I feel like I'm still finding my footing, still getting my bearings here in Knoxville.  Becoming accustomed to a new town, a new school, the heavy demands of being a doctoral student, etc., all seem overwhelming at times.  Still, I wouldn't change this for the world.

This week I behaved exactly as I would counsel an undergrad not to behave.  After the hideousness of the dental visit, I gave myself a couple of days to recover before hitting the schoolbooks again.  This meant rushing around at the last possible minute to finish up the two annotated bibliographies that were due this week.  For my research project, I gave Dr. H. a list of fourteen secondary sources.  For my gender class, I presented Dr. S. with nineteen books which I will use to write a historiographical paper.  Thank goodness that Dr. P. didn't have a paper due this week!

At the same time as I'm trying to catch up on reading and writing, this past week saw the arrival of three new pieces of furniture for my tiny flat.  First to arrive was a new television for my living room.  Up to this point, I've been living with just my little 19-inch television in the living room and no television in the bedroom.  I finally succumbed and bought a 29-inch television, far smaller than the 40-inch model my sister recommended.  Seriously, 29 inches of the HD-enhanced face of Representative Trey Goudy from South Carolina last night on CNN is about all I can take.  

Second new piece was a little cabinet upon which to set my printer.  My desk is big enough for me and my laptop, but not for a printer.  So, I ordered a darling little cabinet from Target and had it delivered.  I knew it would require installation, but I had no idea it would be such an ordeal.  It seems like logic and careful adherance to the instructions should render any construction of furniture rather easy.  NO!  It took over two hours to put together a little cabinet with one shelf and one door.  Than, the next piece arrived--a similar cabinet, but bigger, with several shelves and two doors.  Quelle nightmare!  It literally took me as long to put together as it took the Cubs to lose game three against the Mets.  Yes, I had baseball on in the background while I undertook furniture construction.  As the Mets celebrated, I arranged the new TV on the new cabinet.  Then I fell into bed, exhausted by my efforts.

Tomorrow should mark the arrival of my new bed.  This got me thinking this week that I should probably start looking into replacing Heidi's air mattress (it does not hold air as much as it did when I borrowed it from her--that's why she is deserving of a brand new one). I saw this sign for a business off Kingston Pike, not far from my tiny flat.

Looks like a sporting goods store, no?  No.  I mentioned that I would be stopping in here to the boys in the party office, explaining that it was close by and I wanted to buy a new camping mattress.  Hoots of laughter rang out from those naughty boys as they proceeded to tell me that the "twin peaks" shown as two snow-capped mountains did not actually refer to "mountains."  According to Jay, this place is Knoxville's "indiginous Hooter's!"  Yes, its a restaurant/bar known for waitresses with big boobs.  And I expected to find camping equipment.  See what I mean about finding my footing?

Back in the academic world....

Wednesday night was the annual Charles Jackson Memorial Lecture.  Charles Jackson was a long-time professor of history here at UTK, and his family provides funding for a distinguished professor from another university to come each year to lecture.  This year's lecture was provided by Dr. Charles Noll from Notre Dame.  Dr. Noll spoke on the topic of the Bible in the Civil War, focusing on how biblical language was used to both denounce and defend slavery before the war and what the Bible meant to the men in the armies.  Almost all of the American History grad students were there, as well many of my undergrad students for whom attendance meant extra credit.  

Alicia and Minami in the photo above seem especially excited to be attending the lecture.  It was actually a good lecture, and Alicia did behave herself (which is more than I can say for the lady sitting in front of her who came in late, kept looking back over her left shoulder to someone else in the audience, and played on her phone).

Only one more hour here in my office before I get to escape for the weekend.  Not that the weekend will be much of an escape, as I've got plenty of work to do, but at least I'll be doing it while watching the game against "Bama" on my new 29-inch, not 40-inch, television.

GO VOLS!!

Overcoming Some Demons

Kinda glad to see this week coming to an end. I forced myself to overcome my greatest fear--then rewarded myself with some new furniture. And I did it all while suffering from some serious pain. 

The saga began last Friday with an innocent little toothache. I determined to apply some DIY remedies over the weekend, but, by Monday, I looked like I was storing nuts for the winter. I went to class anyway, then explained to Dr. H. my condition and continuing efforts to heal myself. He seemed dubious--and he was right. Echoing his doubt was Tricia, who, upon hearing of my condition, began worrying on my behalf.

By Tuesday, it was clear that home remedies were not working, damnit!  I did some quick Google and Yelp research and settled on Cornerstone Dental. Carrying enough anxiety and pain to send my blood pressure through the roof, I presented myself at the beautiful office just ten minutes away down Kingston Pike. 

Here's what I learned on my dental crusade:  a Southern drawl goes a remarkably long way to easing anxiety. Both the assistant and the dentist had beautiful, honey-sweet accents; I loved it!  While I settled for antibiotics and painkillers for now, my plan is to have more work done by these dulcet-toned dental professionals in the near future. 

Having conquered that particular toothy demon, I determined to give myself a little treat. Finally, after two months of sleeping on Heidi's air mattress, I bought myself a bed. It's not too showy, as beds go, but I splurged for a decent mattress. After all, I tend to keep my beds and mattresses for decades--it's worth at least starting out with something good. And spending a little more for my own benefit made Yvwtte happy; she's very steadfast in her faith in a good mattress. 

The new bed should arrive a week from tomorrow. But, even before then, I should be the happy owner of a new entertainment center and television for my living room. I feel a little decadent spending so much, but my beautiful tiny flat deserves to be adorably furnished. 

This weekend will be spent catching up on all the things I let slip because of severe dental pain. In between writing an annotated bibliography and finishing up papers to be graded, I'm hoping to unpack a few more boxes in the guest room. And a trip to the "package store" might be in line. I met a neighbor today who suggests that I try apple pie moonshine. I'm not sure this is advisable, but what the hell. I'm living in the South now. And when in Rome....

Moonshine?  Really?  

If Its Friday, It Must Be Blog Time

Cloudy skies outside my window, a new pile of nearly sixty papers to grade, and the sound of voices from the party office--yes, its Friday and I'm blogging.

Its been a week of highs and lows.  I've mostly been focused on a horrible paper I had to write, comparing Pierre Bourdieu's Distinction with Sven Beckert's Empire of Cotton.  Trust me when I tell you, these books have absolutely nothing in common.  So, I stressed and stressed and stressed, seeking something to write about them that would make sense.  I'm not sure I succeeded in the sense-making part but I did come up with five pages.  Dr. Phillips will have the last word on this, I'm afraid.

I'm coming more and more to rely on my classmates here for support.  It was Chantalle who pointed out the convenience of the nearby Chipotle.  With just two short extra blocks, Chipotle can be found on the walk between Dunford Hall and the lot where I park my car.  For just a two-minute ride to her on-campus housing, Chantalle is a ready companion when I'm needing a Chipotle fix.  Of course, I miss my "school brats" from Sacramento, Matty, Alex, and Vanessa, when I chow down on that chicken burrito bowl, but, damn, it tastes so good!  

It was Chantalle as well who came with me to the Black History Matters presentation of the documentary Slavery by Another Name.  Free pizza was provided by the department, while Chantalle supplemented our dinner with Diet Cokes and M&Ms.  The film was a fascinating look into the practices of convict leasing and debt peonage in the South following the Civil War and into the twentieth century.  Chantalle got to look good in front of her advisor, who was one of the coordinators of the film showing, and we both looked good to History Department head, Dr. Freeburg, who was also in attendance.  Score!

On Wednesday night, it was dinner in the student union with another group of colleagues.  This was Tess, Max, Nolan, and Dr. Hutton (but call him Bob--he insists).  We all happened to be in our offices on the fifth floor here in Dunford when 5:00 p.m. rolled around.  So we went to dinner together across the street--and I discovered a Panda-Express-by-another-name.  Delicious orange chicken and steamed rice, along with excellent conversation, just put me in the best mood.

O.K., this blog seems to be a lot about food.  And, I'm eating crackers, turkey, and cheese while I'm writing.  Note to family:  I am not starving in Tennessee.  Oh, and let's not forget my trip to Buttermilk Sky pie shop this week.  Their I-40 special pie, chocolate, pecans, and coconut, was heaven on earth.

I took some pix of the party office this week, as promised in an earlier blog.  This is the best place on campus to vent when you're feeling knocked around.

That's Jay looking at the white board, which features a picture of a panda bear and a brilliant drawing of Donald Trump--with blue hair.

Hanging out in the party office has been especially necessary this week, as I recently had an experience that I can only compare to the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence.  Saint Lawrence, you devoted readers may recall from the visit Heidi and I made to his church in Rome, was martyred by being placed on a grill-like surface and, well, bar-b-qued to death.  Swear to God, a similar thing happened to me this week when I innocently confessed that I did not understand how enslaved people helped bring about the American Revolution.  Here's how I felt while being "corrected" on my poor knowledge of history....

As for today, I think only my sister will understand what happened to me.  I was walking from my second discussion group to my third, happily talking with one of my students who was walking in the same direction.  One minute we're walking and talking, the next I'm slow-motion dropping to my knees.  Just like on the K Street Mall, just like in Las Vegas--I fell over my own damn feet.  To Kathleen and Marijo, who understood, along with Tricia and I, that you are not grown up until you don't have skinned knees, I can only confess that I have regressed quite a bit.

Of course, I'm fine.  Those slow-motion falls hurt nothing but my stockings and my pride.  And my student was so nice and concerned for me.  I'm really starting to be fond of some of these kids who do their best to participate in discussion section and then do not laugh (like Tricia surely would have) when I tumble to the ground.

So, that's all that's going on here in Knoxville.  This weekend, I'm hoping the NASCAR race won't be rained out in Charlotte.  I'm less than hopeful of the Vols in their football battle against those damn Georgia Bulldogs.  My fridge is stocked with Diet Coke, and I still have two little pies waiting for me.

Damn, it really is all about the food....

The Ivory Tower

I usually blog on Friday afternoons, during office hours, but I actually had students come to see me. I was so excited!!  With now one paper and one exam behind them, students are starting to get a little more focused on that looming end grade. My sections have a paper due this upcoming Friday, so many are starting to go above and beyond to get the good grade. That evens means visiting me during office hours. 

This week started out so great. I spent two days almost entirely focused on my research paper--the influence of academic historians on the content of grade-school textbooks, 1890-1930. How cool is that?  Dr. H. gave me some good suggestions on secondary sources, and I've found lots of my primary sources in the school library. The pic below is my carrel in the library, my favorite workspace for my research paper. I wish I could work on it all the time. 

The weather here has been fantastic this week. While I hate the idea of what Hurricane Joaquin is doing to the east coast, that weather system and others like it draw the hot air out of eastern Tennessee. This means that we've had a whole week of cool temperatures and on-and-off rain. Perfect for walking up the hill from parking lot to classrooms, for drinking mochas at Golden Roast and Starbucks, and for cuddling under my new Mom-made afghan on Lovie the sofa. And, perfect for the purchase of rain boots--a must-have Knoxville fashion statement. 

Sadly, not everything has gone well this week. My belief in the purity of the academic ivory tower took a blow. There is a conference upcoming in November, a big one. The department put out a call for students to attend, even offering up a van to cart us to and from Little Rock. Two of my classmates, Alicia and Tess, and I agreed to share a room. All we needed was permission to miss our Thursday classes. 

In comes old-fashioned bureaucracy. The department chair thought one thing about who could attend, the professors organizing the conference travel thought another. Stuck in the middle?  Lorraine, Tess, and Alicia. I will have the unpleasant task of talking with Dr. H. about this tomorrow and receiving the confirmation that we will not be attending the conference. Thank goodness we didn't reserve a room yet. 

So, it's time for me to put on my big girl panties and realize that, even in the hallowed halls of academia, individual personalities struggle over power and students are caught in the crossfire. To put a positive spin on it--I'll have more time to work on my beloved research paper. 

Of course, the nonsense over the conference was not the only blow this week. On Wednesday, my beloved Smoke announced his retirement from full-time Cup racing. While I am certainly sad, I can't help but feel happy for him. The weight of the world seems lifted off his shoulders, and he's excited about having time to do all the other kinds of racing he enjoys. And I'll be cheering him along. 

So, that's the week in review. I now have adorable rain boots but there is no rain in the forecast. I was excited about attending a conference, but now I'll have to get excited about something else. I have a dozen Stellas in the fridge, but I added a six-pack of Sam Adams also. It's all good in the eastern Tennessee 'hood.