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!!
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