I PASSED MY COMPS

So sorry to shout in my title, but this is a big deal.  On Friday, after six months' study and preparation, I took the final component of my comprehensive Ph.D. exams--the oral part.  I had completed the written portion of the exam last Monday (was it really just a week ago?), and I thought I was prepared for the oral component of the exam.  Yeah, I totally wasn't.  It was BRUTAL!!  Like giving-birth-to-Heidi-without-an-epidural brutal.  After just over an hour of grilling, I was asked to step out into the hallway to wait while my committee members, Dr. F., Dr. H. (via Skype), and Dr. B. "deliberated" my future as a graduate student.  Failing comps means not being able to proceed to a dissertation.  My future was riding on this "deliberation."

Naturally, I was chock full of emotions as I began to pace the long sixth-floor hallway.  I felt the tears coming as the minutes seemed to drag by.  Bernie, the department secretary, happily had tissue on her desk.  I wasn't bawling or anything, but I couldn't stop the tears.  When Dr. Feller opened the door of the conference room, he hollered "Yoo Hoo" down the hall to get my attention.  I don't know what the look on my face said, but as I got closer to him, he said "I wouldn't have beckoned you with 'yoo hoo' if it were bad news."  Then there was congratulations--and more tears.  The stress of six months' work was suddenly being lifted from my shoulders.  I was totally in a daze.

So, I am now Lorraine Dias Herbon, B.A., M.A., A.B.D.  For those of you keeping score at home, A.B.D. stands for "All but Dissertation."  This means that I've got the go-ahead to proceed with my dissertation.  I'm not going to write about my topic right now; while Dr. F. has given me the go-ahead, I still haven't spoken to the other members of what I hope will be my dissertation committee. 

While I was hugged and congratulated by friends on the fifth floor, the magnitude of what I had just accomplished did not sink in right away.  I called my dad and Yvette and gave them the news, but I couldn't really get excited about it.  I left campus and went home to the Tiny Flat still feeling weird and unexcited.  I decided to re-watch a portion of a Grey's Anatomy episode from a few weeks ago.  In this episode, the lead character, Dr. Meredith Grey, wins an award that she and her fellow surgeons have worked toward since the first season of the show.  Somehow, watching Meredith win her Harper Avery Award flipped a switch in me.  Suddenly, I was able to see my victory over my comprehensive exams as identical to winning a Harper Avery Award.  Then, and only then, did the euphoria set in.

The weekend that followed my very own Harper Avery Award was a weird one.  The news that David Cassidy was on his deathbed was a blow to my teenage self, even at the same time as my sister's teenage self was ecstatic over a Twitter response from David's half-brother, Shaun Cassidy.  I found myself no longer enjoying NASCAR, which, for me, has finally "jumped the shark."  With the retirements of Jeff Gordon, Tony, Danica, and Junior, I'm pretty much done as an every-week fan, although I will continue to keep an eye out for Elk Grove's favorite son, Kyle Larson.  At the same time, my man Smoke will be racing in New Zealand in December and will be back in his sprint car come next spring.   And, balancing out the sad news of the death of David Cassidy and that of Grandpa Huxtable is the good news that Charles Manson now resides in hell (no longer a burden on the taxpayers of California), where even the Devil must look askance at Manson's level of evil.
 
So, the next chapter of my quest for a Ph.D. beings today.  I'll begin compiling a working bibliography on my subject, start to identify where I might need to go for primary source research, look into the dos and don'ts of writing a prospectus, etc.  In the meantime, I'll have a lot to be thankful for this coming Thursday.  While I won't be with my family in California, I'll be joining good friends for a feast here in Knoxville. I'm thankful for my job here at the McClung Museum--see the picture below for the gift I received from my boss Lindsey in recognition of my Harper Avery Award.  I'm thankful that my friend and classmate, Josh, is doing well with cancer treatment.  I'm thankful for the show Grey's Anatomy for giving me a frame of reference for my recent good fortune.  I'm thankful that I have parents, family, and friends who support my academic efforts.  I'm thankful for my BFFs, Chantalle, Brenda, Yvette (who will help me consume my congratulatory gift from Lindsey).  And, mostly, I'm thankful for Maddie and Heidi, who bring joy to each and every day of my life.

Cheers from Knoxville!

Blogs are Few and Far Between

Yes, I don't blog enough for my devoted readers--Sharon Brown and Trish Kogler.  So, as I have a few minutes of free time and can't seem to focus on my studies, I'll sketch out an update of my life right now.

The biggest thing in my life at this moment in time is preparation for my comprehensive exams. Before I can begin work on my dissertation, I must first demonstrate my mastery of American history through both a written and oral examination.  To accomplish this, I work with three advisors:  Dr. F., my overall advisor, Dr. H., he who gave me such grief my first semester but who I have since come to admire greatly, and Dr. B., whose class on the Atlantic World I really enjoyed. 

Each of these advisors has come up with a list of books for me to read to prepare for my exams.  Dr. F. has assigned me a series of primary sources spanning the first half of the nineteenth century, including such famous works as Alexis DeToqueville's Democracy in America, Tom Paine's Common Sense, and Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.  As I am reading most of the books on his list alongside his nineteenth-century reading seminar, I am getting a greater understanding than I might have by just reading these works on my own.  And, truth be told, I'm really enjoying these books.  Each one is so famous it feels like I should already have read it.  I like the idea of being able to brag that I've read Frances Trollope's Domestic Manners of the Americans and Frederick Law Olmstead's The Cotton Kingdom.  Makes me sound like an actual historian. 

From Dr. B., I have a large group of books, generally focused on women in the colonial period.  As I read through the initial list of about twenty-five books, I became aware of two central themes.  The first is that colonial women were remarkably adaptable, sometimes following the traditional path of wife and mother and sometimes traveling very different routes.  The second theme stems from an essay I read on the use of the family and/or the household as a category of analysis.  From this second, I can see that ties of family or household affected women's lives in economic, social, religious, and political ways.  Once I had uncovered these two themes, Dr. B. assigned me many more books that will help me flesh these out.  So far, I'd have to say that my favorite has been Revolutionary Backlash by Rosemarie Zagarri.  Zagarri suggests that the women (white, of course) who lived during the American Revolution played an important role in the politics of the time, from supporting their husbands by maintaining the family economy to participating in boycotts and political events and reading and writing about political issues.  These more public opportunities gradually diminished as the rise of universal male suffrage, party politics, and the idea of "republican motherhood" (it was the role of women to raise sons who would carry on the works of the Founding Fathers) took hold in the early nineteenth century.  The number of books assigned by Dr. B. feels overwhelming, but I can't help loving what I'm learning.

From Dr. H. come books that I'm far more comfortable with than any of those assigned by Dr. F. or Dr. B.  Dr. H. has me reading on reunion and reconciliation after the Civil War, including my old favorite, David Blight's Race and Reunion.  Each of the author's I'm reading for Dr. H. takes Race and Reunion and either complicates the idea of reunion or points to exceptions to Blight's rather general conclusion that reunion was somehow all-inclusive.  As I have read several of the books on Dr. H.'s list already, it feels good to reunite with these topics.

As anyone reading this can see, I'm in love with American history.  I mean, I love lots of things and people--chocolate, Tony Stewart, Diet Coke, my family, tacos, friends, Smoke the cat and Penny the dingo, etc.--but American history stands out.  Its not just the topic of my educational pursuits, its my passion.

It turns out, I'm also passionate about my job at the McClung Museum.  My boss, the newly married Lindsey Gharavi, has turned out to be a wonderful teacher, and her knowledge as an art historian has once again sparked my interest in art.  Plus, she's got an amazing collection of books on art and is not reluctant to lend them to me!  The work itself here is also very gratifying.  I led my first solo lecture just this past Monday--and it was wonderful.  The class was a first-year studies group, all new freshmen, who are learning the ropes of being a student at UT.  I was able to lead them through quick tours of the Native Peoples and Decorative Experience galleries while also providing an overview of the museum and ideas on how to be an informed, curious museum visitor.  This week I also drew up my first list of objects for use in a specific class, the class in question being one in Japanese art.  One of the great things about the McClung is that its a general, all-purpose museum, with a little bit of everything in the collections.  Thus, it works for a wide variety of educational purposes and specific classes.  And everyone here is no nice!  Its been a long time since I've worked in an atmosphere where people are actually dedicated to the same goals and work well with each other.

After my lecture, I was so relieved and happy
that I wanted to take a nap, right here in the
Decorative Experience gallery.

As ever, the friends I have here at UT help keep my homesickness at bay.  Tuesday dinners with Tess and Minami keep me sane; they both passed their comprehensive exams in September and thus provide hope that I might do the same in November.  Wednesday evenings are set aside for phone calls with Chantalle, and I love that she's working at Purdue (her favorite place in the world) and is loving her new job as an advisor in the Biochemical Engineering department.  I miss Annie terribly, as she is now working at Vanderbilt in Nashville in the Religious Studies department--texts and the occasional visit help when I really need to talk with her.  And History Department life is busy as ever.  This week, Rachel Chrastil spoke on her work on childlessness in Western Europe and North America from the early modern age to the present.  It was not only a terrific lecture, but spending time with my pals is always a treat.

Amanda, me, Alyssa, Tess, and Liz were joined by Laura,
Minami, and Claire for the thought-provoking lecture

So, readers, that's a little snapshot of what's going on now.  I am looking forward to the completion of my exams--and, of course, hopefully the passing of said exams.  Mostly, I'm ready for a break, to come to California, to see my babies, my dog, my family, my friends, and my room at Aunt Sandy's house.  The next month will be a stressful one for me, but I'm hoping for a good outcome and a fun vacation back home.

Ta ta for now....

Working at the Jackson Papers

It's been awhile since my last blog, and a lot has happened.  I'll recap in a nutshell (so to speak):

Spring Break - visit with Heidi, Biltmore, biting cold weather, hotel in Asheville, hotel bar, martinis, drunken mommy confessions, no hangover, Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel, Carl Sandburg home, big disappointment, NPS failure, big hill to climb, Heidi a good sport.

School - lots and lots of work, Dr. M. doesn't like me then does like me, great students to teach, German translation fun, Dr. F. and Jessie Benton Fremont, presentation day fall and skinning of knee, all A's, seeing friends hooded with their M.A.s, so proud.

Sister History Geek Week, II - Tricia coming, apartment a mess, baking muffins, Tricia discovers Pigeon Forge (ha ha!!), Columbia, SC, state house Lost Cause fun, U.S.S. Yorktown, Fort Sumter, John C. Calhoun and Edward Rutledge, Magnolia Plantation, alligators, terrific fun, love the low country, off to Charlotte, Stewart-Haas heaven, money spent in the gift shop, Hendrick's, NASCAR Hall of Fame, terrible performance in simulator, Junior potato chips, back home to Knoxville, a meatloaf left in the fridge for future dinner.

That brings us up to date.  Last week, I began my summer assistanceship at the Papers of Andrew Jackson.  Thanks to the fantastic Dr. F., I will work 180 hours over May, June, and July at the Jackson Papers.  When I got the news, I was so over-the-moon happy that no one could have wiped the smile from my face.  This past Monday, I transcribed the most amazing letter from Cherokee chief John Ross, complaining about the state of Georgia and its grabbing up of Cherokee lands and seeking Jackson's intervention.  Ross had fabulous handwriting and near perfect spelling; I couldn't believe that the first document I got to transcribe was one so obviously important and significant.  Today, I transcribed a pretty harsh condolence letter from AJ to one of his extended family upon the death of a baby girl.  The letter presumably was meant to comfort, but AJ took the opportunity to remind the baby's father that he and his wife may have "doated" upon the child too much and did not pay proper attention to God, at which point God took the baby to the "mansions of bliss."  It was so cool!  I also learned how to edit and create calendar entries for documents that don't make it into full transcription--also remarkably cool.

In addition to working at the Papers, I'm also busy starting on readings for my comprehensive exams, which I will take in November.  This is the big test, which, if I pass, will move me into the category of A.B.D. (All But Dissertation).  It's a huge challenge, and I'll be reading all summer and fall to get ready.  I'll be working with Dr. F. as my advisor as well as Dr. B., who I loved during her Atlantic World class, and also with Dr. H., with whom I had a disastrous first semester and a successful third semester.  It's going to be hella difficult, but, if I can pull it off, its a major milestone toward my Ph.D.

So, there's not much more to say right now.  I'm looking forward to another day at the Papers tomorrow.  But for now, Knighty Knight from Knoxville....

Mama Bad Mood

It seems as though every time I write a blog, I write it like Mary F'ing Poppins.  I'm always in a good mood, my week has always been great, blah, blah, blah.  Well, today I decided to reflect on what a bad day looks like.

Let's start with proofreading.  Sunday night, I turned in a paper for Dr. M's class on capitalism and slavery.  Oh, happy me. Today, I had to print out a copy, along with copies of papers turned in by my classmates.  What do I find?  Friggin' type-os in mine!!!  Ugh, I didn't proofread in my usual read-it-out-loud-style, and this is my punishment.  Then, during class, when we discussed the book I'd written the paper on--well, I don't think my description of the book, my idea of what worked well in the book, and my criticism of the book were at all well founded.  In other words, I'm a dumb bunny who just doesn't get it and can't f'ing proofread.

Grading comes next.  On Friday, my students turned in their first papers of the semester.  I gave six examples of my grading to Dr. O to look over.  God, I was awful.  I was too harsh on writing mechanics, I missed where a student called a memoir a novel, etc.  Now I have to provide three more samples before he'll let me go off and grade on my own.  And its not like I haven't graded before!

Oh, yes, let's not forget job talks.  It seems that the department is hiring some new professors.  This means that the final four candidates present talks on their research.  While not "mandatory" per se, it is "highly recommended" that grad students attend.  The morning after such talks, there is then a meeting between the grad students and the candidate in a more informal setting.  We're expected at those as well.  Now, I like to be a good girl, and I'm well aware of how important it is to be seen at department functions.  So, I've trotted off to every job talk and to every grad student meeting that I can, barring times when I'm teaching. But not everybody seems to feel that their attendance is necessary.  Some grad students come once in a while, to maybe one or two out of the eight meetings expected.  So, that makes me mad (even though I should just mind my own damn business).  Then, to add insult to injury, after having gotten through the four candidates for the Eastern European/Russian scholar, we have now received notification of job talks and meetings with the four candidates for the Africanist job.  Too much, I tell you!!

Now let's take a look at the state of my health today.  For the past several days, I've had such sinus congestion that I've wanted to take my whole head off and toss it into the trash (not a bad idea anyway since I'm such a dumb bunny).  I don't have any other cold or flu symptoms, just a stuffy nose.  Disease is flying around the entire Knoxville region, with Knox County schools closed today and tomorrow before too many students and teachers are sick.  Oh, yeah, and the stuffy  nose keeps from sleeping very well.  Well, that and the leg sweats which plague me whenever I'm stressed.  Oh, and I'm stressed all the time.  Let's not forget, too, the ways in which Smoke contributes to my lack of sleep.  Yesterday, at about 5:30 a.m., he sat down beside my head and started playing with my hair.  It was almost as if someone were running a real sharp comb across my head.  Nice way to treat your mama, Smoke!

There, I got all that off my chest.  And when I go back and read my blogs about Tennessee and my time here, I won't think it was all fun and games.  The work I'm doing here is hard, demanding, time-consuming, and stressful.  I'm fortunate to have a terrific adviser in Dr. F and to have so many wonderful colleagues surrounding me and an admittedly terrific faculty.  I'm not sorry I'm here--far from it.  But some days, its such a pain in the ass that I can't help but bitch.

Thanks for reading my tirade, my darlings.  I'm going out to dinner--and I'm going to have liquor!

Two Weeks in Academia

I've gotta say--these first few weeks of classes have flown by.  Probably because I've been busy having the adventures that I'm going to describe below.

The week really started on the Tuesday following MLK Day.  That's when I discovered what it was going to be like in Dr. M's class.  Mind you, a lot of my classmates have taken classes from this professor before, but he was all new to me.  So, I got a little cranky when he called everybody by name except for me.  What's wrong? What did I do?  Did I get off on the wrong foot?  What the hell could I possible have said to make him hate me?  He's a real bastard, not saying my name and all. This is how my mind works.  But that was the first week.  This past week?  What a fun class!  This teacher is fantastic.  He said my name!!!  He knows who I am!  He said I made a good point.  Best class EVER!  As the late great Sandy Woolfolk would say, "Hot-cold, hot-cold."

My German class is my favorite so far this semester.  Taught by a Ph.D. candidate, the atmosphere she creates is very conducive to learning.  It's so relaxed, there are only six or seven students in the class--all historians except for a very likable guy from the English department.  Catherine, the instructor, has the most beautiful pronunciation of German I've ever heard (sorry Petra, Melli, Sascha, Ollie, and all the rest of my wonderful German family).  Because we're learning German only for purposes of being able to translate written material into English, the class isn't really about speaking German.  But Catherine is kind enough to pronounce things and to speak some German in the class.  I'm finding that translating is actually sort of fun.  It's like a puzzle!

One of the best parts of the German class so far has been my ability to introduce one of my favorite expressions into the discussion.  Translating a few paragraphs about Galileo Galilei found me telling my classmates about the tour guide who introduced Yvette and I to the city of Pisa so many years ago.  That guide made sure that we all understood the following:  "Galileo Galilei, from Pisa not Florence."  Today, on our first quiz, one of the sentences to translate concerned the fact that Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa--to which I had to include:  NOT FLORENCE.  Catherine rocks!

Wednesday means Dr. F's class--researching and writing an original essay.  I had hit open a topic last November before the prior semester even ended.  I'll be examining the role of Jessie Benton Fremont in her husband's presidential campaign of 1856.  Sounds good, right?  I'm all excited about it.  Last Wednesday found our class in the library to get a a quick tour of the primary sources available in the library's collections.  The best part was meeting with an archivist from Special Collections, who, in the course of her presentation to us, laid out several pieces from the collections that cover the Jacksonian era, including a big Bible that had been presented to Jackson during his presidency and a letter to Jackson on which Old Hickory had scribbled a few notes of his own.  The best part?  I GOT TO TOUCH THE LETTER AND THE BIBLE!!!  That's right, ladies and gentlemen, I put my DNA on a piece of paper which contained the DNA of ANDREW JACKSON!  The feelings that swept through me as I did this are what I like to call a "historical orgasm."  You history nerds will know what I'm talking about.

This past Wednesday wasn't quite as pleasant--at least for me--in Dr. F's class.  Oh, I was hot, sweaty, flushed, and panting--but it wasn't from a "historical orgasm."  No, I totally lost track of time and found myself ten minutes late for class.  I flew out of my office with just a notebook and the monograph we'd be discussing.  I raced up to the sixth floor, only to be told that Dr. F had moved the class to a room in the Hoskins Library--two uphill blocks away.  So I scooted down Cumberland as fast as I could, arriving in such a disheveled state that I'm surprised Dr. F would even let me in the room.  Solution?  I've ordered a little clock for my desk!

Of course, the inauguration made up an important part of the past two weeks.  I have traditionally taken a day off every four years to watch the inauguration.  The whole ceremony makes me feel all patriotic and sentimental.  This year, unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your political persuasion) I had to teach sections from 9:05 to 12:05 on inauguration morning, then go to German class until 1:10.  So, I didn't see the inauguration and, to be honest, I didn't watch a rerun of it either.  I did, however, watch the inaugural parade, which I loved.  The Pride of the Southland Band marched in the parade, playing, what else, Rocky Top!  I ran into one of my students from last semester who is in the band, thinking she'd be all excited, but apparently for the band members, the whole thing was a lot of hurry up and wait with only a few moments of actually being in the parade.  Still, I was proud of our UT band.  What got me truly verklempt, though, was watching the Marine Corps Band, "the President's own."  Playing the Marine Corps Hymn (I think that's its name--you know, "from the halls of Montezuma..."), that band was fantastic.  They have performed at every inaugural since Thomas Jefferson's in 1801.  How amazing is that?

Far and away the best thing that happened over the past two weeks happened on Inauguration Day.  It had nothing whatsoever to do with politics.  Rather it was getting an email from Dr. F telling me I'd passed my Fourth Semester Review.  This means that I can finish my coursework (with the exception of one course that won't be offered until next spring) at the end of this semester and move on to take my comprehensive exams next fall. That's YUGE (to use a word apparently working its way into our lexicon).  As I told my father, "Dad, I don't suck!"

Today was my discussion sections--we discussed Richard Wright's Black Boy, which, if you haven't read it, I would highly recommend.  Dr. O sat in on my 10:10 section to see how I'm doing as a teaching assistant.  I'm very nervous about his assessment.  I had a quiz in my German class, which earned me 97 out of 100 points.  I can't wait until Monday to see where I went wrong.  And I'm just now about to wrap up my office hours and head off to the grocery store.  The best part of the day?  The snow flurries that swirled down from the sky as I walked from classroom to classroom this morning.  It didn't stick, but it was still gorgeous.  Weatherman says more snow possible for Sunday and Monday.  Dear readers, please keep your fingers crossed for a possible Monday Snowday!

Bye for now....

Back in Knoxville, Back at UTK

I have seriously not been keeping up my blog the way I should.  There.  I admit it.  I meant for this to be my diary of my time here at the University of Tennessee, but I'm falling down on the job.  But, thankfully, only on blogging--actual pursuit of a doctorate seems to be going O.K.  Well, at least today it is.

I had a wonderful winter break, although it started more than a little troubled.  Just a few days prior to leaving Knoxville, my beloved Stella decided that her starter no longer worked.  First the Firestone people then the Dodge people took a crack at her--and I was left carless.  Thank God for Uber.  With the help of a really nice Uber driver who was not freaked out by animals, I was able to drop Smoke off at the Hotel Vet (as I called his boarding at his vet's office so he'd think he was on vacation too).  I had to leave Stella at the Dodge dealership while I was in California because she still wasn't fixed before I was set to fly out of Knoxville.  My neighbor, Annie (also of party office fame) had graciously volunteered to start Stella every now and again while I was gone, but she was relieved of that duty when Stella spent the holidays with the Dodge people.  Thanks to Annie for volunteering, though.

Flew back to California, and my first stop after landing was the cottages of Heidi and Danny (Dandi) and Maddie and Randi (Mandi).  While it was terrific to see my babies and their significant others, I was especially moved by the warm reception I received from Penelope Pitstop Camille Dias Herbon.  My dingo still loves me.

Accommodations were provided by the House of Orth, where I enjoyed my same bedroom with the racecar motif.  Yvette, who is never to be outdone as a hostess, ensured that both Diet Coke and Sam Adams were stocked in the fridge.

Of course, food was number one on the agenda, so dinners and breakfasts with my babies and my buddies took center stage.  Thanks to Phoebe, Denise, The Trishter, The Princess, Sally, and Linda for taking time from your busy holiday schedules to spend time with me.  I don't know why this paragraph is centered on the page--Blogspot sucks!!!

Of course, the majority of my time was spent with the parentals.  Evening Jeopardy watching with my Mom and Dad was a must.  My Dad thinks I cheat at Jeopardy because I know stuff that he doesn't know, but I can vouch for the fact that my knowledge is all my own.  Besides which, I don't know nearly the number of random factoids as my trivia-savant of a sister does.

The days before Christmas went by like a whirlwind.  Cooking decorating day was a blast.  There was much merriment, especially as a certain nephew of mine (who shall remain nameless although he doesn't read this blog anyway) manfully accepted the challenge of decorating a couple of "adults only" cookies that Maddie and Randi had sneaked in to Grandma's batch of cookie-cutters.

Christmas Eve at Tricia's featured an Oktoberfest theme, complete with inexpensive "photo booth."  Sausages and sauerkraut headlined the menu, and Tricia even made eierliquor as a special surprise (almost as good, but not quite, as Petra's homemade stuff).  One of the top moments of the evening was when Stacy lit the candles for the first night of Hanukkah and she and Matthew offered up a couple of traditional songs.  Nothing says Hanukkah to a bunch of Christians and Atheists as the singing of Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song, which was performed by Matthew, accompanied by Joe, and chimed into by the rest of us.  Drink your gin-and-tonica and smoke your marijuanaca!

Christmas morning festivies were held at Reiner's house--which, of course, came with a fantastic breakfast.  Damn, I'm still thinking about that bacon right now.  Hmmmmm.  I'm headed to the grocery store as soon as I leave campus.  Might I find some of my own magic bacon?

Christmas dinner was at the parentals' house, my mom's delicious roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy and biscuits.  The film of the day was Robin Hood: Men in Tights, one of Dad's favorites.  It really stands the test of time, as do nearly all of Mel Brooks' films.

The next week flew by, and on New Year's Eve, the unthinkable happened.  I willingly entered a church--and not for sightseeing purposes.  I had New Year's Eve potluck dinner with the Lutherans at my Mom's church.  The people were nice, the food was good, and no deity struck the building with lightning.

My trip back to Knoxville, while delayed by a day due to weather, was not actually that bad.  Several of my colleagues here on the 5th floor had a much more difficult time getting home thanks to the terrible weather in the Rockies and in the Southeast.  I was surprised to find maybe two inches of snow still on the ground around my apartment when I arrived home.  It was gorgeous, but a little intimidating, especially on the day I went to fetch Stella from the Dodge people.  While her starter was fixed, it turned out the next day that her battery was not dead.  It never rains but it pours.  Much thanks to the AAA guy who installed a new battery, right there in the Willows parking lot.  Stella seems to be doing fine now.

The main reason I needed Stella as badly as I did was that, by the time I got home, I was seriously jonesing for Smoke.  When I picked him up at Hotel Vet, he didn't seem that happy to see me.  I was worried that he might be angry with me for leaving him for so long.  Once we got in the car, he started meowing like a crazy boy.  I put my fingers through the bars of his carrier, and he rubbed against them.  I had to drive all the way home that way or he would start meowing again.  Once home, he ran around and meowed at every door I had left closed--he wanted to inspect the entire place.  Once I laid down on Lovie to watch a little TV, he climbed up and laid across my chest and went to sleep.  He's my cuddle baby once more.

Today, I'm in my office on the fifth floor of Dunford, gearing up for tomorrow's first discussion sections.  I'll be a TA in a class on the second half of American history, and I'm really looking forward to it.  But its going to be a hectic Friday.  I've got 50-minute sections to teach at 9:05, 10:10, and 11:15 a.m., followed by my German class at 12:20 and office hours from 1:30 to 3:30.  The day is going to be hell on wheels.

Alright, time to get out of here and go to the grocery store.  Taco fixings, magic bacon, cereal, Diet Coke--came to Mama!

P.S.  It's now Friday afternoon.  Sections went well, I'm in office hours, and I'm kicking back!!