Thursday

I spent yesterday on campus — that’s a photo of, I think, the school’s mascot up above — talking with instructors and bookstore employees. I tried talking with someone at the library as well, but I was only able to leave my card thanks to the (quite noisy) renovation that was happening.

This is the first of three campus visits I’ll make this month — we’re tasked with about six meetings each at three different schools a semester — and this one went reasonably well. I still have to pull together my notes, and follow up with a couple of people by phone, but the heightened nervousness I was feeling at the start of it kind of went away. To be replaced only by ordinary nervousness, but at least that’s a step up. I think I was just so out of practice, since we don’t have to do this over the summer, and had such a difficult time actually scheduling these appointments, that I was fearing the worst.

I wouldn’t say yesterday was the best, but the weather was nice, the campus was small and easy to get around — it’s ten minutes from my door and I’d never been there before — and I think I walked away with some interesting feedback. And my hat’s off to the one professor at the end of the afternoon who still agreed to meet despite having her young ear-infected son and nowhere for him to be except for underfoot.

Anyway, today was a pretty good day as well. I had three phone calls with instructors planned, which turned into one. (The first wasn’t there but called me back; the second apologized for giving me the wrong day; and the third was apparently on the phone with someone else when I called…and, in all fairness, hadn’t confirmed the time with me anyway.) But, more important, I finished the large report I wasn’t expecting to finish until at least tomorrow afternoon. It’s been delayed a lot longer than I wanted it to be, and I’m glad to finally have it off my plate.

Not least of all because I won’t be in the office at all next week.

Sunday, again

No writing group again this week, as we’re taking a short hiatus.

So instead, I put a new issue of Kaleidotrope online. The new issue has stories of alien encounters, warring tribes, strange events and stranger journeys, and, of course, the future. Plus poems and silly horoscopes. I’m pleased with how it came out, though I’d appreciate any feedback, there or here. (I don’t get a lot of feedback on the zine, actually.)

I wish I could say it’s been a busy week otherwise, but I’ve mostly just been working.

Last night I watched Prince of Darkness. It’s a deeply odd and silly movie on some levels, but also really creepy and smart about what’s frightening. It’s far from John Carpenter’s best — I’d say that’s easily Halloween followed by The Thing — but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

I was not surprised by how much I enjoyed the finale of Breaking Bad this evening, though. There’s been a lot of hype, particularly if you’re on Twitter, calling it “the best show ever,” and some of that is probably overblown. But I liked it a lot, and I thought tonight’s episode was as strong as the show has ever been.

I mean, it’s no Sleepy Hollow, of course, but then what is?

Random 10 9-27-13

Can we do better than last week, when only one lyric was guessed? Is anybody even out there?

  1. “Alison” by Elvis Costello
    Oh, it’s so funny to be seeing you after so long, girl
  2. “Heaven” by Loudon Wainwright III
    And the morning hereafter feels fine
  3. “All We Have Is Now” by the Flaming Lips
    As logic stands you couldn’t meet a man who’s from the future
  4. “Back in the U.S.S.R.” by the Beatles, guessed by Clayton
    On the way the paper bag was on my knee
  5. “Wolves” by Josh Ritter
    I was singing without knowing the words
  6. “Cocaine” by J.J. Cale, guessed by Clayton
    She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie
  7. “Party in the CIA” by Weird Al Yankovic, guessed by tammy
    Tapping the phones like yeah, shredding the files like yeah
  8. “Halley’s Waitress” by Fountains of Wayne
    I just want some coffee
  9. “Cartoons and Forever Plans” by Maria Taylor
    And did you know electricity favors us
  10. “Dancin’ Fool” by Frank Zappa, guessed by Clayton
    One of my legs is shorter than the other

If you are, good luck!