Louisville, Graduation, Odds and Ends

I had a nice but grueling week in Louisville. In my third year, I'm starting to learn the rhythm of the week so I know how I will feel on particular days. The Sunday of the week is always the worst for me, by the next day I feel like I could grade forever.

I had a good time with my roommate Zach, who teaches at a Jesuit high school in Baltimore. We were at the same table our first year. We had a 4 am fire alarm on Sunday of the week. That didn't help the grading for the day. I also saw a dead-on Col. Sanders impersonator in the entertainment district, 4th Street Live! (their exclamation point, not mine) I was amazed by how many times I saw the image of the Colonel during the week. I wonder if he is the Eternal Colonel of Kentucky, much like Kim Il-Sung is the Eternal Leader of North Korea despite the fact that both men are dead.

I came back and graduated. My mom and my uncle Fred came to town for the event. They were a big part of getting me to this point and I was happy to have them here for the "hooding" ceremony. My mom flew, but Fred finds creative and masochistic ways to visit us from Kansas. Last time it included catching a train at 3 am from Newton, KS and arriving 7 hours late due to delays. This time it included getting bumped from a bus in St. Louis and then sitting in a seat in a full bus that was leaking rain water into it, but he survived both times.

My advisor and the dean of the college put my doctoral hood over my shoulders to rest on my back. I also received my diploma on Friday rather than having to wait for it in the mail, like with my MA. Anna also brought Anders along, who I understand was really well behaved. I kept listening for him in the rafters, but I did not hear his distinctive Wookie howl. Going through the graduation made taking my PhD feel like a real accomplishment. For once, I felt more pride than stress about the whole thing.

Things have been busy since I returned, even after the graduation. I have been working this week to line up teaching for next year. I think that things rounding into shape. We also have a couple of house showings tomorrow! It has been a long drought.

I helped move our friends Bill and Anna a couple of days ago. They are safely ensconced in Madison now, sipping New Glarus on the Terrace.

I took Anders down to the East Side to visit Paul and Rose on our stroll this afternoon to give Anna a break. We saw some Mormon missionaries, who I considered asking what they thought about Utah's move to the Pac-10 Conference, but I thought better of it. Anders would have grown impatient with their spiel.

Anna said that Anders made it on to all fours while in his crib today. I think he will be crawling in about a week. He knocked one bottle back in 15 minutes, but his bedtime bottle left Anna disheveled. Anna pulled my patented angry shove of the bottle into Anders mouth to get him to eat tonight. I need to clean things up before the first showing tomorrow morning.

I hope this is enough, Dan Seeley. I will try to not let things go this long again.