Hit the Ground Running

i have a million things on my mind this week, and a million things to do. i haven't had time for any posts on culture or politics. the most that i can muster this week is a rambling post about where my head and feet are at right now.

i'm exhausted. we spent memorial day weekend planting a 13x20 vegetable garden in our yard. tomatoes, brussel sprouts, eggplant, green beans, red potatoes, jalepeno peppers, and red bell peppers. oh the horrors of operating a roto-tiller. my arms are just now starting to move back into their sockets. and the rowing. i really, and fully, understand the origins of the old southern cliche "that's a tough row to hoe." all 5 of them were tough rows to hoe. after a lot of sweat and sore muscles the garden is set, complete with a chicken wire fence to keep out the rabbits and deer.

now that the garden is done, i have to accomplish these tasks before leaving for my NEH fellowship in virginia on friday:

i have to prepare a job talk today, which i will give at precisely 10 in the morning. i wrote out a draft last week. today i have to fine tune it and practice, practice, practice.

i have to go to the hamilton library and find, and check out about 10 books.

i have to mail books to wv. i have 22 books assigned for my NEH fellowship. Some i interlibrary loaned, others i had copies of, and others that i'm borrowing from hamilton. instead of sending them all on the plane, along with clothes for a month, i will mail most of them to my mom's and pick them up over the weekend.

i have to shop for clothes, and other incidentals to take on my trip.

i have to take mr. smith to obedience training today. sadly, he's gotten more aggressive since he began behavioral training.

pack, pack and pack. i'm a terrible packer, and end up taking way more than i should. i wrote out a list last week of all the stuff i would need. let's see if that helps me to become more organized.

celebrate my new job. anne is taking me out to dinner tomorrow.

okay, all of this is doable over the next few days.

jb