Something Smells Fishy!

So I've been trying to write an entry for about 5 days now. I'd start and realize that I was revealing too much by going off on a tangent or talking about stupid boring things (some of you might say, "so what's new Traci"). Gosh darnit I'm going to write a post and you're going to like it, even if it's boring.

-So what's been going on in the life of Traci?

I've been adjusting to Lent life. I'm catholic, so I'm doing my best to not eat meat on Fridays (this is the tie-in to my title). I have been successful thus far (one week) and have managed to consume both a tuna fish sandwich and a McDonald's Filet o'Fish (God Bless). Yay Jesus!

I think my family (well, my parents and I) will be switching churches as well. We've been with good ol' Saint John Neuman since I was born, but never attend anymore, as my parents grew weary of the church when I was younger. I think they've found a place (St. Oliver's) they like now and are giving it a trial run, in hopes of making the switch. Jon's parents happen to go there as well, and I might have to start making appearances at the 8am mass to chaperon the parents.

-So what's going to happen in the life of Traci?

This weekend I will be making an appearance at the WGI Atlanta regional. My best friend and co-UGA-captain from college, Krista, will come with. I'm excited to see the few friends I have left in the activity perform and/or teach and am hoping to avoid drama, which shouldn't be difficult, but I wouldn't put it past color guard (I will be armed with a book--the ultimate escape). I'm mainly excited to hang out with Krista though, because that doesn't happen too often anymore because of schedules.

Next week is Brenau's spring break! Luckily, the president is giving faculty 2 days off, so I'll be getting on a plane once again to Colorado. Ashley K. from high school will also be visiting, and I'll get to meet his new roommate (his best friend who also went to high school with all of us) Mike. I'm happy to meet/reacquaint with his friends and I look forward to some more time in Rocky Mountain National Park. We're also planning on venturing into WYOMING (my favorite state) and will try to visit Vedauwoo, one of my favorite places in America. My mom had her 9th birthday party there at a picnic table under this gigantic rock. Every time we've visited the park since, we had take a picture there. I hope hope hope it isn't too snowy to get to that point in the park to take yet another picture.

-Moving on.

I've watched three movies over the course of the day. Beauty Academy of Kabul is an amazing documentary about women in Afghanistan. I highly recommend it, as I knew nothing of the situation. I watched it because Brenau is hosting an event with a panel to discuss the documentary next month. I also watched An Inconvenient Truth (the Al Gore documentary that just won an Oscar). While I'm not sure how much I buy global warming, I was very impressed by his research and dedication to what he calls the "climate crisis." It would have been much better without flashbacks of the 2000 election though. I hope that we get candidates for 2008 who have more genuine concern for the environment (like Gore), as it has been overwhelmingly neglected over the past 7 years. Moving on from the political ambiguity (PLEASE don't comment with a lecture on global warming), I watched Persuasion, an adaptation of the Jane Austen novel. Once I understood a. what they were saying and b. what was going on in the story (I have never read the novel), I really enjoyed it. I like the fact that the protagonist wasn't a ravishing beauty and it was a cute love story, although not as worthy as Pride and Prejudice.

Well that about wraps up current events, and for that matter February. I won't place any conclusions on the month as it is not officially over, but I have enjoyed it thus far for the first time in years. Hope all is well!

Easy on the Eyes

Colorado was beautiful (hence "easy on the eyes" title). I've been there twice before, but only in the summer. The sunny winter days are equally nice as the summer days though, and any place that can motivate me to want to snowshoe in the future is definitely right up my alley. I'm excited about exploring this place more over the next few months. More pictures to come.

Speaking of easy on the eyes...

So, I've finally started Jane Eyre. I LOVE it so far (only 5 chapters in). I have no initial weariness towards the content or characters, like I did with Pride and Prejudice (please note that P & P is NOW one of my favorite books... it just took a while for me to appreciate it). Perhaps it is the Victorian time period. Perhaps, I'm just older and able to understand what's going on better. There's something kick ass about a ten year old girl telling off her cruel aunt and sticking up for herself. A lot of full grown women can't do that TODAY. I'm looking forward to my first weekend home since January. Even while my grandparents are visiting, I can sit back, relax, and read (and eat ribs to celebrate my brother's 29th birthday). It's a beautiful thing.

"The nights were long and cold and scary, can we live through February?"

-Dar Williams

I have some updates. Granted, they're nothing major, but it's something to occupy my time.

First of all February.... I have actually enjoyed the first 8 days. February 3rd and 8th (today) are usually the most difficult, as they are the birth and death days respectively of my Grandmother. She died very young (60) of a brain aneurysm (my youngest grandparent in fact) in 1993, and it still pains me that she is gone, especially considering that she lived a rough life. I'm sure she's chilling up in Heaven though, so I'm cool just being able to remember her.

This past weekend was the annual girls time in Chicago. My mom enjoyed her first time (not to Chicago, but on this particular trip). I spent $40 on chocolate for us, but overall, stayed well within my budget. The only downside to this trip was the COLD WEATHER. I completely forgot what it was like to be really cold. Taxis were taken all weekend, as even my weather savvy aunts could not handle it.

Work is starting to die down from the busyness that it was over the past week. Last Monday, one of the Academy (the boarding high school for girls) teachers called asking for some bibliographic instruction sessions (teaching library stuff) for four of her English classes. I spent two days preparing lesson plans for two U.S. Lit. classes, and two general literature classes. I did half of the classes last Wednesday. Thursday, there was ice on the roads. They canceled school (typical Georgia), but we had to come in for a few hours. I finally completed the other half of classes today. The scavenger hunts (for books) went over well... well, mainly because I gave them candy. I have a definite respect for Instruction Librarians though... with all of the potential technology failures and classroom reception... it's so stressful. I like my collection development bubble, but am glad to be getting the experience, and working with high schoolers again now that I don't teach color guard anymore (thank God).

This weekend, I'm boarding yet another plane... this time to Colorado. I'm excited to see Jon and Ft. Collins, which I haven't visited since I was 8. Far too many future plans are taking place between us... it's kind of scary, but in a good way.

Susan, my buddy from graduate school, is coming to town in April for the ARLIS/NA conference. I get to spend a day with her, so I am excited (plus a possible camping trip to Utah in August woo hoo).

Did you guys hear about Anna Nicole Smith? Very odd...

Oh and book updates (how could I forget). I am currently reading The Book Thief, which is VERY good. It's narrated by death and set during World War II, which is a perfectly dreary February book. Next up is The Illustrated Jane Eyre. I am a Jane Eyre virgin (I know, how did that happen), so I am very excited about beginning my classics promise to myself with this book. After Jane Eyre, I will FINALLY get to Eragon and Eldest (I even bought this limited edition)... I have to read some form of fantasy at least once a month.

Alright, that's all you're getting out of me for a while. Happy and hopefully healthy and safe Februarys.