Baby Fisher, coming soon to a theatre near you!

Little Bit at 12 weeks

We are so pleased to announce that Baby Fisher, aka Little Bit, will be welcomed into the world on or around July 26, 2012. Annabelle and Little Bit are both in good health, albeit kind of tired.

You're nosy. C'mon. Admit it. You want to know how this all came to be. I would, if I were you.

In short: You really can by everything online!

I searched California Cryobank's online profiles to find a sperm donor who reminded me of my family, both in physical attributes and personality. We were lucky to find a fella who has curly blond hair. He's earned a master's degree in music, and he's compassionate and easy-going. He was perfect for us and the family we are creating.

Baby Bump!

Working with Fertility Centers of Illinois, we explored how this all really works, and Annabelle underwent IUI, intrauterine insemination. Strangely lucky, Annabelle got pregnant on the first try.

Little Bit is the first grandbaby for both sets of parents, and in my family, we haven't had a baby for 21 years. That's a LONG time.

At 20 weeks, we'll be able to find out if Little Bit is a he or she, which we'll be excited to share. I'm already thinking about hot air balloons for the nursery, based on my favorite book as a child, The Travels of J.B. Rabbit.

on my uncle's death

This is where it began:

Man dies in 1-car crash near Manteno

A passenger was killed when he was thrown from a convertible with the top down during a single-vehicle crash Wednesday just north of Manteno.

Gregory Kirkton, a 52-year-old resident of the Manteno area, was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m. at the accident scene at 11500N and 1000E roads, according to Kankakee County Coroner Bob Gessner.

Gessner said the victim was riding in a car that was traveling northbound on 1000E. The car left the roadway, struck an embankment and went airborne before landing upright on its wheels, Gessner said. Kirkton was thrown from the topless convertible. It did not appear that he was wearing a seat belt, according to the coroner.

Gessner said the female driver was taken to Riverside Medical Center. The coroner's office did not have her name.

Kankakee County Sheriff's Police are reconstructing the accident. The report with further details of the mishap was not available this morning before press time.

Kirkton's autopsy is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today.

-- From the Daily Journal, August 23, 2007

My mom is the youngest of three; Greg was the middle child, the younger of her two older brothers.

The female driver was Barbara Hambrick. My uncle rented a room in her farmhouse and frequented the bar where she bartended. He helped her out with her two little kids. He and Barb were friends.  She was responsible for his death.

On October 21, 2009, I wrote briefly on my thoughts after Barb's first trial ended in a mistrial because the jury was unable to come to a decision.

The retrial began in November of 2010.


(From the Daily Journal, November 16, 2010)
This time, the jury was able to come to a decision.


(From the Daily Journal, November 17, 2010)
On January 7, 2011, I addressed the court on behalf of my family by reading a Victim Impact statement that I wrote. Though I'd argue it's not my best piece of writing ever, the State's Attorney said it was the most articulate Victim's Impact statement he's heard.

I would first like to thank the court for the opportunity to speak today.

Gregory Kirkton was my uncle. My family has asked me to speak on our behalf.

My Uncle Greg was a good man with a good heart.  Though he never had much money, he was the kind of man who would give away his last dime to someone who needed it, especially a friend or family member.  He loved his family very, very much. He was especially close with my mom, and he was a good parent to his stepdaughter, Amanda. He loved his wife, Donna, very much, and the months immediately following her death were difficult for him.  In the years since then, he put his life back together, leaving their home in Farmer City and eventually moving back to Kankakee to be with his family.

There's no way to express here today the pain his death caused, other than to say that all of our hearts were broken.

Without question, Barbara Hambrick was responsible for my Uncle Greg's death.

The way my uncle has been treated by Barbara Hambrick and her representatives since the time of his death only caused more pain for my family, making their healing that much more difficult.

My family was deeply concerned for Barb after the accident. She was seriously injured, and we were concerned for her -- not just for her injuries but for the loss of her friend, my uncle, who was a kind presence in the daily life of Barb and her kids. We cared about her wellbeing and her recovery.  This is who we are.  Understanding that she was driving and caused the accident, we felt sorry for her nonetheless.

Our feelings changed when her story about the accident changed.

We heard in the week after the accident that Barb claimed she hadn't been driving, that Greg was driving and caused the accident. The evidence showed this was untrue; Barb had bruising caused by the driver's-side seatbelt.
Hearing this was unsettling, but nothing was more horrific than the news that my uncle, after being thrown from the automobile, laid on the ground for more than forty minutes before the police were called to the scene of the accident.  We were shocked by the thought of my uncle lying on the ground for all that time, suffering in unspeakable pain.  Though we were eventually comforted with the news that he died instantly, we will never heal from the reckless cruelty of Barb and her family waiting to call 911.
We could have eventually forgiven Barb for causing the accident that resulted in my uncle's death. We could never forgive her for her delay in calling the police. Or for blaming the accident on my Uncle Greg.

Over the course of the legal proceedings, we heard a number of explanations about how my uncle caused the accident, none of which we actually believed.  My uncle wasn't suicidal; he was excited about having just had a great job interview, and he was anxious for the job offer.

When the jury found Barbara Hambrick guilty on both counts of aggravated DUI, my family was relieved that the jury believed that my Uncle Greg didn't cause the accident.  Through all the lies Barb told about how the accident happened and all the blame that was placed on my uncle, we just wanted her to accept responsibility. That never happened.  My family and I are thankful that the jury found Barb responsible, since she was unwilling to take responsibility.

That being said, no one "won" on the day the verdict was delivered. Yes, we finally had the acknowledgment of Barb's responsibility by a jury of her peers, but nothing will bring my uncle back. No decision could heal our broken hearts.

I won't make a plea for any particular punishment.  My family and I trust the court to make the decisions they deem appropriate in accordance with the law.  For us, the most important decision was handed down by the jury when Barbara Hambrick was found responsible.

For those of you who saw the videotapes from Heather's Tap, I'd like to leave you with a memory of the Greg Kirkton that I loved. Greg was the eternal "big kid," and when he lived with my family when I was young, he had my brother and me convinced he'd worked in the circus. He would show us his acrobatics by tossing us into the air on afternoons that were filled with laughter and awe. That is the Uncle Greg I remember.

Delivery of the sentence will be next Friday, January 14, 2011, at 1:30.

I'll try to be better, honest.

Baby Oliver, 5 mos.
Originally uploaded by terynjay

I'm trying to be better about blogging. Now that I'm out of the groove, I don't know what to write about anymore. So, I'll write a little about the weekend.

We met up with my pal MBJ, who I haven't seen since winter. In the meantime, she had a baby, an AWESOME baby, who I'm totally in love with. It's the eyebrows.

Annabelle and I hung out with MBJ, Baby Oliver, and MBJ's mom. They're like family to me, and whenever I see them, I realize how much I miss them. There was much baby smooshing and kissing, and cuddling, and even my mom is having baby withdrawal from the short time she spent with him on Sunday.

The rest of the time was family. They're as crazy as ever. Need I say more?

I'm going to try to enjoy this last week of my "summer vacation" before it's back to work full-time. I actually like working; I need that structure in my day. So far, I've been pretty good about keeping myself on a schedule and getting some things done each day -- look, I can create my own structure! Kind of...

Excuse me while I go stare at the pics of that cute baby for awhile.

exciting happenings

A couple of notes on things that make me happy:

Heinous, one of my beloved BFFs, is leaving a meh job in a crappy town TODAY. As I type this, she and her father are getting things ready and supervising the movers as they load the truck she and her father will drive cross-country, back to the Midwest, where she'll settle into a house of her own in a town that's accessible by train (for me). This is such a positive move, and I'm so happy she's coming home.

Another of my beloved BFFs has her first book coming out on August 23rd, and the buzz is starting. University of Illinois Press has blogged about it, and it's already ranked well on Amazon, even though it's not yet out. I'm very proud of her.

One of Annabelle's BFFs just started a new blog, which makes me smile. J is a cool kid, and we don't see enough of her. I'm glad we can follow her online.

My brother is engaged in a new project called Just Aesthetics. Check out the blog and the community work they're doing.

Saturday, I'm going to meet my dear lifelong friend MBJ's little guy. He was born in February, and I've been both sick (a lot) and busy (too much). It's sad to me that I haven't met him yet, though I'll kick myself in the butt for not making it a bigger priority. That doesn't matter; what matters is that I get to hang out with her and her little guy this weekend.

Finally, go read Annabelle's blog. She's all around awesome, and I'm lucky to share my days with her. Plus, she's funny. Also, I'm excited to watch her tweet her way through Blogher in a few weeks.

I got a feeling...

Last week, Liz and I declared during our morning train commute that November was going to be a good month. We agreed we were both getting back to our weekday swims. So far, we're 2 for 2. And, unlike October, November has been sunny! Supposedly, we had 22 days of rain in October, when our average is 12. No wonder I felt like crap.

This talk of swimming and sunshine -- it's about feeling good. I get into a cycle of feeling meh and not wanting to exercise, when exercise is clearly something that helps me to not feel so meh, so I'm not exercising and not feeling less meh but feel too meh to get myself to exercise.

But, it's November. I got a feeling that this month's gonna be a good month...

I hate to sweat. I really, really do. Swimming is good because it's low-impact and not sweaty. It's strange for me to think of enjoying anything active, even when there isn't sweat involved, but I really enjoy my swimming.

Especially the first lap.

There's NOTHING like the first dive down, smoothly moving through the water to a steady freestyle stroke. Breathing is so simple, the water is so clear, and the strokes are steady and even. This first lap is as good as it gets for me, and I'd love to have every lap feel this week, this satisfying.

The problem is my breathing. The first lap is great because I've used my inhaler preventatively but haven't yet got my heart pumping. My need for air feel so much simpler in that first lap. I take one--maybe two--breaths across the pool in the first lap, compared with the three I take in subsequent laps. I don't work hard in that first lap. It just feels natural. The rest of them will all be work, and when I get a good lap in there somewhere in the middle of the swim, I feel really good about it.

Besides the asthma, I never learned proper swimming breathing. As a child, I was deathly afraid of the water, and I hated swimming lessons. As an adult, I don't know how to plug my nose underwater without actually wearing nose plugs. I honestly think my breathing would be smoother if I could swim without the nose plugs. (If you can describe how that's done--plugging you nose from inside while you swim--do tell!)

I'll close with a recap of our Halloween festivities with my family, courtesy of Anne. Her costume was truly frightening, by which I mean AWESOME. And, for your reading amusement, here's her story about what happens when I'm not there in the morning to save her life.

writing on not writing

I still haven't written about the trial. I guess it just feels so big that I don't even know where to start. The short of it, for those keeping track:

The state's attorney was amazing. He was thorough, and he treated people with respect. The defense attorney did not do the same.

The state's witnesses were also thorough, while the defense witnesses' stories were wildly inconsistent.

I talked to my mom everyday. I know the whole thing weighed on everyone, especially on my mom and grandparents, who went everyday.

When we were called in on the tenth day, it was because the jury had a verdict on one of the two counts. That verdict was guilty, and the family heaved a silent sigh of relief. The judge gave the defense attorney the chance to poll the jury to confirm the verdict, and the last juror, the foreperson, changed his mind on his vote. They returned to deliberate, but they were hopelessly deadlocked. After that news, I felt so empty.

We learned a lot of useful information from the state's attorney, who stayed to chat with the jury after they were dismissed. Notably: they believed my mom, they didn't think my uncle had anything to do with causing the accident that killed him, they thought the defendant was most certainly guilty of causing the accident but that it wasn't proven without a reasonable doubt that she was drunk behind the wheel, they didn't believe the defendant or her witnesses, they thought the state's attorney was respectful while the defense attorney was not, they thought the state's witnesses were credible, and they were impressed with the show of support for the state's case, which included my family being there everyday and a cadre of off-duty state troopers who came to see the closings. All of these things did help relieve the emptiness we felt with the declaration of the mistrial.

There's more to say about things that have happened since then, but this hits the highlights from the trial itself, I suppose.

a weekend with a mix of rain and sunshine

Anne's parents were here over the weekend. They're good folks, and of course, we had a nice time.

Anne's paternal grandmother died not long before she was born. Parts of her life are well known, while some details remain shrouded in mystery. One of those mysteries has been her early life in Chicago. Anne's Aunt Mary has recently been doing some genealogical research, and between her research and Anne's dad's great uncle, we learned the name of the street she was born on: Grenshaw.

In my summer class on Chicago geography, we worked with a lot of homeowner data in Chicago's Puerto Rican neighborhood, so I learned how to find a lot of information online. I thought, Surely there must be a way to find her birth certificate, so I poked around the city websites. And, I found it. Fifteen dollars later, we knew a bunch more information about Anne's grandmother, including the address for the house in which she was born.

Saturday, we headed over to the North Lawndale neighborhood and found the house.



(That's her dad.)

After her parents flew home on Sunday, her dad emailed a few pictures to his siblings, along with the copy of the birth certificate, and he CC'd Anne and me. It's been a joy to see the responses from his siblings, reading how much it means to all of them to have this information. I'm happy I could give that to them.

Anne ran into one of our neighbors on her way in from the garage on Sunday, after dropping off her parents at O'Hare. We don't really know our neighbors that well, and in a moment of channelling her mother's extroversion, she stopped to chat with him.

He's living with his best friend in an apartment that's made me happy -- from the street, you can see the beautiful red color they painted the living room, and the bay windows have been flanked with beautiful flower boxes with amazing arrangements. The best friend told Anne about his friend, who went about creating the perfect space in that apartment. He wanted that work to continue around him until it was finished, even as he spent the weekend in bed, dying of cancer. The doctors did not expect him to survive the weekend.

The weekend was bittersweet. All around us... life and death, beginnings and ends, discovery and loss, joy and sorrow. Seemed fitting, really, that the weekend was a mix of cold rain and warm sunshine.

so much to blog, so little time

Sigh, people. There are several things I'd like to tell you about, but I haven't had time to blog about any of them. I'm hoping that if I make this list, I'll be held accountable for actually writing these blog entries. So, here goes:

• The trial of the woman whose drunk-driving accident resulted in my uncle's death 2 years ago
  
• Changes afoot for our curriculum and what I have to do with any of that
  
• Baby crochet projects -- a sweater currently finished, a project for Gail underway, and thoughts about what I might make for Meghan
  
• Other happenings lately, perhaps a gym update, maybe some other smaller updates that don't require their own blog post

In the meantime, go donate to the DonorsChoose social media challenge via Tomato Nation. I'll even tell you which project to donate to -- one belonging to one of my former students. Also, watch my brother's latest video. It's trippy.

planning conference travel makes me a little crazy

In mid-July, I'm heading to Louisville for a conference. At the very least, I need to stay overnight for 2 nights. Ideally, I'll stay for four. Sound odd? Here's my logic:

• I could fly in on Tuesday and stay Tuesday night, in which case I'd make the 9:30 plenary session.
  
• I could take the first flight from Chicago to Louisville on Wednesday morning (oh, Southwest, how I love you) and be there in time for the first block of concurrent sessions at 11:30.
  
• I could leave at thee end of the sessions on Friday, only missing one block of concurrent sessions on Saturday and the closing plenary, which is by a guy who gave an address at last year's conference (meaning that if I miss it, my life will still go on).
  
• I could leave on Saturday when the conference is officially done.

One of the problems is the hotels.

The first year I went (2007), I didn't do my homework. I stayed at the conference hotel (call me naive), when I could have stayed equally close to the convention center at a less glam chain. The upside to that would have been free breakfast and free internet, neither of which were provided by the conference hotel.

Last year, I again stayed at the conference hotel, but this time it was because there was nothing else nearby. They'd done some renovations, and I hear some of the guest rooms were nice. Mine was mediocre, as was my stay there. Again, no free internet or breakfast.

This year, I'm so over this no-complimentary-internet-or-breakfast bullshit. I've done my homework. There's a Hampton Inn 4 or 5 blocks away, which seems pretty damn reasonable to me. But the kicker? It costs $20 more per night than the conference hotel (with the conference discount), which I've read is only good if you get into the renovated section. The Hampton Inn, of course, has free breakfast and internet, which the conference hotel does not. Is it worth the extra money? I'm thinking it is because the stay will be so much nicer (if the conference track record stands), and I won't have to shell out big bucks every morning for... a bagel. (Actually, the first year, I got supplies at the local drugstore and ate breakfast in my room everyday.)

Let's not forget about my shout-out to Southwest above. I can fly roundtrip for about $130 (or so I'm guessing with the taxes, etc.). AWESOME. I was all set to book yesterday--flight at least but probably also the hotel--when I remembered: my dad lives in Kentucky. To be specific, he lives about 90 miles south of Louisville. Perhaps A and I could work out some time either before or after my conference to go down and stay a couple of days with him and his wife. I know A would like it out there in the country, and it might be relaxing in the summer.

So, I haven't booked anything. This frustrates me.

This morning, I did go through the conference booklet and assess the actual conference costs: $445 for conference attendance, including 1 banquet lunch and a couple of snacks here and there. Yesterday, my boss advised me to make an effort to stay at or below $1,000 in my conference expenses. If you're playing at home, that means that after conference registration and airfare, I have around $425 for hotel expenses. (And yes, they should be feeding me, but they don't.) That, my friends, means 3 nights at the hotel (and perhaps food) to make it to the $1,000 total. The past two years, the costs have been anywhere from $250-500 more.

I want to lock in my cheeeeeeeap rates for the flights and hotel, but I gotta talk to the wifey, who's out at a client today. (Our schedules yesterday didn't give us much time for talking about this.) This makes me anxious because I'm SURE that by tomorrow, when we've had a chance to talk about it together and with my dad, the prices will have jumped by hundreds of dollars.

Oh, work travel.

my brother strikes again

five days to go, kids

We're five days from the big day, and I'm FAR less stressed out than I expected to be. I can certainly attribute that to the awesomeness that is Shanna and John. Not only did they come over on Saturday to help us get things accomplished, but it was their idea to come over because they are clearly made of awesome. (I should note that I have several other friends who also fall in this category of awesomeness, who've called people, looked into stuff, etc. And that my mom came up to help us this weekend, too. :) )

It's fall break here on Monday and Tuesday, so that means most of the kiddies are scattered - some went home, some are here in hibernation, etc. I've got my music up louder than usual. :) This certainly doesn't hurt my stress level.

I think we'll be at the peak of fall colors this weekend, but it looks like rain's in the forecast. Oh well. I accept that this is beyond my control.

And in crochet news, I made myself a winter hat yesterday, and it even got an endorsement from Anne, which never happens because--and this will no doubt surprise you (don't miss the sarcasm)--I like things to be a little colorful and crazy. ;)

Alrighty. Gonna take advantage of this quiet and get some things done.

a busy August week

Sometimes, I think I'm the only person who sweats all the time...and sweats a lot. Geez. I hate humidity. I just walked around campus, and I'm soaked.

Back to work! Which brings me to good news: my grandfather got to go home yesterday. He's still pretty weak, but he's so much better. And best news of all: the tumor they removed with part of his pancreas is NOT cancer. :)

I'm happy to have my house back. As much as I may have complained along the way, I do really love my grandmother. Having her with us made me tired, though. Staying up to watch the Olympics hasn't helped, either.

In my own Olympic news, I'm still working on my blanket. I have many, many squares done and hope to be stitching them together starting Wednesday. I have to finish by the closing ceremonies.

We've got about 150-200 students already on campus. Eep! First-years (who aren't already here) move in this weekend, so the fun really is beginning. Friday, I accompany a group of newbies to Boystown for a Chicago Day. Sunday, I get to talk to parents and newbies about services for students with disabilities. Monday--I'm sure--appointments begin.

Farewell summer. Welcome [back] students!

I'd rather be crocheting.

Why is it that the one and only website I need to work this afternoon has to continue to fail to load?! I finally got a text for a student who needs it in electronic format, and I need to get the publisher contact info.

In other--better--news, it's Curry Hut Wednesday. Indian buffet, baby. So. Stuffed.

I'm totally engrossed in my project for the Ravelympics, the 17-day challenge for knitters/crocheters on Ravelry. Goodness, how I want to work on it. I've finished all my red "squares," and now the purple are almost done. I might actually finish this project. :)

My grandmother called this morning to report that my grandfather is definitely perking up, which is good, though if he had his way, he wouldn't leave ICU until he's ready to go home. We think he likes the attention. ;)

Has anyone else been completely mesmerized by Brandi Carlile's "The Story" on that GM commercial they keep playing during the Olympics? I get transfixed every time that commercial plays. I want to hear it right now. In fact, I just might go off and find it. Totally productive use of of time, I know. :P But if it helps with my filing...

various and sundry

Feels like I'm due to write something, so here goes...

Piper has an ear infection. Squirting medicine in a cat's ear isn't as fun as you might think it would be. She's almost completely mended, though.

Which leads me to my grandfather, who should be mended, part 1, on Thursday when he has his Whipple Procedure done to correct his chronic pancreatitis. Following, my grandmother will be staying with us for several days while he's in the hospital. Conveniently, the hospital where he's going (and it's a great doc there, btw), is just down the road from a Metra stop, so I can take her to visit him and then hop on the train for a few hours of work. There's no reason to think anything should go wrong with his surgery, as he's got a doc who does these all the time, but if you can spare some good thoughts on Thursday morning, they couldn't hurt. I intend to work on my sweater crochet project while we wait.

And while we're on crocheting, I'll note that I'm going to participate in the Ravelympics, which involves a 17-day challenge project, mine being an afghan of 4' x 4'. I mapped out the design yesterday, which is allowed, though I can't start the crocheting till the opening ceremonies of Beijing. I hope I can do it.

One recent project is almost completely done: our wedding invitations. I just picked them up from the printer here on campus. The invitations, reply cards, and maps have, so far, cost less than $8 80 cents (I can do math, really) apiece, though I haven't yet purchased envelopes. Damn, that price is good, and I'm ecstatic with how the look. I want to walk around campus with them, going up to people and saying, "Look! Don't they look cool! I designed these! And they were printed on campus for super cheap!" I'm like a kid.

Finally, I'll note that I've embarked on a large project I'll be proud to finish very soon: uploading all of my cds to my computer. I'm nearing the end of the alphabet, and I broke 6,000 songs yesterday. Once I get everything on there, I intend to go through the catalog and mark the files I don't want included as fair game for my shuffle. Plus, I can't imagine my iPod, awesome as he is, is going to be able to hold all this stuff. This is a hell of a lot of music, friends, and I think it needs a little prioritizing. After all, I don't need holiday music on there now, so trimming the catalog a bit is worth it, especially if I don't have to listen to "Elf's Lament" until December.

my hatred of camping is like my hatred of musicals

I always make exceptions.

We had Anne's family reunion camping trip this weekend. Honestly, I wasn't looking forward to it. "Camping" to me means sunscreen, bugs, being dirty, sweating, pay showers, and did I mention bugs? This is the only time we get to see all of her dad's side of the family in one place.

And, it was awesome, as it always is. Her parents are good people, and the family's full of other great folks. There was a lot of stories, laughter, and good food. Plus, the weather was pretty awesome, despite some patches of rain.

I did have to live in sunscreen, and I did get some bug bites. I'll survive.

I'm up way too early.

Note to my brain: 5:20 and 7:00 are not the same thing. Since I've been up awhile, thought I'd have time to write a post.

I went to a workshop yesterday on technology and teaching writing. I learned one thing: I'm already hip to different web stuffs I could integrate into my teaching of writing. Wow. The one thing I got out of it was the idea to blog while I design my class and in the process of teaching it. If I teach writing as a process, I like the idea of the transparency of my own process for my students.

Today, Mom, Bro, SIL, and I are going with my grandparents for my grandfather's consultation on his upcoming surgery for his pancreatitis. Mostly, I think we're going to hang out together, but there's something about being there--for me anyway--with this Big Deal Surgery stuff.

It's been a week for good treats so far. We finally got our butts over to Siobhankha and Pjregularjb"'s new pad, which is awesome, and we then headed out for yummy sundaes. Anne and I shared a hot-fudge sundae with raspberries. Tomorrow, I'm meeting ProfH for breakfast at a place she says serves stuff like Key Lime French Toast. Ohhhhh... Tonight, we're meeting up with Jennjer and GourmetGoddess for a concert-on-the-lawn. We're seeing Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, whose Raising Sand album is awesome. I'm sure the food I prep will have nothin' on what those lovely ladies prepare.

two-month hiatus? ha!

I'm wondering when that two-month break I have off from work is going to start. For serious. I worked 2 days last week and 2 this week. I was supposed to be in today, too, but I'm home cleaning instead. My dad's coming to town for the first time since I've lived in Chicago, and I spent my cleaning day (read: yesterday) catching up on much(!)-needed rest. In the past couple of weeks, I've worked too often, seen the Indigo Girls and James Taylor (his show was in the rain), hung out with Merdie, bought a wedding dress, gone with Anne to buy her wedding dress, gone with Merdie to buy her attendant's dress, and probably done a bunch of other things I can't remember anymore. Upcoming events include: Dad's visit, camping with Jandyle's family, MBJ's wedding events (I'm in the wedding), a workshop at work on technology and teaching writing, Alison Krause and Robert Plant in concert, going with Merdie to get her birthday tattoo, and stuff associated with my grandfather's health. That ought to get its own paragraph, frankly.

So here goes. My grandfather (Opi, after Opa, which is German for grandfather) gets chronic pancreatitis, which you usually only see in people who are heavy drinkers. He doesn't happen to be one of those, not in the slightest. After several bouts of it that were primarily treated with antibiotics (I'm guessing) and lots of pain meds, he saw a specialist, who diagnosed a benign tumor on his pancreas, that clogs the pancreas with secretions. This is pretty serious, as the tumor could become cancerous. Serious, also, is the treatment for this condition, which is called the Whipple Procedure. It's an 8-hour surgery to remove parts of the pancreas, stomach, small intestine, and gall bladder. This is one of those get-it-right-or-your-patient-is-fucked sort of surgeries, so he's naturally going to see a top-notch doc. Consult is next week, surgery TBD. Right now, I'm just concentrating on the part where we finally know what's causing his health problems.

In other, happier news, I'm crocheting like mad. I made a cute drawstring backpack, and I'm working on a cardigan sweater. This is the first time I've crocheted into the summer months, and I'm still diggin' it.

Alrighty, back to cleaning. I've had a long enough break, and I can no longer put off the sweeping.

finally, a chance to use your powers for good!

We got my friend's daughter into the local radio station's "Battle of the Brides" a few years ago with our mad internet voting skillz. Now, I'm calling on you, dear readers, to help my brother, who know you I love dearly, to get his video into rotation on MTV. Here's the email he sent to his email list:

hey friends and family,

we're in the running to be put into rotation on MTV. but of course, there's a catch. we need to get voted in.

yeah, this is just some bull jive to get bands who are trying to get known to get all of their friends to visit some crappy website. BUT, it would super rad to get our video played on MTV, even if it is at 3 a.m. and apparently this is the way we have to do it.

so if you have a free moment and you'd like to show us a little love, please go here: http://www.mtvu.com/music/freshmen/
and give Yea Big + Kid Static a vote or two. but only if you sincerely think our video is the best! we are confident you will. haha.

thanks a bunch for even reading this.

oh yeah, and we're heading out on tour in a few days! check out our myspace page for all the dates to see if we'll be anywhere near you soon. www.myspace.com/yeabigkidstatic

thanks again!
love,
yb+ks

Dear readers, if you have a few moments to spare, I (and the boys) would appreciate a few clicks to vote for them.

weekend update

I feel like I should post, but I can't think of anything worth posting, other than I'm clearly spending too much time at Planned Parenthood lately, which I know because I had a dream on Saturday night (after an 8-hour day there) that I was pregnant and needed to have an abortion. Our Dean of Faculty here at the college was really sweet to me about the whole thing (in my dream). Weird.

In other weirdness, I spent yesterday with my family eating good food on a holiday we don't observe, other than to exchange chocolate bunnies. Highlights from the day included: an awesome talk with my cousin on the train about her ex, my uncle's baked beans, fried chicken, playing Apples to Apples with almost the whole family, hugging my mom, laughing at unspoken masturbation jokes with my uncle and the 20somethings in the fam, giving my mom her iPod, and the shit my bro's dog will put up with. Case in point: wearing stupid shit while we take her picture.





Clearly, the dog has good reasons to hate us.

it's lookin' good

Remember when MTV did Buzz Bin for hot new stuff? We're talking great stuff coming out of that feature, like Bush, DMB, Filter, etc. Well, that time is long over, buried out there somewhere with beloved grunge music. It looks like something from that remains, and there's now a Buzzworthy blog.

And my brother's in it.

Okay, so it's a little like a celebrity blog, but hey, he's on the same page of posts right now as Panic! At the Disco and Rhianna--musicians people have heard of.

This shit is really taking off.

Tonight, the boys play on campus, which Bro and I had nothing to do with but are both stoked about. The parents will be here, too, which is kinda fun. They've never seen where I work, and our campus is beautiful, even in the dead of friggin' winter.