**Summer Break: Day One**

Today was a pretty day. High 70's. Sunny. I spent most of it at work trying to make progress on several projects that need to be wrapped up before the end of June. I did get home about 4 PM, cut the grass and worked on taming the beds in the front yard (in part out of guilt from my neighbor ragging on me to clean up the beds). I can't believe at my age I can still be motivated by guilt. And nonfamily generated guilt to boot! It is more like keeping-up-with-the-Joneses guilt. But not self-induced.

I sent this observation to a dear, sweet friend of mine as I described my day:

Silly though, even cutting the grass and digging weeds can be pleasant and even contemplative - in spite of it smacking of suburbia. I think it is because I feel like I have accomplished something when there is dirt under my nails. Now how feminine is that? I probably should have read more magazines like Seventeen when I was younger.

A manicure would be totally wasted on me.

Tomorrow is another full day of work. Probably more of the same for Thursday. Friday morning, I hit the salon to mask all the grey caused by the birth of my daughter;).

Yes, dirt under my nails is ok, but grey roots are unacceptable, especially because I want to look my very best when I go sea kayaking Saturday. Doesn't everyone?

Looking ahead, I have 3-4 days of horsecamping awaiting me next week. Not a bad start to summer if you ask me.

My apologies to those of you working.

Really.

**Feeling the need to read!**

And all I can think about , other than how I get out on my next romp in the woods, is what would be a good book to read. So this is a request...

Can you recommend a good summer reading book. Fiction or really compelling non fiction. Something with an impact. Something compelling, something fun, something I can't put down.

What's on your must read list?

**Tiputini**

I came out of the shower this morning to hear the end of an NPR feature where Alex Chadwick was talking about the sounds that insects use to communicate with one another. It turns out he was reporting from Tiputini Biological Research Station in Ecuador - where my daughter spent several weeks doing research. Her stories from the area are even more fascinating. as they involve living in tree tops, nasty fish, and broken generators.
You can read the script or even listen to it at the the link for NPR's radio documentary: Journey to the Edge of the Amazon.

**It's beginning to look a lot like summer**

Well not by the weather which is more like early March, cool and raining. Although that is my personal assessment of what the weather is like. The weather folks say this is typical May weather. In fact we have had only half the normal rainfall this month. And I was just getting used to the 7 consectutive days of sunshine.

But I am writing my last final exam for the year. It is nearly impossible to concentrate. I am sure I want this week over more than my students. I have four study sessions to hold, one exam to finish preparing and then between now and noon Friday I have two exams to administer, grade and about 50 papers to grade. I can do this, because summer awaits me.

Even better, this Saturday awaits me. On that day, after grades are turned in, but before the drudgery of sitting through graduation ceremonies, I get to hike a very popular trail in the Columbia Gorge region, called Eagle Creek. It will take some time to get there, but it is, apparently, worth the drive. And my hiking partner is a nice gentleman that I met at a student's graduation party (who would have guessed such a place would be a potential source for a date). He was the nicest looking guy in the room by my reckoning and my student's mother introduced me to him. In all fairness, he had been the subject of conversation before, although I had never seen him until this party. My student had mentioned that I should meet him, because, in her words, he and I would have a lot in common.

We both apparently don't like Bush - the foundation of all great relationships.

I wonder if eHarmony.com has built that into their extensive personality profiling questionnaire?

**How Could You NOT Love a Town That Has This...?**

Yes this lovely town is home to the second largest Alien Daze festival, second only to Roswell, NM. It is odd, quirky and draws most of the town to the main street.


All sorts of "unusual" people show up for the parade.... many, not surprisingly from California.

I didn't know about this festival the first time I was in town during May. I pulled to an intersection at the south end of town and looked at the cross walk where I saw this man below, waiting for the light to change. I am not sure I can articulate what I was thinking about recent move to the Pacific NW at that time. Let me just say, you would NOT see a Klingon crossing the street in Southwest Michigan.

He has been back for the parade every year since. This year he was crowned King. Well done.


The highlight of the parade was the band. If I knew how to put up a sound file, you could listen to them.


The other key festival in this little town is Turkeyrama. Let's just say THAT festival embarasses me.

**Paul Verlaine**

Il pleure dans mon coeur
Comme il pleut sur la ville;
Quelle est cette langueur
Qui pénètre mon coeur?

Ô bruit doux de la pluie
Par terre et sur les toits!
Pour un coeur qui s'ennuie
Ô le chant de la pluie!

Il pleure sans raison
Dans ce coeur qui s'écoeure.
Quoi! nulle trahison? . . .
Ce deuil est sans raison.

C'est bien la pire peine
De ne savoir pourquoi
Sans amour et sans haine
Mon coeur a tant de peine!

From Romances sans paroles (1874)

Translation...:

It rains in my heart
Like it rains on the village.
What is this pain
That penetrates my heart?

Gentle, the sound of rain
Pattering roof and ground!
Ah, for the heart in pain,
Sweet is the sound of rain!

Tears rain-but who knows why?-
And fill my heartsick heart.
No faithless lover's lie? . . .
It mourns, and who knows why?

And nothing pains me so--
With neither love nor hate--
A simply not to know
Why my heart suffers so.

**Le Petit Prince**

On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur. L'essential est invisible pour les yeux.

**Favorite line from Babette's Feast"

Old Lorenze Lowenhielm: [last words to Martina] I have been with you every day of my life. Tell me you know that.

Old Martina: Yes, I know it.

Old Lorenze Lowenhielm: You must also know that I shall be with you every day that is granted to me from now on. Every evening I shall sit down to dine with you. Not with my body, which is of no importance, but with my soul. Because this evening I have learned, my dear, that in this beautiful world of ours, all things are possible.

** A Favorite Shakespeare Passage**

Sigh no more, ladies,
Sigh no more,
Men were decievers ever,
One foot in sea,
And one on shore,
To one thing constant never,
Then sigh not so,
But let them go,
And be you bithe and bonny,
Converting all your sounds of woe,
Into hey, nonny, nonny!

**Damn, he died**

Nuff said.

**Grey's Anatomy**

Oh! My God! A well written original show just had the most incredible build up to the season finale. I am not answering the phone or anything. A friend is TIVO'ing it for me cause I know I am going to want to watch it again.

I love Denny. He better not die.

**Reveal thyself**

Who is the person reading this blog from Indianapolis? Will he/she 'fess up? E/Inquiring minds want to know. Have no family there. Have no friends there. Well there was one person there. This was a media person who for reputational reasons shall remain anonymous. We met many years ago and had a healthy debate over localism and broadcast television. In the years since we have had some fun conversations together. I was his media "conscience." He called me the philosopher professor. And then there was his exquisite taste in restaurants and wine. Fond memories.

But I digress...

Who are you?

**Couple pixs**

Typical day around the house. I was working on filing paperwork - it was sprawled on the bed as I sorted things - and turned around and Shiloh was here - the only soft place currently available in the bedroom.



I planted the garden this evening, mostly in an effort to avoid grading. Now I am posting on my blog to further avoid grading. If I play my cards right I will avoid grading all the way until Boston Legal begins and, then, will have no more time for grading. Wish me luck.

**Homestretch**

I am starting the second to last week of teaching. That means 8 more lectures. That means 12 more hours of class time. That also means I have to start thinking about final exams.

The last wave of resignations are coming in at work: an administrator who has earned the scorn of many because he is really good at his job of cutting expenses. And we all know that human resources (read: compensation) is one of the biggest expenses for a business. Even the education business. Another colleague resigned with the official explanation that he missed New Mexico. I totally understand that. I miss New Mexico and I haven't lived there.

Another dear friend resigned a couple months ago, without an official explanation. But she and her colleagues were like oil and vinegar. Now she will do the amazing things she does in Bozeman, Montana- currently ranked as one of the top five places in my list for retirement.

I will not be resigning this year. I am too tired to think about where to go.

My dear Las Vegas travel partner is now in Nigeria. He will come back to the States in a month to crate up the rest of his belongings and his car and return to his home for at least a year. He might pop in for a visit out this way on his last swoop to the States if time permits.

His last visit here was a couple years ago. He showed up in the middle of March with a convertible. Bad move on his part as it was drizzling constantly. Of course, I was so excited to ride in a Mustang convertible, I made him drive up and down the coast in the freezing rain. He kept pleading to raise the roof. I was not accomodating.

I am going to try and go over to his stomping grounds for awhile next summer. He has lots of room - he bought a 5 bedroom home in Abuja for less than the cost of my car.

I want to ride the Vomit Comet!

**Bears, bears and more bears**

Just read about the bear attack in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Watched Grizzly Man recently. There is a sale starting at REI tomorrow. Bear spray is 30% off. It is on my list.

Okay, and so are convertible pants, an overnight kit and anything I see while I make my way through the store.

**The upside and downside of the 3 week relationship**

Downside: No free place to ski next winter at Whistler:(
Upside: Discovered a new salad dressing I like - Annie's Goddess dressing with tahini:)

See, there is a bright side to everything.

**Brief but fun**

A little blind-sided, I must say, but blond-guy made plans for dinner last night and then bailed on the whole "not yet a relationship really" this morning. Wasn't expecting it. Didn't pick up on it in very affectionate emails and long telephone calls to me. It is only the second time in my life this has happened to me - the guy bailing first. I am usually the one to bolt. Almost forgot how it feels. Not particularly pleasant. But glad it happened before I felt like I was losing something. Short, but fun.

**one more thing**

And then there is his time share at Whistler Creek. Did I mention that?

**Let's just say there will be a third date**

How do you say no... or rather why would anyone say no to seeing again someone who takes you on a bike ride around interesting neighborhoods in Portland and revels at the gardens he sees. Then he takes you back to his way-to0-cute and unbelievably expensive little bungalow (as is all housing in Portland) and whips up an incredible salad of organic spring greens, pecans, carrots, radishes, mushrooms and home roasted peppers and chicken. All served with a baquette and dipping oil and balsamic vinegar. Did I mention he is 6'2" and blond? At 50! Okay, greying a bit, but hey, I don't even remember the original color of my hair.

Don't even try to mess with me, you totally would go out with him again.