Insomniac's blog

Yep, that's right. Prof Asshole has been redeemed from Assholeville. He's now back to being referred to as Prof Sometimes-A-Jerk. If you read my last post on Mmmmmm...Conferences then you know what I was doing all weekend when Prof Sometimes-A-Jerk's path crossed with my own. Anyhow, he popped in during the session I was speaking at and stayed to listen to my schpeel on my schtuff. Then later on that night at the Big History lecture, he came outside to poison his lungs while I was out poisoning my own lungs. Yes, we have a commonality---cigarette smoking. Anyhow, he introduced me to his girlfriend who also came to the lecture, and then he put the shmooze on. I gave him grief about looking like he had just rolled out of bed, threw on a hat, and came to the conference. Prof SAJ then told me that the only reason he came was to hear my paper. I actually did not know how to take that for a moment. I was a little flabbergasted by the kindness of the remark and didn't say thank you or anything to him. Of course, when he was shmoozing me he was looking at my boobs and not my face, but hey...at least he did say something nice.

So, the next morning I was again poisoning myself and he came outside too. I thought that I should thank him for coming to my schpeel, so I said thank you and I told him it was kind of him to come in just to hear me. After that the man was almost too nice. Like he held the door open for me and smiled at me. Kinda creepy. Then, later on we were at the same session and when it was done he held the door open for me. I told him to go ahead on through and he said, "Well, I guess it is age before beauty this time then." What?! Now those of you who do know me outside of the blogworld know that I am nothing to write home to Mama about when it comes to looks, so I took this comment from Prof SAJ a little skeptically. The rest of the day I caught him smiling at me off and on and then he would make these sorta out-of-character nice comments to me. Hmmm...makes me almost want to be kind to him. Isn't there some saying about killing people with kindness? Anyhow, I'll see if Prof SAJ keeps up his current pleasant demeanor. I doubt he will though.

Oh, FOM, if you are reading this...you looked particularly spectacular on Saturday. Damn man, you shouldn't be allowed out of the house looking that good. Hee hee.

Okay, I stole this title from FOM, but I couldn't help it. This weekend was the Great Lakes History Conference and I had the privelege of speaking at one of the sessions on my research. I don't particularly like saying "My Research" like it is some grand thing, so I generally refer to it as my schtuff. Anyhow, just a handful of people were in the session that I spoke at but I think it went rather well. It actually was quite an honor for an undergrad to speak and I am grateful for those in the history department at GVSU for having enough faith in me to let me ramble on about my schtuff. There actually seemed to be some interest in my little topic so that was exciting for me. Oh, and then on Saturday I met another person with some of the same interests in research and I got his email. I'm hoping he can generate some leads for me to check out later.

Friday night there was a special "big-guy" in history that flew in to give us a grand lecture on what Big History is. It was a very interesting lecture, although a bit over the top for me. The lecture was about taking our idea of world history and stretching it to include not just the history of the last 5000 years but to start at the beginnings of the universe, solar system, and our earth. It seemed to include a little too much sci-fi for my tastes and, while interesting and thought-provoking, it was a little beyond the traditional realm of what is considered to be world history. I can see his points though. Hmmm, I'm still mulling over it all.

Anyhow, Saturday's sessions were quite fun for the most part. Yes, I am a history geek if I think spending a Saturday sitting in a classroom and listening to people talk about different forms of history is entertaining. Oh well. I attended two sessions related to the US Civil War and Abe Lincoln. These were uber-interesting and while I am not too concerned with the Civil War, I am interested in the time right after the war, Reconstruction. I also got to hear about some local Grand Rapids history in two different sessions. Very fun day for me.

I also got to meet several new people, which for a person who likes to socialize, that is always the best part. I also got to pimp my upcoming events to others...museum tours and the like. FOM was there too, since history is of special interest to him. Oh, and Prof Asshole was there. Prof Asshole has been demoted (or perhaps promoted?) back to Prof Sometimes-A-Jerk. What can I say? He actually began to redeem himself...I'll post on that a little later. Right now I need more coffee. So that was my weekend. Today I have to write a seven page paper for a class and then study for an exam that I have this week. Ughhh...exams...

Okay Becky and all who are interested...

Here's the skinny on Professor Sometimes-A-Jerk, who, by the way, has graduated to Professor Asshole... He said that someone's life revolved around me, someone of a sex other than mine and the other person is a FOM (friend of mine). He made the insinuation that something, ummmm I will say inappropriate, is going on between us, which is utterly ridiculous. FOM and I have coffee together from time to time and we enjoy each other's company. We'll talk and make some really bad academic jokes to each other and I view FOM as a good friend, an excellent listener, and a connoisseur of coffee like myself. But, we are NOT involved with each other like that. However, if I was single, perhaps it would be a different story...but I digress. Anyhow, I have discussed what Professor Asshole said to me with FOM and we agreed that he is just an asshole and has no right to say what he did. I've decided that since I may run into Professor Asshole again, I will just smile and ignore him, cuz that is the best way to get rid of an asshole ya'know. So, I'm officially done pondering what Professor Asshole said. I'm kinda like, whatevah... Although if he does keep running his mouth I may have to put my fist into it. Thanks for trying to help...

Ahhhh. Tonight I am resting my wide ass on the couch and watching portions of the World Series on Fox. Normally I am not much of a television watcher, except for ER on Thursday nights. I am addicted to ER. I won't answer my phone. I put the kids in bed at 8:30 so I know they are asleep before 10 when ER starts. I even watch the re-runs. Pitiful...but it is really my only television addiction. Anyhow, where was I? Oh yes...why am I relaxing in front of America's greatest pasttime...

Last night was my oldest, Myah's, 13th birthday party. Holy biscuits...I have a teenager! That thought scares the bejeezus out of me. Okay, I think I am better now. Anyhow, for Myah's birthday I took her and three of her very favorite BFF's to Rivertown Crossings to eat some dessert at TGIFriday's and to window-shop. The girls actually liked looking around at Barnes and Nobles, which surprised me, and of course we had to stop in at Hot Topic. I found a few things that interested me at Hot Topic. Then we went to the Cineplex to watch a movie. Myah is the youngest in her little group of friends so a PG-13 movie was acceptable. I gave them three movies to choose from and they all agreed that they..."just like gotta see The Fog". So we watched The Fog. Please take my advice and DO NOT waste your money on this one. Ughhh. But the girls liked it and that is what mattered. On the way back out to the mom mini-van, I overheard one of Myah's friends tell her, "Myah, your Mom is so cool". Ah yes...being cool is good. We didn't get home until almost one in the morning but nobody's mom seemed to mind too much. Myah had a good birthday and received some nice gifts, but I think the most memorable thing for her was the realization that her mom can be cool...well, at least sometimes.

Have you ever had someone say something to you that could be construed in a few different ways? I did today. I ran into Professor Sometimes-A-Jerk and he made a comment about me and a friend that rubbed me the wrong way. It was one of those back-handed passive-aggressive types of comments. It was a slight insult covered up with a smile. I never really know how to handle the underhanded insult. I kinda called him on it though by saying something like, "Well, that certainly was a little passive-aggressive. I'm glad you are fitting in with the whole atmosphere of West Michigan". Professor Sometimes-A-Jerk insulted my reputation as a student and he made some pissy comments about a friend of mine that I took as a reflection on myself also. But, then I think maybe I am just blowing this a little out of proportion so I replay the whole scenario in my head, but I keep coming up with the same conclusion. Hmmmmmm. I don't have quite enough balls to ask Professor Sometimes-A-Jerk exactly what he meant by his comments, but I think I have fairly good intuition.

Now, instead of blowing off his comments and chalking them up to rivalry or simple meanness, I am sitting here trying to analyze it all. I know I probably shouldn't care what he thinks or says, but part of me is kinda pissed at some of the insinuations he made. I am proud of my professional student reputation and I really don't need some underhanded comments and rumors to start circulating about me and my friend. Arghhhh! I guess I will just have to wait and see if Professor Sometimes-A-Jerk makes any more comments. Maybe I am just blowing this all out of proportion...

I swear to gawd...the next man you refers to me as a "girl" or tries to placate me in a sexist way is going to get my bra wrapped around his neck several times and then I will light it on fire. Arghhh! Now normally I am not too feminazi-ish. I don't mind if a man opens the door for me or acts in other gallant ways, but when a man panders to me just because of the package under my drawers...well, let me just say that I get beyond irritated. In the last few days I've heard men in upper-level positions refer to me and my sisters as "girls". One "boy" even said that men are better writers than girls and implied that girls are better at organizing material than men. I had another supposedly professional man try to placate me with what he probably assumed was a smooth voice and attempted to belittle what intelligence I do have. Arghhh again!

Why is it that in the wonderful world of academia you get these types of men? Why is it that men think just because I have a bra and for a few days a month stick a maxi-pad in my panties that I am somehow less mentally capable than they are? I have never suffered from hysterics or from other "female" maladies. I am an excellent student who does not need to have my grades slanted because of my gender, which by the way happens way too often at my university. Gender-biased grading pisses me off beyond belief. Like just because I can write a lucid and concise paper I am somehow an unusual woman. I will admit though, that there are profs at my school who do not gender-bias their grading and who treat women with the respect and decency that they show their male students. But every once in awhile I run into one of these misogynistic professors and professionals and I am always amazed at what dribble comes out of their mouths.

And, since I am on a rant, why is it that ambitious women are thought of as bitches while ambitious men are go-getters and praised for their initiative? Can you tell I had a most miserable night at school? The most placating, asinine, and insulting man was in charge of the lecture and I can not stand him. He pisses me off and he actually had the nerve to call me out just because I glanced up at the clock during his lecture. I had a good reason for it...I had to make an important phone call and I couldn't call past 8:30pm. Ass-biscuit instructor made some smart-ass reference to me having to go to the bathroom and attempted to embarrass me in front of the rest of the class.

Anyhow, male-chauvanists are really grating on my nerves lately. And no, I don't have PMS right now...just some pride in my own abilities and the audacity to be angry when someone insults me because I don't have a penis.

Argghhhh! Ya know, I used to be against cloning. Making a spare me seemed not only to perhaps cause potential disaster, but just the notion of having a spare around seemed...well, kinda the ultimate vanity. Although lately I must admit that having a Spare Nita around may not be a bad idea. I could sit and actually get some of my research done while Spare Nita cooked, cleaned, picked up Myah at school, and did the million other mom things. Spare Nita could sit on the phone with Darling while he tells her all about the wonderful world of truck-driving. Spare Nita could clean out the medicine cabinet in the Real Nita's bathroom. Real Nita could drink a cup of coffee before it got cold, take a walk, read a book that she has been meaning to read for three months, and maybe Real Nita could even get a moment to sit in the bath tub and have a Calgon moment.

I am a realist however. I know that even if this were possible I wouldn't like the idea of Spare Nita having to do all the grunt labor. Plus I would probably become a little too critical of Spare Nita's performance on the grunt labor. I am my own best critic. And, if Spare Nita was anything like Real Nita, Spare Nita would have a major attitude about the grunt labor after about two days. Spare Nita would rebel, smoke all my cigarettes, drink my coffee, steal my status as Someone's Favorite Student, and have to be bailed out of jail. Then Real Nita and Spare Nita would have to have a duel to the death.

Still though, the idea of having a spare is appealing to me. Lately I have taken on just a bit too much. The brain is getting a bit rebellious and will not cooperate with the body. When the body is tired the brain is ready to go to work and when the brain is down the body is fired up. I keep plugging away hoping to get caught up and prepared for some special schtuff coming up at the end of the month. Lately though I keep meeting new people who want my attention. Mind you, I don't have a problem with telling someone no if I am not interested in whatever the person is proposing, but lately everyone is proposing really uber-interesting things that I want to be involved in. Oh well. Someday I will be really old and have nothing to do but wear housecoats and watch Jeopardy and then I will wish that someone would invite me to do something with them.

Enough of my bitchiness...no one likes a whiner right?! I guess I just lost my balance for a bit. Hopefully things will look better by Sunday.

I love to look at Merriam-Webster's online. I know...I know. What a true geek I am! Anyhow, today's word of the day is...

"The Word of the Day for October 7 is: burke • BERK  • verb *1 : to suppress quietly or indirectly 2 : bypass, avoid Example sentence: The governor attempted to discreetly burke all inquiries into his alleged misuse of state funds. Did you know? When an elderly pensioner died at the Edinburgh boarding house of William Hare in 1827, the proprietor and his friend William Burke decided to sell the body to a local anatomy school. The sale was so lucrative that they decided to make sure they could repeat it. They began luring nameless wanderers (who were not likely to be missed) into the house, getting them drunk, then smothering or strangling them and selling the bodies. The two disposed of at least 15 victims before murdering a local woman whose disappearance led to their arrest. At Burke's execution (by hanging), irate crowds shouted "Burke him!" As a result of the case, the word "burke" became a byword first for death by strangulation and eventually for any cover-up. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence." Somehow I will manage to fit this word in to my vocabulary. But I'm wondering what the opposite of Burke is? And, can you use Burke in the past tense or the future tense? Is it all right to say Burked, or "I'll be Burkeing you if you don't shut up!"? Hmmmm.

I know, I haven't updated this in a week or so. I'm just wondering if it is just me and my friends whose lives are in a complete, hand-wringing, nervous, compulsive-disorder-inducing mess. It is almost mid-term time (thanks for reminding me Becky!) and I simply can not believe we are halfwa through this semester. What's the old saying...time flies when you are having fun? I wouldn't say I have been having a lot of fun as of late, but there are good points in each day.

Take for example today...Myah won her tennis match. She's starting to get really quite good...I am impressed. Princess went to school with me (she actually goes to daycare but likes to call it school) where she had a good day and got to eat nachos for lunch. The Boy went shopping at WalMart with Grannie and had a fairly non-destructive afternoon. Me? Well, today was extra-nice for your's truly. I had both my Psych class and my Russian. Psych was pretty good. I talked with my prof before class and I can honestly say that I really like the guy. He is mucho better than the last psycho prof I had and he has a fantabulous sense of humor, which is always appreciated for 8:30am classes. My Russian is going good too. I finally decided to get off my lazy arse and apply myself a bit more. Amazingly Russian is finally starting to make some sense, grammatically speaking. I've been walking around campus repeating my vocab words to myself and people keep looking at me like I'm cracker-dogs or something. It is Russian so it does sound a little cracker-doggish.

On another note, I saw FOM (Friend of Mine) today. I've decided that neither of us really should drink more than five gallons of coffee a day. Between the laughter, giggling, foot-bouncing, and hideously poor-taste jokes we sound like a bunch of juveniles...all because of the highly addictive and mood-enhancing abilities of coffee. I'll tell ya...if you really want to see a bitchy Nita, just take away my coffee. I think I may have one of those obsessive, compulsive, addictive personalities. Anyhow, being a coffee junkie isn't too bad. As Dr. Rob said before, "One must get used to really bad coffee if one is to be a teacher." Way ahead of you Rob.