Insomniac's blog

Okay, so I know it has been awhile since I updated this blog thingie. I do, however, have good excuses for my waywardness. Since I am too damn busy (once again) to type out some long and heart-felt post, y'all will have to do with a simple list. In the last week all of the following has taken place in my life:

1. Princess's birthday party fiasco. Yep, it was a horrendous experience and I am beginning to think that Princess's birthday parties are cursed. Princess was born on the fifth anniversary of my Darling Husband's mother's second marriage to Mr. Loser Man. Darling's parents have been divorced for over ten years now. Anyhow, on Princess's third birthday, she fell on a toy and got the nice present of seven stiches just under her chin bone. To find out what happened on Princess's fifth birthday party read below...

2. My wonderful, kind-hearted and easy-going father-in-law had a massive heart attack just as Princess's birthday party got underway. He told me earlier that he wasn't feeling "all that good" and I asked if he would be okay. He assured me that it was just some indigestion and he would be better soon, since it happened the night before too. Anyhow, he did have a massive heart attack and the paramedics had to use the shock paddles on him even. He went to the Big Hospital with the Important Heart Clinic and had an emergency angioplasty. One blood vessel in the lower part of his heart was 99% blocked and there had been significant damage to his lower heart. The doctors are hopeful that it will get better now that the vessel is open again. He is recovering remarkably well, until item number three.

3. Four days after the heart attack, the day after Darling's father went home, he was puttering around in the garden and pulled a muscle in his back. He now has to use a cane until that heals up. Boy, my father-in-law is looking pretty damn old lately to just be 56. I worry about him a lot and I pray that his heart problems will not return.

4. Classes started on Monday night. Ohhh my gawd. The prof I have is THE WORST I have ever had in my entire academic career! He speaks too softly, mumbles on about cognitive psychology, and doesn't let students answer any questions, no small groups whatsoever, and he just rambles on and on and on... It is my final English class at GVSU and I was hoping to finish with a bang. Well, that ain't gonna happen.

5. After my Wednesday class (same class as the one above, we meet twice a week), I had to wait for 20 minutes to catch the back-to-main-campus bus where I was parked. Not cool. Especially in a larger city, late at night, under an overpass, with only two other people waiting with you. Not fun at all. I miss Becky and our entertaining talks on the bus back to main campus after Shakespeare class...sigh.

6. I had to meet with my so-called mentor on Thursday to discuss the progress of my summer research project. He is the type of prof who sometimes is perfectly decent and likeable. Other times he is an arrogant, self-serving asshole. Well, I got a little taste of both on Thursday. First he was fine. He bought me a Dutch almond roll and coffee and we had a nice chat about the progress of my summer research. He seemed slightly impressed and was glad that I had gotten as far as I have (which I don't think is nearly as far as I should be by now). He then proceeded to give me advice on everything from my personal interactions with other profs to my involvement in activities outside of historical research, to my decision to maintain English as a second major, to my career goals, to me being too old to start graduate school...arghhhh!!! What was so frustrating about it was that I didn't ASK for this advice and yet he felt somehwo compelled to offer it up like he was some sort of expert on my life, which he isn't because he barely knows me. I grinned and beared some of it until it got to be too much then I politely told him to basically leave me be on stuff outside of my research on the Dutch immigrants.

7. Had to take the progeny to my dreaded brother and sister-in-law's house for their son's 3rd birthday party. I won't go into details, but let me just say that going there is a little like volunteering for the Spanish Inquisition, being part of a Jerry Springer show, and learning so-called proper parenting techniques from a defunct Dr. Spock. Arghhh, again.

8. Now I am on a mad race to read two chapter of my book on literary theory and then read an entire book on United States immigration history. Wish me luck!