You know how sometimes people send out those awful-yet-occasionally-awesome chain e-mails with pictures attached? And sometimes the picture is of a fish in a blender? Only it’s not really living in a blender, it’s just there temporarily, or someone who really knows a lot about aquariums and has very negative feelings towards fish and living things in general, or just a very twisted and/or awesome sense of humor, somehow rigged up a blender (hopefully without blades and/or the power to blend) to be an actual aquarium?
That’s exactly what this week has been like. Me. Living in a blender. Except it’s a real blender, not a joke aquarium. It feels like I have been so busy that it’s swim-or-die, and that I’ve been breathing water instead of air. Here’s some photographic evidence of my adventures in blenderdom:
Day 249: If there is one thing about which Gertrude Stein is not shy, it’s begging. She’ll ask anyone who enters Belle Reve for treats. Here, she’s begging me for chicken — but here’s the thing. Gertrude Stein is also a fussy eater. She refuses dark meat, and has to have a very specific kind of white meat. If not, she gets angry, and if there’s one thing I don’t want in my house, it’s an angry Gertrude Stein.
Day 250: Though things have been beyond busy, that’s not always a bad thing. Here’s a photo from one of my two favorite nights here at Georgia Southern University: the Harbuck Reading, where students who were nominated for our Harbuck Scholarship read their work. I always tear up when I hear about what a wonderful person Ally Harbuck, for whom this scholarship was named, was, and I always tear up when I hear our brave and talented students read. My other favorite night, incidentally, is the senior reading, when the tearing up is even worse, since it’s also a send-off of the students I’ve come to know and love.
Day 251: I have two snazzy bookshelves in my campus office now, but neither of them have ends, which means my books tend to end up in the floor. My solution to this, as to many things, is simple: CRAFTING.
Day 252: I know what you’re thinking. It’s a bed, Emma. What gives? What gives is a great deal. Academics are largely a nomadic people, moving from university to university until you find the right fit. This means academics typically don’t have, well, furniture. Buying this bed? The biggest of big deals.
Day 253: During an evening power-walk (I know, I know), I leaned over to take a pic of these beautiful branches. Then this guy showed up and stayed around long enough for me to take a picture of him, and I was grateful for the visit.
Day 254: On Monday, my Creative Writing and the Web students gave presentations on memes and how they mutate. One student gave a presentation on dog shaming, which, of course, has now mutated to cat shaming. That night, I had many an opportunity to shame my roommates.
Day 255: That’s it, guys. My manuscript of personal essays. All printed out. I thought it was only appropriate to add Eeyore to the scene because he is basically the main character, meaning me.
First: Gertrude is adorable.
Second: I’m jealous of your mammoths.
Third: Please tell me the crafts that Gertrude ruined are not the mammoths.
Fourth: I’m 99% sure that’s my hand at the reading. My hand is honored to be in your blog!
One: Gertrude is both adorable and terrible. She is definitely the boss around here.
Two: Even though I own my mammoths, I’m kind of jealous of myself for owning my mammoths.
Three: Gertrude did her best by stepping in white paint and then setting off on an Olympic-style sprint, but no, she did not ruin the mammoths, thankfully!
Four: That is indeed your hand! And my blog is honored to have it!