Friday Free-write (#3)

Wow, Friday Free-Write now has an official logo! Faanncyyyy…

Can I just say that learning to draw a dog really SUCKS? It’s really difficult for me. I don’t think it’s necessary to provide too many details as to why I’m trying to learn how to draw a dog – it’s one of my latest creative ideas. That idea is going straight down the tube to my “that was a stupid idea anyway” vault.

Things have gone well this week, considering the non-stop, spirit-dampening rain showers, and the road/construction work that’s been going down all over the city of Athens. It looks like a scene from District 9! Bright orange cones and barrels are everywhere. My morning commute is always “fun”, because I never know which half of the road is going to be blocked. Sometimes it’s the left. Sometimes, it’s the right. Sometimes, there isn’t even one half of a single lane to drive in! All complaining aside, I will be glad when the roundabout on Richland Avenue is finished. I should post photos so that those who are unfamiliar with Athens will actually know what I’m talking about! That would be good, wouldn’t it?
Speaking of Athens, Ohio – I would like welcome my new readers from http://www.athensi.com/. I recently submitted my blog to the local website, which is where you can find all things ATHENS! News, radio, photos… everything. Check it out if you need a little web-adventure, non-Athenians!

I PURCHASED MY TICKETS FOR THE MIDNIGHT SHOWING OF ECLIPSE! Todd’s such a trooper… (and he probably thinks Kristin Stewart is hot.) I’m dying a little bit every day that I have to wait for the soundtrack to be released. Hopefully I can survive until June 8th.

Todd recently finished the first draft of Chapter 2 of his dissertation, and I had the privilege of reading through it this week. I’m so excited about it – his work is extremely thought-provoking and entertaining. I learned some really interesting-yet-troubling facts while reading chapter 2: ”Devil in the Mountains”. For example, did you know that the banjo-playing boy in Deliverance was not an actor, but an actual mentally retarded child from Appalachia who was paid in cash to be in the film? YES! Could he really play “dueling banjos”? Probably not. Equally disgusting was the Tuesday Night lineup on CBS in the 60’s, during which every television show portrayed Appalachians as stupid fools? Back then, you could tune in to CBS and laugh at Appalachians for two straight hours. And also – I really hate the Ellie May Clampett character. I just felt like putting that out there, wherever “there” is. Am I supposed to be like her? Do people think of her when they hear my accent? I hope not. Do people outside of the Appalachian region really believe that we’re monsters? Wrong Turn… Wrong Turn 2… Wrong Turn 3… some of the biggest mistakes of Hollywood. Enough ranting – I’ll leave that to Todd. I cannot WAIT for chapter three!
It’s hard to believe that in just a few months, Todd will be hitting the job market. He’s going to be a terrific professor for a very lucky institution, and I can’t wait to find out where that will be. All I know is, I’m along for every bit of the ride, and I’m loving every second of it. By this time next year, we should know where we’re headed... Diego is hoping it’s a school with a cat mascot! Ha ha. I will cut the job market/job search rambling short – there will be a LOT more of that in the coming months.

I purchased a really nice summer sweater/dress shirt/tie combo from Banana Republic for Todd’s anniversary gift – our 4 year wedding anniversary is June 3rd! I can’t believe it’s already been that long – time has totally flown by while we’ve lived in Athens. I know what you’re wondering… when are they going to have a baby? and I have an answer for you: don’t worry about it right now. Todd needs to become Dr. Todd first. And teach for a while. And we need to get acquainted with our new home. And I need to find a job myself. And then, maybe a baby Todd or Stephanie will be added to the mix!

The weekend is here, and I am PSYCHED. Mostly for some deeeelicious Cold Stone ice cream. Ah, the little things! I plan to paint more wooden signs, but all I ever end up doing is staring at a brown board for two hours – hopefully that goes a little better for me. I’m trying my hand at painting collegiate logos, so be on the lookout for some photo posts! I’ve had so many requests for Ohio State items, and I have no idea how to paint the logo. I know what it looks like, but I also know I’d rather have something that is authentic looking than something that looks like crap!
I hope everyone has a terrific weekend. As always, thanks for reading my blabber!