That Time of Year...

Yes, friends, it's that time of year when your hosts, Dr. W & MB, once again contemplate the Happiness Index, the size of house to sanity ratio, the craziness of The Dog, the muddiness of the yard and all things locational.
Should we move?
Should we get a new(er) car?
Should we start stuffing money under the mattress, you know, just in case?
Should we reseed the yard or just pave it over?
Should we plant a garden?
Do we need a bigger house or should we take a trip to Ireland?
Do we need a newer car?
Should I get a new bicycle?
Should we add on?
Should we get a shipping container, put it in the backyard and turn it into My Office?
What, friends, Should we do?

Dinner

We went out with Sylvia & Don this weekend. We went to Em's, which we went to with them the year before last, and we loved it, but we haven't gone back. Why?
The food was excellent, as was the company and the wine.
But the mushroom soup was sublime. Sublime!! I must start making mushroom soup. It was a broth soup (made from mushrooms, onions, garlic, what else?) and then it had three kinds of mushrooms (baby portabellos, shitake, button?). In any case, I could have eaten three bowls. It also had a nice crostini floating in it.
We were too full for dessert. Pity.
Who's dinner was best? Unknown. The scallop appetizer we shared was also perfect.
Before dinner, Sylvia, Don and I went for a cocktail at the Metropolitan. I had a delicious martini with the ice floating on the top (key!). And it was at least twice as good as the martini I had in New York and it cost less than half as much. Is that crazy? It's crazy!
I must now stop blogging and emailing in an effort to put off working on the DFL. I'm going to lock myself in the library for at least four hours today.
Then I'll top it off with basketball. I want Davidson to win, but I fear their winning streak may be coming to a close. I had them losing in the first round anyway.

Things I'm Doing Instead

...of working on the DFL which, by the way, is only 11 days away. Argh! Did I say 11? Help me!
So here's what I did, do, am doing:

1. Attempted to do the Thursday NYT crossword (it's too hard! I'm too stupid!!).
2. Started a new book (Water for Elephants. So far I like it.).
3. Drank beer.
4. Watched (very little) basketball.
5. Drank coffee.
6. Got my eyebrows waxed (hey! It's necessary!).
7. Check my email obsessively.
8. Worry about my syllabus for next year. Next! Year!
9. Eat scones.
10. Blog.
11. Apparently going out to breakfast with The Devil, otherwise known as Middlebrow.
    

If any of you have any great ideas for my lecture, let me know. Just please, if you plan on attending, have low expectations. It's all I ask of you.

Blogging instead of...

I feel a little guilty for all the blogging I've been doing. Not because it's a waste of time, it isn't, but because of all the other things I should be doing, but don't do. Instead I blog.
So, I blog instead of

1. Writing something else: a novel, a short story, a poem, a letter, an email
2. Reading
3. Grading
4. Sleeping
5. Exercising
6. Cooking
7. Baking (don't chocolate chip cookies sound good?)
8. Cuddling Son to sleep
   
9. Watching videos from TED (my new worst habit)
10. Writing limericks about all the things I should be doing. Like "There once was a teacher of writing..."

Go ahead. Finish that one. I dare ya.