2009-2010 Boise Venture of Mine: A Test of One's Mettle

The trees are beginning to wake up. They look, from a distance, like their bare branches have been dipped in green paint. Or yellow paint, for the weeping willows. Clouds of bare, green or yellow twigs. I'll try to get pictures, but can't promise any.

So you don't worry or wonder, this will probably my last blog post until the semester ends in May. The title of this post refers to the work I need to do between now and then. I feel like this is a test of my true belief in what I am doing. Why am I here? What did I want to get out of this experience? Am I really cut out for doctoral level work? Am I willing to direct every ounce of effort in my being towards this endeavor? I guess we will know in five weeks. :) Right now I have two massive papers, 25 McNair scholars echoing in my head from transcriptions, several books to read, and two projects to complete. I think the day after my last class, I am going to just sleep all day. Or pack a great lunch and go hike in the mountains. Just disappear and not think. Ah, something to look forward to...

A dog's life....sleeping the day away.

Until then, I leave you with Georgia. She has a knack for causing me to stop in my tracks and take a momentary pause. I am thankful of my dependents, for that reason. Otherwise, I'd probably work until I dropped. They bring a little sanity to my day. Except this morning when they escaped from the house and ran across to the neighbor's yard! As my friend said, having deaf dogs is like having toddlers. With Arcy and Georgia, I can't call them because they can't hear me, and if they see me they don't come, they just wag their tails and go about their business. It's like they learned how to say, "No."