OMG Cats!

So, I'm not a huge fan of cats. This has been established. Many readers may be aware of an epic battle I had a few months back with The Dumb One and The Bad Seed. 

However, I do find LOL cats delightful and they do indeed make me lawl. Cats; whether you hate them or love them, I don't think anyone has anything on cat lovin with this gal:

Summer Daze

Last week I got that warm fuzzy feeling (it could have been the Jameson) that Summer is finally here. Finally, the weather has warmed up enough and the sun is brightly shining to make activities like hiking, camping, fishing, and outdoor concerts part of our daily routines. Not quite yet for me though. While, I can still enjoy my weekends; for which I am grateful. I am stuck indoors for the next 6 weeks during the week. I work on a college campus and teach in the communication studies department. In addition to some of my other responsibilities that keep me busy during the day, the summer night classes I teach keep me on the campus for 12 hours a day...and I don't think I realized just how exhausting it would be. This is also the first time I have taught a 3 and a half hour course let alone two long condensed courses. I was worried it was going to be difficult to maintain my students' attention and find ways to keep it interesting, but it is actually turning out pretty awesome. I have a great set of students in both classes, and they all seem really eager to learn about the material; they seem interested in my insights and what I have to say. They even laugh at my jokes...well, o.k. they may just be laughing at me and my attempts to be funny, but they humor me none-the-less.

Teaching also always seems to get my adrenaline going. I enjoy teaching and discussing topics that I find interesting and fascinating in lecture, topics that send my geek pointer far off into the red—excitement and giddiness usually ensues. Class doesn't end until 9:30 p.m., and I start my day at 9:00 a.m. (usually in a daze) for those first couple of hours. It always takes me a good 3-4 hours to wind down from the day, so my sleep schedule has been thrown into complete and utter chaos. That's o.k. though, I tend to enjoy a little bit of chaos in my life and it's only for six weeks. Not too bad. 


So, no fishing or camping for me at the moment. But, there will be time for that in July. Fun in the sun will be had, and some friends of mine also reminded me that Summer is the perfect time for photo bombing...more on that in a later summer post. Summer is here and hey! Guess what day it is tomorrow!?!?

From a Distance

The Rhetorician

Snapshot Sunday-Summer Nights

The first Friday at the Depot Plaza kicked off the first in a series of outdoor music concerts. For me, this signifies the beginning of Summer. It's kind of awesome to see the community come together for fun in the sun, good music, and an all-around good time.

Tidbits from the Underground

Summer is  here and there have been a couple of events, to remind me that it's not only here, but it has officially begun. 

Tidbit #1: So, You Think You Can Dance!

I have missed Cat Deeley so, and I am grateful I have the option of being able to view this online on nights that I miss it. Some would argue the audition episodes can be some of the most entertaining due to the drama, the emotion, and...the anomalies. I know it's supposed to be entertaining, but I just find the fact that some of the "failed" auditions are pushed though just plain awkward to watch. 

                                                                                                                    Fox   

                                                                                                                  Fox

                                                                                                                    Fox

                                                                                                                    Fox

Tidbit #2: Fridays on the Plaza

The local newspaper here sponsors this event which includes free outdoor concerts on Fridays throughout the Summer. The kick-off for FOP was this last Friday, and it was a pretty good time. Tomorrow's post will feature a little more on this. Summer has officially begun and the villagers are rejoicing!

                                http://www.fridaysontheplaza.com/calendar.html

     

Thursday is Tracks Night-Underground Sampler

Hello gentle readers and Happy Thursday! This week's tracks post is going to be a little bit of a different format than it has been in the past. I enjoy lists, they help keep me productive and on task. Lists are also super informative and help give me ideas. It is my hope that the list I provide you in today's post will inform you of some bands or music stylings you may not have been aware of. May this list also give you ideas on what to download to your next playlist or perhaps purchase at your next visit to the record store. While some lists are ranked, this list is in no particular order. I am far too finicky to establish a set rank or choose only ten favorites. But instead, I give you ten albums that have been popping up on my playlists time and time again this past year along with some more recent summer additions. Each item on the list is provided with a link, so that you may sample the album, Enjoy!

• Kings of Leon: Come Around Sundown
• Death Cab for Cutie: Codes and Keys
• Ben Folds: Way to Normal
• Flogging Molly: Speed of Darkness
• Vampire Weekend: Contra
• Jay Brannan: Goddamned
• Mumford and Sons: Sigh No More
• Bright Eyes: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
• Senses Fail: The Fire
• MGMT: Time to Pretend

So, what song or album have you been listening to a lot of lately?