You're Old

You're old (you're old...)
Groaning like a geezer
Yourself a-crackin' like an old has-been
Look at yourself, old man, you've got multiple chins
'Cause you're old
Mmm...

You're old (you're old...)
A wheezing, decrepit windbag
Where you once had muscle, you've got jelly rolls
Buddy, you're as ancient as the Dead Sea Scrolls
Man, you're old
Mm-hmm...
(You're old...)
You're old

--"Mid-Life Crustacean," from Sponge Bob Square Pants

Thomas happily sang this song as I was driving him home from school the other day. Perhaps once upon a time I would have laughed.

Fed up with back pain that has been getting steadily worse for so long I can't remember the last time I was painfree, I finally went to see my doctor. (A person can only put up with Simon demanding, with hands on hips, "So when are you going to see someone about this?" for so long.) She poked, pushed and squeezed ("Does that hurt? What about that? And that?" with my replies, "Not much...a little...yes, that does...Jesus CHRIST!!") She ordered x-rays and ultrasounds and sent me on my way to contemplate my fate. A week later the news came in the mail--no frightening lumps, tumors or cysts--yeah! However the x-rays DID reveal "lumbar arthritis." Grr...Old, a-crackin' like an old has-been.

Desktop Press

Thomas was struck with a strange fervor at the start of the new year--he threw himself into cleaning his room, organizing games, treasures and Lego, and packed up or threw away seven garbage bags worth of formerly-precious things. With his desk clear for the first time in several years, he set to work setting up a comic writing station. With a dozen or so very sharp pencils, many erasers and an entire ream of paper to hand, he set to work creating his daily comic (published by Desktop Press) "Edward's Adventures." He penciled a week's worth of comics and promises that there will be more to come. His readers wait with bated breath.

Walk in the White Woods

One really great benefit to huge snowfalls is that Frederick loves walking (and running) in the snow and he really gets worn out.

Snowed In--Again

On December 27th I flew to Baltimore to attend the Eastern APA (American Philosophy Association--yes, there really is such a thing) for three days. This is the big jobbing conference and most people are there not to attend papers or book sessions but to apply for jobs or, as we were doing, conduct interviews for a new opening in our department. Imagine 2 days of interviewing candidates, 30 minutes each with only a few minutes in between, from 9 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. By the end of the second day, I didn't care who we hired. As I sat there, listening to each person tell us how great their teaching was (and most of them really did sound great), I could just see across a very crowded room (39 other tables filled with philosophers and philosopher wannabes), through the hallway and out of a really large window overlooking the bay. Sigh. And as my stay wore on, rumors started flying that a massive snow storm was heading towards the midwest and airport closings were expected--for late Sunday afternoon and evening. My flight left early Sunday morning, but I wasn't feeling too confident as reports of 2 or more feet of snow were being predicted. (And I heard that parts of the Ricky Mountains got 8 feet of snow but that just sounds ridiculous.) Luckily, though, the flight was unremarkable and I made it home just fine--but we awoke to this on Monday morning.