You learn something new every day . . .

Who knew that Sam Adam's Boston Lager is illegal in 11 states?

I admit it...I'm not a scholar. Do I still have to write my thesis?

It's finally here.  The culminating point of my whole graduate school experience---Capstone.  For those unfamiliar, this fun filled experience is basically boils down to writing a 30 page thesis and presenting it in front of the faculty and members of your Dept.

When Chip handed us the syllabus on Wednesday it was filled with words that are not usually used in reference to me.  Scholarly---no?  Smart Ass?  Oh yeah!  Regardless, it is my mission, come hell or high water, to write a "scholarly paper that I will be proud of."  Oh crap.

Can I say it again?  I am not a scholar.  My friend Steph...she's a scholar.  She can talk about economics like nobody's business.  My friend Tracy...she's also a scholar...she has more literary knowledge than any one of the anthologies that I ever had to read for my undergrad English courses.  Her husband, Loren...he's a SUPER-scholar.  He's a technical writer and can understand and write about stuff like genetics.  Me, I can tell you that the young adult novel  

The Higher Power of Lucky was controversial because it used the word "scrotum."  Hardly worthy of the focus of academia.

Now that my first proposal focusing on the Effectiveness of Reading Strategies in the Middle School Classroom has been shit-canned, I am throwing myself whole hog into one of the best novels of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird.  In the next twelve weeks I may start referring to my daughter as Scout and my husband as Atticus.  Hell, I may even start wearing a ham costume constructed from chicken wire in order to get into the novel.  More likely I think I am going to be doing an exorbitant amount of crying and cursing, both independently and together.

Do you think my Department Chair will take an excuse note from my mom?

Happy New Year

Holy Cow...I can't believe that it's been almost a month since I've posted!  I've been busy...and not just with the normal holiday chaos that everyone endures.  In this past month . . . 

• Two of my friends have discovered that they are expecting
• I ran the Bright Nights 5K in the freezing rain and sleet --  and won. ( Just kidding...but one of my former students won...that should count for something.)
• I endured two weeks of a very mucus filled five year old.
• My HUSBAND downloaded the new Sebastian Bach CD before I did!
• I backed into my brother's truck and smashed out one of his taillights...oops!

And what will 2008 bring?  The possibilities are endless...

• Amelia is starting full day preschool tomorrow. ( And I will probably cry--but on the upside, she has a kick ass old school Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox.)
  
• I am training to run the Holyoke St. Paddy's day 10K again...although I said I would NEVER do that again.
• I will be in the local paper this week for my "Get Caught Reading" campaign.
• We are having a huge full on family trip to Disney in June.

I'm ready for whatever else you can throw at me 2008...Bring it on!

I can't wait to see what you have in store!