and then they went home

Quote of the week: "You do realize you're dancing to a song that says, 'Bitch, get out the way,' don't you?" --Simone Muench

So, that was AWP. Interesting.

I got to meet some wonderful people and pick up some pretty cool-looking journals/chapbooks in the bookfair, but I didn't make it to nearly enough readings or panels. I was just so overwhelmed with information, sensory stimulation, etc., that I spent most of the week disoriented or trying to let my brain catch up. Also, I've learned that while there is strength in numbers, traveling in a large group is probably not a great idea. Five girls in one hotel room = at least 3 hours of prepping each morning. Those five girls trying to coordinate things with four guys staying on the other side of town = just plain stupid. Remind me about this next year.

On the upside, some highlights:

1. Meeting Simone, Kristy O, Jackie from RHINO, Kristy B, Brandi, and Jeannine (plus Leilani Hall and being in the same room as Kim Addonizio) and getting most of them to sign their books for me. Oh, how I love signed books.
2. The Frock You! reading (which, by the way, just happens to feature all the women I was so happy to meet) and staying at Djangos after it turned from quiet poetry space into packed-like-sardines hip-hop club.
3. Sitting outside (on the second day of March) and having to roll up my jeans because it was too warm, then going inside and realizing that my nose was just a little bit sun burned.
4. Reading Brandi's chapbook and losing my breath on poem after poem. I read it cover to cover in less than a half hour (while sitting outside on the 2nd day of March)

Alas, I am back in cold, snowy Ohio and my pockets are empty (holy crap! it should be illegal to charge that much for a drink!) and I have been neglecting my studies and students for the last two weeks, so I have to go. There is a bag full of books and journals taunting me, but I have to wait to read them.

Hope everyone got home safely.

All Aboard!

This is the last stop before AWP, folks. I just have to eat breakfast and finish packing, and then I'm on my way to the airport. I am so excited!

Hopefully I'll get to meet some of you bloggers while I'm working the bookfair for RHINO and the NEOMFA or at any one of the cool events posted on your blogs. I'll be the one with bells on.

For now, though, I have to figure out just how many layers to wear for a 40 degree temerature change. Not that I'm complaining.

Good-bye Justin and all the rest of you sad people who have to stay home. We'll have a drink for you.

Forecast says:

It's going to be 70 when I get off the plane tomorrow. Imagine me doing a happy dance.

goin' to the chapel

This was one crazy weekend, but now my best friend is happily married and I am happily done helping her plan the wedding! It turned out to be a beautiful day, a beautiful ceremony, and a great party, even if one of my ex-boyfriends was there to torment me the whole night.

Now, I have to study for my midterm, shop, and pack for AWP. When I come home, it will be time to start working on term papers and what-not, but that's a lot easier than planning a wedding. This semester is flying by, which isn't really a good thing because I don't feel like my thesis is getting any closer to done than it was 8 weeks ago. Hopefully there will be some time to focus on it in the next couple of weeks.

The Thaw

It's 40 degrees this morning. That's 40 more than it was last week. The roads are clear (at least the ones that I can see from here) and I am very happy. And I know 10-day forecasts are notoriously unreliable, but it looks like it will be in the 60's in Atlanta next week. It's a much happier morning than yesterday.

I think I'm going tanning today. I know, it's bad for me. But so is smoking and I did that for seven years--a lot more often than I'll ever go tanning. It's just that I don't want to wear my strapless dress on Saturday with all my pastiness showing. and old tan lines. I promise, i only tan when I am in a wedding. and I've vowed to never be in another wedding, so this should be the last time i ever go tanning. I'm also going to get my nails done and my eyebrows waxed this week. For those of you who don't know me, I'm not usually very girly, so this is big stuff for me.

We're discussing Denise Levertov in CAWP today. Hopefully we actually discuss her, because I loved the poems we read. And finally, I feel like we're reading someone contemporary.

Everyone knows I love the NEOMFA, but there is one pet-peeve I have about it. The U of Akron observes presidents day today, so school is closed. Well, I don't teach on Tuesday, so I have the day off from Akron anyway. However, I do have class at Kent on Tuesdays, so I don't get to observe presidents day at all (Kent has Monday off, as any self-respecting institution should). Also, I don't get spring break this year, because Kent and Akron don't have them at the same time. I can't go on any trips, I can't veg out on the couch for four days, I can't do anything I wouldn't normally do. Bummer.

As promised...

a happy blog!

I finished all my homework for the week except for my poem. Now I have until Saturday morning to let my creative juices flow.

Just 3 tiny weeks til Hotlanta...where the world isn't frozen.

I was reading some theory last night...and it made sense! I think there's a saturation point where if you read enough of it, you just start to get it. Halle-freaking-leujiah. PhD's, here I come!

The sun is shining, and has been for several days. If I never go outside, I can pretend it is nice out. This is very unusual for February in Akron.

Now, it's time to watch Dawson's Creek while I eat my breakfast. What could be better?