and.. for when I complain bitterly later

Today was a good teaching day.

Most of my logic students understood some hard stuff.

My Intro to Philosophy students seemed to get the Cliff-notes versions of Descartes and Berkeley.

A couple of wayward students came forward and confessed their string of absences. I chided them, and then told them how to dig themselves out...

Hubby vs. THE STORM...

BN state is in a 'winter storm warning' from noon today until 6:00 PM Friday.

Hubby plans to drive home tomorrow night, right when it could get icky. Of coure, he'll b safe, blah, blah, blah... and, he's coming home for spring break, so it will happen sooner or later...

As far as I'm concerned, once he gets off the highway, it can snow like the dickens... I love snow and I'd LOVE to be snowed in with hubby for a few days.

I'm even planning to go to the grocery store on the way home to make sure we won't starve -- part of the hibernation instinct in us natives-- storm warning = trip to the store...

but, if it could hold off until hubby gets good and close to home, that would be wonderful!

so --weather gods on the internet, please - let hubby come home. The cats miss him.

"Home" -- for at least a couple of weeks...

It is really odd being in a long distance relationship. In many ways I feel that I live in two places.

On one state, my hubby lives. He's my best friend, my sweetie and someone who will still make me laugh when we are in a double room at the home... I know my way around Red State City as well as hubby, because we lived there for so long... What's odd about thinking about living in Red State is that the rest of my life isn't there. My cats, my stuff and my job.

When I get "Home" -- to BN state, I come back to the place Hubby and I lived together for four years, with the stuff we've collected for nearly 17 years, and the three neurotic cats who call us their humans. My stuff is here, my cats and my job is here.

To compound the oddness is that I've always self-identified as being a BN state native. So, when people ask where I'm from, my answer has been the same no matter if I lived in the mountain state, Red State or BN state.

Maybe I'm not that strange in this regard. Within academia, we move around a lot. Getting a t t job in your home state is so unusual that it is assumed that you've moved from elsewhere to take the job. There is a reason the holidays are high travel times, people are going "home for the holidays" -- wherever that may be.

No matter, I have two weekends where I'm not going anyplace... and I'm going to enjoy them.

Happy Birthday Hubby

My sweet hubby is having a birthday today. I'm writing this post while observing him teach his seminar class. We have birthday snacks, of course :).

Every year hubby objects to getting a year older, but every year I think he gets better.

At 19 -- we were on a break... I knew him at 18 and at 20, so I can guess that he was a passionate conservative deeply into being a geek and playing D & D. He was living in Japan and missing home. A couple of years later he'll be stationed in Colorado and come home for Christmas to change my life, but at 19 he was a geeky A1C running a BBS.

At 29, --we were married, about 8 years -- due to debate, he was coming to see that there were reasonable people, even smart people, who were liberals. He was coming into his own as a debater, finding out that he can be scarily persuasive and winning lots of trophies. He was living in Red State, full-time in the military and part-time in school. About this time he was beginning to realize that the military wasn't exactly the place for him anymore, although it took a few years to realize this.

At 39, -- we are still married -- he's a political moderate and nearly done with intercollegiate debate. We are still running a debate tournament together, but otherwise he's pretty uninvolved in debate. Instead, he's thrown his passion into teaching at his undergrad school and writing in political science -- and he's good at that as well.

I wonder what 49, 59 and 69 will look like. I'm sure we'll still be married. I'm almost as sure that we'll have some cats, some good friends and lots of books. I'd guess that at 49 we'll be in Red State, after that -- who knows?

I do know that the person hubby is replacing this year is 70 and taking on a new career in a Middle Eastern country. I wonder if we'll be doing the same, leaving our lives in Red State to go on a new adventure elsewhere and leaving the next hubby to house-sit for us.

For tonight, we'll go to his favorite kind of food.. the Japanese steakhouse where they cook it in front of you. We'll enjoy a good show and some decent food. Tomorrow morning 'birthday week' will end when I go back to BN state. He'll follow me home on Thursday for a few days at home for Spring Break.

Motivation needed...

So, I've been lazy the last few days... sure, I could blame it on the cold I got coming home from Chicago (debaters = germ factories... debate tournaments = infection zones...), but -- I'm just tired and burned out.

Being in Red State has somehow given me an excuse to bum around -- maybe it is the snow, maybe it is the presence of hubby or whatever, I've got to get my act together.

Tomorrow I'm getting my hair done and celebrating hubby's birthday.

Today I can get some administrivia done and maybe some basic stuff...

wish me luck, maybe if I blog for motivation I'll get it.
hmmmm

Cats vs. Dogs...

This has made the rounds of forwarded e-mails for a while... just in case you haven't seen it....

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!

9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!

7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!

8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!

11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


Excerpts from a Cat's Daily Diary

Day 983 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am.

Bastards.

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However,I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly
released -and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now...

Handing over control

I had a meeting with the comm studies people at BNCC about debate.

We discussed the current program and the options for continuing it. It was very interesting to see how another department works and the way personalities play out.

The final decision was the best case scenario, although it will more than likely result in a format change from parliamentary debate to policy debate. The other debate coach on-campus has a strong policy debate background and he's willing to give it a try.

I trust that he understands the students, the requirements of policy debate an the challenges that he faces. I don't see how it will work out, but he does and I trust him. At worst, they'll end up changing over to parliamentary debate.

So, next year will be the first year in 10 that I haven't coached debate. I find that both liberating and scary. I think my friend is in a place in his life that he's ready to take on a challenge like this -- and I hope it works out for him.

Personally, I can't wait to actually HAVE a spring break and a full winter break -- I haven't had either for a while.

Thanks for Visiting BN state...

Yesterday, I landed from Pizza city in BN state, went home to feed the cats and then drove to Corn state to meet hubby for a late Valentine's Day celebration.

On the way down to Corn State, at the border, there is a sign saying "Thank you for visiting BN state".

The sign was talking to me... I feel like, a visitor.

Today I'm back from Corn State -- I'll be here tonight and tomorrow -- then off again on Wednesday for almost a week. After that I'll be home for a while --- over two weeks, before leaving for NHJKLM nationals and KLNPDALKLOO nationals, both in the inter-mountain west.

After nationals, it will be April.... and I really can't wait.

Tonight, I'm already in my pjs. I intend to watch TV, read some blogs, pet some cats and be in bed by 10 PM.

It's all my fault...

Dear Monopoly-Air passengers,

I'm sorry. It is all my fault. I'm a flight curse. Every time I fly, we are delayed on at least one leg of the flight.

In the past month we've been delayed for de-icing, a seatbelt replacement (huh?? someone stole a seatbelt... ) and last night, essentially, getting a jump-start. We were an hour late getting into Big City -- sorry.

This happens to me every time I fly. I'm a delay magnet and I'm sorry.

Warning.. I'm flying again this week, Wednesday to Red State and back the next week. I also have flights booked in March to and from Mountain State and also to Red State.

Ambiguity on the Radio...

There is a promo for a local news program about a really sad story. A woman 'sold' her sister on the internet. The sister is mentally challenged. The woman sold her sister 20+ times per day and only got 8 months in jail.

The announcer ends the spot by saying "why isn't more being done to protect innocent victims?"

Do you see the ambiguity....

One interpretation has the mentally challenged sister as the innocent victim.

BUT -- The woman accused of sellling her sister sold her multiple times...

so, who is/are the innocent victim(s)... the sister that got sold, or the multiple people who bought the sister--- they were the victim of an internet scam....

Is it sick of me to see the second interpretation?

Cable update & another request of the internet...

yet more proof of 'blog it and it will happen'...

As I sent my previous post out into the internet, the customer service person decided that I was worthy of a credit and got it worked out herself.

It seems that three phone calls and two screwed up complaints to the (in my mind) non-existent research department is necessary before the customer service reps gain the magical powers to get things done. I should get a free month of cable, credited to my account.

We'll see if it actually happens.... I'll be happy when I see the credit.

Now... as for "worldpetstore.com"...

Placed an order for an 8-day cat feeder on Jan 30. Still haven't seen it, but also haven't been charged for it.

One e-mail bounced because I can't type... their phone number has a full voicemail... we'll see.

What I want them to do is to charge my credit card the $79.99 and send me the cat feeder.... NOW.

I wasn't kidding when I placed the order-- please, do the work I asked you to do... and that I'm paying you to do.

me

Dear Cable Company

Dear Monopolistic-cable-company... you know, the one that bought up all the other ones and can't get your act together...

In December you blocked my cable. You prevented me from TIVOing a whole bunch of stuff. You should have blocked someone else's cable, but it seems that you hire techs that can't tell apartment A from apartment Z.

I called you after I got it fixed in January. I was told it would go to research.

I got no calls back... so I called again last week.

Then I was told that, not only are your techs stupid, so are your customer service reps... the last person put the wrong complaint in... which seems to entail that nothing happens.

So far y'all haven't called me back on the correct complaint.

I'm currently on hold and wishing I had an option... between cable and internet we pay y'all a healthy sum every month.

You, for the record, suck. A lot...

The longer it takes to resolve this, the more the credit will need to be to keep me from complaining.

V-Day....

I don't recall the exact date, but I know I met hubby 21 years ago this month. I'm pretty sure it was just before Valentine's day, because I remember being sad that I couldn't send him a flower in some bizarre high school mating rituatl that involved a student activities fund-raiser that let you send flowers to your friends in school...

I was 17, he was just about to turn 18.

I was a junior, he was a senior.

We were both in an Advanced Composition class and he'd already called our teacher 'incompetent'. He had yet to write his term paper on Watership Down... yea, only hubby would write a paper about an autobiographical novel using a book whose main characters are rabbits. And, only hubby would end up having to type it in mint green and brown... little did I know how those things wouldn't come as a surprise to me today.

Little did I know then that we'd be happily married 21 years later --- heck, I wasn't even sure we'd have a second date. I knew that somehow he'd always be in my heart -- I just couldn't see us together forever because I was sure our paths were leading us away from one another... thank God hubby saw things in a different light -- and thank God I was home when he came to Mom's a few years later.

21 years ago he was a geeky kid headed into the Air Force. I was a tall, quiet blonde who just got her driver's liscense and was about to start a job at McDonalds. On our first date we went to the mall and played video games -- we also talked non-stop. That night I did the kiss-and-run... officially I kissed him first. I'm happy to say we've improved on that one considerably :).

Today I taught two college philosophy classes and coached debate. He gave a kick-butt presentation at his college in Red State and is now rewarding himself for a job well-done. We sent one another pajamagrams and will meet in Corn state on Sunday night to celebrate Valentine's day. We've been many more romantic places together, but this weekend a nice hotel in Corn State will be the place for us.

They nailed that one...

I drink one of these every time I need a boost...

Caramel Frappuccino

Creative and expressive, you tend to match your Frappuccino flavor to your mood. And a flavored syrup is always a must!

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

Death, illness and surgury...

In my e-mail...

One student who I know is fighting cancer... she's had a set-back. I know she'll do the work, but she's struggling in a variety of ways.

One student who has a mom in for surgury.... I wonder if she's really the only one who can take her and why she didn't listen to my announcement about how to get the take home exam if you aren't in class... makes me suspicious..

One student whose grandpa died... today -- the logic quiz is also today. Would it be unfair to expect him to come take the flipping quiz.... I was a softie and let him do some make-up with some sort of documentation -- but, I wonder.

I wonder -- especially about the last two. Today is Valentine's day and my class is late in the afternoon....

Happy things..

It is a cold day today and it will get colder... since I ignore the cold, this isn't a problem for me -- but people get cranky around me, so I need a list of things that are making me happy today...

In no random order...
My department -- 5 nice people who get along.... even if we take turns being a bit clueless, everyone is trying and we don't have the deep and nasty divisions other departments have. Also, New Guy and Dog Dad got recognized for their teaching.. YEA!

My debate team -- small, but mighty. The inclusion of D2 in practices and some travel is a good addition and will make things a little easier for Sunshine and Swear Jar. Both Sunshine and Swear Jar are trying to debate well -- and working on improving. What more could I ask for?

My hubby -- even though we won't be together on V-Day (for the first time since 1999), anticipating the pajamagram and our meeting in Corn State is enough to make the day good.

My cats -- Old Kitty is content sleeping, Blind Kitty has been quiet today and Extra-Toes has been worshiping the space heater all afternoon. ... photos to follow.. They are all sweet and I understand why hubby misses them so much.

"Chick Talk" radio -- keeps me company while I work and drive. Just enough fun stuff to be an occasional distraction without heavy content that really makes me think.

Chinese Food -- is on the way. The fact that I can get it delivered in the cold makes me happy... It should be here in 15 minutes -- YEA!

Good TV and an IM date with hubby -- We're planning to watch House and Boston Legal tonight together via IM. We make snarky comments and watch the programs at the same time. It isn't as much fun as watching together, snuggled in our wonderful bed -- but, it will do in a pinch.

Progress on my paper -- I have the Feminist Epistemology paper started.... and I think it is good. Thursday I'll be able to start the objections to standpoint epistemology. I think I'll be able to make my goal of a good first version to discuss in Red State at the end of next week.

The DC -- or, the dissertation chamber.... It is a good place to work. I can spread my stuff out on the table, use the bed for extra books and there is plenty of room for cats to hang out with me. If I want to watch TV (which I rarely do..) I can do so. Normally, I have the radio on.

Books on my IPOD... I just finished Carl Hiaasin's "Nature Girl". It was fun to listen to and gave me something to track on my drive back and forth to Red State. The book itself wasn't nearly as much fun as some of his earlier ones... maybe I'll get an old one for the next drive.

I give in to the new Blogger...

I thought about holding out. I hate change.

I must be weak tonight...

Cat question...

So, hubby and I were talking this morning about the big black and white cat that hated me, wanted to kill me and was trying to move me out of the house... and I said something like, "he was purring, but it was a mean purr".

Hubby thinks it is impossible for a cat to purr in a mean way... Hubby also denies the black and white cat had any malice towards me...

thoughts?

Home with clean laundry....

I now have enough clean clothes to last a while.. YEA.

Next weekend we have another tournament. There are a few nice things about it...

1) It is a short flight away, and we have the cash to fly:).
2) It is run by a good pal of mine, who runs good tournaments.
3) We get home on Sunday at !:00ish -- and have no school on President's Day --

So -- hubby and I are meeting in Corn state... at a nice hotel that is half-way between BN state and Red State. I'll drive down right after my flight in from the tournament and he'll drive up from Red State. We'll have a nice evening together and neither of us has to rush home the next day.

If I could bring the cats with me, it would be perfect.

On cold weather...

My mother and I had an interesting conversation the other night..We were discussing cold weather, which is a regular part of our existence in BN state. It is about as remarkable as the leaves changing or the black flies biting -- it is just there.

We decided that it is cold IFF: either a) the pipes freeze or b) the car won't start.

With her pipes and car, that would be well below -25F. For me, my car is in a heated garage most of the time, and the pipes run in it... so, they don't freeze. For me, it isn't cold -- ever.

Yea, we have a high tolerance for cold -- and low standards as to what is required for civilized life... so what?

This whole conversation came into perspective the next day as I listened to 'chick talk radio'. The talkhow host was noticing that people who are from our state don't really notice or mind the cold, while transplants get all angry and frustrated by it. This makes perfect sense -- when you grow up here, you learn to accept the cold on it's own terms. Getting mad about being cold, or wishing you lived someplace else doesn't change it -- it only makes you miserable.

Additionally, people who live where it is really cold (i.e. up by mom in the northern part of BN state) often don't pay attention to exactly how cold it is. For our purposes, -25F is cold enough that you need to pay extra attention to the cold and if you go out in the car, you should have your warmest coat and boots. Anything below that is information that can only make you surf the internet for cheap fares to Maui.

I'll never forget one Christmas when it was below -40F at Mom's (we don't know how low, because the thermometer ended at -40..)... the pipes didn't freeze (we left the water running) and my car (an ancient stationwagon) started... it wasn't cold.

RBOC...

--Having the cleaning person was odd at first, but I got used to it. I think I'm going to have them come in regularly... especially if I can get the same person, so we can come to an agreement as to my priorities for their time.

-- I'm in Red State this weekend. I have the new Carl Hiaasin book on my ipod, which made the drive down much better. I'll finish it on the drive back to BN state.

-- I brought the laundry with me this weekend. 6 laundry bags full. I didn't realize we had that many clothes. I'm going to set my debate timer for the length of the longer cycle and keep those machines humming all weekend. If I do that, I should be able to make it to April without doing a serious amount of laundry.

-- You know you live in BN state when, among the usual laundry categories of darks, lights, bright colors etc.. you have 'warm socks'... and you own enough warm socks to make a full load.

-- I miss the cats. I wish the homeowners would let hubby have one here. I'm putting that into the 'blog it and it will happen' category. Extra-toes could be a commuting cat...he'd manage the drives and he'd love to be an only kitty when he was down here. If Old Kitty weren't also naugty, I'd say she should come down. Sadly, when she gets angry, she gets pissy.

and... it is free today

So, because the cleaning person was 90 minutes late and I told them in advance they need to be done by 12:30 so I can make my office hours, this one is free.

That does a lot to get me to schedule them more often....

Maybe it wasn't ment to be...

So, the guy who schedules the cleaning person -- kind of like the cleaning pimp, told me last week that he'd make sure the people would be here by 8 AM today, as I need them to be done by noon.

It is 9:40 and they aren't here. After several phone calls to someone whose phone presence is terrible (he mumbles badly), the cleaning person seems to be MIA or lost --

All this after I picked up last night for quite a while in anticipation of a cleaned house... aargh.

in true, 'blog it and find it' fashion... she just called -- from the front parking lot.

YEA!

Snow and Sunburn...

It is really odd to be sunburned while it is -6F and snowing.

It isn't like the opposites that work together, like peanutbutter and chocolate or pie and ice cream.

it is more like a contradiction that disturbs the mind, like an avacado bagel or chocoalte covered hot peppers.

home... for a bit.

No, BNCC isn't San Diego --

I figured that out when I got off of the airplane and saw my breath in the jetway.

A while later I sat in my frozen car -- which started right away -- signing my name on a credit card slip in my mittens.

My sunburn itches.

My suitcase holds warm weather clothes and my sandals.

It is time for bed....

What I won't miss about coaching debate..

1) Hotels...
19 of the past 35 days in some hotel or another... granted, some of that was for hubby's sun state conference, but still... about half of that is due to debate.

2) Tournament hangover...
The re-entry from a tournament is tough. Going back to campus and seeing people who look like debate people is weird. The world doesn't run according to prep time or what round it is. Nobody really cares that the team you watched ran a cool pre-fiat rhetoric turn on T...

3) Rental cars and the whole travel thing....
Pick-up strange car, return it just when you know where the controls are, hassle, hassle, hassle -- bus to the airport, sit and wait... the whole travel bit gets old. Make sure you have nothing liquid or that you have a baggie... yadda, yadda, yadda. Add to that people who don't know what they are doing trying to bring prohibited stuff into security, whre the hell have you been... don't you know your 20 oz contact solution could be a f-ing bomb? Dumb-asses who are too impatient to wait for their luggage trying to stuff their huge suitcase into the overhead bin...

4) "learning" things from debaters...
Like the ERA has been passed (huh? when, how did I miss that??), that "no men can understand what it is like to be a woman, so they shouldn't pretend to try" and "sports are bad for women's bodies"... considering I only judged 4 rounds this time (the beauty of having only one team, I judge less!!!!).

5) Being the bearer of the tournament emergency supplies....
Extra timers, pens, batteries, post-it notes, Tylenol and other medical supplies, extra paper, etc... stuff I don't use, but that they'll need.

6) Planning the rest of my life around debate travel...
Really, next year I want to have a Spring Break. It isn't too much to ask, is it? A week during the Spring Semester when I don't have to either run or coach at a national tournament... or prepare for one. It has been 10 years since I've had a Spring Break. I think I'm due.

Some things I'll miss about coaching debate...

In no particular order...

Coming to this campus...
The San Diego school we are at is right on the Pacific. It is beautiful, and the smokers are corraled in a little area, so you don't get smoked on if you don't want to be...

Chatting with the smokers...
I've had some fun conversations today with some really smart people. My fellow coaches are interesting, fun and aware of the world around them. They are also why I've done this for so long, avoiding my real career and what I'm really good at.

Connecting with a concentrated group of smart students...
It sounds kind of corny, but I fully believe that the debaters of today are the leaders of tomorrow. If they actually believed a lot of the arguments they run, where they'll lead us would make me want to 'get off the rock' (leave the planet... never to return, for y'all who aren't debate types). It really isn't the rounds I judge that make me say that, but rather the conversations between rounds that convince me that the future is in good hands with this bunch. As a group, they are energetic problem solvers who are loaded with both brains and compassion.

Putting students into their first competitive intercollegiate rounds...
One student in particular frames this better than any other. D1 had very little high school debate experience when he prompted me to start the team at BNCC. He had loads of talent and is smart as heck, but very limited experience in competition. I took him and Mr.Busy to a small tournament, where they made it to elimination rounds and actually won their first elimination round. I could see in his eyes that he was hooked. Over the next few semesters D1 developed skills and really figured out this debate stuff. He read a lot of philosophical/social criticism and developed his debate skills. Last year he was paired with D2 and had an excellent year. This year he's at another school and in contention for a national titie. I know that by coaching debate, I've changed the direction of his life. That makes me feel good, as well it should.

I really do think that the small and large impacts I've made on peoples lives by coaching debate have been worth the effort. I also think that it is time to end my time coaching and turn those efforts elsewhere, and I'm at peace with that decision.

The promised photos...

Of the Pacific Ocean -- a beautiful city -- some warm, liberated toes -- and the prelude to some irresponsible frolicking...

Round 6..

So -- they lost round 5. They got hit with something out of the second gov't speech that wasn't all that hard to answer, if you know the answers -- but, like any easy answer, you have to know it to get credit... They tried hard, I'll give them that.

Round 6: They have to support the US spending less abroad and more at home... kind of weird, since they have to have two plans to be topical... we'll see how it goes. If they win this, they'll be 3-3 and, they'll have met the optimistic goal I had for them. I'd be ok with 2-4.

We are all tired and learning how to deal with one another when we are a little cranky--- that's a good thing and great practice for nationals.

Tomorrow we'll watch some rounds, I'll judge a little and they'll get some educaiton on the other stuff that is going on in debate world. We'll also take the traditional naughty picture with the Jesus statue. If I can figure out a way to do it while maintaining some shred of anonymity, I'll do so.

Rounds 4 and 5

Round 4 topic was about California's proposed law concerning spanking kids. We won... yea!

Round 5 will begin soon -- the topic is something to the effect that government support of sports entertainiment unfairly advantages the rich over the poor.

So far we know we've won 2 of the last four, we know we've lost one and don't know about the first round.

We've been against feminism twice, against slavery, in favor of spanking and against sports-- eek.

Rounds 2 and 3

Round 2, we had to support the continuation of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

Round 3, we get to oppose slavery in Virginia.


They are doing well and getting along fine... as far as I can see. So far, so good.

Round 1 Title 9

Sunshine is feeling ill and we are opposing Title 9 with feminist impacts... it could work. I'll let you know.

and we frolicked...

Swear Jar, Sunshine and I had fun today in San Diego.

We probably should have gone over to the elite round robin tournament -- but, the weather was wonderful, so we decided to frolic instead.

Somewhere along the line, I decided that if this is the last team I coach - that is ok. They are both really neat people, smart, articulate and caring people...even Swear Jar, who has taken it as his mission to convince me never to have children, by occasionally playing the whiney child.

We've also purchased provisions for the tournament -- so we are set to take on the 'bloodbath'. I'm sure they'll learn a lot tomorrow about debate, but today they had their horizons broadened in other ways. It was a good day.

I'll upload photos later when the network is better.

Groundhog's day..

The Official Groundhog didn't see his shadow. The legend says that we won't have 6 more weeks of winter... i.e. that spring will be here within 6 weeks. That must be great news to all the people who are freezing in BN state this weekend, although they don't seem all that excited about it around here. It is supposed to be in the 60s and 70s and sunny here this weekend-- which sounds like summer to me.

When I was a kid I had Groundhog's day backwards.

I thought that the Groundhog seeing his shadow was a good thing. I thought that if he saw his shadow, winter would be ONLY 6 more weeks. If he didn't see his shadow, I thought that winter would last more than 6 weeks....

This went along with my experience of the world -- in my context it was correct. Winter ending before mid-March simply didn't compute. The end of February can't be spring... that is winter, as is most of March most years. It is my experience that the first possible month of spring is April.

Hanging in San Diego...

Another debate tournament... another flight on Monopoly air... sigh.

Although, this isn't just another tournament. It is the biggest invitational tournament of the year, at the most beautiful campus on the circuit-- I don't know how you can beat a campus right on the Pacific Ocean... sorry Red State, you were friendly and all-- but you don't have one of those big blue things. I'll post some photos later-- I promise.

This tournament and hotel are bringing back a bunch of memories for me.

This was the first big trip I ever took a team to. Eons ago Hubby and his partner won this tournament and got beat in semis in the round robbin. They also got really high speaker awards -- so the flight home with an extra bag of trophies was pretty funny... the look on the fligh attendant's face when he told her that he wasn't going to gate-check the duffle bag because it was full of debate trophies was priceless... she realized that he wasn't going to give in and that he'd win the argument, like he won a lot of arguments that weekend.

The next year was the year Hubby and Pony got 'walked over' in semi's at Nationals... thus the reason I have a standing team policy that it won't happen. Now they have changed the rules to eliminate exactly that situation. Thus, it is also the first and only time (so far) I've seen one of my teams in finals at nationals. (Secret message to D1 -- I'm pulling for you this year... you can do it.)

This was the tournament hotel where we had some fun -- a lot of fun, involving a bit of intoxication and sillyness. Someone who reads regularly got a drunken version of a French Manicure, and probably ruined a perfectly good suit. We all had fun celebrating having two of the top 3 teams in the country.

Last time I was here, one of my debaters had a temper tantrum in the parking lot over returning a roll-away bed. If this person really does get into politics, you can bet your backside that one will come back to bite them. I'm waiting and I'll probably always be in contact with some of the witnesses.

I don't know what will happen this year -- but, I'm sure it will be interesting. I'll be happy if Sunshine and Swear Jar can learn to work together and see that the other person really wants the same thing -- to win.

Secret message to D2: I wish you could be here. Swear Jar has a suite to himself, he could easily have shared with you.... and everyone should do this tournament at least once in their debate career. If I could have gotten away with buying your airline ticket, I'd have done so. You are doing us a huge favor by doing the practice rounds.

It is time for bed -- tomorrow will be a beautiful day. At home it is going to be a high of 0 degrees...

I packed my sandals.