- Our temperatures have returned to seasonally appropriate levels. We've got rain at 41F (5C) all day today, tonight, and most of tomorrow. I waited outside the campus library yesterday afternoon for Superman to get me. It was overcast, though still dry, with a steady brisk breeze. I'm not exactly sure what the wind chill was at the time, but I was uncomfortably cool in jeans and a short-sleeved t-shirt.
- Manny came home from the repair shop yesterday! My mechanic, Ron, who loves me, talked to me earlier in the week to tell me my rear end had come in, but wasn't yet installed. (This is so fun.) They got it installed Thursday and he drove it around some. My rear end has been upgraded! I now have a limited-slip differential with a better gear ratio than the old one had. That means it has more power!!! It does, too. I can feel it in the way it drives and the way the gears shift. Ron says if I use 5th gear when I need to, the mileage should improve a little bit over what I was getting before.
- I think I mentioned that the old differential was really torn up. Yes, I posted a picture taken with my cell phone camera of the ripped up differential case cover. I asked Ron if he still had the differential, but he'd already sold it for scrap to the salvage yard. He did still have the cover, however. I have it. I'm going to mount it on a plaque. If I weren't so lazy I'd go out to the garage and take a picture of it now, but I'll do that later. You need to see this thing. James, the other fella in the shop, says he's never seen a differential do that. And he's been working on cars for a long time.
- My English class is studying Oedipus Rex now. Class met in the library yesterday to learn how to use the library's databases to research literature and literary stuff. I ended up staying there for 3 hours just looking up things that interest me. I'm curious about the role of the chorus in Greek drama. I found some interesting things. I hope to have time this weekend to write a brief paper on what I discovered, because the prof doesn't know this stuff either. We discussed it while reading over the play on Wednesday. The chorus has a chorus or choir leader, who in the translation we're reading is called the Choragos. He actually has a speaking part in which he interacts with Oedipus, though he is not listed in the dramatis personae. This had us confused. But I learned that he isn't a character within the play, therefore he's not listed with the other characters. Neither is the chorus itself. Evidently the Greeks just knew all this stuff.
- I am debating about telling my English prof about this blog. On the one hand I'd like to. On the other hand, I may not want her to know some of the things I write about. Like stuff about her! Actually, if I can figure out how to do a protected post on Blogger I'd like to say some not-for-general-readership stuff about her. It's not anything negative, either, so don't go assuming things.
- Superman and I got our taxes finished today. Well, actually our tax preparer got our taxes finished. We signed the papers. This is the nice lady, long-time friend of ours, with whom I had an interesting discussion about homosexuality last year at tax time. The topic did not come up today. Our tax refund is lookin' pretty sweet, though. Superman wants to buy a small used car with that money.
- Back to Ron the Mechanic. Did I ever tell you that he is kinda sexy? He's short, probably a little shorter than I am, though not quite hobbit short. ;) He has put on a little bit of weight over the last couple of years, though he's not really heavy by any means. His most distinguishing characteristic is his eyes. He has the most gorgeous light blue eyes. OMG gorgeous! He often has the scruffy hasn't-shaved-in-a-few-days beard, too. That, to me, is getting sexier as I get older. Perhaps, though, that's been influenced by you. I've seen a lot of eye candy on other blogs; guys with that scruffy not-quite-a-beard. I don't really like that look so much on Superman, though, maybe because his whiskers are very coarse and uncomfortable to get too close to.
- Twitch!! Let me tell you about how proud I am of that boy! He had his final Boy Scout council meeting this week and has now been promoted to the rank of Eagle Scout! This is a big deal, y'all. He has worked hard for many years for this. It's quite an accomplishment, and I'm very proud of him. I think I said that already. He needs to have his Eagle Scout ceremony now, when the rank will officially be awarded. We don't know yet how, when, or where that will be. I think he has to plan it, though. A lot of boys have the ceremony in their churches, but since we aren't exactly regulars at any church now, that probably won't be the case with him. Whatever, it'll happen sometime soon-ish.
- My oral report for sociology on some aspect of homosexuality is due Tuesday. I have the article I will use. It's from the NY Times, December 10th edition, on the wave of new activists that came out of the Proposition 8 vote in California. The article begins with a reference to the Stonewall demonstrations in 1969. There are a few things I want to include in my presentation that aren't mentioned in the article, like the fact that homosexuality is not a choice. I corrected the prof in class on that point on Thursday. Yep, out loud, in class, right after he said it. I also explained that most recent studies (of which I am aware, anyway) indicate that the genetic factors come from a complex variety of gene markers. He had said something about scientists not finding "the gay gene." I said that the hormonal environment in the womb seems to have an impact on sexual orientation, and that as a woman has boys, the later boys born to her are more likely to be gay. I know I've read this stuff various places. I should probably write a paper with references for him. It would take a while to find all this stuff. Whatever. I'm not going to write that paper this weekend. I have the oral report to do, plus study for Thursday's exam in that class. Plus lots of other stuff...
Moving Along, but Adrift
11 years ago
