Some Updates: very random

• The workshop and talk (on different topics) last week both went fantastically well. I was received with great warmth by Nels there, and was thrilled to be talking with such a smart batch of colleagues and his really engaging students. I also had a little fun working with the presentation itself, using blogger in place PowerPoint for presentation slides, and then uploading much of the talk's notes onto the site ex post facto so students could use it as a resource. I'll pull it down eventually, since I hope to use this for an article before too long, but the format seemed to work well, and helped me continue the momentum from the writing marathon preceding the visit.

• The Junebug is growing according to (or slightly ahead of) schedule. He has big feet.

• Traveling with students for three out the last four weekends has been a blast (though exhausting). I really like getting to know them as people, and having them get to know me as a person, and in my case, that happens really well at the theatre, where I find it much harder to hide my enthusiasm or disappointment than in the classroom. Most recently, a good R&G are Dead had the conversation with my students rolling. If only I had been smart enough to cut the conversation short to get some shut eye...

• In the meantime, with all that travel, I have been waaaaay behind: on grading, committee work, an article deadline, you name it. As soon as grading is caught up tomorrow, I'll be working on all that other stuff.

• The move is proceeding apace. Many things in the current house are finding their way toward boxes, or at least stacks which will make boxing easier. If you don't hear from me at all during the last week of April, you'll know why.

• I did see what may have been the funniest sight yet of my parenting days. Rambunctious went to a timeout after throwing his sister's towel in the (still-full) bathtub. He had not yet dressed. When I went to check on him, he was wearing nothing but a cowboy hat, a black mask (a la Robin), a Superman cape, and carrying a lightsaber. I shall never forget this image, since it will likely be excellent blackmail in about 10 years.

• I have seen Hamlet twice this semester, not counting screening film clips in class (Olivier, Gibson, Branagh, Hawke). It really is that good, even in a crappy production.

• Willow is into the 3rd trimester, which means that breathing and sleeping and eating without reflux are all challenges right now. I wish I could do more for her...