I am sorry I haven't done a proper entry in so long, but things have been a little hairy here. Lots of conversations with Kevin, trying to figure out what's best for both of us. We're not sure we've found it yet, but we're going to give it a try and see what happens. Lots of confusion about the job for next year, which is mostly settled now. A sudden trip to California, with a small birthday party, nice good-by meals with people, and some frantic packing. I know I've been thinking about this move for a while, but everything seems to happen at the last minute; it's a good thing I've had lots of people to help, or I don't think I could get all this done.
Hmm...I'm not saying very much, am I? Or I'm not saying it very clearly...maybe 'cause I'm not so sure what I've gotten myself into.
I've accepted a job at the University of Utah, in the Writing Program. At first we thought that it was going to be just for the autumn, but now it looks like it'll be spring too. It's still a little unclear what my position will be, but I'm told I'm a full-time-equivalent, and that I'll get some benefits. I should know more about that in a few days. It'll be very nice to have health insurance again...
I'll be teaching four sections of freshman composition, course #2010, in the autumn. That's 23 students each, all the same course. So it's nice that I only need to prep one class, but it'll be a fair bit of grading. They're paying me reasonably well for it, though, and I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully I won't have any trouble keeping up with the workload (though it's not really the workload I'm worried about, but rather whether Clean Sheets and my writing will suffer. At least the rest of the staff at CS seem to have things well in hand -- I hardly did anything in July, but it ran smoothly nonetheless. I don't know what I'd do without Brian, my managing editor. Fall apart, probably).
I'm not really sure how the course will go; it's very closely regulated -- unsurprising, considering they offer 70 sections of it; they need to maintain some consistency. We'll just have to wait and see. Should be interesting, though. I'll also be living alone, for the first time in my life. This worries me a little. I expect my phone bill to skyrocket for a month or two; luckily, I should be able to afford that. David's out here now -- he drove me back with a carful of my stuff (Kevin's still in S.F. visiting his family), and Jed promised to come visit. I don't know what it'll be like coming back to an empty home every day. I suspect I'll get some fish at least. Maybe a cat, if I can find a place that allows them. Or a bird -- something for company.
Right now I'm mostly spending my time apartment-hunting. I'll let you know how that goes; it's still early stages right now. I'm having a hard time reminding myself not to spend as much as I could possibly spend -- I really ought to take a cheap place and spend that money on paying off debts. But then I look at a place with a sunroom, and I think how wonderful that would be for plants...sigh. I must be practical. Or at least somewhat practical.
I should probably get going; Callihoo (writing group) is meeting at my place tonight, and I still have to take out the trash. I had fun cooking for the group -- David and I made various things to put on crostini (toasted bread). Tomato stuff, spinach stuff, mushroom stuff (I know that doesn't sound so appealing, but it would take too long to detail it all -- trust me, it looks yummy). With some raspberry lemonade and cheap red wine, should be a fun meeting.
Whoops -- really out of time. I undoubtedly have more to say about all of this; I've been writing journal entries in my head for weeks. But it'll have to wait for now...