Disappearing Act

Well, I didn’t have my laptop stolen like last time. I just didn’t really have the motivation to write and it was a busy summer. In fairness, I guess it was just July and August that were nuts. A recap:

• I wasn’t feeling all that great for most of July and went to the doctor a billion times. I kept having this feeling that I was swaying. Not dizzy with everything swimming in front of your eyes, but swaying. Much like the feeling if you’ve been on a boat for hours or you’ve been in the ocean playing in the waves. The feeling you have afterwards of still in motion. And my ears were driving me batty. In pain, popping, fuzzy. Not fun. The swaying was much worse when I was sitting, as in sitting at a desk to type, to write a blog. So I was avoiding the computer at home a fair bit. Turns out I had some inflammation in some tube behind the ear. A million types of medication later and it seems to finally be getting better… in late August (it started in early July).

• My Nana passed away in July. She was 86 and a half and had been in declining health for a while. She was my Dad’s mom and she will be missed. I’ll get to writing a blog about her later, but it was a rough few weeks. I made a point to go to the nursing home often in the last few weeks, then felt that we lived there in the last couple of days. Then when she did pass it was madness of funeral planning, picking people up from the airport, out of town guest for a week, and multiple meals. It was madness. I also have an idea in my head to do an entry about funerals in the South v. the North. There were some notable differences!

• I attended my first Hindu engagement ceremony. Pinkster, one of my friends from college finally agreed to marry her boyfriend of SIX YEARS. She is Hindu and he is Southern Baptist… it has been a fascinating study in the blending of cultures. I’m actually IN the wedding later this year, which is apparently going to involve wearing a sari and getting decked out in henna. I’ll be sure to blog about that. However, I spent one day at her parent’s house with 50 of her family and his family while they “officially” became engaged. I hope to do a separate entry about this because it was pretty cool

• August in higher education. It is insane. At this point I’ve been through 24 days of non-stop craziness. I’ve pulled 12 hour work days for more days than I care to remember and I’m pretty damn tired. However, my graduate staff is trained, students are back, my syllabus is pretty much done and I’ve oriented my exchange students to campus. We’ve had some great conversations about what the difference is in BBQ from different parts of the country. Had to explain that down here it is pulled pork on a steamed bun, not a cookout at a friend’s house!

• There have been a number of other things going on, but those are the bigger highlights! More to come soon. As crazy as the semester is, it always seems to be easier blog when school is in session. I guess because I am in a solid routine. Hum. Anyone else feel this way?