Happy New Year!

Hello friends!  It's been eons (well, almost a full year) since I've posted here.  But as I'm processing 2024 and planning for 2025, this blog feels like a space to revisit.  I just meticulously copied over some questions from SHU's year-end post and decided most of those questions don't actually speak to me.  The categories were helpful, though.  So...what is new in my world?

Work

I'm in year 2 of an admin gig which is going moderately well.  I'm good at it, and I like most parts of it.  The parts I don't like I am getting better at outsourcing, minimizing, or coming up with better systems for.  Unlike my previous admin gig, I can detach emotionally from most of it.  I had a teaching release this past fall....and now gearing up for "spring" class, along with a new committee assignment, so teaching/service will take up a larger percentage of my available work time.  As is my way, I have three active book projects and one making the rounds in hopes of securing a publisher.  That's a weird hybrid genre book, but I really like it, and the last rejection hit pretty hard.  Need to regroup and resend.  Mostly at my age (52) and stage of career (tenured full professor) I am trying hard NOT to overwork.

Kids

Tiny Boy is 13, LG is almost 21 (WTF!).  They are both doing well in their own ways.  LG is thriving in nursing school (third year) and working two jobs as EMT.  TB is in 7th grade, interested in children's theater, soccer, and D&D.  But 13....so a lot of rage in my general direction and parenting solo is particularly hard in this respect.

Health

Well....late March I messed up my shoulder/arm pretty badly.  It looked like I was going to need surgery through July and then turned a corner.  Magical cortisone injection into the shoulder joint made it possible for me to make significant progress in physical therapy.  My range of motion is finally "within normal limits" in all directions, though still limited compared to my non-injured arm, and there are things I will never be able to do again.  Now I'm doing baby strength training, quite meticulously, given involvement in multiple tendons in the shoulder/arm.  The process has been emotionally and cognitively challenging in ways I never imagined. My physical therapist is an actual former Olympian, among her many other talents and credentials, and I am grateful beyond words for her care.  

Favorite Media

I rewatched a good chunk of The West Wing as a way to calm myself before the election.  Really liked The Diplomat.  I don't do many movies at all, but the kids and I saw Wicked on my birthday and quite enjoyed it (though it was definitely 30 minutes too long).  We also saw The Wizard of Oz in the actual theater, which was a treat.  (I guess there's a theme here!)

Other Miscellany

I have been taking dance classes again (ballet mostly), which has been challenging with the aforementioned arm injury, but really helpful in terms of getting out of my head.  Also experimenting with visual art (paper crafts, mostly, though recent turn toward wire work).  Given my actual job reading is just not relaxing in a way that using my hands / body / other senses can be.

Anyway....I hope you're all well.  Drop me a line in the comments if you actually read this :)