Some things are just never meant to be, no matter how much we wish they were....

The infrequency of my blog entries of late should tell you something about how busy I am. I had another of my near-panic days this past week, buried in schedules and homework and papers to grade and lack of sleep. It seems that “Week 6” just isn’t a good time for me.

But once again, the feeling has passed—thank Goddess. And today, a glorious day off. It’s supposed to be 85 today!

Big news: …. drum roll….

MY THESIS IS APPROVED!

Michael McGregor gave me the go-ahead on my proposal to write about the geology and folklore of the Cascade Range. Yes kids, mom finally got an official reason to play with science! I’ll be doing the research this summer and writing next fall and winter. Wahoo!

Spring term is whizzing by. I’m registered for summer classes (GAs get free tuition, which I can’t pass up), including a weekend at Haystack with Ellen Morris Bishop, writer of this book. The workshop’s focus is writing about landscape, and how it informs the stories we tell. It will give me a lot of information and help with my thesis.

My WR 121 class is going well—the students are both interested and interesting. I really do love teaching.

I received my GA assignments for next year. For the first term I’ll be the Assistant Director of Writing, a chance to work in an Admin position in the Dept. of English—a good resume item, for sure, and a chance to see how the department works from the inside-out. Winter term I’m scheduled to teach an intro to creative non-fiction writing class. That may change, though, as the class may not be offered that term. Spring term, I’ll be team teaching “Intro to Literature” with my friend and co-GA, Eric Wilson (above). We’re both thrilled with that assignment—Eric is the introspective theoretical philosopher type, while I bring lots of writing and modern culture and folklore into my classes, so with us together it ought to be pretty interesting.

The Grey School site is finally back—and mostly repaired—after almost two months of serious site/host problems.

Last but not least, Llewellyn—the flagship publisher for magickal/spiritual writing—is interested in a book proposal that I sent a couple of weeks ago. It looks as if I’ll be getting a pre-contract from them for a book that I’ll write next spring/summer. More details on that as they occur.

The Gargoyles book (left) is in process (and can be pre-ordered from Amazon!)—I need to do some work on lining up illustrations.

That’s the update, hope you liked it.

Now… on to Gilmore Girls!

MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!

Don’t read further if you don’t want to know too much….

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(I warned you!)

1. Loved the music! Loved the music! Loved the music! Although I wish I knew who each of those groups were. Erin is coming next weekend, and I’ll make her tell me. Supposedly Dan Palladino plays one of them, in a farewell cameo. What a hoot, though. The idea of troubadours overrunning the town was terrific.

2. Loved the Clarence Thomas reference.

3. Rory’s finally growing up a little. Finally. I loved the elevator scene with Huntsberger. What great tension, to have them realize that they maybe do have something in common, in terms of what they want for Logan (see beefcake, left)

4. As for Lorelei, I almost couldn’t take her sad, puffy, increasingly depressed and desperate face through the show. It’s what starts the episode, and it’s what ends it. Great bookend-ing. But naked in Christopher’s bed? And did you see the self-satisfied smirk on Christopher’s face? AUGH! Here we go again, I think to myself.

5. Luke: WISE UP! Is your hat too tight or something? Big dummy!

6. Can I rant about these garments called “shrugs”? If there’s ever been a garment that exemplifies dumb fashion, this has got to be it. Half a sweater? Half a jacket? Not even half, really. More like a third. So, do they ask you to only pay one-third of the price when you buy one? I’m betting not.

Now that I’m writing this, I’m betting that some of you—including my own daughters—probably wear these things. If so, no pain intended. But come on—let’s think about this a little, okay? What if people also started wearing a third of a sock, a third of each shoe, or a third of their pants? (The fact that some people actually do dress like that, notwithstanding.)

7. Anyone notice that Christopher's daughter's name acronym--GG--is also the acronym for "Gilmore Girls"? Coincidence? Oh, I think not.

8. Team Sherman-Palladino has ridden off into the sunset…. I worry about what the show will be like next year, in what will probably be its last season. Time will tell….