Yes, I know. Bad blogger. Bad. There is so much going on lately that by the time I think about blogging about it, I’m on to the next thing. Where to start?
--Springsteen rocked. The E-Street Band is as incredible as they say, and more. They put on the best concert I have ever attended and the three hour performance was worth every minute of waiting in lines to get into the pit and almost close enough to touch The Boss himself. I was ready to drive to Hershey, Pennsylvania the next night and do it all again. Seriously. You have to experience this man to know what I’m talking about, but he truly is a living legend. Nick’s concert report covers our road to the pit. I think he was in almost as much awe as I was. Almost.
--My fall semester of teaching is off to a rocky start. I was given a grammar book to use this semester, if you recall. Along with the grammar book were supplemental exercise books that I thought the students also received. So, trying to be a conscientious instructor (and knowing how much I hate it when I pay for a book a professor doesn’t use), I designed my syllabus to include both the grammar book and the exercises in the supplemental texts. Except, the students didn’t get the supplemental texts and now they’re e-mailing me in a panic asking why they can’t find the assignment in the book they do have. Sigh. So now I have to figure out what I’m going to do, which will likely entail more work for me as I try transcribe the exercises from the book so they can still do them.
--Yesterday, I picked up my books for one of the classes I’m taking this semester-- Motherhood: Rhetoric and Representation. It looks like an interesting reading list. I love it when the books are something I might read on my own for pleasure. Hardly seems like work at all. My other class, Violence Against Women, doesn’t have a textbook. That makes me a little nervous in terms of the structure of the class, so we’ll see. Those classes start next week. Summer is over.
--Speaking of reading for pleasure, I’ve moved on from one memoir to another. I’m currently reading Diablo Cody’s Candy Girl: The Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper. Her writing style is almost painfully clever. Her anecdotes are entertaining and I’m enjoying this memoir in a way I couldn’t enjoy The Glass Castle.
--Editor Sacchi Green sent the happy news that my two-girls-going-mudding story “Muddy Waters” made the cut (pending publisher approval) for the lesbian anthology Girl Crazy (due out next summer from Cleis Press). I have to laugh because the research for that story-- off-roading in a Jeep-- was probably the least sexy research I’ve ever done, but it was such a fun story to write.
--Jay sent me this fun little game of shoot the sheep (with tranquilizer darts). I’ve been trying to improve my reaction time, but I’m still terribly slow. I do not find their suggestion “how about getting yourself a cup of coffee?” at all amusing, however.
--Sheri sent me this NPR article about how a very clever program using web security words is helping to digitize old books and the archives of the New York Times. Who knew? I always wondered why there were two security words and why one of them is sometimes illegible. Now I know that every time I search for concert tickets, I’m doing my part to digitize books. How about you?
--The writing hasn’t been going well and there’s other stuff going on, including Henry the butt dog’s worsening condition, but I’ll save that for another day.
I know I’ve been quiet over here, but I’ve been throwing my thoughts around elsewhere. Kristina Lloyd and I stirred up some debate about erotica anthology covers over on Jeremy Edwards’ blog. The debate carried over into another post where editor Maxim Jakubowski offers his take.
Over on Audacia Ray’s blog, Waking Vixen, I offered my opinion on sex blogger Jefferson’s custody battle and the difference between a freedom of speech issue and a lack of personal responsibility issue. For a more thorough explanation of the whole sordid mess, including the cease-and-desist request Jefferson is issuing to anyone who doesn’t support his cause, read Rachel Kramer Bussel’s post on the subject.
On another blog, I’ve been musing over my life, the future and exciting new change. Hopefully, I’ll be sharing the link to that one soon. In the meantime, I suppose I need to come up with some controversial topic to write about here. Any suggestions? Jeremy? I owe you a forum for debate after hijacking your blog! 
July was a strange, surprising, rollercoaster (literally) month. I’ve spent the past couple of days riding amusement park rides in 99 degree heat, nursing blisters, celebrating a birthday, bowling badly (is there any other way to bowl?), laughing a lot, crying a little, making appointments, not writing, eating good (but not necessarily nutritious) meals and receiving a couple different pieces of lovely news, neither of which I can share right now. But soon, soon.
August has arrived in all it’s hot and humid glory and I have inked a fresh to do list. I have but a few weeks until fall semester begins, and much writing to do. Not to mention planning for class(es) I’m teaching (still not sure if I’m teaching more than one section). Plus there are the two classes I’m taking… It’s going to be a busy fall semester, in many ways. It’s mostly all good and I’m excited about the future.
For now, though, I need to write, write, write.
If I get chills watching the video, what will this man do to me in person? Holy hell. That back-bend-with-crotch-shot is inspiring some serious erotic fiction in my fevered imagination. And I don’t care how old he is. He’s hot. Whew. Three weeks and counting…
| Bruce Springsteen takes the stage at Giants Stadium |
(Thanks to my Jersey connection for the link.)
I’ve always liked Helen Mirren. She’s a class act, all the way. Beauty, style, grace, loads of talent-- and that fabulous British accent. I knew she was a knockout in her youth, but who knew she looks this good in a bikini-- at 63?
(I wonder if Pilates is responsible for those abs?)
It’s nice to see a candid photo of an older woman that is flattering rather than insulting. Ms. Mirren proves that beauty is timeless and that older women can be the stuff of fantasies. Good news for those of us over 40. 
(Pilates, here I come. Again.)
To be fair to sexy older men, do read Rachel Kramer Bussel’s musings on dating a grandfather.
In our youth-obsessed culture, it’s nice to see some column inches allotted to those who have moved passed their twenties, thirties and even forties, but are still very much in their prime. Perhaps the tide is turning.
Life. Love. Writing. Friendship.
Sex. Books. Movies. Travel. Politics. Feminism. Academia. Insomnia. Rants. Raves. Chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Some names have been changed, some stories have been embellished. Thanks for stopping by and beware of the dog. Read more...
