Made it through the tollgate

Honestly, I still can't believe I'm done with classes. Wait, did I MENTION I'm done with classes now? The last class, fortunately, was VERY informative and gave me plenty of tools to apply to educational practice.

Now I'm catching up on some things at work and getting ready to go "over the river and through the woods" to my grandmother's house, quite literally, next week. Am looking forward to the time away from SCT and hanging out with "Gram."

After the trip, I feel like I'm starting a new chapter of the doctoral experience. No more course syllabus: it's all up to me to read, write, read, read, write, and write some more. I actually can't wait. I keep hearing Wise Old Program Advisor's voice, "This is the last time in your life that you're going to be a full-time student; may as well take advantage of it." Sounds OK to me.

Full Moon - How Appropriate!

Full moon
Originally uploaded by Allseasons.

Gorgeous moon picture here by "allseasons." Tomorrow (Tuesday) is technically when the full moon will be, but the moonglow tonight on my back deck was most inspiring, relaxing, awe-striking. It's most appropriate for the evening, as I'm composing this final paper for my final class ever. It's the last due date not imposed by me. Wow: the future is looking pretty bright. I have a feeling of empowerment over my schedule for the first time in three years. I also have a feeling of an upcoming immense responsibility to myself to actually focus and pump out this "book" I'm endeavoring to write.

I've heard full moons make odd things happen. Let's hope the only odd thing here is that I finish up this paper on time!!! And most of all, I hope for as smooth a transition as possible into my newfound wide spans of unscheduled time, after tomorrow night.

Father's Day Picnic

Father's Day 2005 011
Originally uploaded by chesterley.

Happy Father's Day. Not a great picture of me here, but Son looks like his normal fantastic self. Of course, who wouldn't be happy with a home-made chocolate chip cookie in hand?

We had a nice time at one of the local parks here in town. Son and I took a little nap right after lunch before getting up and running around the park itself. He enjoyed running through the frisbee golf course (glad there weren't too many around!) and Wife enjoyed how Son took so easily to going down the big slide all by himself. All in all, a very good day was had by all so far.

I've finally figured out how to post pictures and things into the blog (at least I think I did) and wrap text around them (at least I think that works), so perhaps I'll start putting up a few pics from time to time. Part of me is interested in documenting photos of my world online. I have no idea why I'm attracted to this notion. Probably because I've read others' photo blogs and it's cool to learn about other parts of the world.

I'm a nerd.

A Nice Evening/Travels with Son

Tonight was a nice evening: we went to the Taste of Small College Town, modeled after the Taste of Chicago, though MUCH MUCH MUCH smaller. For those who may not know about Taste of Chicago, basically it's a sampling of many of the town's restaurants in one central location, selling low-priced samples of their food. There's usually a band in the background (tonight's was a good Reggae band) and plenty of people having a good time. We got to sample good food from restaurants we've not yet hit here in SCT. The variety and high quality are impressive for a small town in the middle of the Midwest!

A fun time was had by all, including Son who neither screamed nor had any trouble understanding what was going on (so it seemed). This good experience was very well-timed, because just this morning we booked a trip to visit my 97-year-old grandmother who lives in a remote part of New England, still in her own home near the coast. For various reasons we've not seen her in a year-and-a-half, and it's high time to go there soon. We're a little nervous about chasing Thomas around a house that's not remotely child-proof, but we'll arrive armed with doorknob protectors and other things to keep him corralled inside. Should be a good trip, and if tonight's outing is any indication of how he'll do on the road, then I have no worries.

Yeah right. No worries from Me? I laugh vigorously in disbelief!

Paradigm Shift

Well, I did it. I now officially have a chair for my dissertation, may she remain at Large Midwestern University forever (Lemming, 2005).

And now I have a bit of a paradigm shift with my schedule. I had planned on finsihing my proposal this summer, collecting data in the fall, and writing the results and conclusions up next spring with the hope of defending the whole thing early in the summer.

Not the case anymore. I've changed my topic several times and got stalled earlier this spring. Life happens. I still have a ton of reading, processing, and just plain ole thinking to do. the fantastic thing about my dissertation chair (wow, it's nice to be able to say that I have one) is that she understands how life happens and is understanding of my need to explore topics, research questions, etc. At the same time, she's also aware that "a good dissertation is a completed dissertation," I think she'll help me to stay on track. Best of all, her area of expertise is right up my alley, and she's supportive of letting me explore my own ideas.

A dissertation proposal tends to consist of the first three chapters: 1) the introduction, 2) the review of the literature, and 3) the methodology. I need to have these three chapters completed before I present them to my dissertation committee. Once I successfully defend the proposal, then I can start to collect data (in my case, start to interview undergraduates about my research topic).

I'll aim to keep to a schedule that looks somewhat like the the table, below (want to hear God laugh? Tell him (or her) your plans!):

Proposal Writing Schedule

Date	Task
Friday, 8/5	A completed write-up of the pilot study I started this spring (thus removing the incomplete grade from my record)
Friday, 8/26	A draft of the lit review chapter (ch. 2), which will be an outgrowth of completing the pilot study
Friday, 9/30	A draft of the methodology chapter (ch. 3)
Friday, 10/21	A draft of the introductory chapter (ch. 1)
Friday, 11/11	Complete edits, and submit Proposal to Committee. Arrange defense date
Friday, 12/9	Defense better be completed by today!

Another morning at the cafe

I am TRYING to get myself into a couple of regular routines. First, get up and write something every day. Second, get up and exercise.

So, here I am at Favorite Cafe in SCT, complete with the free wireless connection, eating organic food and attempting to finish the penultimate paper for class OF MY LIFE (have I mentioned this is the last class of my life?). I guess I'm shooting toward Goal 1 today. This paper was due a while back, but I was sick and still haven't finished it. It's just not a very hard paper, but I'm having trouble getting focused. This leads me to Goal 2 of exercising...

It would be nice to get back into a regular exercise routine again. It's been a long while since I've done this, and frankly it shows. I'm considering starting another blog about health, but that may be sharing a little too much information. We'll see how it goes. Needless to say, after being so damn sick a couple of weeks back, along with having just a general lack of energy and motivation, perhaps if I get my @ss in gear then I'll get a few other things in my life more focused. I'm not looking to be a model or anything (that wouldn't be possible! lol), but fitting into clothing a bit better and being able to focus the brain a little better would be nice.

OK, am probably sharing too much information here, but it's on my mind and I wanted it to get out somewhere...yet another reason why I have this blog, I suppose.

Beat the Rainstorms

Just drove back from a weekend trip to Chicago to visit the family. A big series of rainstorms are on their way in now, so it's good to be safe & sound back here at Chesterley, the house. And now it's time to update Chesterley, the blog.

The occasion for our trip was Nephew No. 2's baby-naming ceremony (in lieu of a briss...ouch!). It was quite nice. He has his own first name, and his middle name is in memory of my father who died about a year-and-a-half ago. It was a nice touch. Lots of relatives from all sides of my sister's family were in town, so it was a pretty big deal. Son did well with the crowd, which is a new thing for him. It was nice to have a party experience that did not end up with us leaving in a big hurry; Son actually seemed attentive to the others who were there. It was nice progress to see.

And now I'm gearing up a for an eight-day run of finishing up THE LAST CLASS OF MY LIFE (have I mentioned this is the last class? ha ha) on Tuesday 6/21. After that will be very nice, and very weird, to only have 20 hours of my week scheduled with work at my assistantship. The rest of my time will be filled with either family commitments or time that I get to schedule myself for dissertation work. Can't wait!

Farewell, Good Friend

I had lunch today with a good friend of mine (let's call him Jake) who is moving away from Small College Town. I am proud of Jake, for he has survived one of the roughest years of his life. Moving away from here will be one of the best things for him. He needs to find a way to start his life over.

In some ways Jake was a personal mentor to me when we first met, as I respect his intellect, his wisdom, and his personality in general. His manner of working with a group of people is remarkable; he is able to note various points of view while facilitating disagreement among others in a civil manner that allows folks to just be themselves and communicate.

The rough spots this past year caused him some personal losses. However, watching the recovery process has been remarkable and makes me respect him even more. It's almost been a rebirth of sorts that is not only truly impressive to watch, but it is also encouraging to me during my own life journey. He was an inspiring force for me during a very low time in my life.

I will miss Jake a great deal, and I must admit it breaks my heart to see him leave. Part of joining the academic world involves getting to know good colleagues and other related friends, only to see them leave toward brighter pastures a few years later. I'm not sure I like this part of academia. On the one hand, I'm so very happy for Jake as he moves on with his life. On the other hand, I already feel a great hole within the small group of people I consider to be my close friends in Small College Town. Student life can be a bit of a lonely wilderness. It's difficult to see people leave this journey earlier than I'd like, but I am excited for the next journey that's about to begin.

Jake, until we meet again: hold your head up high, keep focused on your family, and smoke a couple of stogies once in a while to keep it all in perspective!

Why Do You Blog?

A good friend of mine from College, Elsie, called me last week. We hadn't spoken in a long time, as is the norm for many of my long-standing friendships of late. I'm not proud of that, so I'm always thankful when an old friend calls up and says, "Rob, where the hell have you been?"

Elsie reads this blog regularly, though she herself does not have her own spot of cyber-space. Last night she asked a question that I will attempt to answer here, and then I'm going to pass it onto my other blogging buddies. She asked:

"Rob, why do you blog?"

I started this blog as an exercise in writing, in preparation for my qualifying exams and now for my dissertation itself. I had always wanted to start a personal journal, but I never stuck with it. For me, I need the motivation of knowing others may read this stuff in order to keep adding to it. The act of writing has always helped me to organize my thoughts. I wanted to improve the speed at which I could organize my thoughts and communicate those to others in a manner that (hopefully) doesn't put people to sleep. I think it's worked so far: the papers I've written for my classes have gone along more smoothly, I believe, because writing has become part of my regular routine. I hope this improvement translates into the construction of my dissertation proposal

There is a curious, yet understandable, divide between the reality-world and the cyber-world. Elsie asked me if she should call me to say hello and see how I'm doing, or if she should just read the blog. I encouraged her to call! She is an in-person part of my life, and this blog is really just certain snippets of my life. This discussion does raise another question: why do I choose to place certain items from my personal life in this blog? For me, the events of my life influence the way I write, and even the subjects about which I write. There is an inseparable connection between the two. So, perhaps I blog not only to practice my writing but also to practice thinking out loud and organizing my thoughts.

So (drumroll, please) I have two questions for my fellow blogging buddies. Please help Elsie understand all of this and respond when you have a chance on your own blogs (or here as a comment, if you prefer):

1. Why do you blog?
2. How do you choose the subjects about which you blog?

I'll pass this onto Lemming, John B., Hugh, and Joe. Elsie, check out their sites in the next week or two (I think some are on vacation now).

Thanks for reading (and responding!).

Nephew No. 2

My sister had her second child in the middle of last week. All parties involved are doing well. I love being an uncle; no, it's not as much fun as being a dad, but it's pretty darn cool nonetheless. Nephew No. 1, at age 3, calls me "Unca Rob." I love that!

Next Sunday is the baby-naming ceremony in Chicago. It will involve a slew of relatives from my family and from that of my sister's husband. I think the naming of relatives is funny. For example, the guy married to my sister's husband's sister is the brother-in-law of my brother-in-law. That's how we're starting to introduce ourselves to others: "This is 'Joe,' my brother-in-law's brother-in-law." I told my cousin about the arrival of Nephew No. 2, and her daughter was excited to have a new cousin. Does she realize this is a second cousin? Does she realize I'm her first cousin once-removed? Where do we come up with these names??

Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?

Can you TELL that my friend Ida Wanna is visiting me tonight as I attempt to write a paper??

Ah, much better

Yesterday I STILL wasn't feeling better. I was pretty bummed I wasn't attending the one conference I had been looking forward to for months, and I still felt quasi-drunk for days due to this weird sinus infection. I was beginning to think I had a brain tumor. That's only half-heartedly a joke; I really didn't know what the hell was up with my head. I'm not one to complain about feeling sick, and I hate sitting around waiting to get better. This particular illness has SUCKED, as nothing was draining out of my head (gross, I know, but true).

Our son has had craniosacral therapy (CST) on a regular basis for the past year. I can usually tell that he's worked with her because he seems more 'present'. He's more calm, more focused, and just generally more 'with it' when I come home from work/school. All she's doing is laying her hands on certain parts of his body: his back, his legs, and especially his head. It's interesting to watch, because he REALLY likes this person and is practically showing her where her hands should go. Then he sort of squirms around a bit, and later feels better like he's releasing pent-up energy. I was a little skeptical at first, but he seems no worse for the wear: quite the contrary! We think the pent-up energy is related to his rough birth (I'll spare you the details for now).

Yesterday I was feeling so lousy, Wife recommended I ask if CST Woman could work with me. Last night I went to her home where she sees clients regularly. A one-hour appointment lasted almost 90 minutes. I feel SO MUCH BETTER. This will sound weird, but it's like I re-lived every head trauma I had ever experienced during my 34 years. I felt the pain, and then I felt them leaving my head. All she was doing was holding my head, my legs, my back, etc. in different positions. No pressure was placed on these areas; rather, my body just reacted.

Any skepticism I may have had about CST is now gone. This is the first time in weeks where I've not felt a pressure on my head. Truly amazing.

Nagging Headache

Man do I have a headache! I've had this headache over my left eye for the past 3 weeks or so. Finally went to the doctor on the Memorial Day holiday (PromptCare to the rescue!) after feeling dizzy & nauseous and was diagnosed with a sinus infection lodged way up in my head along with the first migraine of my life (which would explain the Gremlin-like abhoration of 'bright light!').

As a result of all this, I cancelled a trip to Atlanta last night - was supposed to attend a conference I've been looking forward to for months (NASPA Student Affairs Assessment & Retention Conference). SUCKS that I can't be there! Though I suppose I'm saving myself from an exploding sinus cavity somewhere over the Appalachains. I've never been to Atlanta, and I have two cousins who live there, so I was looking forward to everything about this meeting.

*sigh*

A rough party experience

I think party-going with our son has stopped now, at least for a short while. That is, unless we're hosting the party here at Chesterley, which is something we enjoy doing a great deal.

Saturday night we took Son to a gathering of friends from our church at a home we had never visited. This group is pretty much our closest group of friends in town. However, we suspect they do not completely understand life with a child who has special needs.

Son obsesses over certain things like fans...he can't get enough of watching a fan spin, or even a fan at rest if he thinks there's an opportunity for it to start spinning. Air conditioning compressors are of great interest, as dangerous as they can be. We have fenced ours off so our back yard is relatively safe for him.

The home we visited Saturday has an exterior staircase downstairs to their lower level, all done in concrete. Perched on a ledge above the bottom of this staircase is, of course, the air conditioning compressor. Wife & I took one look at the positioning of this beast and envisioned son crawling up on the compressor and then falling down to the lower level. Independently of each other we thought we should just turn around and go home. However, we decided to stick it out a little while, at least into the potluck dinner that was planned for the 25-some-odd people who were there.

True to form, Son wanted to explore parts of their house we have blocked off in our own home: the clothes washer & dryer, the basement storage area, etc. It was near impossible for either wife or I to socialize, let alone eat. Son would scream when he couldn't get his own way. Now, screaming is not abnormal 3 1/2 year-old behavior, we know. However, the things over which he would scream are basically things like, "don't sit in front of the clothes washer" or "no, you can't go into the garage," and "nope, you can't get anywhere near that air conditioning compressor." If he could get involved with the other kids, he probably wouldn't obsess over these inanimate objects. The other kids encouraged Son to play with them (they're great kids), but that's not his thing. His social process is different. He didn't fit in with them. Every time he'd scream, the adults would become silent, wondering what was going on.

In the middle of dinner, we left. It was a little abrupt, I suppose, but we really needed to get out of there. We left before either of us exploded. We left before another scream. We left before either of us had to explain to all of these friends with their beautiful children why ours doesn't fit in with the rest of the world. We left and suddenly felt the walls of our social life closing in like large steel doors. But in some ways we didn't care because our house was safe. At our house, Son could be himself and do as he wants. We don't have to explain anything to anyone. We don't have to worry about him falling down a flight of steps. He says more & more words each day, but only when we're home and he's comfortable in his environment. Why would we take him away from this?

My brain went into overdrive at that point. That night, I seriously considered applying for a full-time job, just to have SOMETHING normal in my life like a full-time salary once again. I even drafted a cover letter and started getting advice from friends on the nature of this particular job. I have since decided against applying for it. I decided to sit this one out a little more, probably because I know this is the last year of my younger life when I will not HAVE TO work for someone else. This is supposed to be the year when I write the dissertation as my top priority. Just one more year of poverty before finishing up this degree and moving onward. I just hope we can handle the lack of structure, and the isolation, for just one more year. I hope son will find some more abilities to develop in order to lead a somewhat normal social life in the near future.

Son is a fantastic kid with a big heart and a very different brain. As I type this, he's humming the Vivaldi "spring" tune (of course repeatedly, but hey: it's VIVALDI!). The day before the party disaster, he started playing "twinkle twinkle little star" (tune written my Mozart, mind you) on this small xylophone we have for him. I wish I could sing to him and have him understand my words. I can't wait for the time when his music can help him excel instead of being the one beacon of light that tells us his brain is actually functioning on a comprehensible level.

If you have to be alone, it may as well be with others

One of the things I was not looking forward to when I started my Ph.D. three years ago (THREE??) was all of the time I knew I'd need to spend by myself. I don't mind being alone if I choose it, but when I MUST be alone in order to accomplish my work, sometimes it drives me crazy, freaks me out, no Ida wanna, help lemme off this ship, etc.

During my master's degree, a friend of mine and I would study together every Saturday morning and afternoon, at a cafe that sold good food, lots of coffee, and constant classical music in the background. We'd essentially be alone TOGETHER, studying different subjects but keeping each other company. We'd CRANK. IT was a good routine to establish.

I've not really established that here in this program, probably because I do spend much of my time studying at home. I enjoy my home office, and I like hearing my wife and child in the background. But sometimes it's easier to escape the notion of mowing the lawn or being distracted by other things I'd rather do by getting out of the house. Some of my beloved work colleagues study in our office. Now, for an office at a state university, it's not too shabby. We each get our own desk, our own computer, and our own phone. Some of us share small offices, but it's OK...better than a cube in a large room, and better than sharing a computer like many GAs do that I know. However, more power to them for the focus they have: it's still a cinder-block residence hall converted into an office. The place drives me nuts on the weekends: so quiet and isolated.

Here I sit in one of my favorite SCT hangouts, ALONE, but near others doing the same thing I'm doing: enjoying a sandwich for lunch, drinking the free refils on coffee, and connected to the free wireless service. Oh yeah, and I am going to crank out some work too, right after I'm done with this post. I LOVE this place, and I'm glad I've realized the way I learn, study, and spend time alone the best.

If I ever finish this degree, and when I get a high-paying job, I swear I'm gonna send a big tip to this little cafe.

Stress level: relatively high (lots of work today)
Mood: surprisingly calm & contented, probably because of the atmosphere around this place

"You Can't Always Get What You Want..."

I heard it again, last night.

It seems I always hear this song when I'm waiting for something to happen. It's uncanny. Sometimes it comes up when I've applied for a job and am waiting to hear the results. Other times it's when I'm almost done with a project that I just want to end; then I hear this song and I wonder if the project I'm working on indeed will ever end!

The serendipity of it used to drive me nuts.

I would then share with my wife... "I heard it again," and she reminds me the phrase ends with, "...but you get what you need." This usually calms me down and allows me to sit back and think for a minute. I then remember that I can control much of what I do in my life, but I can't control how others will react, or other external influences over which I have no control. So it helps me focus on what I can do now, and then I usually stop worrying (finally) about what the hell others may think about it later on.

I've been sitting around waiting for a response from ANYONE with some feedback on these dissertation ideas. I "WANT" feedback...now. Guess I can't always get it. I NEED the time to read, to think, to try to work out some of the ideas on my own. I have the time now, so guess I should start using it well.

One of my professors did get back to me yesterday, so the ball is finally rolling toward making some progress. This is good. Hopefully I'll make better use of my time now and focus on what I can control instead of waiting around for things to happen to me.

Apologies if this sounds self-helpish, but I suppose it is helpful to take a virtual pen in hand and get these thoughts out of my head. Thanks for reading.

Out here on my own

Sometimes I wonder where I've been
Who I am...do I fit in?
Make-believing is hard alone
Out here on my own.
---Fame

This is one of the weirdest experiences I've ever had in academia. Perhaps I'm caught in a series of paradoxes.

I should be happy that I've passed my qualifying exams, and on one level I am. On another level, the experience of it opened up a big, wide, gaping door into my dissertation. Frankly, I needed the critical feedback. However, the experience literally left the door wide open in the middle of a spring thunderstorm. The exam and coursework process essentially came to an end with no fanfare (as I've said before), and the dissertation time opened up with a storm.

And then the faculty left for the summer, thus leaving me here with only a mildly-developed topic and no sounding boards. The thing is, last month two of my potential committee members indicated they would be willing to work with me this summer.

With the summer schedule, technically the faculty are under no obligation to respond to my emails requesting, "a brief meeting to share some ideas and hear your feedback." True to form, they are being completely silent. Phoning them is out of the question because asking a professor to "work for free" during the summer months is a major academic faux pas, and I suppose I don't blame them.

But they said they'd be willing to work with me this summer, so I'm caught in this odd paradox.

If I work on the dissertation proposal on my own with no map or compass from a faculty member for guidance, then I fear that by summer's end I'll be at the wrong airport unable to find a connecting flight to anywhere worthwhile.

Makes me sing the blues on what could have been a fine Saturday night.

The summer is going to fly by

It's kinda spooky how quickly this summer is going to fly by. At my quals defense it was determined that if I want to start collecting data this summer, then I need to have my proposal defended by the beginning of August. Yes, it's only mid-May, I know. However, the prospect of having faculty away for much of the summer coupled with a couple of trips I need to take here and there, and time suddenly is running rather short (as are my ideas for the theoretical background of the dissertation).

And I must admit, while I love this one last class I'm taking right now, it's sort of coming at a bad time. It's too bad I'm saying that: the class is on "assessment of courses, programs, and institutions," and this is an area in which I see myself working. So, I'm torn (as always, it seems): do I focus on the course? On the dissertation?

Both, I suppose.

But it would be nice to have time for a life this summer. Yeah shurrr...

OK everyone: this post has been an example of how my mind works. I'm on overdrive because I'm stressing about the future. Perhaps I should just focus on the chapters I need to read this evening which will help me create an in-class presentation for next week. Yeah, that's it. Deep breath. I need to get a hold of this horse I'm calling The Summer.

Thanks for reading.

Today is my 34th birthday

Thought I'd share a little something I found. Not sure I agree with all of this, but it's fun nonetheless.

Your Birthdate: May 17

Your birth on the 17th day of the month suggests that you are very lucky financially, because this date indicates a solid business sense. Although you are probably very honest and ethical, this birthday enables you to be shrewd and successful in the world of business and commercial enterprise. You have excellent organizational, managerial, and administrative capabilities enabling you to handle large projects and significant amounts of money with relative ease. You are ambitious and highly goal-oriented, although you may be better at starting projects than you are at finishing them. A sensitivity in your nature, often repressed below the surface of awareness, makes it hard to give or receive affection.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Book Meme

This one comes from John B.

1. Total number of books I've owned
I have absolutely no idea. I still have my book from my freshman-year psychology 101 class in 1989 (and I refer to it every once in a while), along with music scores, fun books, etc. In school I only sold back the books I didn't like or need...not very many of them. We have at least one case of books in every room of our house including the kitchen (cook books!), our son's room, and even the random fourth bedroom on our lower-level which is really attic space and random space for BOOKS. Oy, now I'm feeling a need to purge things before our next move. Out-of-state moves are based on WEIGHT. Wait. I digress. Big-time.

2. Last book I bought
Last week was our wedding anniversary (8 years!). We went out for dinner and then browsed a bookstore for over an hour (had a babysitter for Son). I bought two books related to my dissertation (yes, Wife encouraged me to buy a book for fun...and I did...and here's what I chose...yes I'm a geek...and I had to use APA style here...my apologies):

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper Collins. [The author's name is pronounced "Chicks-send-me-high." I'm not kidding]

Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

3. Last book I read
I always have a couple of books in process. I'm reading two books by Trudy W. Banta right now for a class I'm taking on institutional assessment. Love 'em (she's my professor, too). I've also been trying to make it through Devil in White City, but my school books keep taking higher priority. Perhaps I'll finish it after June 21 when I complete the last class OF MY LIFE.

4. Five books that mean a lot to me

• Kipling's Just So Stories, because my dad used to read those to me as a kid.
• William Penne DuBois's The 21 Balloons. Just found this on one of our 50,000 shelves the other day: another kid's book I adored.
• A new book called Student Success in College: Creating Conditions That Matter by Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt & Associates. Let's just say I know this book really well.
  
• Sallinger's Catcher in the Rye
• My much-loved and worn books of Mozart and Beethoven sonatas (OK, that's three additional books...sorry)

5. Tag five people to do this on their blog:
Hmm. My blogroll has many of the same people that John B.'s has. Definitely To sleep perhchance to dream. Not sure who else...I need to comment on some more blogs outside my comfort circle.

Romper Room at Chesterley

Wife called me at my office early yesterday afternoon and said, "Hugh's Missis called, and she's stuck in the middle of the highway with the two kids. I'm going to go help them."

I mentioned a long time ago that Hugh and I knew each other in high school. He and his family used to live here in Small College Town (SCT). Our wives met a couple of years ago when taking our respective children to a Kindermusik class; they were chatting and realized they were both married to people from suburban Chicago who attended the same high school. Badda-bing, badda-boom, a more-recent connection was made between Hugh & Rob, though we STILL haven't seen each other since 1987!

Hugh et al no longer live in SCT, but they are close enough that they come here once in a while. Unfortunately, their family car broke down on the one highway out of town yesterday as they were heading home. They were not really very far out in the country when this happened: they were able to make it to a local winery, one of SCT's many tourist attractions. Wife and Son met Hugh's Missis and the Two Kids (wine was not consumed till later), and they made an afternoon of it here in SCT while the car was being repaired. We're thankful that Missis thought to call on us, even though she and Wife hadn't seen each other in a couple of years, and she and I had never met. The car was repaired at the beginning of rush hour, so Wife invited their family back to Chesterley to detox from a rather stressful afternoon in order to avoid heavy Friday traffic on the one major road out of SCT.

I came home from Assistantship Work Day to a house filled with kids, toys, and a very happy Chester who had fun herding everyone from one room to another. It was great to finally meet The Missis and The Kids. We enjoyed pizza for all and wine for the "grownups" before sending them on their way in a repaired car back to their home. Missis called later on to report that all was well on the return trip.

What a neat experience it was to make this connection through serendipitous relationships! Hooda thunkit 17 years ago that our families' paths would cross in the middle of SCT?