I missed my Bloggiversary!

I missed my Bloggiversary!

I even blogged on that day! But anyway, apparently Blogenspiel turned 4 on July 30. Wow.

So, a retrospective --

Year one:
Well -- Finally got the template set up the way I think I might like it...although I can't figure out how to put in a place for comments. Just in case you're wondering, I am another blogging medievalist. I teach at several colleges, including this one, this one, and sometimes here as well. There are lots of blogging medievalists, so why not one more?

Year two:

I somehow stopped blogging from 9 July till 17 September, 2003, so here's the September entry ... Ok, Cranky Professor ... I'm blogging. Well, since last I blogged, I typically missed the deadline to try to write for the
Chronicle of Higher Education"first person" series for money. But that's because I was getting a Full-time Faculty Position!! Woohoo! But seriously folks ... it's a one year visiting position. Maybe two. No more than that, because then I get dangerously close to mandatory tenure-track. So what have I been doing? New faculty stuff.

Gotta say, this may be the best thing to happen -- I get to do all the new faculty stuff, but in a weird, still not really faculty kind of way. So I went to a New Faculty workshop, where we listened to a bunch of really awful people who talked in Edu-jargon (ugh!) and one guy tried to convince us that good teachers and good researchers were in some way mutually exclusive -- and that we Community College professors were in some what morally superior ... The breakaway sessions were pretty good, though, once we got past talk about assessment and outcomes. The crap we don't learn about in grad school ...

CHeck back later for the motivational speaker who drove many of us to question our self-worth and sent us into a lithium-needing downward spiral!

Year Three:

The death of a good friend meant I didn't blog the last couple of weeks in July, but here's my first August post, where I talk about being a good academic/wife.

Year Four:

Doods! Can you believe it? This blog was born three years ago today. It's also my roommate,
Professor Kinsey's birthday. She just started blogging, so there isn't much up there yet. I've never actually celebrated the date before, but Ralph Luker at Cliopatria pointed out a while back that I've been blogging for some time, so I looked it up. Damn.

But those of you who are familiar with the 'spiel will know that Sundays are days I tend to try to play catch-up. I have much grading to do and a quiz to post. I'm feeling very full after a wonderful birthday brunch in a revolving restaurant, and am suffering the aftereffects of yesterday's really exciting allergic reaction to one of the most useful prescription drugs on the market. Not wanting to post a quiz (lots of cutting and pasting, because stupid McGraw-Hill sucks -- no test cartridge for Web CT. Last time I use their friggin' book. Of course, Web CT is no joy for me to work with, either. If your school is trying to avoid paying the costs of Blackboard (which at least works and is really intuitive), I suggest trying Angel out. Or try Web CT. Some people like it, I hear.

Update: D'oh. Yesterday was the day. I was unable to blog, as I spent all day with my adoptive (in the affectionate sense) nieces, two of whom were in summer camp plays -- Three plays in one day. Noon till 8:30. I am a good auntie.

And now I'm almost a month into year five. Sheesh! But think about it -- This blog has chronicled 4+ years of job searches -- all of which resulted in some kind of employment, a divorce, a couple of moves, a death ... and begun many friendships, resurrected many old friendships, and really -- I believe this -- helped to resurrect my academic career and get me to where I am now. Thanks, everybody!