The contest

Every year at CIWIC there is a contest to see who will do it. It’s a secret kind of thing, discussed only by the inner circle of the inner circle. It will happen. It always does. The question is when…….and who. In the meantime, they wait.

Tags: tengrrl’s travelblog

Another busy day

Today, despite Duck’s interruptions, I managed to get some reading done. Okay, so it was just a magazine. I went over to campus and found Cindy. It’s important to get your Cindy hug as soon as possible.

One of the problems with Houghton this year is that they’re getting a SuperWalmart. I don’t really like Walmart, but options aren’t very wide up in these parts. The problem with the forthcoming SuperWalmart is that they are still greatly in construction mode. The parking lot is a mess, and the store is worse. Even the employees can’t figure out where things are. And some departments are spread around in three different places. I never did find some of the stuff I was looking for. I finally decided that there was no price the EconoFoods store would charge for an air freshener that would be so high that I would spend another moment in Wal*Mart.

EconoFoods is a little mixed up too, but it’s boatloads easier than Wal*Mart. I’m still befuddled on some of the items they do or do not stock. Like canned fruit in juice–good luck. It’s all in syrup. Oh well, they have romaine lettuce and fresh fruit. That will have to do.

When I got back, the “Deluxe Suite” was blazing hot. I was totally confused. I had left fans on and windows open. I didn’t have time to investigate though because there was DSL to deal with. See arranging for DSL in advance here apparently just means that someone takes your money and puts it in some (presumably interest-bearing) account of their own. After multiple phone calls and e-mails, I was assured on May 5th that DSL would be hooked up and ready when I arrived on the 29th. I got here to find nothing but a phone. No DSL.

So I shot off another e-mail and late this afternoon got a response that said, “oh, you have to come to EERC B24 and pick up the equipment.” They closed in 20 minutes, and I had no idea where I was going. I ran and rushed, and ultimately, pantingly, managed to get there minutes before they closed. They handed me a DSL modem, told me to sign something, and said, “She still has to turn it on but she’ll do it before she goes.” So much for the “on or before May 29th” that they promised.

When I returned, it was still blazing in the “Deluxe Suite.” The thermometer read 87. I decided to try to put a fan actually in the window—ah, there’s the problem. This morning there was a great deal of annoying loud mowing. I’ve never known it to take so long to mow such a small amount of grass. Well, they closed the windows when they were out there, presumably for access. I must have been in the shower, because I never heard them. The M in MTU may sometimes stand for Monkeys. I finally had to close the windows and blast the window A/C again. And I stripped and took a very cold shower. I think it was that or heat stroke. After things cooled off, I opened the windows again.

I still had to figure out how to make the DSL work. They provide no cables and no instructions. Where are the instructions? Oh, they’re online. Sort of a chicken and egg setup. You can’t get online to get the instructions because you need the instructions to get online. So using my own cables and a modem connection to find the instructions, I finally got things set up. They have a strange system where you can’t use a wireless setup, which is not making me very happy; but I’m online for now and it’s no longer dial-up.

Duck did ask me to post his pictures from yesterday. Well, actually only one of the pictures. There is another that he’s trying to bribe me to lose. I’m stubborn though. That picture will eventually go online, my little Duckie.

I also posted a new ReadWriteThink lesson: Naming in a Digital World: Creating a Safe Persona on the Internet. Still a lot of work that I need to do. I’m behind on e-mail and other things; but I’m tired and going to bed. Breakfast tomorrow morning is at 7:30, and I’m so not a morning person.

Tags: tengrrl’s travelblog | English language arts |
K12 instruction | ReadWriteThink | technological literacy

Note to Self

Earlier in the frustration process, be sure to check whether the media card has been formatted as a Mac disk rather than a Windows disk.

Tags: tengrrl’s travelblog

Back where we started

I think furniture rearrangement is now complete. The sad thing is that I’ve ended up putting everything essentially back where it started. It’s still not an ideal set-up, but I think it’s the best I can do without the crew from Changing Rooms.

Once I got the room rearranged, I finished unpacking the writing supplies, which consist mostly of books and other technologies. I managed to get the pictures off of my cell phone, since I can’t seem to mail them from Houghton. I decided that I might as well switch to the real camera, since I have to hook it up to the computer to download the images whether I use the cell phone or not. Problem is that I have spent the better part of 8 or so hours trying to get the darned pictures off the camera. I hadn’t ever tried to attach the camera to this particular laptop, so I didn’t realize that the cables are all serial. But this machine doesn’t have a serial port. It only has USB. No problem, I figure. I’ll just use the card reader. But the computer will not recognize the little smart card. I have installed and uninstalled and reinstalled and shopped online for other options. The thing is that I have a perfectly fine card reader. I just can’t get it to read. Windows sees the reader, just not the card. I am not amused.

When not being frustrated by technology, I have pretty much just been lying about. The thing about the UP is that the sunlight lasts so much longer in the summer. Between the sun and the fact that I’m really still on the Central timezone, I have no idea what time it is. My body is totally confused, and I’m not helping by being in a semi-depressed napping place. Sometimes there are just too many echoes. Sometimes it’s a sappy commercial. Other times I’ll happen on a news story or something. I think of all the things I didn’t do soon enough—and the things I’ll never be able to do. Sometimes it doesn’t seem worth trying, and technology is not helping my mood today.

I have so much that I need to get done, and I’m not really accomplishing anything. I feel like I need to make this massive list and somehow figure out how to get it all done. I have essentially 20 days to create a 125-page manuscript. 6.5 pages a day–plus the other things that I need to accomplish. Like I apparently need to fight with the MTU telecom people because there is no DSL in this Deluxe Suite, and I paid for it on May 5. It was supposed to be here on my arrival. Cable options are horrid. I never knew how truly depressing basic cable could be. If you have any questions about the area, the cable line-up will help you figure it out. There are four ESPNs and Fox Sports. There’s an MTV channel that today seemed to be offering a tribute to 50 Cent. No Turner Classic Movies. No Penn & Teller tonight because I don’t have Showtime. At least I have Comedy Central, though with my luck it will be all repeats in a special celebration of summer. I think it would cost me $20 to get them to turn on HBO and Showtime. When faced with the fact that I just finished watching Small Soldiers on TNT for the second time, giving up $20 seems a minor sacrifice. My brain cells will be burned out if this keeps up.

I know. You’re thinking something like why doesn’t she just turn the darned tv off. It’s my habit. I write best with the TV on in the background and my diet brown soda within a few inches of the mouse. There’s no way I have enough music loaded up on the iPod to last 20 days, so that’s not really an option. I think 1/3 of the files are audiobooks anyway—and I’m certain that I can’t listen to a book being read while writing. Odd really. My literacy skills let me watch tv while I write, but I don’t think that I can listen to a book while I write. Somehow, that requires more concentration.

I guess I should taken another of my many naps. Who knows what time it is. I’m sure it’s at least an hour later than I think. Maybe tomorrow I’ll finally figure out how to get today’s papparazzi photo of Duck online.

Tags: tengrrl’s travelblog

Setting up

So here I am in Houghton. Sure, I could cross the bridge and be in Hancock. But maybe later. Right now I’m in Houghton and that will have to do. I think I’ve rearranged the furniture in this Deluxe Suite a dozen times, and I still can’t get in a comfortable writing position. Really, it’s a lovely room. I just seem to have extreme writing needs. The big problem is that I need to write a book—plus about a half dozen other things while I’m here. I just can’t imagine that happening at the uncomfy desk. It’s a fine desk and all, just not a desk that I think I can write at.

So I think I need to rearrange again. There seems to be a pack of 3-year-olds outside the door. Um. let me check on this unexpected high-pitched loudness.

Okay, children have gone outside now. At least it was happy children noise. I’m a lot more tolerant of happy children noises than I am of the screaming-loud bang-crying of a child with a boo-boo sound that happened upstairs last night. It went on just 3 seconds sort of my going upstairs to make sure the kids were okay. This morning’s happy, chirpy, bouncy noises suggests that they survived.

I guess it’s time for me to rearrange the furniture again. It seems impossible to find a position I can write in—and even more impossible to find a position that doesn’t block the windows. There’s so little circulation in this apartment in the first place. Blocking the windows too seems lieke a bad thing (especially since that makes opening and closing the windows impossible). The best thing would be if I could just toss several pieces of furniture out. I’m guessing that the residential services people wouldn’t appreciate that. They probably don’t appreciate that I ripped the stupid plastic off the window air conditioner. It was blazing in here and I needed to turn on the fan to try to pull some extra air in here.

I guess I have now crossed over into the land of procrastination. Time to post this and get to rearranging the furniture.

Tags: tengrrl’s travelblog

Definite Challenges

There seem to be definite challenges to traveling with a duck, even one who is a presidential candidate. If you’ve seen Shrek 2, recall the little roadtrip to visit Fiona’s parents. Just replace Donkey with a duck, and you have a good idea what my day has been like. He has a slightly different story, so let me show you.

“No. I do not care that that road was named Duck Lake Road. We are not driving down it.”

“No. You may not pose with that Rhinelander green monster thingie.”

“No. You may not ride with your head out of the sunroof.”

“No. I do not think there are semiotic implications to worry about if we do not rest at a rest stop.”

“No. I do not know what waters meet at Watersmeet.”

“No. I do know who Bruce is, and I do not know who he crossed.”

“No. I do not think McDonald’s is interested in your idea for a Snickers Sandwich.”

“No. Not even if you suggest the snappy name McSnickers.”

“No. We are NOT there yet.”

“No. I do not know why.”

“No. I do not know who thought that picture of a weasel in a white disco suit was a good idea.”

“No. That is not what they meant by the name Wilderness Car Wash.”

“No. I do not think it would be fun to open the windows in the car wash.”

“No. You may not fly the rest of the way.”

And people think it’s FUN?!?!?! to go on these road trips?

Let me end with “pub” names—you can try to figure out which ones are real. And if you figure it out first, I’ll send you* a postcard (*People who are now attending MTU, who are teaching at MTU, who have taught at MTU, or who graduated from MTU are ineligible for this offer). Here is the list. Do not believe anything that Duck says. He claims that he’ll offer tips.

• The Running Bear
• The Chain Skimmer
• Stinky Sam’s
• Uncle Weasel’s Exotic Dance Emporium
• Foxes Den
• Existential Fred’s
• Gay Bar & Grill
• The Alley Yooper
• Nutini’s Supper Club & Cocktail Lounge
• Slim’s
• UP Pub
• The Anatomically Correct Deer
• Soft Nellie’s Club Go-Go

No. He did not drive me to drink. I can drive myself, thank you very much.

Tags: tengrrl’s travelblog

Presidential Upgrade

There are newly-found benefits to traveling with a presidential candidate. Duck managed to talk the front desk into the “Presidential Upgrade.” Yes, you’re seeing that correctly. That’s a Jacuzzi over in the corner, beyond the bed. And yes, if you really must know, those are my clothes on the bed. I’m no fool. I stripped and got in. It takes a lot of water to fill a Jacuzzi tub, but I’m working on not feeling guilty about it. Duck has presidential thinking and such to do, but I don’t. I deserve to be in a Jacuzzi. I’m not sure why he thought we needed this room, but I won’t complain. I’m not sure about Duck’s ethics, but that’s his problem—and he’s claiming a different story.

The drive to this hotel resting place was fairly reasonable. Duck seems to be a much better traveling companion than the various bears and cows. Maybe he’s just so busy planning his campaign that he didn’t have time to interrupt constantly. Besides, I think he was enjoying The Wee Free Men—except for those few moments when he was confused by the massive Hormel Chili can. Still, we may need to spend a little less time with the book. It’s influencing me without my permission. As I got out of the car here at the motel, I felt all achey from the drive. There are many exclamations of unhappiness that would be appropriate in such a situation. What word slipped from my mouth, unbidden, without any thought on my part? Shit? Damn? Hell? Poop? No….Crivens. I’ve only been listening to the book for 5 hours, and I’ve adopted its language?

Time for me to go do something appropriate for a spa-like room. I’m not sure whether I’ll lounge or give myself a pedicure. Tomorrow’s drive is a little longer. I hope Duck’s good behavior holds. Hell. Who am I kidding? I’m not even worried about tomorrow yet. I’m just hoping he doesn’t steal the blankets tonight.

Tags: tengrrl’s travelblog

Getting underway

The time has come. Nearly everything is in the car. The supply of diet brown soda is always the last thing to load. Stanley is watching the office and will take anyone down who dares even to consider messing about with my cubicle. KR will be at the house, tending the needy houseplants and generally doing whatever strikes her fancy. LH will be watching the grounds to ensure that there are no incursions of unfriendly flora or fauna.

Duck, of course, is still out in the car—and he better not be touching the three loaves of bread from Great Harvest (else I foresee some Peking Duck in his future). Terry Pratchett is out there too. So I suspect that there are other creatures hiding in the car as well. It’s okay. I’m taking an iron skillet. Off to the wilds of Wisconsin, on the way to the CIWIC shores of Michigan.

Tags: tengrrl’s travelblog

Duck Waits

Silly duck. He’s afraid that I’m going to leave him in Champaign, so he’s spending the night in the car, in the dark. I tried to convince him to come along inside, but he was having none of it. He said he saw how I was leaving Stanley behind and he was not about to be next—though he’s claiming that he has political intentions for his car-sitting. Oh well. At least it lessens the distractions in the house as I’m trying to pack.