Staying Afloat

I'm a little surprised at how long it's been since I've blogged here. Sometimes I really don't know where the time goes. I've hit that point in the semester where I'm a little worn out, a little overwhelmed, but managing to stay afloat. I have only two more weeks until spring break and I should be able to stay sane until then. So here are some quick updates on what's going on until I can carve out some time for a more meaningful post:

• Classes are going well. I'm always a little surprised by that. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. And I'm saying this as I'm grading essay exams, which is one of my least favorite chores.

• I have recently been in touch with three important friends from my past who I had lost contact with for a while -- two from my days traveling in Europe and one from high school. It's been great to hear from them again and I really hope to rebuild those friendships. It's also made me very nostalgic for days gone by.

• I have not blogged about my fabulous niece in ages. That's because I have lost some of my cool. She's in a very serious Barbie phase and I just can't compete (on so many levels ;-)). My sister did report that her vocabularly is still amazing. She recently described one of her Barbies as "distinguished." When my sister asked her what that word meant, she said "when you look fine in your clothing." Well, I guess the insidious plastic creatures are not killing brain cells.