Starting today, I'm an unemployed academic. By this I mean, I'm a university instructor, an adjunct, and so my employment is contract-based and per-term. The spring term is up and there's no work for me this summer, though I'll likely get to go back to work full-time in the fall (God willing). In the meantime, my husband, Ted, and I are broke. I briefly considered trying to get some sort of hoagie-making-type employment, but two things stand in the way of that: 1) my spine has been subject to a couple of surgeries, one of which led to neuropathy in my left leg, and being on my feet all day in a service industry job doesn't make those body parts happy: last time I had a full-time, on-my-feet service job the bodily results were literally disastrous; and 2) my dignity is fragile, and the idea of being 30 years old with a master's degree from a prestigious university and making hoagies left me emotionally bereft. So with Ted's blessing, I'm just going to be unemployed and broke. Don't weep for him -- he gets a clean house and home-cooked meals and errands ran and all those other little-woman-at-home benefits.
 |
| This is what I had for lunch today. I was at Tamarind with Friend Mark. How fucking good is Indian food? Seriously. |
But you see, I've gotta fill my time, and I've gotta do it mostly for free. So I've decided on some projects, one of which is blogging, likely mostly about the other projects. In an earlier life, I was a writer. That master's degree is an MFA from the University of Michigan creative writing program. I have a whole thesis of short fiction sitting in a drawer in my bedroom, unloved by any but myself. I couldn't figure out how to be a professional writer. Hell, I couldn't figure out how to be an amateur writer -- I never much got past hobbyist. I don't know how anyone who isn't already independently wealthy breaks into professional writing, though I have a strong suspicion that whoever isn't and still manages has more sticktoitiveness than I, and maybe writes things that aren't befuddlingly about sado-masochism or visions of the Virgin Mary. ANYHOODLE.
The point is, I like to write, and while I'm not sure I've got anything too creative in me, I've certainly got the capacity to ramble about my cats. And et cetera. So here's a blog that I hope to update daily or at least semi-daily. I promise to try to take pictures.
Blogging is not my only planned project. For one thing, I've got a reading list. Currently I'm half-way through Crime and Punishment, and from there it's on to a couple of recommendations from friends. If you have any recommendations, particularly of any good history books, please don't hesitate to suggest them.
 |
| The Reading List so far: A River Runs Through It, Atonement, Eating Animals, Fathers and Sons, The Whisperers (Soviet history). And Crime and Punishment. |
I also plan to attempt to teach myself to read Russian. I took some Russian language classes as an undergraduate, and while I did alright with the reading the writing, I was so abysmal at the speaking and listening comprehension that I never progressed much past basic Russian. It occurred to me recently that I don't need to speak Russian, and also don't frankly give a shit if I can; but I'd be better at my job if I could read Russian (I work in a Slavic department, and while everything I teach is in translation for non-speaking undergrads, being able to read Russian commentary on the works would be helpful), so I've gotten some books and I'm going to take a crack at that.
 |
| What do you think my odds are? Really. I think they're actually "Slim". |
I also plan to brush up on my Catholicism - I'm a convert, I have a reputation as being more knowledgable than born Catholics to maintain - and fuck around with an electric keyboard Sarah generously donated to me. I'm not musical, but I know that deep down, Ted wants to start a garage band, so don't let anyone tell you I'm not a good wife. Today I also bought a few drawing pencils, and there will also be cooking. Trust me, there will be cooking. Food is my vocation, and I'll have time to cook a lot of it. Plus the farmers' markets are opening soon! Oooooooo!
 |
| I'm skeptical about the little Silly Putty-type eraser, but we'll see. |
Point is, here's the blog; there will be struggles with foreign languages and probably abortive attempts to bake bread and there will definitely be pictures of cats, because I'll be at home with a lot of cats. I'll probably also occasionally rant about feminism or politics or being fat and proud, or something. Good times! So consider this a kick-off blog, and now I'm going to go read some Dostoevsky. Enjoy your day.
 |
| Here is one of the cats! His name is Floyd. He only has one eye, so he is a Pirate Cat, which is awesome. |
No comments:
Post a Comment