Mood of the Day

I just got a job offer from a major university not far from here! And even closer to my honey! Close enough that we could even live in the same house after we get married. It's a great position and the next logical step in my career. It's just, great.

The only bad thing about it is packing up the office, packing up the house, trying to find a place to live, figuring out how to get all this done in only 6 weeks, etc., etc....

But for now I'm celebrating!

What I've learned

I've lived here in the Mid-Ohio Valley for about six years now. Here is what I've learned:

• the difference between flash flooding, backwater flooding, and river flooding
• the river height which makes it impossible for me to get home via my favorite bridge
• that "Ohio State University" has a "The" in front of it, but
  
• TOSU is not an acceptable abbreviation for the school. Only OSU is.
  
• OU does not mean Oklahoma University.
• Just being from a decent area doesn't mean you'll turn out to be a decent person. Just pay the money, Rich!!
• Ohio has a moral objection to using salt on the roads.
  
• the joy of driving a stick shift, especially on ice. Seriously. I'll take a stick over an automatic in bad weather any day.
  
• every turn in the road on I-77 between Marietta, OH and Charleston, WV.

All in all, I've learned a lot!

D'oh!!

At my last job, I was in a Powerball pool. As a matter of fact, I stayed in it a while after I left (the pool coordinator emailed me to ask if I wanted to play, and I paid him when I saw him). After a few years, I dropped it. I always wondered what would happen if the pool at my old job hit the Powerball.

My close friend has a similar story. Except that the last place of employment for my friend was here. Said friend is now feeling pretty sick.



I think you call that "irony." Or perhaps you should file it under "things that suck."

Appalachia Class

I'm preparing for a new class that I'll be teaching about Appalachia. It consists of eight 2-hour sessions. I'm not sure where to go on the planning as when I teach about Appalachia I usually have a lot more time that just 16 hours. So I thought I'd ask the elite of Appalachia: namely, my loyal readers:

What would you most like to learn about Appalachia?

or, if you don't like that question,

What is most important for people to learn about Appalachia?

I've got my own ideas, but I'd like to hear yours first.

www.MyRecordJournal.com - Boy, 12, gets response to W. Va. coaching inquiry

www.MyRecordJournal.com - Boy, 12, gets response to W. Va. coaching inquiry

Extreme Makeover, Appalachian Edition

For those of you who watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition, this Sunday's show (8-9 p.m. on Sunday March 9 on ABC) will hold particular interest. The family who gets the new house is not only from my home town, but I knew the father when I was just a little bud. We were never really close, but I remember that he was a good guy with a great sense of humor. I'm pleased that they got this opportunity.

I'm also going to be interested in how they portray West Virginia. This blog post indicates that the crew was pretty negative about the location during the filming. I wonder if any of that carried over into the show itself. But I've seen other reports that suggest the opposite. It will be interesting to see.

Albino Deer Sighting

My brother was able to get these pictures of an albino deer near his house in southern Virginia.

Here she comes!

Note the normal colored deer next to her for contrast.

On this one you can see the pink eyes.

I think I'm insulted

Did this Blogthing just call me an asshole??

You Are a Colon

You are very orderly and fact driven. You aren't concerned much with theories or dreams... only what's true or untrue. You are brilliant and incredibly learned. Anything you know is well researched. You like to make lists and sort through things step by step. You aren't subject to whim or emotions. Your friends see you as a constant source of knowledge and advice. (But they are a little sick of you being right all of the time!) You excel in: Leadership positions You get along best with: The Semi-Colon

What Punctuation Mark Are You?