I’m sitting at the dining room table, the remains of an orange next to the computer. I’m also drinking hot tea, cranking the humidifier, and breathing deeply over both devices. On a whim I moved the Wii from the spare bedroom to the living room. The boys are playing Legos Star Wars now. They give the set-up positive reviews because they can sit on the couch, rather than the floor, as they play. I kind of like the scenario as well because I can listen to them play and keep them from railing on each other when Star Wars developments go badly. M is working out, after continuing the grand basement cleaning project, and the sun is shining through all of the windows. The thermometer reads 26 but the weather channel says 10.

I blew off both faculty council and a Franciscan gathering at work this week. I was in one of those “need some space” moods, with a ton of grading/meetings added for good measure, so I either hid in my office or stayed home when I had the chance. M had agreed to watch about half the neighborhood yesterday, messing up an online conference (have to love that elluminate software), and N pinched the dog, but other than that, the afternoon was ok. I don’t think I’ll ever be the dean because I can’t handle social events of that nature. Oh well. You have to learn your desires and limitations, and I’m not tied to ambition the way I once was.

On a lark I checked last year’s journal from this week. Here’s one paragraph:

Friday night, about 9:30PM, drunk and exhausted. I was watching the latest Pirates of the Caribbean earlier (mostly on 2X DVD, which allows me to read the subtitles but pick and choose amongst the scenes) until I felt buzzed enough to get on the computer and write. I have to save my December entries, by the way.

You know, it’s scary how close that entry, from Dec. 8th of 2006, matches last year. I did watch the latest Pirates of the Caribbean last night (I was not impressed, by the way, despite Kiera Knightly’s presence), and I did get slightly drunk. Add “Jane Eyre” and a bath and the evenings weren’t that different. One good change? I followed the above paragraph with a long entry on how exhausted I felt. I’m not feeling that way now.

Actually, M and T watched most of the movie with me as well. T is old enough for the film, I think, and he likes watching with his parents on the couch.

This afternoon I think I’m taking T and one of his friends to a birthday party at a pet store in the city. Maybe I’ll hit half-priced books later, although we’re pretty broke, so I doubt I’ll buy much. Tonight I have both “Overnight” and “History Boys” from Netflix. I should work out as well. Maybe I’ll watch some Samantha Brown.