Some pictures of cute things.

Che sleeping on Shadow's back. Abby laughing. Tobias Belfield Metcalf.

Internet Pet Peeves

Two things just happened that really annoyed me. I am filling out an online application for a fellowship and I ended up having to fill out the "personal information" section twice because I put my SSN in with HYPHENS and the form wouldn't accept it. An error message popped up informing me of the invalid entry, but then the stupid form erased all my other information!

• Pet Peeve #1: fields for numbers that usually have punctuation (like phone numbers, SSNs, etc.) should be flexible enough to handle them WITH OR WITHOUT PUNCTUATION!
• Pet Peeve #2: if there is a mistake in the form, do NOT erase the entire form. Cuz that's just dumb.

Then, another annoying thing happened. As I was requesting transcripts online (at the nominal feel of $300,000 each), I put in my credit card info, and only after it was accepted was I informed that there would be an additional $2.50 service charge for ordering over the internet. OK, fine. But then another screen popped up with this stupid consent form that I have to print, sign and send in before they will send my transcript. Where is the convenience in that? It would have been easier for me to just send a signed note to the registrar's office requesting the transcript, and I would have avoided the stupid $2.50 fee.

• Pet Peeve #3: stupid fees and stupid forms.
  

That is all.

KT Zaman, Rock Star

I don't know how it got started, but somehow I created the notion in my son's head that I used to be a kick ass rock star. He believes the tale and thinks it's cool. Over the past few years, the myth has grown as more and more specifics are added to the story. Tonight we watched "School of Rock" and Isaac decided that he wants to learn to play guitar (oh yes!) and he wants me to teach him how to be a rock star. He also wants to learn one of my "songs" and he wanted to know if I have any friends who are famous rock stars.

Have I gone too far? Is this beyond the benign lies of childhood like Santa Clause? Because I don't wanna crush his belief that his mom was an awesome rocker. When he finally realizes that it was all a lie, will he hate me?

I must see this as soon as possible.

Excuses for not posting.

1. Nothing too interesting has happened this week.
2. The leaves are changing colors, it's cooling down, and this is my favorite time of year.
3. I suddenly have so much reading to do that I think my eyeballs might shrivel up and fall out of my head.
4. Masud is visiting for the week and he stole my computer desk.
5. I got a C on my first stats exam and the shame has made me crawl under a rock.
6. I attended the Conference on South Asia and spent three days listening to presentations with titles like, "Disjuncture and Difference in Feminist Transnational Practices: Imagining Women through Law, Documentary Cinema and the State". Brain might explode.
7. Also at said conference, I bought five books: Unraveling the Garment Industry, Juki Girls - Good Girls, Explaining Growth in South Asia, Doing Development Research, and Urban Women in Contemporary India. I'm a book whore. I love them, I spend lots of money on them, and then have no time to read them.
8. I've been cooking. I made some really gross chocolate chip cookies (something went wrong). I think I'll return to frozen prepared foods for this week.


So I hope that I'll be able to return to regular posting soon, but don't hold your breath. Until then, here's a question for you to discuss in the comments: If academic writers presumably were forced to read thousands (and thousands) of pages of boring academic writing during their training, why do they make their own writing so boring? Is it part of the rite of passage of graduate school? If you plan to write a book, wouldn't you want to make it non-boring for your readers? Take this book I'm reading on transnational conflicts. Exciting title, right? But here's an actual sentence: "The intervention of agency at the level of the global system in the form of transnational functionaries from the US state and the IFIs liaised with agency at the local level in the form of ascendant transnational fractions." I had to read it four times just to understand it, and then I wanted to poke out my own eyes.

Hello from Packer Land.

I'm visiting my sister in Packer Land for the weekend. I have not seen a Packer yet, but I'll keep you posted.

Masud is visiting (yeah!) and he and Isaac went to the Wilderness for the weekend. I'm enjoying veggie tacos and content silences with my sister, and tomorrow I'm going to attend a baby shower for SunnyD in South Packer Land. I'm not sure how much I'll get done of my weekly ream of readings, but my soul is refreshed.

I have no business posting.

But I just had to tell you that I got yelled at this morning by the 3rd grader who was a crossing guard by the school. I was on my bike and didn't stop for the stop sign. He yelled, "Please STOP at the STOP SIGN. It's the LAW!!!!"

I am a horrible adult.

Interesting things from the Wilderness.

Fall has crept up on me this year and I wasn't prepared for the fall beauty this weekend in the Wilderness. The leaves are just turning, the soybeans are drying and the sky is so blue and sunny. Augh. I love love love Wisconsin.

Some quotes from the weekend:

"Never trust anyone who says their favorite Jolly Rancher is peach." ~ Page's partner Andrew (who's last name I still can't remember!)

"I'm so STOOKED about my new Transformer!" ~ Isaac, after purchasing the Star Wars Clone Pilot Starfighter Transformer. "Don't you mean STOKED?" I asked. "Nope, I made it into a new word, and I call it STOOKED."

"I'll be the water wings than save you if you start drowning in an open tab, when your judgment's on the brink." ~ The Postal Service, Give Up, Brand New Colony.

Water wings. Awesome.

Also, I learned both what this thing called "bluetooth" is and I also learned how to do it on my phone.

And I got to take a nap in the soft chair by the sunny window with two wonderful dogs in my lap.

This week is a doozy. Prepare for sporadic postings. Here's a reader poll to entertain you:

What is your favorite Jolly Rancher flavor and why? What is your least favorite JR flavor? Have you ever pulled out a filling while eating a JR? (I have. It's awesome.)

I still have the same haircut!

My high school buddy Ray sent me this picture. L-R: Dewey, Leslie, Ray, your's truly, and Amanda.

I think this was from 10th grade. I remember feeling SO PROUD of how high and poofy my bangs were in this picture!

The Amazing Story of Fabulous Mike's Fabulous Shirt.

My friend Mike is really cool, and I don't think he knows it. That's part of what contributes to his coolness. He is in the Development Studies program with me, has been in the Peace Corps, speaks fluent Spanish, and is generally fun to hang out with. He's very droll.

A few weeks ago I noticed that Mike was wearing an unusual shirt. It was a short sleeved button down number that had these little flags all over it. And the collar was super wide. I remember thinking to myself, "Mike's shirt is rad." About a week after that, Mike came to a party at the Union and he was wearing the shirt. I decided to express my approval of the garment. That's when I heard the Amazing Story of Fabulous Mike's Fabulous Shirt.

It turns out that the shirt belonged to Mike's grandfather, who was actually in the secret service. It gets better. Mike's grandpa was a part of a US delegation to the founding meeting of the Alliance for Progress in 1961 in Punta del Este, Uruguay. He was the only Spanish speaking member of the delegation. Guess who he hung out with at the conference?

Way cool shirt, Mike. Way cool.

Crowd Anxiety

Apparently Badger football is a big deal. Two weekends in a row now, I've been nearly crushed by a crowd of people wearing red shirts near Randall Stadium. All I wanted to do was go to the coffee shop and read my articles.

Why can we mobilize people to watch a stupid game and yet we can't get a crowd that big to care about ending poverty?

Priorities. Sheesh.

Too busy...

...to post. Here are some pictures instead.

Bullet Update

• Isaac participated in a Dog Walk this weekend to raise funds for a no-kill animal shelter. Mom took Che and Shad to get haircuts and worked with them for weeks on a "dance routine". The routine consisted of her playing music and holding small pieces of chicken up high enough so that they had to stand on their hind legs and hop around in order to get it. Unfortunately, the pressure of the spotlight was too much. They basically stood stiff on the stage with their tails between their legs while mom and Isaac danced! But Isaac won for raising the most money in his category! So thanks to DomNem, Hob, and Idadele for their generosity!!!
• While Isaac was gallivanting in the wilderness with my mom, I read about 500 pages of theory, successfully resolved a domestic crisis, attended a birthday party for two friends, did laundry and grocery shopping!!
• This week is jam packed. I've got something going on every single night. Isaac has started to realize what it means that summer is over - he has been sad about not being able to watch more than 2 hours of TV a day. I'm mourning the loss of internet time.
• Speaking of internet time, I'm seriously cutting back on my browsing time each day. It's out of control. Although I can never give up reddit.com.
• The Domestic Nemesis has been having problems with stinky things in her apartment. Read part one and part two.
• Cake has a new CD out and their cover of War Pigs is excellent. If I had any money I'd buy it. Maybe Ding Ding will burn a copy for me. Pretty please?
• Isaac and I are going to take Italian class together. His school PTO offers it, and the classes meet before school starts in the morning. The reason we are learning Italian is because Isaac has a friend who just moved here from Italy and she doesn't speak English yet, so he wants to learn Italian so he can talk to her. Awwww.
  
• I'm way to busy to be blogging. That's all for now.
  

"Poverty", shame and feminism.

First read this. (Bitch Ph.D. complains about only having $1475 in left over money per month.)
And then this. (What Bitch Ph.D. thinks she should be ashamed of.)

Then read this. (WoC Ph.D. eloquently points out what she's ashamed of, and has some great insights about academe, poverty and feminism.)

Here's my shame list. Feel free to add yours in the comments.

What I'm ashamed of:

• That I've ever said (and believed) that "I'm so poor!" even though my husband makes a decent salary, we have our basic needs met, and we're able to spend quite liberally on our wants. (And that I've seen real poverty extremely close up and still throw the word around flippantly.)
  
• That I have the luxury to spend years and years pursuing my education and some people struggle to graduate from high school, and I whine about how hard it is.
• That I don't always confront people when they tell racist/sexist jokes.
• That I'm studying "development", which is a discipline that arose from colonialism and is arguably a tool used by world powers to control the resources of "developing" countries.
• That I am considering going into academe rather than applied work because I want to have the security of a contract, health insurance and retirement benefits even though I know that I'll be sacrificing a little (a lot) of my ability to affect real change in the world.
• That despite my relatively privileged upbringing, I pretend to be qualified to advocate for the rights of the oppressed.
• I still hold subconscious beliefs that are racist, sexist, elitist, and although I try to recognize them and change, sometimes they slip out and hurt people that I love.
  

Graduate school has made me brilliant.

I'm such a good planner. I knew that in the weeks to come, I'll be crazy busy and won't be able to remember things like when to return movies to Blockbuster or the library. So I decided that we'll only rent on Fridays, and that way I'll know that if it's Friday, I probably have something due at one of those places. It's working great.

Except for one thing.

Today I got everyone in the car and we drove over to Blockbuster and I realized that I left the movies sitting on the couch at home.

Again I rock.

Notes on the first day of class.

Isaac:

My school was really fun because it was awesome. My teacher's name is Mrs. Schulte, and she is amazing. First I went outside to play, and then I came in and then I learned some more and then I had lunch for ten minutes and then I went outside for a shorter time and then I did gym and then I did computer and then done. I made a new friend who helped me with my puzzle thing, but I don't exactly know her name yet. I also helped some other kids do their puzzles and find their snacks.


Katie:

The gates of heaven opened and a chorus of angels began to sing when my new stats professor went over the sum of squared residuals the least squares theory in class today. I understood every word. I even understood why we take n-1 degrees of freedom! It's because we used the data to calculate the sum of squares, so one of our values is not independent!

I really can't explain to you what a relief it is to have a good teacher.


A secondary note on socks:

Isaac sighed with relief when he put on socks this morning. He needed to wear socks so that we could wear our matching chucks on the first day of school. He actually said, "Ahhh, socks." I, on the other hand, am a sock-hater. My toes feel suffocated and crowded when they have a sock covering them. I love wearing flip flops and wish I could wear them year round! And I can never EVER sleep with socks on. It drives me wild.

Reader poll: In the winter, do you sleep with socks on or off?

Taste of Madison

Masud with a chunk of meat. Eww. Dead food.

Nothing tastes better than a good ice cream cone on a hot day.

It was hot, and there were too many people, but the Taste of Madison was fun anyway. I had a falafel and a custard sundae, and Isaac had two chocolate cones, a piece of pizza and breadsticks. Mom and Masud ate weird meat things. We all shared the best part - the double vanilla cheesecake from Lombardinos. WOW. Best cheesecake ever. EVER.

Then we came home and collapsed from overeating. It was great.

An argument with Pickle Hater.

It all started when I made fun of people who like rap music. Pickle Hater informed me that she likes 50 Cent and Eminem. I didn't believe her, because I thought she was normal. She seems normal.


Here I am, saying that I didn't believe her.


Are you kidding me?


"What's wrong with rap?"


She calls her husband who verifies that she does indeed like 50 Cent and Eminem.


And we try to look mad at each other and pose for a picture to document our fight, but we both laughed at the last moment.

It's ok H - you hate pickles and you enjoy bad music, but we can still be friends.

New Chucks

Friends Rock.

Today I was in a funk because I left the oven on all night after making Isaac's chicken strips, and I think I left the back burner on too. God knows how long that was on. The last time I remember using it was last Friday at supper time. We were gone all weekend. Maybe I should just order takeout every night.

But my buddy G. came to the rescue! We went out for lunch and coffee, and she cheered me right up. She's good at commiserating but not letting me wallow too much in my bad mood. After spending a few hours with her, I'm actually ready to tackle the rest of my week. Better than beer, that girl.

And now, a gratuitous Isaac-in-Nature shot.

Non Sequitur Post

1. I forgot to tell you the awesome news about our trip to Ohio. Masud ended up needing to go to St. Louis for a business trip and his boss agreed to let him come up and work from here. Originally, he planned to stay until Labor Day but then he found out that he needed to make another trip to a plant in WI on Sept. 6, so he gets to stay ANOTHER ADDITIONAL week!! It's almost gonna be like we're a real family again! And it's a good thing, too, since we won't see him again until Thanksgiving.

2. Whoever designed Transformers does not have children. Isaac loves them. I hate them. No matter how many times I follow the instructions to transform them, I can't remember the next time and have to meticulously follow the diagrams to change them from robot to car back to robot. Hours and hours have been wasted, my friends. He has this evil one that goes from scary alien-like robot to boombox, and it makes me sweat every time I have to change it. If you push too hard the stupid appendages fall off.

3. It's time for me to buy a new pair of Chucks.

4. There is some nasty sh*t going down in the Desh. Rezwan has been following the events and reporting where mainstream media has been shut down. The mobile network has been shut down by the government, the submarine internet cables cut, and a curfew ordered in response to student riots against the caretaker government. Just what they needed in addition to the horrible flooding!

5. Here is why I am having trouble letting Isaac sleep in his own bed...bedtime goofiness:






6. Back to school season is upon us. Yesterday Isaac and I went to his new school to register and find his classroom. Not to insult my alma matter (which Isaac was attending last year), but this school is going to be a huge improvement. They have over 60 countries represented by students, they host an international festival where students can wear clothes from their country and give presentations about their heritage, the classrooms are huge even though the teacher/student ratio is low, there is a climbing wall in the gym, and the school is within easy walking distance from our apartment. Isaac is stoked, and so am I!

7. New music: Feist, the Beta Band, and the new Smashing Pumpkins album. It's not bad even though James and D'Arcy are missing.

8. Just finished reading Promethea. Book 5 was super-deep, about the end of the world, which will actually just be enlightenment for all. Read it and be enlightened.

Baby!

Last night I got some great news! Thanks to Rob and Lisa, a new little one will be joining our family sometime next year! She or he will probably have red hair like Rob and gorgeous huge eyes like Lisa. Thanks for choosing our family little baby! We can't wait to meet you!

The flooding continues.

If you can, please donate to help flood affected people. Donation link on the right.

Weekend Report

1. Isaac has slept in his bed by himself three times. The first night, he fell asleep fine but then there was a thunderstorm. He was fine - but I was scared. So I went and grabbed him and brought him back to my bed. I couldn't help it. I slept like crap the other two nights because I'm not used to sleeping alone!

2. Masud is coming to Madison instead of us driving to Ohio. I'm really glad I don't have to drive, and he's flying so he doesn't have to drive either! We're both very grateful to his boss who lets him telecommute once in a while so we can be together.

3. It's been raining a LOT and we've had flash flood warnings here in Madison. I love gloomy, rainy days. They make me super-productive. Yesterday I finally tackled the huge scary beast that was my filing cabinet. Now at least I know where everything is! (I totally found Isaac's immunization records! They were scrunched in my "pets" folder.)

4. I had ice cream for dinner tonight. With hot fudge.

5. So much for productivity. I'm going to snuggle into bed and read a book now. It's 7:38, does that mean it's okay if I fall asleep for the night?

At long last....

...I emailed my paper to my professor! My relief is great but short-lived. Now I am focusing on a few other deadlines and trying to prepare as much as I can for the upcoming semester. Isaac and I both start on September 4th. What happened to summer vacation? I thought that was one of the great parts of being back in school...summers off!

We're heading to Ohio on August 23 for a visit to the patriarch. Masud says his apartment is like an oven, so that should be fun! This will be our last visit until Thanksgiving. That's a long time, people. I'm still waiting for them to build the light rail line between Canton and Madison. Do you think it will happen?

Week of Productivity = No New Posts

I got a LOT done this week. Here are the updates (in no particular order):

1) Bangladesh is having really bad floods this year. Click on the link at the left to make a tax deductible donation to Nari Jibon (you can use your credit card!) and we'll make them into relief packets for flood affected families. We can make a packet for every $1.50 you send. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced already, and the biggest risk right now is water-borne illness. This is only the beginning, so be ready to hear about this more in the coming weeks.

2) I dyed my hair dark brown.

3) I finally went to the doctor who put me on niacin to lower my triglycerides.

4) Masud came to visit again! I love these little surprises!

5) I've revised my paper twice, and went to the writing center yesterday where I got some excellent suggestions for another revision. If you're in school, please see if you have a writing center. It's the greatest thing since Dippin' Dots.

6) Finished reading Harry Potter (finally!)

7) Got a bed for Isaac, managed to tie it to the roof of my Civic and haul it across town without incident. Except for the HUGE black bruise on my shoulder.

8) Got the 60,000 mile maintenance done on my Civic.

9) Spent hours looking for Isaac's immunization records so I can register him for school. I know I saw them when we moved, but have no idea where I put them. They are certainly not in the filing cabinet. In the end I gave up and asked his previous school to mail them.

10) Made a big mess of my apartment. See if you can identify the pictures that I posted...a great idea from Bitch PhD.

Party!

Well, Abby (the baby) was definitely the main attraction. She was on center stage the entire night. Watch out, mom and dad, this one's a party animal!

Now that I've had a housewarming party (or a birthday party, according to Ben), I can settle down and really finish my paper...After I'm done with Harry Potter, of course.

Farewell to and Old Friend

My computer gave up the ghost last Tuesday. After a minor nervous breakdown, I realized that I had backed up everything on my external hard drive. I then proceeded to freak out about having to buy a new computer. Fortunately Hob came to the rescue and helped me find a reasonably priced laptop. Now I'm trying to figure out how to use Vista. Intuitive my foot.

I will miss my old POS laptop. We've been through some major stuff together. I hope she's happy in the great beyond.

Do any geeks read my blog?

I have some geekly questions.

1. I just upgraded Firefox, and an error message popped up having to do with some Java incompatibility, and now my I have a line of incoherent crap at the top of my web pages. Here is a screen shot of Gmail. All of the pages have those ??????BBBBBB at the top.



2. I need more USB ports. Do new laptops come with more USB ports? Granted, I don't have to have all of these things attached at all times, but I like to have my mouse, my printer and my external hard drive connected, so when I have to hook up my iPod and my card reader, I run into trouble.



3. A few weeks ago I had to buy a new computer cord because my old one quit working. It cost 70 bucks. Now, I think the connection where it plugs into my laptop is shot, because if I get all wild and type too fast it jiggles lose and the battery goes dead within seconds, making my computer spontaneously hibernate. This is very annoying, but worse, I feel that it might be really bad for my hardware. Is it bad? Plus, my computer is really hot and sometimes I get electrical shocks when I touch it. Will I die?

4. Should I buy a Mac (sexy) or a Windows machine (cheaper, more {pirate} software available, used to this platform)?

5. How do I put a link in a comment on blogger?

Thanks, geeks. I know you'll come through.

Wisconsin in the Summer = Dumb

It's about 5,000 degrees outside, and my little AC unit just can't handle it. I am sticky and uncomfortable. I am dreaming of the dead of winter. Yes, the green trees are beautiful, but if I must suffer from the heat, I'd rather be someplace where beaches are involved.

This post is really in honor of the Domestic Nemesis, because I did something today that proves my eligibility to join her ranks. I was making a healthy meal for Isaac, his favorite, dal and rice. Now, in my defense, I have used a rice cooker for the past decade. I decided to leave it in the Wilderness because of the lack of cupboard space in my new digs, so now I must actually PAY ATTENTION when I cook rice. DN and Hob can attest to the fact that I am actually able to cook rice, because they ate some of it on Sunday. Today was a different story.

I put the pot on the stove with the rice and water, turned it on, and walked outside to call my sister. My cell phone reception is only really good outside, so I figured I'd go out, have a chat, and then come back in right away. It turned out to be a really good conversation and I got caught up. When I walked back into the apartment, I noticed a haze of smoke and knew that something was amiss.



It doesn't look too bad, does it? But wait. Here is what lurked beneath the scorched rice.



All I can say is, thank the goddess Lokhi (benefactress of housewives everywhere) that my mother in law wasn't here to see how I ruined the bhath. I would've surely been in the doghouse for days.

As it is, my punishment is bad enough. It's gonna take some serious elbow grease to get the charred remains of Isaac's dinner off that pot, not to mention my poor stove.

So here's to you, DomNem. I might need to borrow your "TURN OFF STOVE!!!" sticky note to put on my door for a few weeks.

Note: After burning the hell out of that rice, I put some tater tots in the oven for poor Isaac. Then I came in my room to blog about my escapade. Isaac's tater tots burned. And I officially rock.

Sleep Disorders

To my beloved readers who don't have children, please read this post carefully before you decide to procreate. Think first about how much you love to sleep. Right now, even though you have to get up for things like work or school, you still have the freedom to push the snooze button a few times. You can also lay in bed leisurely reading a book before you drift off to sleep. Those of you with partners can participate in other nocturnal activities at your discretion. Think of that. And now read my story.

Isaac has been a problematic sleeper from day 1. I remember being in the hospital in the traumatic fog of post-delivery, and the nurse brought him in to me for his feeding. I remember thinking, my GOD, he needs to eat NOW? It was 2 a.m. It was a rude awakening, literally.

A week later, I remember regretting my decision to leave the hospital early, because if I had stayed, I would have had that nice nurse to bring Isaac at regular and reasonable intervals, rather than having to wake up to his squeals at what seemed like every 15 minutes.

For the first three months, I never got more than 1.5 hours of sleep at a time. This is the truth, and can be verified by my husband (who slept soundly while I fantasized about sticking a fork in his eye), my mother-in-law (who rescued my son when I fell asleep while holding him in the rocking chair and nearly dropped him), and my mother (who endured many pathetic phone conversations).

It turned out that Isaac was not one of those babies who sleeps through the night. He was still waking up at 4 a.m. when he was 1. He went from taking infant cat naps that lasted 2 hours at the most, to not sleeping all day and sleeping intermittently at night. This was horrible for me. Horrible. I love my son more than anything in the world, but he was a very difficult infant to take care of. I thank my lucky stars that he didn't have that horrible colic thing where babies shriek at the top of their lungs every night. Thank you God for sparing me that at least. But I remember having the thought that I might die from exhaustion, and instead of feeling sad about it, I felt really happy, because then I'd be able to close my eyes.

Now, fast forward 7 years to the present. Here are some points for you to know:

1. We are a co-sleeping family. You can comment all you like about it, because I've heard it all. Yes, Isaac will be getting his own bed in a few weeks, but since Masud doesn't live with us right now it's really not that big of a deal.

2. Isaac and I have a routine at night where we read together for at least 15 minutes. Usually when we're done reading, he lays quietly next to me while I read my own book. He falls asleep in about 20 minutes.

3. Things have gotten messed up since I've gone back to school. I need to be sitting at the computer or somewhere besides the bed to read my school books, because some of them are, well, less than exciting and I tend to fall asleep if I'm in bed.

4. We've discovered that Isaac can't go to sleep unless I'm there with him. And if I lay down with him, either I fall asleep or he can't fall asleep because he knows I'm going to get up again.

5. I'm at my most productive at night. I really need him to go to sleep so I can get stuff done!

6. I've tried rewards, threats, back rubs, reading extra books, putting on music, letting him watch a movie quietly, yelling, taking away tv privileges, warm milk, bribes, and even setting an alarm so I can just get up early instead of staying up late. Nothing is working.

7. The worst part of this is that Isaac inevitably stays up too late and then it is MURDER to get him up in the morning. Consider this - I am suicidal when I have to wake up anyway, but add to that hardship the fact that it takes a jackhammer to get him to wake up, and then he becomes the Antichrist. Seriously. This morning he was a ball of despair because he had been dreaming about an episode of Naruto, a cartoon that he can no longer watch because we don't have cable now that we've moved. He melted into a puddle of tears in the bathroom as he brushed his teeth. He couldn't put his socks on by himself because he was crying too hard. He didn't eat his toast. And all this time, I'm still not awake because I've not had my coffee (and I was up until 1 the night before working on my paper), and the clock is TICKING. I have to walk him up to his summer school and then bike to my office, and I have 15 minutes. He still doesn't have his socks on. Augh. AUGH!

8. I have to fix this before the fall semester begins. I have to fix it! Help me!

9. Parenting is so hard.

I got a bike!

But first...remember when Isaac asked me when time started? It turns out that time may not exist at all (via reddit.)

Yesterday I took the Domestic Nemesis to look at a bike that was listed on craigslist. I love craigslist. Anyway, I bought this humongous "city bike" for a hundred bucks, and this morning I rode it to school on the beautiful Lakeshore Trail. I shaved 10 minutes off the time it takes me to ride the bus the same distance, and got some dreaded exercise. It was really a nice ride though, and I'm looking forward to a long and fulfilling relationship with my bike. I need to name her. How about Delores?

In other news, how does one help their seven year old deal with mean kids on the playground? Yesterday some jerk kid shot a super soaker point blank into Isaac's face. A few hours later, another brat hit him in the leg with a metal pipe. There was a welt. I don't think I'm allowed to reprimand other people's kids, am I? Plus, I was told pretty long after the fact. Why don't people teach their kids how to be nice? Isaac would never do either of those things. The worst he's ever done is call somebody a poopy head. Advice?

Podcast

I mentioned previously how Nari Jibon received a blogging grant from Global Voices Online. If you have a few moments, please listen to the podcast produced by David Sasaki, director of the Global Voices project. Mr. Sasaki has interviewed several prominent Bangladeshi bloggers (including one of my favorites, Rezwan). He offers a beautifully produced piece that will give you a great overview of the situation of women in Bangladesh, and how blogging could potentially become a means of social change. Please take a few moments to listen to the podcast. Nari Jibon is featured toward the end of the piece.

Small Miracles

I'll take 'em.

I have a really huge tangle of keys. I have office keys, car keys, apartment keys, mailbox keys, keys to friends' apartments, and a credit card holder thingy that has a keychain on it, and all of these things are hooked onto a lanyard so that I can carry it around my neck while toting my backpack, purse, and whatever else needs to be carried. And don't forget the Che Guevara keychain, and the "Countdown to Bush's Last Day" keychain that my bro and sis-in-law brought back from DC.

It's strategic. I don't want to lose my keys.

Unfortunately, I've been putting lots of stuff in the card holder thingy, including receipts that I need to submit at my office for reimbursement, various credit/library cards, IDs and most recently, cash.

I had $30 to make it until payday, which is 10 days away. It was a precious wad of $30. And I lost it. It fell out, probably because the card holder thingy is torn and stuffed to overflowing, and whenever I have to find a particular key from the haystack that is my keychain, I tend to wave it around erratically.

Apparently my wad fell out precisely as I was locking my apt. door, because when I came home a FULL 5 HOURS LATER, distraught over the loss of my cash, there it was, lying at the base of my door. Nobody took it. It was safe.

Small miracles, people.

I've switched to a different system of carrying cards...And my wad is now secured with a dorky money clip, sorted in descending order. No telling how long this will last, but hey, it's worth a shot.

"Public Safety for Sale" or "So the rich kids get found first."

Today I was grocery shopping with the Domestic Nemesis when we were stopped at the entrance to a store by a woman proclaiming to be "helping neighborhood kids". I stopped and asked her what her program was about, and she said that she had been contacted by the local sheriff's department to do a demonstration. She made sure to mention the recent disappearance/murder of a local student, as well as many other disturbing accounts from around the nation. She definitely had my attention when she talked about her product - a national ID card for kids which can be updated every six months. Basically, the kit contains a home DNA collection kit (in which to keep your kid's hair), a booklet, and a CD onto which I was to keep an updated file of all of Isaac's information. With the purchase of the kit, I was entitled to an ID card/medical release card that would be updated every six months until Isaac is 18.

Hmmm. Good idea, I thought. Then I asked how the information would help in the event that Isaac was kidnapped - she explained that all I would have to do is hand over the CD to the law enforcement office and they would have Isaac's name and picture up on an Amber Alert within 2 hours. (Otherwise it can take "up to 48 hours".)

All for only $80. But today it's on special for only $30.

When I told the Domestic Nemesis about it, she said, "So now the rich kids get found first, too?" Yowch. I was too caught up in her play on my mama-bear-protecting-my-cub instinct and didn't realize that I had been played. Capitalism 0. Domestic Nemesis 1.

Harry Potter

On this, the eve of the release of the final Harry Potter book, I felt nostalgic about the beginning of my love affair with J. K. Rowling. I remember resisting the popular surge surrounding Harry Potter until Isaac was born. I found myself three months postpartum with a healing abdominal incision living in my hometown. I had nothing to do but read, so I finally gave in. I think I read the next two books within a week and was converted. In July of 2000, the fourth book came out and I bought it immediately.

I've changed so much since I started reading the series - I now have lived overseas, kept that infant alive and he now is seven (!!), I've moved so many times (to Illinios, to Minnesota, to Bangladesh, back to the Wilderness and now to Madison), I got my masters and now am back in school again...it hasn't been long but so much has happened!

I am excited to read the seventh book, but a little sad because the series will be over. It's been fun anticipating the new releases and spending two days straight without sleep so I could read them through. I'll miss that. So thanks, J.K., you've been great. I can't wait to read your next series.

A few things.

1. I love having a garbage disposal in my sink and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to live without one.

2. Summer in Wisconsin in hot and muggy.

3. Rush hour sucks. I forgot that living in the city requires standing in line.

4. I miss my mom and dad (and my dogs).

5. But I LOVE my new apartment.

6. Should I get Netflix or Blockbuster Total Access?

7. Last week, Isaac asked me, "when did time begin?"

8. My new favorite author is Marjane Satrapi. Everyone should read Persepolis 1 and 2. Immediately.

9. I need ideas for what to do on Saturday night. Isaac is going to visit his grandparents, and I've got no plans.

10. I should work on my paper.

Move - Done.

I'm such a moving pro. We loaded up the truck on Saturday morning, and by Sunday night, I was all unpacked and things are in their place in my new apartment. (Big thanks to Domestic Nemesis and Hob Gadling for their help! That Domestic Nemesis is a regular workhorse and Hob helped my dad move a huge couch down a winding staircase. Where would we be without friends?)

I'm planning a big "Katie Moved To Madison" party, so if you're in the area, stop by on August 4th...

Introducing the Nari Jibon Blog!

Many of you know that I work with an organization in Bangladesh called Nari Jibon, where underprivileged women can go to receive training in computers, English, and other valuable work skills. I'm proud to announce that Nari Jibon has received a grant from the Global Voices Online Rising Voices initiative! (Scroll down to see Nari Jibon's grant award announcement.) As a blogger, I am excited to see how the students of Nari Jibon develop their blogging skills.

Please take a moment to visit their blog, called Bangladesh from Our View. If you are literate in Bangla, please visit their Bangla blog as well, called Amader Galpo (Our Stories) (coming soon). Feel free to interact with the bloggers, post comments and suggest ideas for new posts. With your help, and the support of this grant, our students will add their voices to the online world.

Hooray for technology!

Have you tried the Wii yet?

If not, you must do it immediately. Isaac got one from his uncle Mithu and it's the most fun creation ever. I'm addicted and might flunk out of PhD school. Especially recommended game: Raving Rabbits.

I'm gonna play again...

Tag line?

Now that I'm moving into the not-so-small town of Madison, I guess I need a new tag line for my blog. Suggestions?

Titles are back!

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures from my brother's wedding. If you missed them, make sure you scroll down and look. It was a GREAT wedding, really the best one I've ever attended. And I'm not just saying that cuz it was my brother's!!

Anyway, I have one week left of my summer class (which I still LOVE by the way), and then I'm moving. This week is a tad hellish for the following reasons:

1) Masud left for Ohio last night and it was heart-wrenching to listen to Isaac wailing and then crying himself to sleep. And to feel this gaping hole in my chest...

2) It's HOT. I'm dripping with sweat and I'm just sitting here. I might as well be in the Desh.

3) Moving sucks. My belongings are all over the place, packed into random boxes and stacked in my living room. I like a little chaos but not this much.

4) I'm still not done with my paper (which I put aside until my class is done) and it's really bugging me.

5) My computer cord exploded or something and so I'm without my beloved laptop until my cord comes in the mail sometime this week. Right now I'm at the Domestic Nemesis' house using her machine. (thanks Gi.)

6) I'm broke. Too many expenses and not enough paycheck. Sigh.

But I shall persevere through this trial! This time next week I'll be sittin' pretty in my new apartment. Those of you who might wonder - I'm keeping my same cell phone number for the time being, and if you want my mailing address to send me goodies, please email me. I think I might throw myself a housewarming party next month so if you're in the Madison area, stay tuned.

For some reason I can't get blogger to accept my post titles! But I finally have some wedding pics for you. There are none of me because I was oblivious and went to change before we lined up for a family shot. Yeah, I'm a ding dong.

Anyway, enjoy the beautiful pictures! I'll post more once we get our technological glitches figured out. My computer cord exploded or something and I'm using Masud's laptop until he leaves on Sunday. Hopefully my new cord will come in the mail by then!

Stay tuned for news and pics from Isaac and Masud's trip to San Diego.

The Metcalf Men.

Lisa walking with her mom and dad.

Lisa and Rob wrote their own vows. I took this picture somehow, but I had hot tears shooting out of my eyes and my glasses were foggy from tears.

Exchange of rings.

I don't think I've mentioned how ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS Lisa is. She was a radiant bride.



And my brother was lookin' good, too. It's that sexy Metcalf gene.

(A gratuitous kissing picture.)

Riley is ALMOST as awesome as my dogs. He really is a sweet dog, and he tried to participate in the wedding until he noticed something moving in the forest and went off (tie and all) to get it.

Geek Love

I'm in the middle of my super-tough theory class, and I've restrained myself from posting quotes from Tocqueville, Durkheim and Marx thus far, but I just couldn't resist posting this excerpt from the excellent novel "Geek Love" by Katherine Dunn. (I'm reading it in my "spare time" to give my brain a diversion from the great thinkers of modern sociology.)

In this section, Olympia is mourning the realization that her father is a fallible being.

It is, I suppose, the common grief of children at having to protect their parents from reality. It is bitter for the young to see what awful innocence adults grow into, that terrible vulnerability that must be sheltered from the rodent mire of childhood.
Can we blame the child for resenting the fantasy of largeness? Big, soft arms and deep voices in the dark saying, "Tell Papa, tell Mama, and we'll make it right." The child, screaming for refuge, senses how feeble a shelter the twig hut of grown-up awareness is. They claim strength, these parents, and complete sanctuary. The weeping earth itself knows how desperate is the child's need for exactly that sanctuary. How deep and sticky is the darkness of chidlhood, how rigid the blades of infant evil, which is unadulterated, unrestrained by the convenient cushions of age and its civilizing anesthesia.

(Page 105 of the hardcover edition.)

Yeah. You should read this book.

Nothing new.

I'm still waiting for the wedding pics. Rob and Lisa are on a mini-pseudo-honeymoon in Washington DC and I'm hoping that they leave me a CD when the come back to WI to pick up their dog, Riley. Until then, you'll have to be satisfied with these gems.

A wedding done right.

The wedding was amazing. It was completely casual and laid back, and it allowed for the most genuine expression of love to come through. I can't wait to post pictures - Lisa was absolutely gorgeous and the weather was perfect. We all sat under a giant oak tree in the meadow next to our house, and the congregation was asked to share their thoughts for the couple. My dad was the officiant, and he talked about how we were all a part of creating this new marriage, and that whenever we think of Rob and Lisa, we should send them our blessings. Then Lisa said her vows - I don't think there was a dry eye present. Once she finished, it was Rob's turn. He didn't say a lot, but the look on his face spoke a thousand words. I got a great picture of that moment and I'll post it soon.

The weekend was full of celebration, and I'm beat today, but I'm so happy for my brother and my new sister. I'm sending you guys my blessings right now!

Yes, I'm totally procrastinating.

I have about 4 hours of deep reading to do tonight, and it's already 7:08, so that means I can get a maximum of six hours of sleep if I do nothing else but read tonight. So of course, I'm blogging.

I just had to update you on my week. Isaac started summer school in Madison this week. There is a community center with a child care program in the little cul de sac where my new apartment is located. Isaac LOVES his school. I hope the transition to his new elementary school in the fall will go as smoothly.

I'm really exhausted this week with the start of my theory class, my return to work, driving to Madison daily (after getting Isaac up and ready and fed and in the car), and all the reading I have to do at night. But I REALLY LOVE MY CLASS. So that's good.

And my brother's wedding is coming up this weekend. I'm really looking forward to it - Rob and Lisa were here this weekend and they are both so happy, and I'm really happy for them. Plus it's gonna be a fun party.

But I'm tired. Today I went to (gasp!) Walmart to buy a 100% cotton t-shirt for Isaac to tie-dye at school (I made sure it was Made in Bangladesh), and I think I fell asleep while walking. Suddenly I realized that I had walked smack into a rack of clothes and my arm hurt and the rack was falling over. I have a huge bruise on my arm that is going to look great in my strapless dress for the wedding. It'll match the farmer's tan and weirdo tan lines on my feet that look like liver spots. Oh yeah, I'm gonna be a hottie for this wedding!

And yes, I'm tired. I fell asleep walking. And you're sharing the road with me. Hence the move to Madison, where I can ride the bus.

OK time to read.

Jesus was a liberal.

Wow.

We really ought to convert to the metric system. Here is a map that shows in red the countries that are holding on to the non-metric system of measurement (does it have a name?)

I'm craving a girl-baby.

This is Zoya, daughter of Zeenat and Tanveer. Sometimes she smiles and looks out of the corners of her eyes and it's almost overwhelmingly adorable.

Zeenat posted pictures of Isaac and Raffae on her blog, so check it out.

I heart DC

Isaac and I had a great time. Here are some of the highlights:

1) Riding the Metro. Isaac loves putting the ticket through the gate thingy and I love how cheap it is, and I feel cool that I know how to use it.

2) The Smithsonian: We hit the National Museum of Natural History and saw the huge fossil collection, watched an Imax movie about sharks, and bought some DIY geodes from the gift shop.

3) The Fulbright Orientation: I absolutely love being invited to this conference because the people I meet are so incredibly awesome. I still struggle with a little of that impostor syndrome when I'm around these folks. This time I gave a talk on making the most of the Fulbright year through outreach, and I scared the crap out of the folks heading to Bangladesh this year.

4) Meeting of the Bloggers: I finally got to meet my cyber-friends Zeenat and Tanveer. I found Tanveer's blog a while back and started reading Zeenotes a short while later. It turns out that we have a mutual friend, and we've developed a casual blogular relationship since then. The visit was great and I enjoyed some delicious vegetarian food cooked by Zeenat's mom especially for me (thanks Khalamma!) I'm hoping Z. posts some of the pictures she took of Isaac and Raffae on her blog so I can link! (And I was completely mesmerized by their beautiful daughter Zoya. I love girl-children!) (AND there is a child in the world who is as picky as Isaac. Raffae and Isaac ate plain spaghetti for supper.)

5) A little bit o' activism: Isaac and I stopped by Senator Kohl's office for "Coffee with Herb". He hosts these meet and greet sessions every Wednesday morning and agrees to take pictures with his constituents. I wonder why he doesn't bother to come to Wisconsin to meet his constituents very often? I put in a plug for the Fulbright program and then stood by as members from the Campus Antiwar Network at UW-Madison (they happened to be visiting DC as well) asked the Senator some tough questions while video-taping him. In case you missed the link to the whiteboard protest I did a while back, please check it out.

I'm glad to be back in the Wilderness for now, though, and I'm looking forward to my class starting on Monday. (That's a lie, I'm dreading it.) I still need to finish my paper, I must think about moving, my brother's wedding is next weekend, and blah blah blah. I'm gonna take a nap.

Boy, do I have news.

First of all, the most important news: I just finished writing a pretty good draft of my paper! I call it a draft because although it's in "final" form, I have sent it to no less than FOUR reviewers for comments. I'm sure I'll have some work ahead of me when I get their comments back, and I still have to do the references section.

Second, I'm leaving for Washington DC on Tuesday. Isaac and I have been invited to present at the New Fulbright Grantees Orientation again this year. I love this conference, because I get to meet the new crop of grantees going to Bangladesh, and I get a free trip to DC! I'll also get to visit my buddy Kei and maybe even meet fellow bloggers Zeenat and Tanveer. (Will you guys be around this week?) We'll be there all week. I've got several museum visits planned, as well as a visit to our elusive Senator Kohl (whose office I occupied in a recent protest.) Since he rarely visits Wisconsin, I decided it was a good idea to visit him in DC while I'm there.

Third, and hold on to your hats because this is a big one, I'm moving. Yes, I know it's surprising, since it's been almost a year since I last moved, but I have decided that I can no longer handle the drive to Madison. It was a sudden decision. I had insomnia one night and realized that I was killing myself with lack of sleep. Actually, I've had some pretty scary moments on the road where my eyeballs rolled back in my head - although my eyelids were open I was definitely asleep at the wheel. I got out of bed that night and applied for university housing, and was offered a place the following day.

I'm really happy about this decision, but I'm dreading living on my own. I've never really done it, you know. I've always lived with SOMEONE. Now I'm really gonna have to grow up. If the toilet is plugged, I certainly can't ask Isaac to plunge it. If a bad guy breaks in, I'm the one who has to beat him with a baseball bat. (Geez, should I buy a baseball bat?)

Isaac will be attending one of the best schools in Madison, renown for its diversity. We will both join Tae Kwon Do classes, and I'm going to host a Hindi movie night at least once a month. And let's hear it for free internet!! And recycling!! And walking to school instead of spending 15 hours in the car per week!! Yes, it's going to be good. And who wants to live in the same place for more than a year anyways??? Surely not I.

(Except that I have to leave my precious dogs in the Wilderness.)

There is yet another announcement in the works, but I'm not ready to go public with it yet, since it involves approval by some Important People. Stay tuned.

To which class do you belong?

Find out here.

I have the power!

My brother Rob and I used to LOVE He-Man and She-Ra. The new version sucks, but thanks to YouTube, we can enjoy gems like this one.



(Found on TransBuddha.)

And who can resist Lion-O with his weird growing sword?



If that's not enough for you, search for the Family Guy Meets HeMan and Family Guy Thundercats videos on YouTube. Oh, YouTube, how I love thee!!

What do you think?

1) Is it bad that I just ate an entire jar of dill pickles for supper?

2) How much is "200 grams of chickpeas"? (2a. - Why don't we use the metric system in the US?)

3) Do I absolutely HAVE to exercise in order to lose weight?

4) If I leave the end of my paper in a messy lump of fragment sentences, will my professor notice? I mean, it's already 29 pages. Maybe she won't read that far.

5) Why did Bill Watterson stop writing Calvin and Hobbes?

6) Why is it socially acceptable to paint our fingernails blood red, but if I want to paint my fingernails black, it's a big statement? Whatever happened to Vamp nail polish?

7) What makes french fries so damn tasty?

Yesterday Was Not Good.

OK, so there were a few good things - I ate my breakfast and drank my coffee while sitting on one of the Adirondack chairs by the fire pit. I watched part of Sex and the City season 5. I got to visit my sister in GB, and even drove by the Domestic Nemesis's childhood home. That was great.

But, I also spent too much money, ate too many calories, and didn't work a lick on my paper. I got behind on some of my important emails. I didn't give the stinky dogs a bath or do any laundry.

So I made a to-do list for today. Looking at the list gives me a headache.

Feck it, I'm not doing it. I'm taking Isaac to the movies instead.

Procrastination Strikes

I've made some major progress on my paper, and I'm actually enjoying learning about the topic, but the sweet, warm breeze of summer has temporarily paralyzed me. I haven't gotten anything meaningful done for the past three days (on my paper, that is.)

However, I have enjoyed my morning coffee three days in a row, I've slept in, and read SEVERAL books for pleasure.

This weekend, I'm taking Isaac to two movies (Spiderman 3 and Pirates of the Carribean 3). We're also going to see my sister in Green Bay, and I'm hoping to help my parents do some fixing around the house to prepare for the wedding. Looks like I'll have plenty of things to do rather than write my paper.

My June 2 deadline is going to expire tomorrow. New deadline: June 8. Wish me luck.