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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Uff-Da

That's what my Minnesota in-laws would say about my day/week so far: "Uff-da!" (Having them here is such a funny reminder of MN-speak. After being away from the region for almost 4 years now, their accents and sayings have my husband and I crackin grins at one another, "dontcha know.")

Class itself is busy, fo sho, but I also have other responsibilities with my work and those have been busy lately as well. See, just like it's important for college students to have those clubs and organizations on their resume, it's important for college faculty to engage in similar "extra-curricular" activities for professional development. That means committee membership, department posts, research, publishing, etc. Currently, I have 3 extra-curricular activities that I'm involved in:
  • I'm the English department liaison with the library (it's my job to order books on behalf of my department -- awesome job -- and my job to be the department expert on the library).
  • I serve on the campus' library committee (can you tell that I like the library? my mom was a librarian, after all, so much of my childhood was spent there and I have great affection for it).
  • And, I'm currently serving on the department's handbook committee.

That last one? It's the one that has me very busy right now. Every 3 years, the English department chooses the almighty handbook (you bought one when you were a freshman in college -- spiral bound grammar book -- remember it?) that we will use for the next 3 years. Exclusively. So, we have about 12 texts to examine and choose from. And that means we have about 6 publishing reps stopping by to try and push their particular two texts (textbook reps are to college faculty as drug reps are to doctors).

So, this morning instead of getting the extra time I usually enjoy -- surfing blogs -- I had to go to what are, essentially, sales pitches for 2 handbooks. And if there's anything more boring than trying to make a handbook sound interesting? It's two of them.

Anyway, add those meetings (which have been occurring every day this week), to my regular classes, and the fact that I'm staying today to help a colleague with a presentation (she's applying for a research grant and I have been helping her the past two weeks tweak her presentation), and I'm glad that today is a rest day for running.

Tomorrow, I run another 3 miler, Saturday I rest and Sunday is the half, so light running during the week to save up those "mighty" legs. Thus, even though it's only 3 pm, I am really looking forward to getting home this evening, sitting down to a nice dinner (in laws bought us a shiz-load of good food -- tonight, it's gonna be a seafood extravaganza with shrimp and crab legs!), and a beer.

Wait. That gives me a thought! I'm bringing a case of beer to our next committee meeting! Wa-hoo!

21 comments:

Nancy said...

Definitely a language of their own, up nordt dere!

David said...

Sounds like you need to change up the order for tonight's feast. Try alphabetizing the items, so that beer is first. :-)

Don't forget to start hydrating now for the half.

Sarah said...

ok, what does "uff-da" mean?!

Triseverance said...

Brilliant! Do you get the beer refrence?

Sara for example

uff-da I ate to much for dinner tonight dontcha know.

chia said...

I'm sure glad Michigan people don't talk that way :-). Or maybe we do, hrmmmm... eh?

Loads of well wishes this weekend!

Razz said...

dontcha just love all of the glamour that goes along with academia. Oh wait...education isn't glamourous? Why wasn't I told this?

Sonia said...

Hi Jess, I got your link from Laurel's blog.

Good luck at the Miami half this week-end! =)

Viv said...

Busy, busy..
Enjoy the seafood and the beer! I have never heard this northern talk. I am leaning toward "Fargo" is that close or too far north?

Marcy said...

Sooooo wait, did you drop your MN accent? Because I picked up no hint of one when I yakked with you (for 3 seconds :P)

Forget the case, go with the keg!

Are you going insane yet? With all the fam time? :P

Agate Lake Girl said...

"Ya, you betcha." You sound busy!

Tri+Umph said...

My office hours seem like a day at an amusement park, after reading about your week. Yikes!

A friend I worked with this summer who was from Meenahsoduh (as she pronounced it); that accent cracked me up big time!

J~Mom said...

Geesh, you do have a ton going on! I keep thinking about you now that I am taking a college class. I wonder if my professor reads blogs?

TRI Vortex said...

An English department liaison from Minnesota...I didn't think that was possible. I don't think Minnesta-ese is classified as English. ha.

P.O.M. said...

sorry if this is dup - blogger acting crazy.

I'm jealous of your crab legs. Not that you have crab legs, but that you're eating them. They are my fav of all favs.

TonyP said...

Best of luck in the half !

Crissy Rae said...

ya, sure, you betcha! ah, I miss that! Enjoy your seafood dinner, yummy!

teacherwoman said...

Umm... I would just like to make clear that us, from Western North Dakota, do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, speak like that. When I moved to Grand Forks 9 years ago for college, I realized how crazy those Minnesotan's really do talk. YIKES!

So, DO NOT, categorize me with those Norwegians! I am german! :) hehehe

Unknown said...

Hmmm...I think I'll stick with middle school for now. College life sounds busy and I am not a big fan of selecting textbooks let alone handbooks. I have the Longmans Handbook, 3rd Edition.

MN Mom said...

Uff-Da what a week you have going there. Bringing beer to meeting--Ya you betcha!

Anonymous said...

Have u try the online bookstore COCOMARTINI

http://www.cocomartini.com/

I get all my textbooks for this semester from this bookstore. All are brand new and 50%off discount from normal price. See if any help.

hehe ^_^

Mendy said...

I know this a day too late, but that's a lot going on. You are a very busy professor. But, it's good to see how you have such a passion for books, especially in your profession. Very admirable.

I hope you have a fantastic Half this weekend!