Monday, December 19, 2011
Guest Smooches!!
Dear Girl at Work in Stilettos at 8:00 a.m.:
1. If you cannot walk in heels, you should not wear them until you have practiced enough that you can.
2. This is your place of employment, not a bar.
3. It is 8:00 a.m. Who do you think you are going to impress by wearing those shoes? The 80 year old men who are the only ones up and shopping this early?
4. Just watching you shuffle instead of walking makes me want to punch you in the throat just for being an idiot!
Smooches,
JCE
Monday, December 12, 2011
Dear Pushy Salesmen:
Yes, I'm aware that you can regulate the price per therm on my gas bill, but I've not done enough research to see if 1) it's worth it or 2) you're a scam. But your being relentless about my making a decision while you're standing on my front porch is gonna piss me off...
Oh, also, have you met MY DOGS?
Well trained cuteness. |
Why, yes, they are "large canines." And I totally did just say, "They won't bite you unless I tell them to."
Forgive me if I'm impolite...but if you stay on my porch any longer, I'm going to let them investigate you.
*smooches* Jenn
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Dear Mariah Carey:
Keep you infantile skank ass out of my holiday music. I don't give a shit what or who you want for Christmas.
We all know you're getting a glittery butterfly purse.
*smooches* Jenn
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
No One Knows What My Degree Will Mean
Him: So, what are you getting your Ph.D in?
Me: Composition and Rhetoric
Him: *blankstare*
Me: Writing.
Him: OH! You want to be a writer?
Me: No...
Him: You want to be a reporter?
Me: NO. I study how writing and technology work together.
Him: *blankstare*
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Dear Orange Marmalade:
Well, it seems that I love you more and more each day.
How, how?, have I lived so long without you?!?
*smooches* Jenn
Friday, October 7, 2011
Birds
BIRDS. All the birds. |
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
GUEST SMOOCHES!
Dear student in the skin tight white pants,
Labor day was four weeks ago. I can see your underwear, or lack there of because your pants are so tight. The 80s ended two decades ago. You're lucky I can practice restraint.
*smooches* JCE
Monday, October 3, 2011
Dear Birthday Cake and Blue Bell Ice Cream:
Why must you be so delicious and so close to my recliner?!
I hate you. If you had a neck I'd punch it. Where's my spoon?
*smooches* Jenn
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Dear Sons of Anarchy:
- "God wants me to be a fierce mother. That's my path."
- She just wants to have a nice, sit down family dinner.
- She'll hit a bitch IN THE FACE with a SKATEBOARD for sleeping with her man.
- After going to jail for said assault, she will SCREAM at her husband in the precinct for shaming her.
- Clay, her husband, refers to her as "my queen." *side note* I've given Sean permission to do the same.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Dear GeekSquad:
Your first strike was not calling me when the backup that I paid for needed additional approval, meaning that my laptop was held hostage longer than necessary.
Your second strike was getting my computer back from GeekSquad City and not calling me to let me know my computer was ready.
Your third strike is not following protocol and returning my laptop without booting it up, and thus returning it to me without an effing OS.
Seriously, I'm so mad I could punch babies...or GeekSquad employees. Wait, yeah, GeekSquad employees, I think I may have to punch you in the throat so hard you'll talk like a fast food drive thru box from an 80s movie for the rest of your miserable lives.
*smooches* Jenn
PS: Supereffingsuckit!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Dear An American Tail:
Somewhere out there, indeed.
*actualsmooches* Jenn
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Dear Spider Who Lived in My Basement:
I won't hunt you down...but if you're dumb enough to stand in front of me, I'll have Sean give me a flip flop and I'll BEAT YOU UNTIL YOU ARE DEAD.
And I'll leave your nasty carcass out so your stupid effing spider friends will KNOW and FEAR me.
*smooches motherfucker* Jenn
Friday, May 20, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Dear Chili Lime Popcorn Seasoning:
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Dear Co-Ed in the Womens' Bathroom at the Campus Bar:
First, while I recognize that it's spring and May, it's also 40 degrees outside. Midriffs aren't necessary. You know who doesn't wear midriff shirts? Me...because I shouldn't. You know who else shouldn't? You...because it draws drunken frat boys to you. Oh, that's what you want? Alright then, enjoy the joyless sex and lingering "gift" he gives you.
Second, if you're going to wear three pounds of make up and reapply it in the festering bathroom, at least be kind enough to not draw weird Lady Gaga-like cat eyes. It makes you look desperate and draws drunken frat boys. Oh right, nevermind.
Bottom line is this: the last time I was in this bar, you weren't enrolled in a formal educational system because you were too busy focusing on figuring out how to best potty in the big girl potty. I have had just enough Killians to use my considerable wit to make you cry in a corner. Do not make me cut you emotionally while wearing my awesome Wonder Woman T-shirt.
*smooches* Jenn
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Dear Neighbor with the Jack Russells:
Also, if you continue to leave them out at the buttcrack of dawn beyond the normal puppy pee time, I will start letting my GIANT DOGS out at 2am so that they, too, can start the Midnight Bark.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Dear Birther Jackholes:
*smooches* Jenn
Monday, April 25, 2011
Dear Lady in the Express Lane at Little Scotts:
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
And We Will Call Him Floyd!
He, Gertrude, and my Cstheday booklet have taken a position of honor in my office--right above my 2001 Weekly World News article that enumerates why Britney Spears is a space alien. Maybe someday when I have free time, I'll transcribe it for you. It's written by a real UFOlogist.
Really though, Floyd awaits the framed picture of Andrea Lunsford to complete the, well there really isn't another word for it now is there?, shrine.
Dear Instructor/Professor who Put Your Student in a Desk in the Hallway:
*smooches and eyerolls*
Jenn
Monday, April 11, 2011
Dear Person from Administrative Office that Shall Not Be Named:
*smooches*
Jenn
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Reflecting on Dobrin and Dayton-Wood
I can't say how many times I've had this argument with peers. The service/academic essay thread is so ingrained in the minds of some faculty, I fear the only way to force them to reconsider their pre-existing, current traditional view of our field is for their employment to be directly connected to their ability to adapt. I recognize this is a harsh statement, and I know that the staffing and hiring complexities that affect a WPA are challenging. But what harm comes to our discipline when, for example, instructors who perpetuate this thread retain employment to meet an administrative implied demand to offer more sections of FYC? It's messy. I know. Dobrin is really making me think.
I think one of the biggest thing I've learned in my Ph.D. studies is that studying writing and studying composition is not synonymous. So often it seems WPA work centers on FYC. But a writing program is more than FYC. McNely keeps emphasizing the importance of a vertical curricula--and I can see how a larger writing program can produce English graduates who can understand the seeming tension that exists between writing and composition studies. Might these even be concentrations that could exist within a writing program? I'm not sure...it seems our love for naming and differentiating areas of specialty is important. Otherwise, why would I have been corrected by a 3rd Ph.D. student for saying I was a doctoral student in composition in rhetoric? ("It's rhetoric and composition," I was told.) Writing, rhetoric, composition, literature, linguistics, folklore and so on. English is big.
Last year fewer than 20 percent of my online students completed course evaluations. Of course, I was able to address this in the reflection of my annual review and my department is understanding; however, moving up the food chain, I become less the awesome faculty member I know myself to be and more the data that "represents" me.
It was this idea of reconsidering course evaluation design that made me think, "Well, of course, how have I not articulated this before?!" Multiple methods of assessment makes sense; redesigning the evaluations to reflect the outcomes statements is a *must*. It also makes me want to think about reviewing the material from Committee on Best Practices for Online Writing Instruction to see what they have to say about online course evaluation and reconsidering our questions for online courses. Yeah, I have a lot of work ahead of me...
The CCCC 2011 Adventures of Gertrude
I'm hypercompetitive. If you've met me, you know. If you were a part of my life during the 2 year span that I played Settlers of Catan, you really know this.
Side note: we were so into Catan that 1) we created our own rules (numbers were placed face down and settlement placement occurred before numbers flipped, we changed the meanings of cards that sucked, we played Seafarers, Cities, and Settlers all at once--ALWAYS), 2) we had to replace our set, and 3) regular Catan no longer holds meaning for us.I've gone to five previous Cs as an adjunct, and normally when I went, I attended sessions, learned a lot, hung out with others from my school who came along. This year, in my second year of doctoral studies at Ball State, I made the decision to network more. I wasn't too sure how I was going to do it until I saw mention of CstheDay on Twitter. PERFECT. KISMET. GEEENIUS.
Wednesday Night
The CstheDay Twitter feed reminded me that Norton's free booze party was going on as I was unpacking, so I grabbed my girlfriend and ran down. While in line I spoke to Kenny, from Arizona State. He didn't have his name tag, so I don't know his last name, and I never saw him again (not for lack of looking--he was nice). But I was proud of my talking to new people.
I found a few beers and we met Stephen Lind, a 2nd year graduate student at Clemson University who's working on a rhetorical analysis of religious themes in Peanuts. How AWESOME is that?! Stephen introduced himself to us after hearing my girlfriend say, "I don't know anyone in this room." I never saw him again, but I'm so going to stalk his work because it sounds awesome.
Attending a free food and booze party was a quest, so I looked around for my stamp, but the CstheDay people had vanished! I complained about my failure on Twitter and was promptly directed to Pulse. While at Pulse, I was able to meet Wendi, Jill, Mary, and briefly Doug (though I had no idea Doug was Doug). Everyone was kind and I was excited to continue playing...
SparklePony: Achieved!
Gertrude (before she was so dubbed) at Sid Dobrin's The Future of Writing Studies session |
The allure of the SparklePony was taunting me. I had to immediately get one. The clearest and easiest way to achieve the SparklePony was to buy Atlanta swag. I had spent Wednesday evening walking around Hotlanta with friends looking for a souvenir shop: FAIL. I knew there was a gift shop in the hotel, but I didn't have time to get to it before the opening session. I contained my urge to ditch and shop and went to what was probably the best opening session I've heard. Between the Chair's address and Feature Session A, I sneaked down to the gift shop. I finally found a sparkly panda shirt for Ainsley and a Goodnight Atlanta book for Xander.
I ran to get my SparklePony (ok, that's hyperbole, I don't run.). VICTORY!! SparklePony and I then headed over to Sid Dobrin's Feature Speaker session. Awesome.
Gertrude Tries to Meet Cindy EFFING Selfe
After Sid Dobrin, I happened by the Digital Archives of Literacy Narratives booth and who do I see? Cindy Selfe?! So I approach her and introduce myself...she already recognizes Gertrude (most likely via Jill). It is at this point that my phone decides to die (I killed it tweeting Sid Dobrin's session. In my best Shatner, "DOBRIIIIIIN!!!" Actually, I should curse PalmPre for crap batteries, but Dobrin's name Kahns better. Yeah, I just made "KAAAAHHHNNNN!" a verb. What?). This is what makes Cindy Selfe awesome: she says, "It's ok! You can come back!" I'm distraught. She then HUGS ME! I later learned that Cindy hugs--it's her thing. But I don't care. I love her brain, I love her smile, and I love her hugs.
Sidenote: I never saw Cindy again. I am considering bringing Gertrude to future Cs just to get my picture. It may be a lifelong Cs quest.
Gertrude Meets Andrea EFFING Lunsford
Gertrude's finest moment |
I introduced myself, explained CstheDay, and snapped my photo. Andrea (I actually just had a moment of pause here--I had no qualms writing about Cynthia Selfe as Cindy, but I paused as to whether I should refer to Andrea Lunsford as Andrea. Interesting.) was exceptionally gracious. She loved it. She asked what the grand prize was...I actually paused. I wasn't sure. I was mostly playing this game as a way to network and have fun. I totally couldn't remember the prize (more on this later).
Gertrude Goes to Turner Field
Suzy is unclear of Gertrude's intentions |
Getting some love from Karol |
She did, however, enjoy hanging out in the bleachers. I didn't really do too much networking at Bedford. Sure, I had an awesome talk with Beth Keller from MSU, but I knew her from IPFW and FB so it doesn't really count. She was, however, impressed by Gertrude.
I should note it was Suzy Rumsey who named Gertrude. She coveted Gertrude a lot and wished she'd had time to play.
Who is this handsome guy? |
I finally got to meet Scott, Jan, and Cynthia at the Fountainhead Party. I also became a full professor there too! I was given a seat at the table and really started to feel awesome about playing the game. I got to talk to Scott about his work in Athens; Jan, Cynthia, and Jill about WoW; and Mary about her studies. I met Guiseppe Getto from MSU and talked about the social dynamics of being on a Cs panel.
Gertrude didn't really pay attention to my exciting conversations. She became obsessed with the white SparklePony she met by the lemon/lime centerpiece.
Gertrude at the Jam
Karol, Sara, and Tim with Sara's Pony |
The bigger part, I think, is that I didn't need Gertrude anymore. Gertrude, and the game, was my gateway into conversation. She was awesome, and I appreciate her work. I'm going to print and frame the picture of Gertrude and Andrea Lunsford and display it in my office. (I'm not giving her to my 2 year old daughter, Ainsley. As a matter of fact, I had to put her in a bag in my car because if Ainsley even sees Gertrude, I'll lose her forever.) Maybe I actually will bring Gertrude along to future Cs and get her picture with luminaries. It could be a fun thing in my office--right next to the Catwoman pictures and the Wonder Woman Barbie.
Grand Prize Winners
So, all of my competitive efforts paid off: I was one of the grand prize winners of Cstheday. I wasn't the winner. As Max Smart would say, I missed it by that much. But I take solace in the fact that Tim, who earned a few extra points than I did, got started playing because I reminded him about the game and earned many of his stamps with me. We teamed up!
My prize was two-fold. I will co-author an article with one (or more?) of the game co-founders that will appear in either Kairos, CCCs Online, or Enculturation. I didn't really realize it until 3/4 of the way through the game what an awesome grand prize it is! This is a profoundly awesome grand prize; I've presented a ton, but I have no publications...yet. So, thanks guys, I really enjoyed playing and will equally enjoy writing about it.
My second prize was the SuperSparklePony. I've started tracking his progress too (he's not been named yet because Suzy hasn't seen him); he's hanging out in my car with Gertrude waiting to go to the office. I'm pretty certain if Ainsley saw him, she'd punch me in the knees to have him.