(no subject)

i laid in bed this morning quietly, waiting for Max to come in and turn the light on for me. i was a bit worried about him last yesterday. He stopped and pooched and frazzled an old cushion to death on his run. If i wait for him, he knows it and takes his own sweet time, so i just take my foot off the gas and coast along. He acts like he has no abandonment issues, but every 10 seconds or so you just know he's checking out of the corner of his eye to see if i am out of sight yet. We were on a flat area, so i got pretty far away from him before he decided it was time to catch up. He came running hell bent for leather ears back to be more aerodynamic, tail acting as a rudder to keep him on a straight course, feet throwing up a whirlwind of sand. i stopped and let him drink, but we didn't make the whole run. It was too much for him i think. He kept dropping his running stick, and using that as an excuse to take a break. We got in about 2/3 of the usual run. Then last night, i got out of bed shortly after i got in. He was sleeping on the floor at the foot of the bed. i walked right passed him and he didn't even twitch a whisker. This morning i was hoping he woke up. He did, right on schedule.

i went for a swim this morning. i don't know why it takes me so long after i have made the decision to finally just do it. i love how i feel after the swim. So well-oiled, no achy joints or squeeky places. Early in the morning, the air is just on the verge of hot, and even right on the gulf road as we are, the air is peaceful and so quiet you can hear the birds. i love it. i don't think i did 1600 meters, maybe only half that, but this is the first swim in over 8 months so i'm not so upset. i figure starting out it will take me 45 minutes to get 1600 meters, i'm not a speed swimmer by any means, i'm more of an endurance type. My best times were when i was swimming regularly in Taichung. i could do 2000 meters in about 35 minutes. i'm afraid those days are gone forever, i'm about 2000 years older now than i was in '98. if i can do 1600 in 35 by the end of the summer i'll be happy. i don't know if i will swim tomorrow or wait until Thursday. i will let my energy level decide for me. i want to need to swim to make my day. i don't want to have to swim. So maybe if i start out every other day, heck i don't know, i'll see what tomorrow brings.

(no subject)

The faculty dinner is tonight. i'm not going. i don't do well in large groups. Apparently i have no social skills or grace. None of the teachers in the unit asked me if i wanted to go with them. It's not a big deal a thirty minute speech by the dean, another one by each of the vice deans. Then dinner about 9:30. It starts at 8:00, which means i'd have to leave home at 7:00 and probably would not be back home until after 11. i'm not afraid to be out late at night by myself, i just prefer not. This is not a country for women to be out alone in. And there is no one there i would care to sit with. Well there is, but i'm sure i wouldn't be seated at the 'higher ups' table. i'm not feeling sorry for myself, i don't think.

i had the strangest interview today. i have no idea what to do about it. The woman taught here from '89 to '97. Not in our faculty but at the university. She's American, married to a Kuwaiti. They haven't lived together since '97 as far as i can tell. She doesn't have a computer, so making the arrangement for the interview was done by fax. The first fax i sent asked for convenient times and dates for the interview. She said Monday or Tuesdays about 1:30 Kuwait time. i sent another fax back saying how about Tuesday, June 3 at 1:30. She sent a fax back that said she was looking forward to it. i called her today at 1:31 Kuwait time. She had just gotten up. It was 5:30 there. First she misjudged the time difference. She told me that would be 6:30 there. i have the fax. Then she said she thought the call was coming at 1:30 THERE. Duh!

i asked all the usual interview questions. Most interviews take 45-60 minutes. i was done with her and out of the building by 1:50. That's 20 minutes. Now i'm in a quandary. i wonder if she really wants to be here or if her husband is making it difficult for her being in the states. i wonder if the medical leave she had back in 96 was really for 'female' problems. She has good credentials, and good references. And all the information required to start the hire, but man, i'm leery about it. This is one to truly discuss with the VDAA..

The good news of the day is, that Ms. ACPG is leaving the country. She has not only handed in her resignation, which i accepted and begged the Dean to accept, didn't take much, But she is also leaving the country. i will never have to see her horse teeth again after July. Never say never. I will Probably never, that's better.

The odd news of the day is, i don't know how the teachers can be so off in their judgment. i was doing some statistical analysis of grades, very deep technical stuff. Actually i don't know what the heck i'm doing but whatever it is i've found out, it is interesting. Now i have to find the reason why. Are the teachers so wrong about the students? Did they dumb down the second course this semester? Did the first course really prepare the students that well for the second course? How will they do with the third course? My my my now to figure out how to get the answers. That should either keep me awake for days or put me to sleep in seconds.

If you look real close, you can see Dhub, the lizard.