Just Keep Playing

I'll be honest: it has not been the best week for my family. My dad learned that the tumors have returned to his liver, so we await the doctor's recommendation about which course of action to take for the next series of treatments. Pop was in the hospital for three days after becoming extremely disoriented on some new medication.

But, as Dad likes to say, there is nothing we can do except "Just Keep Playing." Dad still feels good and has enjoyed a chemotherapy-free summer. A friend of his points out the positives of having a medical team that is able to identify abnormalities before they begin to impact his liver function. Pop was discharged from the hospital yesterday and able to spend the night at home again. Despite the doctor's initial concern, he does not have pneumonia.

I've resumed training for my 10 miler. My hamstring injury has not gone away, but the farther I run, the less it seems to bother me, so I've decided to devote some extra time to stretching and just run through it. This morning's 8 miler felt better than my distance runs have in weeks. It's the final weekend before my semester stars, and since I got my pre-class reading assignments finished early, I have given myself a break from all things academic until Monday morning. Tomorrow we head to Oriole Park to celebrate the last day of summer with the boys of summer and $1 hot dogs and sodas. On Thursday I received a large, fragrant bouquet of flowers with a note from the florist apologizing that they were not delivered on the 7th (thanks Dad!). Vickie is living in the same apartment building I did senior year, and she informs me that they started off the year with a successful keg party. The US Open begins on Monday. Things could certainly be much worse.

Treading Water

I'm trying to enjoy a lazy Saturday, the second to last one before the beginning of the new semester, but already my head is swimming. That old familiar feeling is back-- I've jumped into the deep end again. I'm excited for the new semester to start, but also nervous about the pressures it will bring.

I'm taking an AmLit Seminar called "Incommensure Beauty, or Aesthetic Inquiry and Minority Discourse in U.S. American Literary Studies." The title alone is difficult to digest, but I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not quite as excited about my readings class in Renaissance Lit, but it's a requirement, so I need to get it out of the way. Both of these are "regular" 3 credit courses. I'm also taking a 0.5 credit class called "Introduction to the Discipline" in which I'll learn more about the various paths within collegiate literary studies. I'm re-enrolled in my 1 credit Theory Colloquium class, and hoping I can gather the confidence to speak out loud and interact with my classmates during this go-round (no promises, however, as learning to think theoretically is still a work-in-progress for me). I've also been accepted into the 1 credit Publications Workshop, in which I think I'll be the only MA student working with a group of PhD students to refine one of my papers for publication. Deep end, indeed!!

In the midst of all this, I have to transform a paper I wrote last semester about Willa Cather into a PhD application writing sample. In my brain, I know the direction in which I want to take the paper, but finding the time for that will be a challenge. And somehow, I hope to continue my research on Katherine Anne Porter and her collection of books and papers at UMD. I met with the curator of the collection, who was very helpful, and I am excited about the prospects of this research project. Sometimes I wish my little brain was a little less curious, and could focus in on one thing to be really curious about at a time, in which case I might actually have the time to focus on it properly. I do have a knack, however, for figuring out how things ultimately fit together, so none of it ever ends up being a waste of time. I guess this is life in academia... and I'm thankful for the opportunity to devote my time to these various curiosities.

In other news, Billy and I made our debut last night as co-ed slowpitch softball players. Prior to the game, Billy's friend Rich told him I'd been assigned to play catcher. I interpreted this as an insult, so I was pleased to be promoted to 3rd base after Rich saw me throw the ball. Late in the game, I finally got a grounder hit toward me, and I kept my eye on the ball as it passed right through my legs, probably forcing Rich to reconsider his decision. : ) In my defense, I did cover the base, and Rich fielded the ball behind me, so it was an out at 3rd all the same. Billy made several good catches in the outfield and got on base 3 out of 4 at-bats, so all in all, I will deem the debut a success. We could use some practice, but I guess that is to be expected considering I haven't played in 15 years and he hasn't played in about 10. It was a lot of fun, and I am looking forward to getting to know my teammates better-- they seem like a good group... even if they did decide to call the team the "Master Batters."

Top 4 into the semis in Cincinnati- I am looking forward to the Federer/Murray matchup. The "other Andy," as I like to call him, has really grown on me in the past year. Since losing to Federer in last year's US Open final, Murray has beat Fed 4 times in a row, and a 5th win heading into the Open would be pretty epic. I don't even mind that my Andy is out of the mix for the weekend and still feel good about his chances in NYC.

Now it's off to clean up the house... if I don't get this place spotless before the semester begins, I'll be annoyed with the mess for months!

Katherine Anne Porter

This weekend, Billy and I traveled to Dayton, Ohio to attend the wedding of one of his college roommates. Ashley and Todd seemed happy and excited in the midst of all the wedding excitement, and Billy and I were happy to have been able to make it.

It was a lot of driving. It took us about 10 hours to get there on Friday. On Saturday, we spent 3 hours at the GM dealership while they repaired our air conditioning (if we had waited until we drove home, the warranty would have run out). On Sunday, it took us about 8 hours to get back. This definitely took its toll on Billy, who does all the driving and was exhausted after the weekend... but I escaped into the world of Katherine Anne Porter.

I used to teach "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall," which I loved/hated; I love the story, I hated that it was impossible to get 16 year olds to understand what was going on. Last semester, I was assigned "Pale Horse, Pale Rider," and it was one of my favorite things I've read. I told myself at the beginning of the summer that I would read the rest of her collected stories, but it is not really related to the research project I'm trying to turn into my PhD application, so I let her fall by the wayside.

Definite mistake. Her intro to the book tells you that after she showed her mentor her first story ("Maria Concepcion"), he told her "I believe you are a writer." I wondered, how could anyone make this assessment after just one story? And then I read "Maria Concepcion." Porter has an almost unsettling ability to document human emotions, thought processes, and behaviors. In almost every story, I find myself experiencing the sensation that I know exactly what feeling she is describing, and she has described it perfectly.

I'm a very analytical reader. I can't read for "pleasure" without underlining and marking up the book. I don't usually enjoy poetry because I never "feel" what the poems are trying to express. It's not often that I get so absorbed in a story that I am able to enjoy it as a story rather than as a "text," but that is how I feel about KAP. If you're looking for something to read, pick up The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter. If you read Maria Concepcion and are not hooked, I will be surprised.

KAP gave her whole library of books and collection of personal papers to the University of Maryland. (She had previously done this with the University of Texas, and then she took everything back, but she is dead now, so her stuff is safe with us.) Her library is reconstructed on campus, and her papers are available for research. I'm meeting with the curator of the collection tomorrow to talk about research possibilities, and I can't wait!

(In other news for the weekend, I was glad to see Andy Roddick successfully building toward the US Open at the Montreal Masters tournament. I'm hoping for a Roddick/Federer quarterfinal showdown in Cincinnati this week.)

26: A Look Back

Today's final, Roddick vs. del Potro, concluded a great week at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. If Andy had won, it would have been perfect, but he lost 6-8 in the 3rd set tiebreak, making the week almost perfect. Really, there couldn't be a more fitting end to my 26th year.

This year has been not quite perfect. I wish my dad's tumors had not returned. I wish neither Patti nor Chuck had needed surgery. I wish Pop could eat a milkshake or drink a beer. I wish my brother (and so many others) hadn't been faced with difficult decisions as a result of our slumping economy.

But those things aside, age 26 has been an almost perfect one for me. And since I try to focus on the positive, I thought I'd use my pre-birth day to recall the best things about this year.

Billy and I enjoyed year 2 of marriage. Every day I come home to my best friend and the life we're making together. It makes everything else better.

My dad has endured and overcome another obstacle in his battle against cancer, and for the past several months, he has felt healthy. Billy and I got to enjoy a week with him in New York to celebrate.

After interviewing all last summer for graduate assistant positions on campus, I was finally offered the one that was the best fit for me. Not only is it a position in my own department, but I get to work with people I genuinely like.

My return to graduate school has been more challenging and more rewarding than I expected. I knew it would be intellectually stimulating, but I could not have anticipated that my classmates would be so interesting or that my professors would be so invested in helping me succeed. I love my program and am hoping they'll let me stick around a few more years.

In the program, I found another pea to go in my pod. I don't know why I'm fortunate enough to find a kindred spirit every time I start a new adventure, but having Anne-Marie along for the ride has made it even more fun.

The other peas in my pod also had great years. Danielle, Erin, and I enjoyed regular Sunday breakfasts and movie nights in the year leading up to Erin's wedding to Brent. Krista and Jordan had an adorable, healthy, happy baby girl and I get to see pictures of little Clara regularly. Kelsey returned from her stint in the Peace Corps in Ukraine and was accepted into the occupational therapy program at the University of Washington. I believe Vickie is involved in every extracurricular activity available to students at VU, and yet she maintains an interest in nursing and an excellent academic record.

Speaking of Vickie, she, Billy, Nate, and I got to celebrate her 21st in Vegas. An epic siblings weekend I'll never forget.

I got back into shape and ran a half marathon for a good cause. My friends and family members generously donated over $2000 (more than twice my goal!) to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

I've kept up with my running. I've found that it clears my head and helps me stay focused on all the other things I'm juggling. I love the ongoing competition with myself to improve and have continued competing in middle distance races about once a month.

I've enjoyed another year in the company of my in-laws. Baby Cash has added even more laughter and fun to our family get-togethers!

I got to unwind from a very hectic semester with a visit from Mom. It was great to welcome her into our home for the first time since we have been really settled and to spend some time showing her what our lives are like here.

I feel like I've been so fortunate this year that I'm not sure how age 27 can top age 26. There are several things coming up that are worth looking forward to, though: Billy finishing his master's degree, visiting my California relatives over the winter holidays, and graduating from my own master's program.

I know it is because I have such a great support system of family and friends that I am able to accomplish so many of the things that are important to me. Thanks, guys, for helping me find my way.

Mid-Week Update

I think I've got my Nike+ back on track. When I thought it was the sensor, I walked into the Apple store and they gave me a brand new one, free of charge. Unfortunately, it was still not working, so I think something went wrong with my iPod or the receiver that plugs into it. I'm hoping that switching off to Billy's iPod Touch, which has the receiver built in, will take care of my technical difficulties.

On Monday, Danielle joined me for the opening round matches. Among others, we saw Lleyton Hewitt advance against Donald Young.

On Wednesday, Anne-Marie kept me calm while Andy made his first return to match play since the Wimbledon final. He won easily in straight sets. We also saw Mardy Fish lose, Fernando Gonzalez advance, and the beginning of the Tsonga/Isner matchup that Isner eventually won.

After a couple of fun girl's nights, I am looking forward to catching the quarterfinal action with Billy tomorrow! As I type, Soderling, Haas, Del Potro, Karlovic, and Gonzalez have advanced, and Andy is up a set on Sam Querrey. Can't wait to see some more great tennis!

Legg Mason Opening Weekend

Another uninteresting week has passed at work. We said goodbye to Julia, which means that starting Monday, I will officially take over her responsibilities. I'm hoping that between my boss and myself, we will actually remember what all of those responsibilities are.

This morning I ran the Dog Days of Summer 8k, which is organized by our local running club. In June, I ran their Father's Day 10k and was excited to finish with a 9:10 mile pace. I have been working on getting down to 9:00 miles, but it's hard to train for speed in the Maryland heat. Today was a dog day of summer, indeed. It was only in the mid 70s for the race, but it was above 90% humidity. I finished with a pace of 9:44 miles, and overall I was just glad that I finished below a 10 minute pace. The course was really difficult-- lots of trail running with several steep inclines and declines. Billy said that several of the guys at the front of the pack said it was a difficult course, so that made me feel better. The women's division was won by a 10 year old girl who ran 7 minute miles-- that did not make me feel better. Now it's time for me to start training for the Army 10 Miler on October 4 in DC. My Nike+ sensor has been giving me problems, so I'm hoping I can get that fixed soon.

The most exciting news of the week, however, is the beginning of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in DC!! Last summer, Billy bought me tickets to both semifinal matches for my birthday. This year, they more than doubled the prize money and were designated an ATP 500 level tournament, so there are a lot more top players in the field. We wanted to go to the quarterfinal and semifinal matches, but for only a little bit more, we could buy tickets to the whole tournament. Happy Birthday, Liz! Billy is an ideal husband. Before we were married, he had no interest in the sport whatsoever. Now he not only tolerates my obsession but takes an active interest in the tournaments.

The tournament began on Saturday with the qualifying round. We saw some good tennis, and I was excited to see Josselin Ouanna (110) play up close. He beat Marat Safin in the second round of the French this year, and won his match yesterday against some bizarre Russian with a topknot and mismatched socks. When you're only sitting a few feet off the court, you really realize how hard they hit the ball and how fast it travels.

Today there were some more qualifying matches, and we saw the first two matches of the main draw. Both were fairly competitive and fun to watch. The best part of our trip out there today, though, was seeing the top players who were hitting on the practice courts. When we got there, Lleyton Hewitt (40) was hitting with Juan Martin del Potro (6). Hewitt looked good, and said "sorry, mate" every time he hit a bad shot. But even though it feels weird to be calling someone who is only a year older than me "old," he's starting to look old.
Del Potro looks like he has put on a lot of muscle since we saw him in the semis last year. He also looked out of shape when he was bending over this evian bin like he was about to heave. This leaves me doubtful about whether he will be able to defend his title, but we will see.

We also saw Marin Cilic (15) working on his serve. I am a little bitter that he recently knocked the US out of Davis Cup contention, but it was still cool to see him practice.

Ivo Karlovic (25) looks even taller in real life. In this crouch, I think he was still standing higher than me. I didn't get to see him serve, so I'm hoping to catch his match tomorrow.
Fernando Gonzalez (11) was also on the practice courts. If Hewitt looked old, Gonzalez looked ancient. His forehand is pretty unbelievable up close, though.
But the highlight was, of course, Mr. Andy Roddick (5). Shirtless, even. He is in unbelievable shape. As Billy noted, "he has a six pack on his back." I couldn't identify any lingering signs of the hip strain. I managed to avoid shrieking like a 12 year old girl. I also determined that if I was standing on the opposite baseline trying to return his serve, I would be unable to get my racket on it. I would probably try to swing about the time the ball hit the fence. Unbelievable.

Tomorrow Danielle and I will get to see more opening round matches. Wednesday I'll get to see the top seeds with Anne-Marie. Friday and Saturday Billy and I will attend the quarters and semis, at which point I hope Andy will still be in contention. Sunday we'll head over for the final, assuming we're interested in the matchup and can still stand sitting on the bleachers. What an exciting week!!