I may be caught up in the glamour of it all, but I've loved this page for so long, and I feel fortunate to be a part of it. I'm yet another English proffie, someone who reads and writes (and GRADES reading and writing) for a living. I still love it, but have all the same complaints as many who have strutted their way across the RYS/CM stage over the years.
Fun facts:
Fun facts:
- One of my degrees comes from the university with the best football team in the country.
- My first book came out two years ago. It sold almost zero copies but got me a promotion. Nobody except my colleagues ask about when my next one is coming out. Truthfully, I teach too many freshmen to be able to have time to write another.
- I am married to a great guy who is also a college administrator - sorry - and I give him shit in person at least once a week about something I think THEY are not doing. We kiss and make up and we've been together 15 years.
- I have spectacular kids, spectacular to me, I know they're just average middle schoolers...I'm not crazy. One wants desperately to be a college professor (my sainted daughter), and one wants to drive motorcycles for a living (my exasperating son).
- NO CATS. I'M NOT AN ACADEMIC WITH A CAT.
- I teach at a place where my department is hostile but the division is friendly. I hang downstairs with some great people in Philosophy, History, and Foreign Languages. I know this is cliche, but I have actual colleagues who are vindictive and nasty, and I assume plotting against me.
- I do not have tenure, but if all goes well...
- I live in the way, way west.
- I'm 40 something. 40 something is the new never-get-to-retire-something.
- I love love love this community.
- I have been on RYS and CM over the years, more often under a few different names in the wild and wooly RYS days, and I've chosen not to reveal my CM name since I didn't want any overlap in my online existence.
- I chose my name after reviewing past moderator handles; I always liked the old ones, Compound Cal, of course, Cash, Chronos, Cricket, etc.
- I'm moving the site's real world location. Oilmont MT has been a bust. It's stinky and cold and if I have to run a blog and can set it down anywhere, well, it's going to be some place warm. I'll reveal it by year end. (You can all ship your shit there in time for Spring.)
Thanks to all for the nice notes of welcome. Let me welcome you, too, to the new world, the new misery. I hope that we can keep it going. I am NOT going to be active on the page - all evidence to the contrary. I just want to make sure the place works and that people who want to have a voice get one.
Finally, here's a look at this page from 10 years ago this week!
You forgot: I look like Edie Falco!
ReplyDeleteWelcome, thanks for taking it on!
Glad to have you at the helm - all the best!
ReplyDeleteThanks and welcome, Crystal!
ReplyDeleteWelcome!
ReplyDeleteWelcome, Crystal! Give 'em hell!
ReplyDeleteI'm voting for Ojai, CA in keeping with the naming scheme. It's at least way west, and it's close enough to the central valley for the rednecks and close enough to the beach for the surfers.
ReplyDeleteWhat's not to like?
Hi, Crystal. All the best.
ReplyDeleteAnd nice to see Eating Low Salt's here. Hope everything is going well.
Best of Luck!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteWell whaddaya know. The blog came back -- and in much better shape than the proverbial cat; thanks for the background, Cal.
ReplyDeleteAnd many thanks to Crystal, and to Kimmie for keeping things going during the hiatus. I do think the send-it-in format, and even a slightly slower pace, can work if we are considerate of the RGM, and the fact that (s)he's a volunteer, and has other demands on hir time. As far as I'm concerned, it comes down to this: unless you're willing to do the work (and it's clearly a lot of work), then you don't get to decide exactly how the blog is run. Enjoy what you can/do, and if you don't like something, just let it slide (down the page) and come back in a day or a week. Or start up an alternative and run it just the way you like. Really, anything but haranguing the RGM, which is a proven strategy for (a) not getting what you want and (b) (and more important) burning out moderators.
I'll be taking my usual internet holiday in the coming week or two, but, assuming we make it that long, look forward to seeing everybody back here in the new year.
Welcome, Crystal! I see you say that you have no cats -- should you find yourself in need of any I might have a friend who could help you out :-)
ReplyDeleteAlways happy to help . . .
Thanks you so much Crystal and Kimmie! Last week I sat down to read Kimmie's incarnation and it was gone gone gone. I really need to write more, perhaps about my triumph of the new chancellor having to say to me not once, not twice, but THREE times that I was right.
ReplyDeleteDamned happy to see you, Crystal. Thanks for stepping up. Cats are still cool, though. My dog is exceedinly cool so he tolerates the cat
ReplyDelete