Back in Hawai'i

I'm in Hawai'i, and it is hot! I flew out of Seattle and stopped in Kahului, Maui, before making it to Honolulu. I'll post more pictures later, but here are two of the family dogs.

Nori

This one is a hyper-spaz dog. Like Kody, she is very sweet...just not very bright. She's still a fantastic companion for Kody. Here she is waking up from a nap.

Kody

She's a great dog. Unfortunately she has diabetes and a whole bunch of other problems. She continues to maintain her sweet dispostion.

The Beginning of the End...

Well, I've emailed chapters 6 & 7 to a friend for a read-through and editing. I owe this friend a lot! Now that I have (temporarily) finished chapters 6 & 7, I am going to start in on the conclusion: chapter 8. I can't believe that actually at this point. No time to ponder, must get started.

On a lighter (and more interesting) note, Callie and Phil have emailed from Hiroshima. They are doing really well. Check out their blog at: http://philandcallieolson.blogspot.com.

Ouch, this hurts!

Well, it's 6:40 am and I'm still at work. The good news is that I have completed typing the text for chapter 7! I'm so tired I could cry, yet deep down I'm smiling because I know the end is in sight. Once I revise chapters 6 & 7, I can begin the conclusion. My plan is to have chapter 8 completed by August 11th. I know that may seem like a strange date, especially since it's a Thursday, but it's the day I return from Hawai'i. Once that is out of the way, I can work on the introduction, then I'm home free. Sort of. There's still the defense and the revisions I know I'll have to make, but still.

The Long Haul

It was an unbelievably long night last night. I got into work at about 4:00 pm and got caught up on email, etc. Next I re-read a book and some articles before I started in on another book, Voices of Eden by Schutz, which I fnished at about 2:00 am. I took a break and then started typing. I could tell I was getting tired because I only pumped out 2.5 pages. At 5:30 am I called it quits. I couldn't take anymore. So, here I am today, getting ready to go at it again. I'm hoping today will be more productive now that I've had more sleep.

Leavin' On A JET Plane

Two of my students, Christina P. and Callie O., have been selected to teach with the JET program in Japan. Today, they attended a party hosted by the Consul General of Japan. Tomorrow they will board a plane bound for their new (temporary) home. Christina will be headed to Saitama-ken, and Callie will go to Hiroshima. I'm so proud of you women for doing this! Make new friends, create new experiences, and dream bigger dreams!

The Consul General

This is a picture of Callie and Christina with Consul General Tanaka. The women had a chance to speak with the Consul General before heading off.

The Girls with Mrs. T

This is a shot of Christina and Callie with Mrs. Tanaka, wife of the Consul General. Like the Consul General, Mrs. Tanaka speaks English fluently.

Christina and Callie

Here is a shot of Christina and Callie in the garden of the Consul General's residence.

A Third Wind

I talked to my good friend Holly tonight. Thank God I did. She re-inspired me to get back to work. Funny how fast I fell off the wagon, huh? Anyway, I finished writing the text for Ch. 6, so I must now revise. I'm hoping to have this chapter sent off soon. This is a good thing since I realized I will need to do more research for Ch. 7. I'm pulling books and articles out of a box to see what I can use. I'll try to get the research knocked out over the weekend and hopfully have the text written next week. Thanks, Holly!

I got a fantastic gift today: a Kate Spade bag! Christina (see below) gave me the bag as her farewell gift. I love it! Because it is such a valuable gift, I told her I would be the temporary owner until she gets back from Japan. Thanks, Christina.  

Vaya Con Dios, Pablo

Today I had the opportunity to meet with a former student, Christina. On Saturday, Christina will be leaving for her new home in Saitama-Ken, Japan. She will be a JET Teacher instructing high school students on the English Language. She'll do a fabulous job. Best Wishes!

Getting My Second Wind

Today I met with a friend who is helping me with the dissertation. After meeting with her, I am re-energized! I've decided to submit Ch. 5 today, and I will have Ch. 6 done by next week. By July 31, the research for Ch. 7 should be done, and hopefully, I'll have it submitted in August. That leaves Ch. 1 & 8 for the month of August. Yikes.

Nori-Chan

Since I posted a picture of Bear, I thought I should also post a picture of the other family dog, Nori. Nori, while not the sharpest knife in the drawer, is the sweetest dog. She's so happy when people come around that she can't help jumping up on them. She also has this funny habit of sticking her tongue out...we think it's an adorable trait.

Bear's Puppy Picture

Wedding Bells

The bells will be ringing for my brother Kyle and his fiancee in October. They've decided to tie the knot in Vegas, which is fantastic in our family...we all love Vegas. Sheri, my SIL, has booked a room at Bally's which will be a new experience for me. So, I'll be saving all my quarters for the slot machines...I'll be rummaging through clothes, purses, and furniture at my house and at friends' homes, too. Woohoo!

The Old Ball and Chain

Well, now that I'm left to my own devices I should get back on track with the dissertation. I've pretty much completed Ch. 5 (Dead Literacies) and am half way through Ch. 6 (The Enduring Literacy). Ch. 7 (The New Literacy) is the last chapter before the conclusion. I'm almost done with the text, but I know there will be a lot of revisions. So close, yet so far away.

Peace and Quiet...I'm Depressed

Last week my girlfriend Susan, her mother and her two nieces came to visit me. Susan and her mom, Jennie, drove from Santa Maria, CA to Bakerfield, CA where they picked up Brittanie and Steffanie. They then drove to Kirkland, WA to see me. It was such a great week; they packed a lot in for such a short time. On Friday we spent the day at Ikea. We had lunch in the cafeteria where Susan was in hog heaven with the smorgasbord. She tried the different varieties of smoked and pickled fish. That evening we went to Sushiland in Bellevue. On Saturday we all went to the hula halau to dance. Brittanie, Steffanie and I danced both the hula and also tried tahitian dancing. Those girls could dance! The International District was next on the list. The women went first to Hing Hay Park and saw a bit of the halau performance and then they shopped at Uwajimaya. Jennie had to have chowder so they headed to Ivars then they climbed the stairs to Pike Place Market. They had to rest half way up the stairs. The girls were in heaven shopping in downtown Seattle: Nordstroms, Nordstroms Rack, Banana Republic, etc. They made it home late that night. The rest of the week is still kind of a blur although I remember card games (Progressive Rummy) movies (Shall We Dance, and ELF), as well as home cooked meals (Chicken Paprikash) and lots of ice cream. Jeff, my neighbor, had a great time, too. He came over and had meals with us, and even took the girls to ice cream. It was a fantastic week but I'm so sad they are gone. The women packed up their bags last night and left this morning at 4:30 AM. The house will be quiet tonight and we'll have to wait for their return next year. Sigh.

You have a new Picture Mail

Brit and Steff dressing up.

A Picture Share!

Shopping Wise

A Picture Share!

My friends from California are visiting. Here's the cute one. I can see why Jonathan (her boyfriend) likes her.