Monday, September 25, 2006

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Green in Blue

The fall semester is steadily approaching, and after a somewhat busy summer, I just realised that this term is quickly turning into what could be the busiest term I've ever experienced in my academic career. My contract at the International Medieval Congress ended 31 July, and was not renewed because it was decided to eliminate several part-time positions and combine them into a nearly full-time position. I simply don't have the time to do a full time job while working on my thesis. So, I've been looking for other part-time jobs. It's been going well. I've been offered some occasional work at my favourite cinema, the Hyde Park Picture House, picking up shifts of regular employees when they take vacation time. I also applied for a weekend customer service assistant position at the university library. My interview was yesterday, and I think it went rather well. I haven't heard back yet, but I was told they might not contact me until the beginning of next week. I have a good feeling about it though. I did find out this morning that I've been slated to teach some seminars at Sheffield University this term. I'll be leading tutorials for History 112: Paths from Antiquity to Modernity. I am excited about teaching a general history survey course and the opportunity to warp more young minds, or at least those that pay attention in class. I'll also be teaching a couple of Anglo-Saxon Culture seminars here in the IMS again.

After I posted a Call For Papers for the International Medieval Congress 2007 several people sent me good abstracts that will make an interesting session if it is accepted. I am in the process of submitting the proposal. I also still have to write the book review I mentioned here in my first post to this blog. Fortunately, the deadline for it has been pushed back a few times, not by my request, but because of other delays. The new deadline is the end of this month.

Outside of academia, things have been going well. Kat and I celebrated our anniversary last week by going to YO! Sushi, which serves the best sushi we've found here in England. Kat's birthday was Tuesday, and we had a party for her at Hukaz, a great little restaurant just around the corner from our house. This weekend we'll be seeing a couple of films I've been looking forward to for a while: A Scanner Darkly and The Notorious Bettie Page.

As far as my surgery goes, I feel almost fully recuperated. All my strength has returned. I still occasionally feel a little pain where they made the incisions. The scars are healing quite nicely, and will hardly be noticeable once all my chest hair grows back.