chapters

I really hope to finish things before leaving for Lebanon in September. Seems like an obvious transitional moment, and I'd love to find myself in a scenario where most of my overseas work is new work. Insert your favorite "start a new chapter"-ish cliche here.

Today I'm going over data I gathered in some of my service learning classes with plans to incorporate some of the data into the "affective dimensions of sl" article I've been revising for nearly half a year. The data will help the article move beyond a theoretical piece, and help me create a revision consistent with reviewer suggestions. In what was perhaps an overly ambitious plan, I had figured I'd write the theory piece, than a more data-driven piece. Now, makes more sense to synthesize the two--partly to meet the journal's expectations, partly in the interest in finally getting the ideas out there, partly because I'm going to Lebanon in two months (see paragraph #1), but mostly because I think the article will be more tangible and maybe even more interesting.

Got a pretty positive response to a creative nonfiction piece I wrote about my Grandpa's WW2 letters. Looks like that piece might end up seeing the light of day as well. Another piece I hope to finalize pre-Middle East.

Will be happily handing off the keys to the service learning office very soon. In the meantime, I'm part of a working group this summer applying to have our campus gain a Carnegie, "Civic Engagement" Classification. This will likely be the final thing I do as SL coordinator, which has been rewarding on many levels and yet in some ways reinforced to me that I don't particularly aspire to be an administrator.

And now, the non-sequitur. Did I mention that the ass-kicking Detroit Tigers aren't the only things that are hot right now in the motor city? Hot as in the 90s. Hot as in much humidity. Moments ago the rain began to fall and I'm thanking my stars I won't have to drag out the hose tonight and once again water the garden. The plants are hot, and thirsty too.