Today was nice...

I was up early this morning so I watched one of my favourite Buffy episodes--'The Wish' where Cordelia wishes Buffy never showed up in Sunnydale and all hell breaks loose. I love watching Willow be bad, although I like good Willow better. And, it's the first appearance of Anya. Grrr! Argh! No Buffy this season!

*Spoiler Warning*

No Anya ever again! While the story possibilities for a spin-off are now virtually endless, there can be no movie or other reunion of the whole 'Scoobie' gang, because some of them are dead, or worse, ash. Waaaahhhhh!!!!

*Spoiler Off*

It was a nice transition from yesterday's Cthulhu game, where our intrepid guardians explored a series of tunnels under a Maine bed-and-breakfast that were chock full of Rat People, unholy flautists, strange idols, and a Great Old One, all of which we managed to take care of, but with the minor hitches of my character beginning to turn into a Rat Thing and both of us contracting bubonic plague. (I survived bubonic plague and all I got was a dumb old T-shirt). Oh, and Brenda's character finally got to use a spell to drown a minion of the Wyrm as a sacrifice to the Bunyip (she has to do that once a year)--which helps take Brenda's mind off of the fact that her 16-year-old just tanked her Internet connexion ('I know what I'm doing!' so she can't get feedback on her Lord of the Rings stories and just got his driver's licence. Is it any wonder we play the game?

Turning from fiction back to reality by using the transitional concept of a 'mythical Dwana'...

Dwana's back, a little bruised and still having some after-effects from her surgery but in a good mood and brightening up things at work. She called this morning and offered me a ride. I spent most my time at work delving into the innards of a relational database. I did call the unemployment office to see if taking a class would hurt my ability to get unemployment and apparently it would be okay. I don't know if I'll be able to get everything together before UK starts next week, but at least maybe if I'm still down to 20 hours, the spring may be a good time to go back. I figure in terms of my programme, I really only need to take qualifying exams, finish (and defend) my dissertation, and fulfill the residency requirement for a doctorate. Now that my health is back on track, I'd like to finish what I started. I may check in on getting a certificate in women's studies, since my main concentration in history is social history/women's history. One of the faculty advisors who was connected to the chorus once suggested it to me, but at the time I wasn't sure I wanted to do any more classes. And although I am a feminist (and by that I mean someone who believes a person should be able to pursue a career or other life choices regardless of gender, thus men should be able to stay at home with the kids, women should be able to be engineers, whatever most fulfills them), I'm not exactly the most 'politically correct' kind out there. So, I'm not sure if I'd do well with a lot of femi-babble. We'll see. But first, I need to talk to the history department about the feasibility of going straight for the phD. After all, I don't need another master's. So maybe the cut in hours is a blessing in disguise. And I would be willing to go a little further into debt for a structured period of time, with another advisor (I love my retired advisor, but I need help in setting a good timeline to get me out the door and through the process), if it could lead to more security and a broader base. Even if I could not find a faculty position, an advanced degree could help in pursuing academic librarianship, mean more money, etc., and certain colleges would be more likely to hire a faculty member with qualifications to teach and manage library services. Several people have been supportive of the idea of my return. For the first time since my health issues became such a problem I feel like I can focus, remember, and deal with the stress of preparing for the orals. Go me!

After work Dwana stopped back by and I took her to Applebee's for half-priced appetizers and dessert. I had a gift certificate for helping out with employee appreciation week. Then we stopped by Wal-Mart where I found dog food, 88 cent underwear, and a putrid green binder (55 cents--and not just because of the colour--there were others that were perfectly normal!)which is much roomier and perfect for keeping my Cthulhu character sheets in. :) (I wonder if I can get a biohazard sticker from work. It would be perfect on the binder! For it also denotes the sign of Shub-Niggurath. Long story. Read Lovecraft or check out Chaosium products.)

Then I went over to Dwana's and we visited, I played with her cats, and I did some laundry over at her house. We discovered even further parallels in our lives. Later, her husband came home from mowing yards and was very, very tired. We were watching Emeril (I've never actually done that) and he was making a yummy beer-and-coconut battered shrimp dish for an audience of all-men. At one point they brought out sandwiches and I pointed out that they were all masticating in tandem. I think Eric thought I said something entirely different. :O

So, now I'm back home, ready to call it a night. Spock and Darius are both spread out on the bag I brought the tomato home in. I don't know if it smells like Dwana's cats or what. I'm not sure what Dar-Bar would do if he met Simba, her 22-lb. attack cat. Run, I think. Cerys is snoring. Buns is lurking in the bathroom ready to jump out at any moment as usual. Hope your corner of the world is as peaceful.