For at least another month or two my blogging activity will continue to be very minimal. I really enjoy blogging, and I have a dozen blog articles in mind to write.
Right now life is pretty busy with working on my dissertation. I am going to finish as soon as possible. I have around 75-100 polished to semi-polished pages and many more in draft or outline stage. Delays happen as I keep having more ideas. Translating ideas based on my study of film to the written word also provides some additional challenges. Dissertating is fun – just hard and very tiring work.
I am also starting a new job! I will be teaching Texas History at Alvin Community College this semester. You can see some of my materials for this class here. Next semester I will be teaching African American History, probably Texas History again, and maybe something, else, too. Everything about ACC is great so far. As an added bonus, unlike colleges in the UH system, ACC has Dr Pepper! They have a really nice office for adjuncts the size of a classroom. AND, I noticed they have family restrooms.
National news has been filled with the on-going horrors in Ferguson. I have not been following these events. I just don’t have time right now. If I started following this crisis, it would take many days and many blog posts to gather and share my thoughts. I have learned—and am learning—that, given the nature of things in the US, there is always something going on like what is happening now in Ferguson. Yes, Ferguson is more extreme (especially different), but there are always things we should and could be actively following. I’ll read about Ferguson AMD (After My Dissertation).
I am still trying to figure out what exactly this ice bucket challenge is! I can’t participate because it would ruin my leg brace, and doing it without my leg brace would be too dangerous.
Regardless of being busy with researching/writing and teaching, I continue to make eating healthy and getting exercise a top priority. The last few weeks I have made a friend while walking—friends with a cat. The first time I saw her, I just said hello. She ran. After a few more times, she came closer. The next time she let me pet her. I always say, “hello my kitty cat friend.” One day recently, I didn’t see her like I do every night. I said, “where is my kitty cat friend?” Out of thin air, she came running up and was meowing like crazy. Another day, she was waiting by the edge of the sidewalk for me. Today, she was under a tree. I saw her, and said hello! She came right up and let me pet her. She wanted to come home with me today! I feel bad for this baby cat (probably an adult, biologically) because she is always outside, even during the afternoon when it is really outside I see her as I drive by. She seems to be craving attention, craving love.
More next time. Have a great semester!
Dr. Andrew Joseph Pegoda 