(speechless)

What do you say when you have nothing to say?

So mom noticed I haven't been blogging lately. She took that to mean I've been extremely busy working. Hmm. That's actually only true for the last two days (14 hours yesterday, 12 today) and maybe one day last week. I've had computer troubles (keeping me from working) and then I had to set up the new computer (keeping me from working) and then I had to clean my office (keeping me from working) and then I wanted to read my books (keeping me from working). However, I've finally got into the swing of the new semester and have a work schedule that most people think is a little nuts, but which I think will work: get up somewhere between 3:00 and 5:00 each morning, work for several hours, shower, work a little more, go to the office hours and then teach or go to class, go to whatever meetings I may have, and then come home. Done by 3:30 or 5:00, depending on the day. Take it easy, blog, do whatever, go to bed around 9:30, do it all again. I know. Sounds nuts. But I work best in mornings, and by the time I get home from class I never feel like starting something new. So I'm hoping to keep this up. But I digress.

I haven't been blogging because I don't have much to blog about. I do have a couple of new people to hang out with, which is nice since Dana and Stephanie are gone. Kimberly is from the linguistics program and we got along so well last semester that we keep in touch. Jessica's nice, although ten years my junior (she doesn't notice, but I do...I don't know what that says about my maturity level). I've even gone out with a couple of people from my own PhD program (they'll remain nameless since one of my readers has an adverse reaction to one of the names). But with this "hanging out" that I've been doing, I've actually missed last semester's routine of going to the Irish Pub for dinner and a couple of Smithwick's or Guinesses (by myself) and then going to the movies (by myself). I get to the pub, but not to the movies, and I stay at the pub longer than I like. Ah, but because I come in so often for dinner, I now know four of the five bartenders by name, and they know my name and my drink. Not that I drink a lot. Just that I'm usually there (by myself) when there are only two other people in the entire place and I sit at the bar and chat. Can't do that when I've got people there with me.

What else? Serena's been throwing up two or three times daily. I've lain off her medication for a while and may try switching her food, but I'm afraid to stay off the medication too long. Don't want my baby leaving me. Only got to use my webcam once and haven't seen my niece on it. I'm on Skype every morning and evening, but my brother and sister-in-law aren't, and my husband refuses to get one (he doesn't really miss me too much when I'm gone, since he's so used to living the bachelor life apart from me). Al's birthday is a week from Thursday (Feb. 7), and he's probably taking a very quick trip out to see me. He didn't know that was his birthday, though. He was just thinking about what days he would have off of work. It's 1 degree here, feels like -23, and will actually get down to -11 here tonight with an even colder wind chill (and the wind's blowing at 27-39 miles per hour). I've read three fantasy novels since I've been here and am on my fourth, but have limited myself now to reading in the evenings after I've worked about 12 hours a day. My apartment's so embarrassingly messy that I'd be mortified if there was an emergency and someone had to come in. I need to go grocery shopping but think it's too cold and would rather wait til I get paid anyway, not because I need the money, but because it goes directly into my checking account and I'm too lazy to get online and transfer money from my savings to checking. I had my first meeting of the semester with my major professor yesterday and have got a lot of work to do, but am actually looking forward to it. My feet are cold. (My office has nothing but a stairwell underneath it, and it has a window...it doesn't retain heat very well). I miss home, my family, and my friends and am looking forward to moving back for good in 3 1/2 months.

Guess I had enough to say for having nothing to say.