graduate problems and good fishing

It is Friday the 26th of October, Gabe’s birthday (which I did call him on), and just three days before I have access to my increased equity line. 20K will go to Gabe as a loan for his business and the other 8K will pay off my visa bill (approaching 5K), let me give 1K to charity, 1K to Jeff, and also pay off some miscellaneous bills. It has been a busy and demanding week, the lowlight being my graduate class on Wednesday where both the poem and the story was subpar and I had to critique them severely (after letting the students vote on whether they wanted my input, which they did). I was tense before the class and I just don’t have the heart to do the necessary critiquing. I am debating quitting the graduate program since I don’t want to hurt the feelings of these very affable and decent students. On Thursday, I played golf at the meadows and just on a lark, I decided to play from the blue tees and try to break 54. I started off pretty well and kept playing very well and I ended up with a 47 with 2 penalty strokes. After taking a morning hike and then having the Dodson guy out at noon, I drove up to Meadowlane Cottages on the Jackson and had a very nice time fishing. Nothing was happening on the surface but after I tied on a small prince nymph, I got continual action hooking 5 decent fish and bringing in 3. I left around 5 but if I had kept fishing until dark I am sure I could have caught a number more.

past the midpoint of the semester

This week, my eighth week of teaching, has gone by quickly. My teaching went pretty well and I was able to hike in the hollow almost every morning. There are still a few plants left, mainly asters. My greenhouse is producing well and I have eaten fresh spinach and lettuce three times. I had Clear Creek out and now the water heater is cleaned and tomorrow David King will come and do the maintenance on the septic system. I will have Dodson out next week. Last weekend I had a lovely trip up to the Jackson river just above Covington and a nice bike ride there also. I will go back up there soon. I should have my loan within a couple of weeks, and that should help. I wonder how much they will increase it, at least to 180 K for sure. My niece Jenny invited me to her wedding but I sent her back a friendly note explaining that I couldn’t. I have gotten out of a bad situation and I would be crazy to go back into it.

The Appraisal Is In

The appraiser (Randi Lemmon) did come but it wasn’t until Thursday morning. That has to be in by the 12th so I should have the money by the 22nd. My trip turned out very well with golf and biking at Royal New Kent, a dinner with Jenny, Mark and Paloma, and then off to Ken and Sandy’s at Accomac. We went kayaking in the marshland, then Ken and I went biking for 8 miles and then he prepared a wonderful dinner of sea trout, clams, broccoli, and wild rice. We watched some football and then went to bed around 11. I got up and had breakfast with them then drove all the way home since it was a pretty rainy day, although I did stop at Royal New Kent for a bike ride. I am midway through my semester and all is going well. My health seems pretty good and I am back to walking in the morning which is a great way to begin the day. I got my bike back this morning and I will ride tonight or tomorrow. I had a couple of fine walks with Rob and I played golf once since I got back. The greenhouse is doing well and I have two trays of strawberries, two trays of spinach, two trays of mixed lettuce and two trays of sugar snap peas. I ate a couple of lettuce leaves and I should start harvesting next week. I am not sure the strawberries will make it through the winter. I took a hike this morning (Friday) and then cut the grass. When I got back I built the box to cover the pump for the septic, then treated it with Thompson’s. I cleaned up the house a little and it shouldn’t take much time to finish it tomorrow. In the afternoon I saw Jeff for a good massage and then I went for a long bike ride at the VT Corporate Research Center. I talked to Casey Nicely and the appraisal is in so I should have the loan by early November.

a productive weekend

I had a good weekend, with hiking, biking, golf and some work in the hollow. I planted some spinach in the greenhouse, and now five of the trays are growing and I should have lettuce next week. I dug out the culvert and cut the grass and finished pruning the road. There are still a few wildflowers left, including great lobelia, heal-all, a kind of mint, white snakeroot, wingstem, a very few touch me nots, horse balm, and several asters and goldernrods. I hope this week will be a good one teaching and I plan to leave on Thursday to start my weekend trip to see Jenny and then to see Ken and Sandy in Accomac. No call from the appraisers yet but I am assuming it will be this week, hopefully early. I walked with Rob the last three evenings and we had good chats and I hope Fay calms down so he can have some peace.

another week finished

It is Monday morning and I am on the way back to Radford to teach and attend the 4 pm graduate meeting. My trip to Charleston turned out well, starting with a fine dinner on Thursday with Becky at Good Food in Charlotte (though the traffic was there for a long time), then moving on to Charleston, where I got there early and was able to play golf on the Harbor course (48 from the golds) and then ride my bike for almost an hour. After Gloria and Kathy arrived we went into town for dinner at 82 Queen (very good duck) and then drove back to Wild Dunes. The next morning found me riding my bike and then going for a dip in the ocean. I found Kathy insufferable and I am very sorry that I had to deal with her, which put a damper on my visit with Gloria. We drove into town at around 4 and Gloria and I got a decent walk and chat in after Kathy bizarrely just walked off to an ATM and didn’t reappear until dinner at Hanks (average food, snapper was okay). On Sunday morning, I was going to go for a walk with Gloria and Kathy on the beach but I decided to go for a bike ride instead in order to minimize my contact with Kathy. I then drove them into town and what a sense of relief I had when I dropped them off. Then I drove almost non-stop to Charlotte, played 9 holes at Regent Park (48), most of the round with 2 fellows who were very friendly. After a nap, I went walking in downtown Charlotte (with a few minutes in the fourth ward) and then I drove to PF Changs for a fine dinner. It is Thursday the 27th and this week has gone well, with my teaching going fine and getting all of the things done that I had to. It seems that the natural resources program may not be the best thing for me, especially since it seems like I will be low on the priority list for grants and I have to put up 200 for a plan. My equity extension is going well and I am waiting for the appraisal company to set up an appraisal. I will see Rob tonight for a walk and I played golf this afternoon even though the weather report hinted toward rain.

Friday has started out very well. I had a lovely hike down to the orchard (three times on the steeper part), watered the greenhouse (still hopeful this planting will take), cleaned up the house some, rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes, practiced my sax for 20, finished grading my 200 class.
I drove in to Cburg and picked up the knee brace, went for a flu shot (which did sting), and cashed in my two savings bonds for 79 dollars. It is going to be tight for the next month but once the equity line increase is approved, I should have no more fluidity concerns.
I talked to Jenny and I am going to see her in October and I hope to see Ken and Sandy during that trip.
Yesterday I played golf and shot a 48, but I had to work hard to avoid a collapse on 17 and 18. I shot from the white tees though I did do the first hole from the gold tees because the white ones were crowded.

It is Thursday and I have two classes to teach before the weekend. My graduate class last night was very good and we went basically nonstop until 9:40. Real enthusiasm for the writing. What a satisfying class this is.
My belly was hurting again (although it is better since I am resting it) and it may be that I am overweight again and that is stretching the scars from the surgery.
I think my loan extension is going to go through and it will be at least 40K, I think. It will allow me to help out a bit and to give some to charity.
I have been walking to the orchard in the morning and snakeroot, great lobelia, horsebalm, thin-leaved coneflower, white wood aster, very late touch me nots are still blooming.
I am sleeping poorly but last night I slept 6 hours straight without the OTC sleep aid so that was good.
There is a dead deer down in the stream and I can’t get to it so I am not sure what to do. The coyotes will get to it but I don’t want it rotting in the stream.