Blogs

I owe all my interest in blogging to Mary Anne Mohanraj http://www.mamohanraj.com/
We knew each other at the U of U, but I only started reading it after I saw her at the MLA conference in December. Her blog is the exemplar of all good blogs--It has day-to-day news, deep thoughts, historical perspective, humor and, most important, she is willing to reveal stuff that is personal while maintaining a sense of privacy. I'd like to follow in her path, but I a) commit typos, b) have boundary issues (and therefore may reveal too much or too little c) find blogs interesting right now but tend toward peripetetic interests d) may use words like peripetetic incorrectly e) may make really dull posts.

But, I'm willing to give it a whirl and join the blogging universe.
Here's my plan:
Write what I did today.
Muse on said doings.
Commit to the otterbutt paradigm (to be defined later).

So, today, I revised novel for the millionth time.
I successfully got Bret Lott to come for the Writers at Work conference in 2006.
Erik and I went to my sister Val's for dinner--she invited my grandma, my aunt shelle and my mom for dinner. She made delicious lamb chops and greenbeans and potatoes. We played Shrek Monopoly with my nephew Cameron and Erik and I tortured our niece Lily by changing her diaper AND her outfit. We gave up and handed the baby off to Val. She promised it gets easier.

Then, I came home to start my blog and Erik went out with his KUTV Channel 2 friends to the Bayou. I was invited but decided hanging out with partner's work buddies is easier with a glass or six of wine.

Now I'm watching the news and am thrilled by the rain. I want it to flood. If people are in the flood path, they should get out of the way. After 7 years of drought, I want the ground to be drenched (these selfish natural bits are part of the otterbutt paradigm).

Speaking of otters, the department of wildlife released some otters in Escalante after citing some specious evidence of their being at one time native. Though I think the Dept. of Wildlife is full of it, I plan to head down for a camping trip to see if I can find them.