Friday, August 27, 2010

What the new year has brought me

The trip to Bangor was wonderful. I had a good exchange with those in attendance and am inspired to continue my work on the Gospel of John. When I came home, I went on a family vacation for most of August to a place where the internet and cable TV don't exist (my sister's). My Blackberry was acting up (and still is: email and internet keep going down; what's the problem?) and so I didn't post a thing, not that much academic thinking was happening anyway.

Then when I got home, I returned to the aftermath of a flooded house. No not a hurricane. Not a tropical storm. But a broken pipe under my kitchen sink. So my place is a disaster. We are living in two upstairs bedrooms, hoping to get some contractors in soon to get started on the demo and rebuild. The floors are ruined. I have holes in my drywall. Base boards torn out. Painted surfaces destroyed.

And two days later, school started. So here I am. I will try to post more frequently, but amidst this mess I feel like it is good that I even make it to drop off my son at his school and show up at mine.

Oh, and Wade has started a new career this week as a high school science teacher...

5 comments:

Boudewijn Koole van Brigdamme said...

Dear April,

I hope you enjoyed your stay away. And will find a clean and well ordered house in the nearest as possible future. Thank you for being present and positive, that's more than enough for the time being.

O yeah ... and academics? What the world needs in this respect is 1. thorough insights and presentation of them to the scholarly world and the non-academic world as well 2. relevancy in all worlds you share. But only step by step, for quality is essential reqirement. I thank you much for your example and courage in this respect. And if you now and then should have some time to share on your blog, I would be as happy with your info and remarks as in previous times: very much so, please! (Forget about the continuing series about the development of Christology, or it should be not anymore about the further way to Chalcedon; perhaps let know something about the life and work and society and culture context of the first two centuries' "christians" groups and their images and rituals, if possible, and preferably not only the "future catholics" but the Jewish, Syrian, and other non- and pre-catholic schools and traditions as well - and what happened to them after the rise to power of catholicism ...).

It seems I ask a lot so let me add I hope you first will enjoy a real clean home and a pleasant and stable begin of your teaching year and retake of your study and writing jobs. Better take some time than inform us less well.

Thank you agaim so much for your posts and books, which I use with much, very much pleasure.

Boudewijn Koole-Huibregtse, Driebergen Netherlands

James F. McGrath said...

So sorry to hear about your flooding! Glad the trip went well, and I for one am eagerly looking forward to the results of your further work on John!

APWalker said...

I’ve been following your blog for several years now, and as an amateur student of ancient history I’m generally unqualified to join in on any of the discussions, but I can certainly commiserate with you on the “joys” of home ownership. Last winter a mouse chewed thru a PVC water supply pipe in the wall of my home, and I awoke late one night to find water pouring from the ceiling of my garage.

Of course, that’s certainly not quite the level of the disaster you experienced – for me, that came a month later, when the double blizzards here on the east coast dumped so much snow that the weight of it damaged the roof of my house and ultimately required sections to be cut out and repaired. Contractors in and out for three months – what fun. Just keep telling yourself that when they’re done, at least part of your home (in your case, perhaps a large part) will be nearly brand new. In the meantime, welcome back.

Pastor Bob said...

contractors? Soon? ROFLOL. I'm sorry but this does not compute.

Judy Redman said...

Oh, dear!! I can picture the chaos in your lovely downstairs!!! Hope Pastor Bob's prediction about contractors is *not* true in your case. And that really is a huge change for Wade - hope he enjoys it.