Today I got to attend a focus group about a university-wide initiative. It was a lot of fun. I genuinely enjoy discussing policies. It’s part of that INTJ nature in me that can be remarkably helpful in the right situation, and incredibly annoying in the wrong situation. It’s also part of the reason why I enjoy working on the accreditation document so much.

I am such a dork.

  

  

CKT and I visited Monticello this weekend. We went last year, too. I think we will take a trip to Monticello together every summer until he gets too cool for me. I’ll probably still go every year after that.

Monticello is a three-story building, not including the cellar. CKT and I took the general tour, which takes you through the first floor, which includes the great room, Jefferson’s study and bedroom, the dining room, the Madison bedroom, and the dependencies. (The cellar level is a self-guided tour.) They also offer a “behind the scenes” tour, which includes the second and third floors. It’s a little more expensive, so I haven’t taken it with CKT yet. Plus, I didn’t think he would be interested. But on this trip he told me he wants to take the behind the scenes tour next year. So that’s what we’re going to do.

Monticello inspires me. I admire Thomas Jefferson’s belief that liberty and an effective democracy depend on an educated public. Monticello is a testament to his enlightenment ideals, and when I’ve walked through I become overwhelmed with the desire to write and read and think.

I spent much of the day working on the accreditation document. I still have a book proposal that needs attention, as well as a manuscript-in-progress, but last twenty-four hours, as well as the next thirty-six hours, will be spent either working on the accreditation document, or taking a break from working on the accreditation document.

This summer I am having lunch with EJT five days a week, and as it turns out it is more convenient for me to have lunch with him on campus three of those days than at home. So we’ve been having picnics in my office. The past couple nights he’s gone to sleep asking, “Picnic in Daddy’s office?”

My mother sent me a picture of CKT yesterday. He and EJT have spent the week at their house, and yesterday they went to a train station, where my mother snapped the picture. CKT looks just like I did when I was seven-years-old. It’s uncanny. I honestly thought it was a picture of me when I saw it, and I was trying to remember where we were when that picture of me was taken.

The accreditation document continues to move forward. I met another deadline today. The book proposal also continues to move forward, too. I could make more progress on the book if I didn’t enjoy Bob’s Burgers and H is for Hawk so much.

You see that guy’s face? That’s the face of a man who has been without his children for nearly a week. The house has been quiet and clean, and I have had fewer demands on my time and attention. So, yeah, that’s one happy, relaxed dude up there.

I read a could inspirational quotes today that have challenged me to approach my writing projects in new ways. They said mediocrity comes from playing it safe and following “the rules.” If I want to create something distinctive, I should write for the joy of writing, and damn the fear of following the rules. Anything worth reading was probably a dangerous joy to write. I kinda knew all this already, but the quotes I read today reminded me why I want to write.

Today was CKT’s last day of first grade. We celebrated by taking him out to eat at Freddy’s, where I ate a 1200-calorie lunch. Then, we bought him twelve pairs of identical white socks.

Tomorrow the boys go to my parents’ house. While they’re gone, I’ll work on my book proposal and the accreditation document. My plan is to have the proposal finished by the time they return next week.