For Christmas my parents gave me an antique typewriter. I spent part of the day doing some online research about it. I learned it is a Royal 10 model, circa 1920s-1930s, and if it were in mint condition it could sell for around $1800. That’s enough money to buy a new MacAir with a printer and speakers.

 

My in-laws gave me a gift card for Christmas. I used it to buy a Bluetooth speaker for my office. I’m listening to it now at home. AMKT and I tried it out while we cleaned the playroom.

 

This morning I moved my desk in my home study, I reviewed an IRB proposal, and I applied for an academic leadership conference. Tomorrow I will edit my manuscript.

I’ve started reading The Hobbit. I don’t know how many times I’ve started to read it throughout my life, but it’s a book I’ve intended to read. I know I’ve never made it to chapter three, which is where I’m at now. I believe I was first exposed to the book from the animated movie that looks like it was made in the 1970s. I had some friends in middle school who were all about Middle Earth–they even wrote notes to each other in runes. I wanted to like the whole Tolkein thing with them, but I just couldn’t get into it.

I found my copy of The Hobbit on my bookcase during a recent cleaning, so I decided to give it another shot. My thoughts so far:

–I relate to Bilbo Baggins more than I care to admit. He’s described as a guy who is privileged to live a life of humble leisure. There is enough capital from his upbringing that he can live comfortably without working hard, and the life he wants to live is simple. He has no demands to a complicated, expensive lifestyle, and his simplicity and relative solitude suits him fine. He is living the life I aspire to.

–Gandalf has played a deus ex machina role twice already, and I am going to get irritated if Tolkien continues to resolve conflicts by having Gandalf appear seemingly out of nowhere to fix problems.

–The dwarves (or is it “dwarfs”) are on a mission to get their treasure back from the dragon Smaug. Why do dragons need treasure anyway? Do they engage in commerce? Do they have dragon bills and dragon mortgages? I figured dragons didn’t need money since they pretty much lived wherever they want, and ate whomever they want. The book says Smaug is probably resting on the treasure as a bed. In fact, the cover of my copy shows a dragon resting on a pile of gold, not unlike Scrooge McDuck probably did in Duck Tales. But I find it a little hard to believe that a dragon would want to take treasure just to sleep on it.

CKT and I saw Big Hero 6 this afternoon. It’s a cross between I, Robot and Scooby-Doo.

I reviewed my marketization manuscript today for the first time in a few months. It’s going to need a little more work than I thought, but I am confident I know what it needs.

I got an iPad mini 2 for Christmas from AMKT. This is is the first blog post I’ve written with it. So far, so good.

CKT got a firehouse LEGO set from Santa. EJT got a fire truck. AMKT got an iPad mini 2, like mine. They are all playing with their new toys. Actually, we are all playing with our new toys.

I did not work today like I had planned. In the long term, that’s probably a good thing.

CKT waited until 6:05 this morning to wake us up. But according to him, he was up at 3:00, saw his presents, and slept in the den for an hour.

I am about to shut my computer down for a couple days. I cannot recall the last time I shut my computer down. Usually, when I am finished working for the day I’ll just shut the lid and put the computer to sleep. But not today. Today, the computer gets shut down. It’s good to shut the computer completely off every once in a while; it’s even better for the user to shut the computer down, though. With the computer off, the user makes a firm declaration that he or she will not be working.

That’s a fallacy, of course. I’ll still be working for the next couple days. But I will not be on the computer. I have a couple projects to complete that do not require the computer. I’m going to edit my mediatization manuscript, which I printed out a few months ago and has been riding in my satchel waiting for the pen. I’m also going to review the ACEJMC accreditation documents. But I will not be staring at a screen. Not until Friday. At the latest.

Tonight I get to sing “O Holy Night” with my congregation at church.

O holy night! The starts are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

‘Til He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

God bless us, everyone.

I’ve been operating in “Safe Mode” for the past three weeks. That means I’ve only run essential functions, like how a computer on “Safe Mode” only runs enough programs to allow the user to do the bare minimum. I’ve had to cut some non-essential activities during this time, including updating my Daily Accomplishments.

That’s not to say I haven’t been busy. In fact, I ran on “Safe Mode” because I’ve been so busy with work obligations and opportunities. December is one of my two busy month during the year; April is the other. This month I graded nearly sixty productions, including five twenty-minute films. I also worked on some initiatives on campus that I am excited about, but that also demanded some time.

I haven’t worked on my book proposal since the beginning of December, nor have I progressed on a manuscript that needs a few more hours of editing–at least–before it is ready for submission. I miss those projects, but I plan to start working on those again tomorrow. I know, it’ll be Christmas Eve tomorrow, but I don’t mind working on my writing that day. I believe the last time I didn’t work on some academic project on Christmas Eve or Christmas day was 1998.

EJT is now in big-boy underwear. He’s had a couple accidents each day, but they are becoming fewer and fewer. At least, I think they are accidents. He could be doing peeing in his pants deliberately. If so, then he’s a jerk.

This afternoon EJT pooped in the potty. AMKT thinks we can put big-boy underpants on him before Christmas. “I may have bought our last package of diapers,” she said.

This evening CKT asked me if I believe in Santa Claus. He looked pretty concerned about how I answered.

Tonight CKT and AMKT snuggled on the couch to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas while I ironed clothes and looked on.

I never felt more like a grown-up in my life than I did today.

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever complete my book proposal. I accomplished a lot today: I graded several productions, I taught two classes, and I updated my notes from a meeting last week. Tomorrow I will grade more productions, compose some rubrics, meet with students, and lead another class. But if I do not work on the book proposal, I will not feel like I accomplished anything.

This morning I read a little more from Bad Religion, and graded a couple student projects. Then I had lunch at a BBQ place with the family and in-laws. This afternoon I ran 3.1 miles on a treadmill while listening to the Serial podcast, which is not a very good name for a podcast.

Tonight I accompanied AMKT to her Christmastown 5k. She ran through McAdenville, a former mill town that is known locally for its Christmas lights. We ran the course last year, and it was tough. I decided not to run it this year, but AMKT ran it, and did very well. I treated her to a dinner at Panera Bread afterwards, because I am a wonderful husband.

I woke around 8:00, ate breakfast, and took CKT out of the house while AMKT and her mother made Christmas candy. AMKT and her mother makes Christmas candy every year to give out as gifts. Some of our friends talk about AMKT’s candy all year, it’s that good. They make homemade fudge, chocolate-covered peanut butter cracker sandwiches, and these Oreo-cream cheese ball things. By the time they are finished tomorrow evening making candy, they will have filled about twenty-five large freezer bags with congealed calories.

I took CKT to Books-a-Million. He read a LEGO book, while I flipped through a children’s book about Thomas Jefferson. Then I took him to Monkey Joe’s, where he managed to stub his toe twice. He cried a little and wanted to go home. He later told me today was the second-worst day of his life. (The worst day of his life: when a yellow jacket stung him at camp.)

CKT and I had lunch at a Mexican restaurant with EJT, Victor and my father-in-law. Then I took CKT back to his grandparents’ house, took a short nap, took Victor to football practice, and then took CKT to Starbucks. I had wanted to work a little at Starbucks–in fact, I got some grading accomplished–but we ended up talking a lot.

Tonight CKT and I watched The Lego Movie on HBO. Then we wrestled. EJT got a little jealous and wanted to wrestle too. By the time we were done, both kids were running around without pants on.

I finished grading the Video Production I statue/montage productions yesterday. I have seventeen Senior Production Experience packages waiting to be assessed. I also have an adjunct class evaluation to prepare, and notes from a technology committee meeting to annotate. I plan to submit a paper by the end of the year, and turn in a sabbatical application in the next few months. But it’s the book project that demands most of my attention, even though it currently yields the least progress.

I feel like a hypocrite celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow. Many of my blessings come directly or indirectly from undeserved privilege. I don’t want to celebrate my blessings that come from privilege outside my control while the underprivileged are burdened due to factors outside their control.