Thoughts on women, work, housework, and happiness

This is from my friends at "400 Words."

http://www.400words.com/2007/09/26/the-new-york-times-men-now-happier-than-women-work-to-blame/#more-223

Are men happier these days than women? A study says so. And get this: women are unhappier because they aren't able to do as much housework as they were in the past. What the???!!!?!?!

More good reviews for Blueroad

Blueroad gets some nice compliments, thanks to Foreword Magazine:

http://www.forewordmagazine.com/blogs/soundoff/PermaLink,guid,9bdee5c0-696e-4998-9527-90b69cf2b752.aspx

My planned winter vacation

I love winter. I cannot say that enough. I love, love, love winter. I love the crisp air, the blue skies that look as if they'll shatter, cloudy skies pregnant with snow, snow itself, the absence of bugs, and the absence of humidity. I love the admiration that cold-weather people get from warm-weather people. I love the accomplishment of having walked 15 minutes on campus in biting -20 below zero windchills. At the end of every day there's a proud little thought: "I survived!"

Last week's "cold snap" was a tease. It was foreplay that didn't lead to anything, as now we're looking at 80-85 degrees on the first day of fall. Still, that small taste of chill led me to Scheel's yesterday, where I bought an UnderArmour head wrap and a stocking cap.

I love playing outside in the winter. I love to snowshoe, to cross-country ski, and I run outside all winter. I will bike outdoors as long as ice and snow aren't covering the roads.

But I thought, "there have to be more ways to enjoy winter." First on my list this year is to try winter camping. Get a cold-weather sleeping bag, bundle up in two or three layers of long underwear, get a fire going and sleep in the chill. Can't wait!

However, most exciting to me is this:
http://www.dogsledding.com/lodge-to-lodge_trips/photo_workshop.html

I plan to combine dogsledding and photography at the end of January. This little nugget is keeping me going now while it's still too warm for September and as I slave away at work.

A little breathing room

Gosh, it feels good to wrap up big work projects! I just finished a ton of grading for my online classes. Finally, a break! Having that out of the way should free up quite a bit of time. Now I can get to projects that have been on hold for several weeks! There will always be something to replace free time, and unfortunately, it is rarely the book. Hmmmm, when will that change? Will it ever change? Grrrrrr!

book excerpt in Ghoti magazine

An excerpt from my memoir was selected for the Labor Day issue of Ghoti magazine.

http://www.ghotimag.com/labor%20day%20cover.htm