It's Better in Wyoming.

According to dreamsleep.net, a dream about a flood is about washing away one's emotions: Water symbolises the emotional side of the unconscious. To dream of a flood or being swept away by water, indicates that you feel emotionally overwhelmed. These dreams also hint at baptism and rebirth. The fertile, nourishing effect of floodwater may be implied. This dream could therefore represent the start of a new phase of life and renewed personal growth. I've had several dreams about floods over the past few months--some are almost certainly connected to my fears about a real-life flood in the crawlspace, but my dream this morning certainly was not. Interestingly, this dream also involved silverware, and the only other memorable, recurring theme lately has involved kitchen knives. Dream dictionaries indicate the kitchen-related dreams can be related to anxieties about sustenance, especially spiritual nourishment. So maybe I need to get back in touch with my spiritual side in order t...

I wish the Cowgirls could always bring out a good student crowd. Last night's second-round WNIT game had an extra dimension that just isn't usually there. Mainly, I think, the students' noise helps out on the defensive end, helping creating a sense of urgency and chaos that pushed Texas Tech into some turnovers they would've otherwise not made. That, and Hilary Carlson's big defense down low, keeping the Raiders from getting the ball inside. She gets my vote for player of the game. According to an article on redraider.com , Texas Tech's coach, Kristy Curry, was impressed by Wyoming crowd: “I want to compliment Wyoming because we have not been in this kind of environment in the Big 12. The crowd was phenomenal.” The Cowgirls split with BYU during the regular season, winning by 15 when they played at home in Dec. Hopefully they can keep the winning streak going.

So, the past week has been spring break for UW. Which means, mostly, that I had plenty of work to catch up on, including a trip to Louisville, KY, to present at the big composition-teacher-dork conference. But the high point of the week was definitely last weekend's trip out to the Forest Service cabin by Little Brooklyn Lake. Here are some photos that Melissa took. Here's another picture, in front of the giant jail-bar icicles, before we left on Sunday morning. The group who'd reserved the cabin for Sunday night wasted no time in claiming the cabin after us--I think they were quick enough that the coals in the fire should've been quick to rekindle, even. In any case, though, the short overnight trip to the Snowies was really, really great. I don't know why, exactly, but I came back feeling truly relaxed. Relaxed in a way that I haven't felt in a long, long time. In other news, I liked Louisville. Wish I'd been a bit more on top of things and extende...

Yesterday Steph, Melissa, Jenn and I headed out to a Forest Service cabin by the Little Brooklyn Lake. We skied in, with backpacks full of gear and food. Way more food than we all needed, but since we had it, we figured, you know, mighswell eat it since it was just gonna be more weight in the packs on the trip back out today. Here's a picture of the route, which http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ tells me was about 1.8 miles. After getting there, Melissa and I went out for another ski, up to Brooklyn Lake and then through the woods back. This is my first real backpacking adventure (if you consider a one-day trip "real" backpacking), but I liked it a lot. After getting back earlier today and getting a quick shower, I feel more relaxed than I have in a long, long time. I had intended to get a bit of schoolwork done tonight, but instead I'm giving myself the rest of the day off, and I'm just gonna take it easy. Eeee. Zeee.

Don't usually blog too much about professional stuff, but this email is exciting enough to cross over into the category of personal happiness: * * * Congratulations! ... Your proposal was one of only a few selected out of almost 90 chapter proposals. This level of interest bodes well for the completed book, and we look forward to working with you through process of seeing it through to publication . * * * In other words: I get to write a stuffy chapter for an academic book! About libraries and freshman composition! Working with editors who are cool! And with a great colleague! W00t!

See? I'm not the only one who believes it's better in Wyoming: ".... Wyoming is, somehow, must be, in my DNA, because when I drive through it even today, and see that great expanse of land, or the antelope, or the Wind River Canyon, it does something to me that no other place does. It sends me back, perhaps, to something else.... another world..." See full post here . Her story about Ed Herschler makes me laugh. Wheatland's recent stupidity makes me realize that Wyoming isn't always the equality state, but we do get points for accessibility, I think.

Tonight I went out for a quick drink with Sue and some of her friends. Several of them are in a state of transition; the occasion for drinks was actually a celebration that Sue didn't get the job she interviewed for today. Maybe "celebration" isn't quite the right word, but I think Sue was mostly relieved that this opportunity is now a closed door, since it makes the options narrower. In her case, her alternatives are still pretty attractive: stay at a job she mostly loves, or begin a PhD in a good program that will open up some exciting new doors, either back in Laramie eventually or in other great places. Anyway, the talk came around to the idea of "signs"--some type of evidence that the choice you're making is the right one. I think all five of us who were there tonight believe in signs, to some extent. But, as Sue said, "I believe in signs, except right now I'm getting about 700 of them, and they're all pointing in different direct...

Sarah claims it's spring, and who am I to argue? I've been feeling that way myself for the past few days. Those old feelings of optimistic renewal and anxious restlessness are back, my faithful springtime companions. I notice this year, especially, how "battened down" I become in winter. Even doing the laundry, or taking out the trash, or any of a hundred other mundane necessary tasks become so much more of a drag in the winter. Or at least, they felt that way this winter. But spring: a sense of energy, a need to clean out the cobwebs, a feeling that it's time for some new life to come poking through the lingering beds of snow. Maybe some tulips. Stephanie got Heath and Emily a classy vase of tulips to celebrate Blossom Yoga's new studio location. I got to see it when I went to the Foundations class yesterday. This marks the beginning of my yoga trial period. I'm making the minimal commitment of one class/week. So far, I like it, though much of...