An all-around affirming day…

With all due respect to my friend Joe, who’s sister I love, and who has Down’s Syndrome…

I was looking through the articles on reserve for a class I’m taking, and the title of one of the articles made me look up this word in my favorite (mega) dictionary:

Quick definitions (rhetorician)

  • noun:   a person who a delivers a 
               speech or oration


So far so good. Then I looked up this word:

Quick definitions (rhetor)

  • noun:   a rhetorician


Oh-kay. It’s not like rhetoric hasn’t already become a pejorative word thanks to most-often being associated with politicians, so my question is:

What scholar would name an article: Becoming a Rhetor: Developing Writing Ability in a Mature, Writing-Intensive Organization instead of Becoming a Rhetorician: Developing Writing Ability in a Mature, Writing-Intensive Organization?

Answer: Evidently, Jamie MacKinnon would.


I went into the office today, which was actually not bad with no traffic issues coming or going. Yay!


I got the cutest Valentine’s Day card from Robert in the mail today. Picture it; Sicily, 2007: An open heart-shaped box of chocolates, with one piece left in it, with a thought bubble coming out of the lone piece that says:

“Day 4: It’s quiet now… eerily quiet. They got Larry last night. It’s just a matter of time until they come back for me.”

The caption at the bottom says: “The Diary of a Valentine Chocolate with the Yucky Apricot Creme Center.”


The agenda for tonight’s ENG 675 class tonight had one item on it: Progress Reports.

We broke up into our groups, and reported our progress to each other, and then Jason came around, and we articulated our progress to him, as well as our commitments for our March 1st class.

I had a couple of affirmations during the class, hearing both of the people I gave peer feedback to say to Jason during their report to him that I’d given them some good suggestions.

One of my commitments for next time is to have met with Brad, one of my two consultants with whom I haven’t been able to get together yet, but with whom I’ve exchanged e-mail in attempt to set up a meeting. But, I knew when I chose him that it wasn’t going to be easy. I’m determined to meet with him before next time.


After class, I stopped by Helios to catch up my blog for the 50 minutes before they closed. And low and behold, whom do I see at a table in the corner? One of my favorite people, Sarah, sitting with the realization of my just-made commitment, Brad.

I said hello, they asked me to join them, and Brad and I took advantage of the serendipity of the moment to have our meeting, which was a great one, during which he gave me several things to think about, especially in terms of my oral presentation defending my project at the end of the semester. (That’s a long sentence; its use of commas adds understanding. Nice use of  a semicolon and the word “its” in this parenthetical expression.) But I digress…

Sarah provided more affirmations today by three things she said:

  1. Were your ears burning earlier today? Myra and I were having a John Martin lovefest, trying to one-up each other on what we love about John Martin.
  2. Brad, John’s project is so great; you’re going to love it.
  3. Please take this (plate of Valentine’s Day cookies and truffles), which she had brought for a third person they were expecting, but ended up not being able to make it.

I stopped by Karaoke tonight, had just a couple of drinks, and spent most of the time talking to AJ, who had a treatment appointment at 6:30AM.

I left before midnight.

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