The War on Christmas

hello, friends,

sorry for the long delay, but, with the end of the semester, things have been very busy in volanskyland.

let's catch up on some news, shall we?

starting local:

the smartest shakespearean scholar i know had a successful surgery, hopefully allowing her to have safe and snot-free travels over the winter break. we are both anxiously awaiting the start of "skating with the stars" on january 18th, so look for full reports once that begins. you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be no tonya harding's running around THAT show.

wendy-lou who got herself the second cutest dog in chestertownvilleburg. he's a 2-year old schnauzer named either luke or murphy (he's so adorable, he'll respond to any name as long as you say it with a chipper sound...). the girl had a relatively blase meeting with him -- she sniffed him out and then promptly ate one of his chewbones while he sat in my lap. what a cutie.

much success was had in second-year reviews. i think all of us came out on top, despite some "concerns." it would be inappropriate for me to say more. but, the gang will continue to play on for another year.

in related chestertownvilleburg news, we're all anxiously awaiting new year's eve and the arrival of mo and michel from the wilds of france and minnesota, respectively. we've missed their company this fall and it will be GRAND to catch up. we'll also get to see professor andy, who has been slumming all around the globe on sabbatical. he's been missed, too. finally, we must all shun drs. banks-brown as they will not be around to make us all breakfast on january 1. if you are up for the challenge, please chime in and proffer a menu suggestion.

widening the lens a wee bit:

your humble blogger and her faithful co-writer managed to get themselves a book contract for the tome entitled "no heavy lifting required: a practical guide to playwriting and collaboration." heinemann press is the lucky publisher, our manuscript is due march 15th and you can order copies soon. we need to sell about 10,000 copies before the serious royalties kick in, so sign up now! in all seriousness, it is really exciting and daunting all at the same time.

sister sue managed both great grades this semester AND her sanity. we are most proud. she also was able to bring professor clockwatcher to smile, which makes us in the profession much happier.

brother rob has a car in japan. ask him about it.

what else?

i could go on about the ruling in dover, the surveillance of this white house, the ramped-up marketing campaign for the war and other such matters, but people smarter than i are covering it. all i will say, however, is that it is our civic responsibility to be informed, so pay attention, get involved and make your opinion known.

i will suggest, however, that you visit the NY Times website to read nicholas kristof's challenge to bill o'reilly to go visit darfur. it is inspiring.

i'm missing a lot of people this holiday season: thebus, dillmansky, perlow, shapiro, eason, engelman/dixon, the marvins, pat from louisville. i hope you'll all check in over the holidays.

i'll report in after brother bert arrives (tonight will be spent with the brothers donaghy!), but in the meantime, be careful (especially if you are in new york), be peaceful and,

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky

Holiday Spirit

hello, friends,

snow here on the ground in chestertownvilleburg and it sure is beautiful. the girl seems to think it was all done for her and she's been having some great fun bouncing around in the snowy backyard.

the countdown to brother rob's visit has begun -- he'll be here, live and in person as of the 24th of december. he sent the following picture from my favorite mountain this week. check it out:

isn't it beautiful? i think the pain of the climb seems to be subsiding.

i'm sitting here in the apartment watching a whole lot of charlie brown. it amazes me that, despite the fact that the christmas specials are older than i am, their poignancy and relevance reverberates. keep the message of the holidays in mind as you are clubbing sweating lady next to you in a desperate attempt to get the last pint of egg nog.

i'm not 100% of this, but i think that kipper is a stunt double for this one:

right down to the pink socks.

i have a great great family and for them i am most grateful.

in the meantime, i still can't figure out how to get rid of big chunk of white space at the top. faithful servant kate says that it seems to have something to do with my "browser settings," but she may as well be speaking greek. can anyone help???

on a more humorous front, this came in over the wire. it's silly and filthy, but must be shared.

Top Ten Sexually Transmitted Diseases Which I Just Made Up:

10. Wet Penis
9. Shuttlecock
8. Rooty Tooty Too Much Booty
7. Teddy Pendergrosis
6. George Bush
5. The Artist Formerly Known As Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
4. Careless Whisper
3. Randy Johnson (think about that one for a second)
2. Dirty, Dirty Pussy
1. I Think I Slept With One Of The Sound And Lighting Guys For Public Enemy

isn't life grand?

be good to one another.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,

volansky

Technical Difficulties

hello, friends,

so, it has been a nutty couple of weeks here in chestertownvilleburg, and the turkeys that were presented had a somewhat difficult time. however, thanksgiving is the time for us all to stop and think about all that we have -- and, even in volanskyland, we have a great deal. we have family, and siblings, and great friends, and all helped to remind us over the weekend that we are, indeed, really truly blessed. i am in great gratitude to all that i have, even if it is difficult sometimes.

in the good news department, new friend dan came out of surgery with flying colors and is making steady improvement. you can visit his website at www.danstumors.blogspot.com. he's a remarkable person that deserves our best wishes.

a gentle reminder: new year's is almost here and the annual party of volanskyland grownups (sans the breakfast makers banks-brown) will be assembled. it is a grown-ups-only party, so, despite my love for you all who are students, it will be for those who are over 23 only...if you have questions about the hotel arrangements or for party times, please email me. the more the merrier -- and we'll be joined by brother rob direct from his year-long engagement at the hotel sapporo. i hope you can come along for the ride.

the kids in middle hall, knowing of my love for john malkovich, sent along the following link. it made little cordelia wake straight up from a nap and take notice. it is the essential john and it made me laugh a lot. check it out: http://batmalkovich.ytmnd.com/

in other news, baby bjorn is growing big and strong, despite the fact that he seems to be the only kid in my world who is not soothed by "the gambler." odd.

finally, adam davidson made a GREAT impression on the folks at washington college. see the press release here: http://www.washcoll.edu/wc/news/press_releases/2005/11/21_davidson.html
despite the problems at amtrak, adam and a slew of great friends of the WC drama department had an amazing dinner (as always) at the kettledrum and, after the talk, a load of booze at andy's. if you don't know adam (who, i still contend, crashed my wedding with gifts of nature...), you should. iraq, paris, new orleans and banda acheh have only fine-tuned a great mind. it's a great pleasure to know him and have him come to my school.

i'm still seaching, and wishing, and hoping that you all continue to tune in and share the love with friends. it's a lonely life out here by myself -- i'm so glad you are along to make it a bit smoother.

gotohellifyouhatefreedom,
volansky