Back to Norman

Chuckie Finster, from Nickelodeon's Rugrats

Wow, what a year 2010 has been. On top of moving from the Savannah area to central Florida, here’s what’s been going on:

  • I taught ten, yes – 10, classes during Spring semester: six online for Georgia Southern University and four face-to-face at Southeastern University. That’s about 200 students in seven unique courses, virtually of them all blogging as part of their classes. And I survived to tell the tale.
  • Our daughter was on a rec league team for Miss Lakeland Softball and was then chosen to be a member of an All-Star team. (For those of you who played ball — or parents of those who have — you know what a time commitment this is. At least four evenings a week were taken up with softball.) By the way, I kept the stats book for the softball team.
  • And at the very end of Spring semester, I had the honor of helping my sisters care for my 80-year-old mom at her home in the Atlanta area during her final months. Mom passed away in her sleep at home on May 25. Her memorial service was last week.

Like I said, wow, what a year 2010 has been.

Life is now, as Chuckie Finster from Rugrats would say, “Back to Norman!”

Now to figure out what the “New Norman” is for us.

This summer, here’s what’s going on:

  • I’m teaching three different courses online for Georgia Southern University. (And in the fall, I’ll drop down to part-time online with GSU, but I have been hired on an Assistant Professor of Communication at Southeastern University here in Lakeland.)
  • I’m writing instructor materials (including syllabi, online quizzes, presentations, etc.) for a textbook, because of connections I made on LinkedIn & Twitter with the book authors.
  • Because of a connection I made on Twitter with the PR director at Gateway International Raceway, I’ll get to ride in a pace car during a NASCAR Nationwide Series race in July. Expect lots of tweets and shared photos from that weekend. You didn’t know I’m a NASCAR fan? Then you must not follow me on Twitter, especially on race weekends.
  • Lots of floral photography will happen at Lakeland’s Hollis Garden and Lake Wales’ Bok Tower Gardens. That is, if I can stand the heat and humidity!
  • We’ll take the kiddos to Sea World & Busch Gardens; being Florida residents has some nice perks when it comes to season pass prices.
  • And best of all, my husband and I celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in July.

Stay tuned. When my family is involved, there’s always more to come.