I, Muehlenhaus. U, Riedermaus.

//Football Speak
Yesterday was a complete waste, because no matter how many football games I watched, all I really wanted to see was the Vikings-Bears game, and it isn't on until tonight. It was really frustrating to see the Patriots, the Packers, and even the Giants play... I couldn't tear my eyes away from these games, but I also couldn't stop craving to see Tarvaris Jackson. I am worried about this game. I feel like the Vikings are getting a little cocky, a little too over confident for a team that only five weeks ago lost 34-0 to a division rival. I have this hunch that tonight they will be shown up, which makes me sad. All I can do is hope that I am wrong. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Regardless, the biggest game comes next week -- a must win against the Redskins coming on a short week... I think I am going to pull my hair out with anticipation! And then, I have to remind myself: it doesn't really matter. The Vikings were annihilated by both the Cowboys and the Packers during the regular season, so even if they make the playoffs, I will only be more disappointed when they are crushed in January. I might as well start thinking about the baseball season -- sans Matt Garza, which still bums me out.

//Lost in Season Three
But at least there is football to keep me on the edge of my IKEA seat, as the third season of Lost certainly is not. Birgit and I watched two more episodes last night while she was finalizing her cartography final exam. The show has degenerated quickly. It was always hokey, but it is now stooping to the level of Heroes. Question: why does every network show have to have a doctor main character? It's like they have invested so much in ER props that they figure if they have a doctor character they can make use of the props for free. So we're on a weird, mystical island, and suddenly, out of the blue, Doc is doing spinal surgery... right, right... Oh, and because the show 24 is popular, we should throw in a lot of gratuitous violence and torture too. Yeah, surgery and torture, those are some real original plot devices. And finally, for good measure, because Heroes came out on a competing network, we better give people some super powers like time travel and seeing into the future. Yeah, cool. Don't forget the Desperate Housewives village -- looks like exactly the same set, actually -- the Gray's Anatomy love scenes and bad triangles... yeah, basically we have a mash up of every current television drama (most of them terrible) with a season of CBS's Survivor. I'm just so disappointed, I guess, as the first season hooked me, the second season at least intrigued me, and the third season, like that of Arrested Development, just sucks to all get out. But no doubt I will trudge through all of the episodes and then, for some inexplicable reason, be bummed when Season 4 is delayed due to the writers' strike. Yes, I am pathetic that way.

//Proposals Roasting
I heard back from one of my committee members already on my proposal and he dug it! This is rare. I am thrilled! I think it was the most positive piece of feedback I have ever received. Normally in academia one is provided lukewarm responses, but this committee member was anything but. It was amazing... I kept rereading the email looking for the proverbial "nice but..." There wasn't one! It has given me more confidence to move full-steam ahead.

//Course Preparation
I'm in the process of preparing three courses right now. At first I was a little intimidated, but now I'm just excited. I've got every textbook I've ever read or put off reading spread out on my office table and I'm outlining and finding readings like mad. I organized and created a schedule for the Human Geography course yesterday. Today I am working on my Post-Soviet Europe course. I have a tentative outline for content that came to me while Mette dragged me onto a golf course chasing a stray goose this morning. And I just found out that my friend Ben is likely going to be the TA for my cart class, which thrills me beyond explanation! Life is good right now. Surely something must knock me out of this string of good luck. (Note: I am eternally pessimistic to a fault.)

//Please, Call Me U.N.C.L.E.
My sister had a baby boy this morning. His name is Elliot. I am stoked!