So it’s been a while. . .

The C&W conference was great–I feel invigorated as a teacher and researcher, even if I’m still recuperating physically (there was always something happening during my few days in Ann Arbor). I got to attend some interesting and thought-provoking panels, mini-workshops, and roundtables. My head is swimming with new ideas, such as using Megazine with my students (tempting, but they’ll need to know how to code), tips for writing a grant to acquire digital technologies for our writing classrooms at SWOSU, and ways to think about how I make my presentations and digital texts accessible for differently-abled audience members. I’m sure I’ll be posting more specific posts related to some of these ideas in the near future.

My presentation went well, too. We had a great conversation in our session, and there were between 30 and 40 audience members, which is the largest conference crowd I’ve presented in front of (those of you familiar with academic conferences know that this is unusual; usually, you’re lucky to have anybody beyond the panel members show up for your session).

 Ann Arbor is a cool, cool town. I was impressed with how integrated the university was with the rest of the town, which made the campus feel more urban; there were university-affiliated programs and buildings interspersed with restaurants, boutiques, and movie theaters. There were some great restaurants there. We ate quite a few meals on campus via the conference, but we (my fellow Miami alums/current students and I) did find some neat little places: Seva is a fantastic vegetarian place; Grizzly Peak Brewing Company was fun, as was Ashley’s; we had some yummy Brie pizza at Silvio’s Organic Pizza; we had some sweet treats from The Cupcake Station; and I had one of the best culinary experiences ever  at Zingerman’s Deli. Seriously, the trip is worth it for Zingerman’s, which had the largest selection of breads, cheeses, meats, sweet treats, and anything else you could think of. Even better, you can sample as much as you want for as long as you want. They even make their own graham crackers and marshmallows, and they sell incredible gourmet chocolates. Best. S’mores. Ever? I think it’s possible.

As you can see, it’s no wonder I’m tired (and still full from all the good meals). I’ll be posting more regularly, at least for a while. The bathroom makeover has begun, as has our front- and back-yard re-dos. And we have a vegetable garden! I’m so exciting about this. . .so far, it’s been a productive summer.