How small was my bathroom

Our house in Oklahoma has one bathroom, and as you can see, it is very small. Not sure where the litter box will go. I have decided that I need an old-fashioned vanity in the bedroom for my jewels and lip gloss collection. Perhaps I will sit at it wearing a peignoir so I can pretend to be Blanche DuBois. I guess all of my bottles of conditioner will have to live in a linen closet. Eric and I had just one bathroom on Bella Casa Street, where we lived for three years, but it was a bit bigger than this one.

Question of the day

Will students in Oklahoma wear flip flops in winter and Ugg boots in summer, or is that a California thing?

Transcript woes

I had to rush a transcript to the university to expedite the processing of my hiring paperwork, but it does not indicate that I received my degree (even though it was conferred in June). I called the registrar and learned that my transcript won't be updated until August 28, because that's how the computer system works. Why isn't this on the transcript request form? I spent $20 for nothing and got an alarming e-mail from my chair asking when I would get my Ph.D. Perhaps more frustrating is that this will result in further paperwork delays. I will not be able to get a university e-mail address or set up websites for my courses until this is sorted out.

Things I already miss about Davis

I will be here through August 10, but I already miss a lot of things, like

• My wonderful friends
• The farmer's market (including the ragtag musicians and the Free Hugs guy)
  
• The Davis Food Co-op
  
• My gym
• The Sacramento Ballet
• Movie theaters and the excellent DVD collection at the Yolo County Library
  
• Biking to work (I might still be able to do it, but I'll be the only one)
• Caveman Dave and other town characters
• Picking apples at Apple Hill (and the subsequent orgy of pie, sauce, cake, tart, etc.)
  

But there are things I won't miss, like furloughs, budget cuts, the cost of living, and crappy restaurants with high prices, lousy food, and wretched service.

Seminary Hall

The English department is located on the third floor of Seminary Hall, which was built in the 1880s when the university was a college for Cherokee women. Supposedly it is haunted by the ghost of the headmistress, a Mount Holyoke graduate who lost her sweetheart in the Civil War. Unfortunately, I think both turrets are occupied.

When I visited the campus to interview, I had lunch at The Wild Fork in Tulsa. The amazing food may have played a small role in my decision to accept the job.

Five signs you're in Oklahoma

1. The street signs are in Cherokee
2. You spot two Priuses in two days, instead of five in ten minutes
3. Gas is $2.15 at the Kum N Go
4. Your Italian soda is topped with whipped cream
   
5. You can afford to buy a house