Freak Folk--Those hairy dudes from Seattle do good.

Fleet Foxes - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

This video combines two things I love: Paris and spontaneous (or seemingly spontaneous) musical activity. Watch it all the way through.

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I know I've been complaining a bit 'bout time and all that (L. is falling asleep in my lap as I'm typing), but it's good for us to gripe once in awhile. I generally don't complain--it's not how I'm wired. I'm just a bit overwhelmed.

For my work, I've been bombarded with a tremendous amount of requests for letters of recommendation. By my count right now, there are at least ten students who are applying to multiple schools that are requesting letters from me. Their dossiers range from completely organized to absolute messes. And truth be told, while a lot of these students may get accepted into some schools, chances for funding are slim. I'm just being real. I want all my students to get into grad schools, if that is truly what they want, but it may not happen for a number of them. That's a big part of my stress, I suppose.

On top of all that, we're nearing the end of the quarter, so students are, for the most part, check out of classes already.

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Since classes started, I've only written one poem. That's the usual pace when I'm teaching. Maybe a poem or two here and there, but for the most part long bouts of nothing. This year, though, I'm finding I'm quite frustrated by my glacial writing pace because I really am almost done with my third manuscript and I've started a fourth. I've never had so many projects going at once. I just wish I had time to finish what I've started.

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So the Fleet Foxes video is to calm my stirring brain. Deep breath. Deep breath. Sigh.