This was a spirited act of resistance that did nothing to hold back the formal opening of the semester. Thursday afternoon I went to our College's Fall Reception (despite the fact that I had a raging headache.) The President's BBQ dinner followed that, but wild horses couldn't have dragged me over to that venue to eat heat-compromised dairy products in 100 degree temps. But, the Dean's Fall Reception was very nice and relaxed. He announced that under no circumstances would he continue on next year as "the default Dean" (he stayed an extra year for us this year, because we had a failed search last year), so I hope that this year we have a good search committee with faculty who know something about the dynamics of FTES and research and our student demographic and some really good applicants for the position. Preferably a sociocultural anthropologist among them (why NOT shoot for the moon?).
Met with a grad student on Friday morning, and in the afternoon we had our first faculty meeting of the year. Here, I am going to find something nice to say. Let's see.....hmmmm. Oh yes--two things. First, it was a fairly colleagial meeting (considering the history of my department) and second, a colleague who is teaching his very last semester passed around his newly published book.
Cooper, the dog, is a masterful begging machine.
Yesterday was wine country--V.Sattui--with extended family (we missed you MP2). Excellent weather, good food, great wine.
Lots of weddings are held in the courtyard to the left of this building. On the right is an antique sign posted on one of their equally antique trucks parked between the picnic grounds and the vineyards.
Raced back here for the tail end of a tailgate party and the opening-season football game (which, shock of all shocks, we actually won). "It must be the new field house" we all say in unison. Lots of faculty and their kids in attendance. Today, I woke up worrying about Gustav (I am *so* sad for New Orleans), called my mom (who is going to vote for McCain now; she listened to some effing NPR show featuring the biographer of Sarah Palin and now she is totally S*O*L*D on her--and here's the kicker, she hates McCain) and then we went to breakfast (where I refrained from ordering a stiff drink) and then shopped for and bought MP1 a new bed (and 2 new iPhone cases for moi). So, on some levels it's been a very productive weekend, but I DO have to get that damned paper edited and cited before tomorrow night, so I really can't put it off any longer. Or can I?
ETA: Damn, it's due tonight. (I thought tomorrow was the 31st.) Okay, all the better, I can do this.
2 comments:
Look at those matching toes... something to that genetics!
It was lovely weather all weekend, wasn't it? And that photo (even with artistic distortion) shows a charmingly self-satisfied dog. :)
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