Travellin'

Tomorrow right after class I am heading off to DC to a big ol' anthropology meeting. I'm just hanging out and seeing what's up. I've never been to this conference, but I'm excited to see what it is like. I'm staying with a friend and can get to DC and back for cheap, so it should be a good time.

I just need to kick my cold which I've had for nearly a week now. I came home after class Monday and immediately retired to couch. I have been able to do some lit search work, but I've also been really out of it. I hope to wake up magically repaired tomorrow.

I added a dissertation status bar to my sidebar. I actually want to double what I have now by Dec. 15. I am finding getting closer to deadlines motivating. Also, I am going to teach at the summer program for high school students again, and I have decided it will be awesome if I can make them call me doctor. woo! I'm taking the train to DC and have great dreams of writing away as I zoom down the tracks!

blah blah blah

I have nothing to say but I felt like it had been a while since I posted, so here I am. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! I did -- we went to Corbett's with Christopher and Maggie and ate lots of food. Especially good were the three kinds of pie! After eating we watched White Christmas and then played Wise or Otherwise and a fabulous 18th Century card game called Quadrille. It is a little complex as it was played by ladies of leisure. On the way home R and I were thinking about the leisure class of today and what they do to fill their time. We figured there were the ones like Paris Hilton, and the others who want to keep their leisure class-ness quiet. We wonder what they do. Maybe they go to that country in Europe only rich people know about.

Yesterday R and I got back to work. Today R is working again and I may work some. I did clean out my email inbox though, so that was good. I can't believe it is nearly December! I have a lot of dissertating to get done by Christmas, and I'll have papers to grade so it will be a busy busy time.

Gold Star, Loud Brain

Gold star: I went running this morning even though it was snowing! I am so hardcore. I also finally successfully ran the full week 4 amount of running. This is the first week which it has taken me two weeks to do. The plan is to run 3 minutes, rest by walking, run 5 minutes, walk, run 3 minutes, walk, and run a final 5 minutes. I have not been able to get that last 5 minute run done. Until today! I was panting like crazy though. It was very hard.

Loud Brain: Sometimes I kinda joke about not finishing my PhD, but recently I have come to face that it is really the best job for me and I love professor-ing so much. Last night I could not sleep because I was re-working syllabi in my head. Ha!

books!

87. Identical Strangers by Elyse Schein and Paula Bernstein
This is the story of two women adopted as infants, who, at age 35, discover they are identical twins. The book alternates between the twins' voices and is a really captivating read. It is interesting to read about the women's journey and shocking to find out how and why they were separated. I also really appreciated their honesty throughout the book.

At times I found the writing a little uneven, but the voices are so strong and the story so compelling that it was hard for me to put down this book. Recommended for the amazing story, the discussions on "nature vs. nurture" and the voices of the authors.

88. Are You Really Going to Eat That? by Robb Walsh
This is a collection of columns by a food writer who is allegedly called "The Indiana Jones of culinary writing". I think other food writers are more Indiana Jones-like, but there were some interesting pieces in here. The author described fried chicken so well that I actually wanted some (although I've been a vegetarian for 12 years) and he is a chili pepper expert, so those pieces were really interesting.

89. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
I picked this up one night when I could not sleep and needed something to read. I've actually read it many times before, but the last time was probably in college. This is a very well written book with a great main character who I think it is very easy to understand. It was interesting re-reading this now, though, as it definitely didn't resonate with me as it did when I was in high school/ early college. Still, Sylvia Plath is a great writer and this made me want to re-read some of her poems, which I love.

Vanity comes out even

So yesterday I was out walking dogs as I am wont to do. A woman stopped me and gave me a flier advertising a concert at the Y (our neighborhood has the Jewish version, not the Christian). That was fine, but then she continued on to tell me I should come to events for people born between 1946 and 1964. 1964, people!!! I am 30!!! Not 43!!! Anyway, I was flabbergasted. I guess the PhD has aged me harder than I thought. Yikes.

So I was not feeling good about my aged appearance, but then I had several students mention they are sad they are going abroad or graduating because they can't take my ecotourism class in the spring. woo! One wanted to know if I would be teaching it spring 2009, so he could take it then. Rock on! I may look older than my years, but at least I am a popular teacher.

books

85. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
This is the story of a prodigy graduating from high school who wonders what will become of the rest of his life. He has also been dumped by 19 Katherines. He goes on a road trip with his best friend, and tries to figure out a formula to predict relationships. This book is really great. I think it is technically a young adult novel, but it is really smart and well written and the characters are very engaging and interesting. Great book!

86. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
This is a nonfiction book about the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago and about a serial killer kind of tangentially involved in the Fair. I've read other reviews that found the book kind of choppy, and like an unrelated string of trivia. In a way I agree with this, but liked it about the book. There is all kinds of interesting information about architecture and innovations that were introduced at the World's Fair. I found the serial killer parts less interesting, but the book as a whole was really fascinating and once I got into it I found it hard to put down.

Catch up in pictures

The weekend before Halloween R and I took the commuter train north and walked along the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. We'd originally wanted to go look at pretty leaves, but thanks to Global Warming they had not changed yet. It was still a nice walk.

We walked the trail to the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow. That's right! Sleepy Hollow of Headless Horseman fame.
Here is the cemetery from which the Horseman rose. The covered bridge is now North Broadway though. Oh well. I was glad we were not there at night.

They really love the Headless Horseman there though. Here he is on the police cars. He is also the mascot of the high school and we saw an awesome realtor sign which had the Headless Horseman carrying a house instead of a pumpkin for a head. Ha! Anyway, it was a really nice day in the fresh air out of the city.

I am a champion

Tomorrow I will finish my third week of running! Go me! Soon I will be so buff. It is funny, that as I entered my late 20's and now my 30's, I have gained a little belly. I was always skinny skinny so the belly is a little disconcerting. However, since I have been running these three weeks I don't really think the belly has diminished, I just care less about it. Because I exercise, so whatever is there is there. The sad side effect is that I have lost some weight but it was in my boobs. My boobs are always the first to gain weight and the first to lose it. Oh well.

If I were going to be in town for New Year's, I would be tempted to do a 4 mile fun run in Central Park at midnight. People wear costumes! But I will be in the lovely middle west, so no midnight fun runs for me.