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Wednesday

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8
Oct 25

An open house day

We spent much of the day on campus. It was a welcome back open house. We were all encouraged to attend, make nice, be in our offices and look refreshed and recharged. We are six weeks into the semester.

Branding issues aside, it was a big success. There was a fire alarm and firefighters and students interested in our programs and a lot of life and energy and vitality, which is what we were hoping for. And I even got some grading and other work done.

I am never going to get caught up, though. Maybe next week. Or the week after. Definitely by the week after that one. That’s what it might take. Today didn’t cause the problem, but there were about four hours that didn’t get devoted to the problem for all of the fun of seeing friends and meeting new people and so on.

The best part, perhaps, was listening to the young woman standing outside my door telling someone else she was going to finish this degree, and then get a master’s degree in that, and another master’s degree in this other, and then maybe an MBA, and then get a PhD. I applaud that enthusiasm, would that everyone had it in the classroom. But I wondered: has she discussed these ambitious plans with her parents and financial advisors? And, also, will I be working for her one day?

Somehow, when we left, it was almost dark. I mean, come on, I took this photo at 6:22 p.m.

Surfers chase an endless summer, I just want to chase long daylight hours. Hours which I can sit in my house or office and admire as the day passes me by, mostly, but still. Don’t judge me, I have fair skin and a lot of reading to do.

OK, the continuation of a light week. I also have two classes to prepare for tomorrow, and then the rest of everything else, as well. Until tomorrow, enjoy Catober!

Catober / cycling / photo / site / Wednesday — Comments Off
1
Oct 25

Welcome to Catober

Welcome to Catober, where, every day, we share a photo of one of the kitties. It’s a big hit and we all look forward to it every year.

Tomorrow we’ll have a photo of Phoebe, Friday, a picture of Poseidon, then another of Phoebe on Saturday, and so on. You’ll want to come back every day to see the cuteness and/or hijinx. You might also like this category to catch up.

We went to a local diner for breakfast this morning. We took my in-laws, and there we met my god-parents-in-law (just go with it). This was planned. They were all down to see their granddaughter, and granddaughter-in-law, play field hockey last night. But they each had to head back to their respective hometowns today. It was a brief trip extended by a leisurely breakfast.

My father-in-law and godfather-in-law met when they were five and six years old. My mother-in-law and godmother-in-law met in nursing school. My godparents-in-law met one another at my in-laws’ wedding. And so for these many years they’ve been tight. And each is godparents to the others’ kids. Hence all the go with its.

Across from my seat was this photograph.

It was taken in 1922, on the occasion of the first air shipment of produce in the U.S. It was asparagus.

The first commercial flight was in Florida in 1914. I’m a little surprised that it took eight years before anyone thought they should throw some veggies on a plane. I’m disappointed the first choice was asparagus. Kids across the country were too, imagine, this new technology, and that’s what we’re using it for? Asparagus?

And I’m writing about asparagus because that’s better than discussing how I spent a full day grading. I needed to do it. I was oddly looking forward to doing it. I did it.

This evening we went for a bike ride. One of our neighbors went with us. Here I am trying to chase down two All-Americans.

I was not an All-American, so this was difficult. Our friend was a swimmer and a legitimate, I mean legitimate track star. She’s got all the cardio you want, and now she’s just taking up tris and bikes, as you do. And that she’s just getting started is probably the only reason that this happened.

She better not get good at this, or by this time next year, I’ll be well off the back.

I hurt the big toe on my left foot somehow, and it isn’t exactly pleasant to walk on at the moment. Not too bad in shoes. But I made the mistake of trying to stand up on the bike and I immediately sat back down. I’ve never gotten out of the saddle a lot anyway, but I’ll need this little ache and/or pain to go away soon for just general use, and also in case I need to lean out and sprint.

Sprint. That’s funny.

Classes tomorrow. And more Catober! Come back for that!

Rowan / video / Wednesday — Comments Off
24
Sep 25

And if that wall asks anything of me …

It turns out that we streamed the Charles Barkley conversation last night. You can watch it here, if you like.

If that doesn’t automatically jump to the right moment, just scrub to about 13:00 to get to the talking.

I’ve got nothing for you, but a day of timeless email tales, and trying to figure out how two days of branding talk will become three days of branding talk, and working on an assignment for next week. And also re-watching a documentary we’ll watch in class tomorrow. One must make notes so one can have something insightful to say.

Also this morning there was a Zoom meeting. And all afternoon, a faculty meeting. So enjoy Sir Charles, I want to blankly stare at a wall now.

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17
Sep 25

Extra photos

Somehow, I do not know how, and I’m not really sure why, I spent the entire day in front of my work computer. So we’ll just fill this space with a few photographs from earlier that I haven’t shared here yet.

These first two are from last weekend and my bike ride into not quite nowhere. I just happened to be in the middle of it when the light was right, with the light dancing in the trees and the shadows falling on the hay bails.

Nearby, the sheep were sheeping, sheepishly.

That was Saturday afternoon. This was Monday evening. I don’t know this house, or the people who live in it. I don’t know if they had it built, or built it, or just moved into it later.

But whoever put that place up knew something about the compass, directions, and sunsets. This is the view from their front porch every night.

And until they cut down the corn stalks later this fall, they’ve got a pretty sweet deal.

After that, it’s just sun over a dirt and mud field, I guess, but maybe they just turn their best chairs to another view for a few months.

I should probably do that, too, at least for the next little bit. I’ve been in this chair a lot today — but I still don’t know how.

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10
Sep 25

Let the wind blow back your hair

Worked in the home office this morning and early afternoon. Then we drove to the train station, where I saw this sign.

The people putting that sign together, and installing that art on the train platform, must have done all of that during off hours. What doesn’t feel right to me is the woman who watched videos on her phone at full volume for the better part of an hour.

Fortunately her stop was before ours, and we had blissful silence for 17 seconds. At the same stop, a woman got on the train, mid-phone conversation, speakerphone, full blast. It’s a common complaint of modern life: the loss of social graces, and headphones. I’ve nothing new to offer the conversation, and this isn’t playing through a loud speaker, so no one could hear it anyway.

We had dinner at The Alderman, the pre-theater dinner special, a four-course meal and you pick the two in the middle. I had a brightly tart, almost citrus salad with a lot of arugula. And then this half chicken which was drenched in grilled lemon juice.

It was all quite tasty. And now I want it again.

Then we went to the nearby Radio City Music Hall.

This was my first trip there. And it occurs to me that they should probably offer tours. Probably a half-hour walkthrough would be a decent draw. I’d think you could see and learn a few interesting things.

It turns out that they offer daily 60-minute tours! I hope it includes the chance to sing a little song or dance a jig on the stage.

Here’s the iconic sign, as you walk across the intersection. Yes, I will stop traffic in New York City for a photograph of neon. Fortunately, the people there are all very nice and understanding and accommodating.

Playing there tonight, Melissa Etheridge and the Indigo Girls. We saw them late last summer, and they were close enough, so we caught them again. Etheridge opened the show. She’s 64 and less dramatic (her word) but she still commands a stage, still has all of her power and can command absolute control of a venue. I had the first six or seven records on a variety of cassettes and CDs, but moved on somewhere along the way.

When we saw her last year, she did a dynamite cover of Joan Armatrading on the piano. And maybe, she had not been successful, Etheridge would have been the best cover singer you’ve never heard of. She does a killer Billy Joel cover and here, she’s mixing one of her own songs with a bit of her idol, Bruce Springsteen for a “The Letting Go – Thunder Road” medley.

And it hit.

Really fun show, wonderful venue. Took the subway to the train and the train to the car and then the drive home. Late night, long day tomorrow. And I’ll put up something from the Indigo Girls then.