We set off this morning-- by late this afternoon we should be kicking back in a little Ohio campground, swimming in a cool pond, and then toasting marshmallows over an open fire. The next night, a long days' drive and then the bright lights of... Omaha. Next, Denver with coryp, and after that (I hope) a visit with my sister-and-brother-in-law and new ( Read more... )

After many false starts, Nicole and I are finally starting to get our act together for our epic road trip adventure. Here's the map as it looks so far-- we're thinking about leaving on August 24th. Here's the map as it stands:

Here's the map as it stands: subject to modification, of course.If we leave on the 24th, we'll probably be at my folks ( Read more... )

So, I finished Buffy yesterday. I watched the first three disks of season 7 straight through on Sunday, and the second three through on yesterday. I'd intended to work in the garden, do dishes, etc, but I was moody and it didn't matter so I just watched Buffy. It occurred to me that watching so many hours of scary vampires and evil demons all ( Read more... )

Dear Suman, Ron, and Aaron ( Read more... )

I sent off a pair of syllabi to one of my committee members yesterday (Aaron) and one of his recommendations for revision is that I replace my secondary readings in the first week with primary readings. I found myself puzzling over what would be appropriate to introduce an American history survey-- we aren't doing any material yet, but rather ( Read more... )

Today I received a copy of a book I had bought used on Amazon.com that was clearly marked as belonging to your library. I phoned the main reference desk and spoke to someone there, who took my information and had another woman call me back. The second woman said that, because you own an electronic copy, I am welcome to keep the book ( Read more... )

And with that cheerful news, I've got to disappear for a bit. As of today, I have 5 work weeks until I fly off to meet Dave for a vacation in the southwest (he'll be in NM for a conference). By that time, all of my A-Exam materials must be done & sent. That includes 3 syllabi, two timed exams, and a dissertation proposal ( Read more... )

Yesterday at 12:15, my darling sister-in-law gave birth to Forrest Hugo Draper, a healthy 9#, 21" baby boy. Amazing.

It rained all last night and this morning. I've been inside reading about "American technological foundation narratives": about how we have dreamed that the axe, the mill, the railroad, or the aqueduct brought our civilization into being. After a particularly grim chapter on child labor and union busting in early mills, I decided to go out to the ( Read more... )

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