Long, long week

It's been a long week. This past weekend, I was down in NYC visiting A.R. She's got a really cute little apartment, and she was kind enough to let me stay. On Saturday, we just wandered around the city, even though it was freezing cold. On Sunday, we went to the Cloisters. I'd never been, and it was amazing. Historically, I've considered medieval art "busted". This proved just how wrong I had been, and how crappy the earlier samples I'd seen are. The art was really beautiful, and I was quite moved.

Monday I flew out to Chicago and took a train to Notre Dame. It was funny being in Chicago, since last time I was there, I was hoping to be there for good, and this time I knew I wouldn't be. Guess that's just life, and there's probably a big lesson here, but I'm not bright enough to see it. Anyway, I was staying with my friend C.R. at his condo. Really cute place! He and I have pretty much the same taste in a lot of things, so we get along like a house on fire. On Tuesday morning, I gave my talk there (the same one I'd given in the fall at various places), and then I spent the rest of the day making up things to talk with the faculty there about. It was a good time. Wednesday saw more of the same, and then Thursday I spent the ENTIRE DAY traveling back to Boston. Today has been a whirlwind tour to get last minute things organized for Talbot which starts on Sunday. Wow. So next week I will be out of town until Friday or Saturday. I should know this sort of thing, but, well, again, I'm not so on top of things. Then on Sunday, I'm flying to Johns Hopkins to give a talk on Monday. After that, I should be settled back at MIT, at least for a few days, though my grandmother wants me to visit her at the end of March, and I need to go down to UVA at some point to see the place.

Now I just need to find some time for my thesis.

I did read a book while on the road: The Darkness that Comes Before. It took me a while to get into it, and it's a bit of a long read, but I enjoyed it after a time. I can't recommend it as highly as, say, Memories of Ice, but it is a good read.

What a Long, Strange Week It's Been

At the prompting of Miss Meena G., I am posting. It turns out that her comments come at the most appropriate time, since it's been a full week since my last posting! And what a week it has been.

Here are the good things:

1. T.G. returned from Cali! It's been great to have her back around the department, since it gets a little slow around here without her crazy antics!
2. My Senate Contact and I went "night skiing" last weekend. It was crazy fun! I mean, sure, it was rainy, but it wasn't very cold. I got to break in my new skis, and I didn't fall down at all! Of course, I was soaked to the bone by the time I got done, and I ended up changing clothes in the muddy parking lot of the ski place, but still, it was a really great time!
3. Following up on that, we are going on a minivacation tomorrow for my Birthday (observed and actual)! We are driving out to Vermont (not Maine, as I had previously thought), heading to a condo near Sugarbush. I've never been there, but it should be really great. On Saturday we will be skiing, and then on Sunday, we'll snowshoe and sled. Talk about fun!
4. I got a job offer from UVA! It is a really good school, with opportunities for both me and my Senate Contact. I'm really excited about it, and I have until Monday to let them know my decision. Looks good, though!
   

Now the not as good things:

1. I didn't get an NSF. What a downer that was. A real kick in the gut. But I'm over it now.
2. I didn't get an offer from Northwestern (yet?). I understood their reasons, and I appreciated how up front they have been with me. I'd just always imagined my next step would be the Chicago area.

So all told, the good things outweigh the bad, so it's been a good week!

Oh, forgot to add. I've read two more books, both of which are part of the same trilogy:

1. The Amulet of Samarkand
2. The Golem's Eye

I found them quite amusing, so if you've nothing better to do for an afternoon, pick them up! It's like Harry Potter, but a little simpler and a good bit edgier.

Lest people complain, I am also reading a book in French. I'd never read Le Petit Prince before, and since it was on my shelf, and since I am slowly getting back into the whole "reading French" thing, it seemed like a logical choice. Very cute story, but at times, quite weird.

Happy Groundhog's Day!

How exciting. Another tradition based around animals seeing things that aren't really there. Come to think of it, I guess most holidays fall into this category...

Not much on the news front. I did a shift at Samaritans this morning. That was nice. I haven't been on the phones since becoming a Homeleader, and it was interesting to get back into the swing of things. I think I'll try to do one shift a month or so.

Speaking of volunteering, here's a question for you, my two readers: should I start volunteering at a hospice? It seems to be important work, and though it can be difficult, I don't know how much worse it could be than some of the calls I've taken at Sams.

OH. Tax form update. My 1099s have all arrived! I've decided that ING is going to only send the one, and since it's incomplete, well, too bad for them. It'll just increase my chance of getting audited, which is, of course, fine. Thank god for impeccable records / crippling OCD. I also have 2 of my 3 W-2s. The one missing is from ... H&R Block. They are thieves, so I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't going to report my income and keep the $100 in taxes they skimmed from me. After that arrives, I'll be all set. My 1098-T came too, so that'll save me a bundle. It's unclear if I'll be getting a refund.

Speaking of all things financial, I still haven't heard from the NSF!

Today I get to pick up my skis! I'm driving to the State House to get my Senate Contact at 5pm, and we are going to drive down to Dedham to pick them up. I'm pretty excited. Since he has to stay in town this weekend for work reasons, we are thinking of going night skiing on Saturday. How delightful!