I am returning to Mexico City next week. It has been over four years since I was last there. The reason I am going back is a long story. One I will probably tackle in installments.

Let me go back twenty years, when I was a gangly thirteen year-old, just about to enter the difficulties of puberty. I lived in Mexico with my parents and my younger sister. For those of you who don’t know, my father is Mexican and my mother is American. After they were married in the US, they moved to Mexico City where I was born and grew up. Almost every summer, my mother, sister, and I went to California to spend a couple of months with my maternal grandparents. My father would join us for the last few weeks and we would all return together.

Growing up, I never questioned the stability of my family. In fact, as I saw friends who had divorced parents, I always felt fortunate that my parents were together. My sister and I did not see my father much, though. During the week he was always at work, usually coming home after we had gone to bed. He also worked at least half a day on Saturdays, and Sundays we would go to my grandmother’s house where my sister and I would mingle with my cousins and the adults retreated to a different part of the house.

It was June 1993. The school year was coming to an end and I was relieved to have all my exams behind me. I was looking forward to escaping the summer heat and pollution of the city and spending a quiet summer in Sierra foothills of California with my grandparents. One morning I walked past my parents room and I saw them sitting on the edge of the bed talking. My mother looked upset and my father looked nervous. This is one of those images that will remain with me forever. Every detail is still there, the ugly orange knit cardigan my mother was wearing and the ratty yellow bathrobe my father had on. The stale smoke that wafted through the air from all the cigarettes my father had been smoking. They told me to go somewhere else, do some chore probably. So I left.

During that talk, my father told my mother that he was going to move out that summer while we were in the US. He needed time and space to think. He wanted to evaluate his marriage and what he wanted from life. He told her, however, that my sister and I were not to know until we got back.

My mother, devastated, tried but eventually could not keep this news from us. We knew something was wrong and she finally shared what she knew. That was one of the most difficult summers I ever had.

More to come...

Sara had a meeting with her new employers in Boston. She missed her bus in the morning, though. So I had to drive her up there. I am actually getting used to the drive by now.

I stopped by the apartment we put in an application for in Boston. It is a nice place. I hope we get it.

I found a house in Walla Walla from here (with much help from my new friend who is over there). I was faced with choosing a furnished house with an unfenced yard or an unfurnished house with a fenced yard. Since I am dragging our poor dog cross-country, the least I could do was get a place where he could spend time outside. He will really like that after living in an apartment for two years.

Speaking of the dog, we had our yearly visit for his checkup and shots. He was very nervous this time, but he was very good. Now he is very tired (he also came along for the ride to Boston). He is sleeping here in my office, making a lot of strange noises. It is actually quite entertaining.

I can't believe I am going to Mexico in a week. I will explain why soon.

I wish life would slow down a little so I can catch my breath (and build up some more energy).

We survived!

We made it through the utter chaos and pandemonium that was the graduation circus/carnival.

None of the relatives killed each other. In fact, most of them were on their best behavior - more or less.

We are exhausted, though.

Our dog was VERY confused. It seems like each day a new set of people came to our apartment. Usually nobody comes to our apartment.

I now have a piece of paper that has some Latin written on it. I think it says that I am now a Doctor in Philosophy in the area of Anthropology. Or something like that...It is actually a fairly droll piece of paper. Some of the other degrees I have gotten are much prettier - more colors and designs.

I had a couple of strange dreams the night before commencement.

Dream One: Instead of gowns, the graduates were wearing prisoner uniforms. We had a big ball and chain attached to our legs. On the ball was written, "DISSERTATION". To graduate, we needed to carry the ball and chain up to the stage, where with a big hammer and wedge they would break the chain and set us free.

Dream Two: A long time ago, my mom bought me a t-shirt that says "Hookt on Fonix rilly wurkt fer Mee!" as a joke. In the dream, I was wearing this shirt, but it had an addendum to it: "See I evin gotta Ph.Dee!"

Tomorrow the dog has to go to the vet.

Sara is in the living room watching The Swan (for intellectual purposes of course). Now, I am usually able to watch some of the crappiest television around, but this was even below me.

It really seems like something out of an Orwell novel.

In other news - I received an award today. It is from the Graduate Minority Student Association "For Inspiring Those Who Follow". I even got a neat little clear plastic (it is supposed to look like glass or crystal) pentagon with the university logo, my name, the name of the award, and the date engraved on it.

I also drove up to Boston to look at the outside of an apartment for Sara. We are now trying to schedule a walk-through. It is hard, though, with all the graduation fuss beginning.

I need some inspiration to revise the paper for the edited volume. Can you say burnout? It really has not gone anywhere as of yet.

The mosquitos are coming out. I hate them.

Gas Prices.

They keep going up. I have very mixed feeling about this phenomenon.

This is good because:
-It will force us to become more efficient with our consumption of oil.
-I can laugh at all the stupid SUV owners.
-It might bring about more demand for energy efficient or hybrid vehicles.
-People will be more likely to use existing or demand more public transportation.

It is not good because:
-I am sure Chenney and his oil buddies are making a pretty buck (which will probably be paid back into Bush's re-election campaign).
-SUV owners are the ones who can afford to pay the excessive costs of gas.
-Poor people will face higher costs for commuting.
-Cash-strapped local governments are likely to cut back on public transportation.
-This will inevitably lead to inflation (higher costs of transporting goods=higher prices).

Maybe it is a sign of better things to come. Let me explain. The oil companies are beginning to think that Bush will lose the election, so they might as well gauge the public now while they can. One can only hope...

Finally! The grading is DONE!

I think everyone got the grade they deserved...more or less. Everyone passed, although there were a few students who might not have deserved it. Not my problem.

What now? A night off with a few beers and nothing to do. Very nice...

Tomorrow I will tackle the next item on the agenda. Revise a paper Sara and I submitted to be included in an edited volume. The topic is fun: Food and Identity. The revisions - not so much.

We also have started our simultaneous house/apartment searches. My search is being done long-distance with the help of a very kind professor at the college who is visiting potential places, taking pictures, and sending me a report. I have a couple of leads, and she is going to visit another place on Wednesday.

Sara and I saw an apartment in Boston yesterday. It was nice, but Sara has safety concerns since it is a basement apartment (with good reason - a few years back we had our apartment broken into). On the way back to Providence, we drove through a nice section of Boston - West Roxbury. We saw a house we really liked. If only we had enough money to buy it. We are not quite there yet. Damn!

Funny story:
When we got back home last night, our dog welcomed us with the top of a small garbage can around his neck. We have a small plastic trash can in our living room where we dispose of our tissues. It has a rounded top with an oval flap that swings open. Our dog, for some strange reason, loves to chew used tissues when we are out of the house. He usually manages to get the top off, but this time he pushed his head through the swivel opening and got his head caught. The top then came off and stayed around his neck. It looked like one of those plastic cones you put on dogs when they have a wound or have had surgery to keep them from licking/biting at the wound.

This actually had happened once before. It kept him from getting in the trash for about a week, but then he was back at it. We will see what happens this time. Both times he was extremely pleased to see us, and in his own way begged for some assistance. The first time he had to endure me trying to change the film in the camera in order to take come pictures of him. When I get them developed, I will probably post them.

I can't believe graduation weekend is a week away. The graduation carnival (Sara called it the divorced parent circus) will officially start on Wednesday when my mother and step-father arrive. We will have dinner with them then, but they are planning on spending the next few days in in Boston. My father and step-mother arrive late Sunday night. They will require more attention. Luckily my sister arrives Saturday and can help in that matter.

I am looking forward to seeing my mother, step-father, and sister. It has been almost two years since I last saw them.

It's the carnival I am not that thrilled about. This will actually be the first time all our families we will meet. Sara and I eloped just to avoid such a carnival.

At the very least I will have some interesting stories to write here.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. If anyone still stops by here...

So tired...

Grading...gah...bleh...

Whatever.

I have been so spacy today. We parked near campus to go do some errands. As we dropped some stuff in the car to go do some more, I turned around and walked straight into a parking meter. Remember that I am 6'5", so my line of sight is high above the meter. It hit me right in the gut and kinda knocked the wind out of me.

Follow that by imagining me tripping on cracks in the sidewalk, whacking my head on low lying branches, going to a bbq that is actually taking place tomorrow (and finding out that nobody was there of course) and stumbling down some stairs. Now you have an idea of what my day has been like.

Here's hoping to a better tomorrow.

I guess you can call it post-dissertation burnout.

I have found it extremely difficult to motivate myself to do anything. And there is so much that I need to do. Each day, however, I find slightly more enthusiasm.

Today I managed to clean a very, very gross bathroom (in our apartment, not just a random one in case you were wondering) and vacuum copious amounts of dust and dog fur from our carpets (just the living and dining rooms - the rest of the apartment has to wait). Then the motivation was gone.

I have stacks of exams and papers to grade. I need to get to them soon. My reasoning, however, is that it would not be fair to the students to grade them when I had absolutely no willingness to do it.

I will probably start making more frequent appearances here, at least for the next couple of weeks. At least that is something else I should do.

Random thoughts:

-John McCain was on Meet the Press. Although I disagree with many of his political positions, I respect the man. He is not an ideologue like most other politicians. I think it would be very good for this country if Kerry picked him as his running mate. This country is polarized and it is not good. We need a team that can bring it together. Will it happen? Probably not.

-People of the same gender can apply for marriage licenses today in Massachusetts. Good for them! A couple we are friends with (different genders) might join the merriment and get married as well. Congrats to all!

-What do you do if you live in a small city apartment, but you really want a fish pond? You go down to the sidewalk break a hole in it, dig it out, and build it right there. That is what some people who live a block away from us did. The pond is about two feet, by two feet, by two feet. It is right in the middle of the sidewalk - I kid you not. It is lined with rocks, it has a light for the night time, and there is even fish in it. I am surprised the neighborhood cats/skunks/other critters have not gotten them yet. It is a really bizarre sight. Sara actually took a picture of it. If you ask her nicely, maybe she will post it.

-We are finally taking a vacation! Next month, Sara, the dog, and I are going to Maine! A trip where we can get away from everything. Whoohoo!!!!

-I mailed in my signed contract today.

-I hate moving.

-Motivation to write more - gone.

How much is the knowledge stuck in my brain worth?

Today it was worth $1.60.

I was able to answer the trivia question at the local Starbucks. The prize was a tall (meaning small) coffee. I negotiated and was able to get a tall (again small) iced tea instead.

The question? What is the lowest point on land on earth?

By the way, I accepted the postdoc in Washington state. I will be flying the friendly skies frequently on the Walla Walla-Boston express. Sigh.

Whoa...
You take a couple of days off to format and finish editing your dissertation and Blogger goes and changes its look.

It is going to take some time to get used to this.

As is getting used to the fact that the dissertation is history. I officially submitted it to the university today. It is done. Any changes now will be for a future publication.

As I look around my littered and cluttered office, I realize that I no longer am dependent on the books, notes, articles, and other sources that surround me. I can return library books, put my own stuff away, and throw away several trees worth of paper.

Yes, it is going to take a while to sink in.

There are still exams and papers to grade, though. As much as I tried, I could not wish them away. I will tackle them tomorrow.

Now to the Good News is Bad News section:

I got the postdoc at the college in Walla Walla.

It is an amazing opportunity, yet it is also about seven or eight hours by plane from Boston. Hmmmph...It is only for a year. That is what I keep telling myself.

Too much stimulus concentrated in a brief period of time. It is a tad overwhelming.

It is also hot. Where did spring go? I hardly got to know you.

Coast to Coast Treking
I am back from my one day adventure out west.

It went well, except the trip back. Hit a few snags there. What would a trip be without some delays, missed connections, and things of that sort.

And what do you do the day after you get back from such a long and intense trip? You go to Boston for the afternoon and you book your next trip (this time to Mexico). I am still not sure why my psychiatrist has not had me committed. He must be a quack.

More when I start making a little more sense.

Yes, the cork popped.

No, we have not recovered. There too many things left to do.

We have to format this huge document in a very specific way to submit it to the university. Here is an example from the guidelines of the crap we need to deal with:

Page Numbers
Each page, including blank ones, must have a number. The number should not appear on the title page or the copyright page but, these pages are assigned numbers and are included in the pagination. Preliminary pages are numbered with lower case roman numerals, centered at the foot of the page, three-fourths of an inch from the bottom edge. The title page counts as page i but the number does not appear on the page. The remainder of the dissertation is numbered with Arabic numerals beginning with 1.

On pages with major headings (e.g., the first page of a chapter), the numbers should be centered at the bottom as on the preliminary pages. On all other pages, they should be placed flush with the margin at the top right corner of the page, three-fourths of an inch below the top edge.

So yes, I do have ruler on my desk and I have been measuring how far the page numbers are from the top/bottom of the page. There are ten pages of rules like this. And they need to be followed precisely or else you don't get to graduate. My appointment to submit is on the eleventh, which normally would give me some time, but other events will definitely keep me on my toes.

Other events:

My students have their final exam tomorrow. A few of them are in a panic. I will have a nice pile of exams to grade as of tomorrow afternoon.

On Wednesday I am off to Walla Walla, Washington for another interview. I have written my lecture, but it needs some more editing and I still need to practice it some more. I am not sure when I will be able to do that.

I am not looking forward to the ten hour and two plane change trip out there. It will be the first time I will set foot in Washington state, though. I also fly through Seattle, so I will be sure to pick up a cup of coffee there. I also fly through Chicago, but I think I will skip the sausages/meat. I will bring the exams to grade/keep me busy.

I need to start planning my summer school course.

Oh yeah, there is that trip to Mexico I mentioned a while back. More on that when I get a chance.

Ah, the life of a doctor ... [to be honest with you, nothing has changed].

I am watching Meet the Press this morning. I must say Kofi Annan has the coolest accent. No wonder he is Secretary General of the UN.

Given my silence over the last few days, you may have had visions of me doing one of the following:

- frolicking on a warm, sunny beach somewhere
- engaging in a wild and crazy party
- imbibing copious amounts of alcohol
- sleeping hours on end

Unfortunately I cannot say that any of these reflect reality. Successfully defending your dissertation does not allow you to step away from life. So I am back engaging in the droll responsibilities of teaching, grading, and preparing for a job interview. Moreover, there is a second defense in this household that needs to take place. Perhaps there will be some celebrating after that one. There was a nice bottle of prosecco waiting for me in my department mailbox that is now chilling in the fridge.

I do believe that cork will pop tomorrow.

So stop reading this and go wish Sara the best (even if you have already done so, go do it again!).

I see the news has gotten out. In a month I will receive a piece of paper that will attest that I am a doctor.

The defense if over and all went well. More details later...

Thanks again for the words of encouragement!

Eleven hours to go...

I am tense and nervous even though I know I should not be.

I am also so unmotivated. I am just so burnt out.

Not much else in my head right now.

Not that there ever was.

The countdown to the defense continues.

I am really in a funk. I hope my state of mind clears up once this is all done. The defense is strange, there is little you can do to prepare for it. You go in and you are supposed to talk for two hours about this thing that has consumed the past God-knows how many years of your life.

Actually, you give a short introduction, then they ask you questions about it.

I have been trying to read through the whole dissertation today. It is SO long. Maybe too long. There are things in chapter one I would like to take out now, others I should have re-read before writing the conclusion. I was working on that chapter a year ago. It is kind of strange seeing it again from this side...followed by all those other chapters.

Ok, I won't get all introspective here. I don't know how much I will be around. Maybe a lot, if I need to keep my mind off things. Or maybe not at all. Dunno.

If at first you don't succeed,
then sky-diving is definitely not for you.

Parking woes.

Parking is difficult around the university. Too many cars in a concentrated space. Moreover narrow streets mean that on some streets, parking is only allowed on one side of the street.

Given the shortage of parking, I don't understand why parking is allowed on the side of the street with all the fire hydrants. It would make more sense to allow parking on the other side so that every block would have an extra parking spot.

On a similar rant...if there is two parking spots between two driveways, why do people park in the middle so that only one car fits?

Yes, I am cranky today.

It's official. I am traveling for 10 and a half hours to interview in Washington state. I will be there for one day before coming all the way back. That's a really long way to go.

I also need to go to Mexico in June. But more on that later. It's a REALLY long story.

I need to take a trip that is relaxing. A beach somewhere would be nice...

The Department got its draft of my dissertation today. Now it is a semi-public document for anyone there can look at it and even read it (although I would be surprised if anyone actually did). I still need to write my acknowledgements and an appendix. But I am taking tonight off. I will get to that tomorrow.

Tomorrow I need to meet with Dr. Advisor to find out just exactly what goes on in a dissertation defense. I need to find out what will be expected of me and what happens if I suddenly run out of the room (and if it makes a difference whether I am crying or not). The only faculty member I am worried about is Dr. Advisor. The other professors are not the trouble-making kind. Or at least I don't think they are. Hmmm....maybe I should think this through some more.

Nah, no need to get worked up about this.

But Dr. Advisor does ask tough questions. He owes me though. As Eric mentioned in his comments to the last post, he has asked me to pick someone up from the bus station a few hours after my defense. The person to be picked up is probably the most renown historian who works on Italy. At least he will be flying into Boston from Italy and then taking a bus to Providence, so maybe he won't notice my stuppor. I told Dr. Advisor that I did not know what shape I would be in, but he reassured me that I would be ok. This is of little consolation because this man does not sleep and can read books in one sitting. So his expectations of other are always much too demanding.

Nonetheless, I feel equally intimidated about trying to keep an intelligent conversation with a great scholar after my defense as I am with the defense itself.

Back to matters of my other life...

I need to focus back on the course I am teaching. If anyone thinks that one can write, edit, and defend a dissertation and still be a good teacher, they are wrong. There are only so many places your brain can be at once.

I also got a call today that I am going to be interviewed for a postdoctoral position at a small liberal arts college. The problem? The college is in Walla Walla, Washington. Not necessarily the most convenient location. This is a problem because they want me to go there for a one day interview, but it takes about eleven hours to get there from here. It is also not good because it is eleven hours from Boston where Sara will be next year.

Problem one is a real problem. Problem two will only be a problem if problem one goes well. So I will take one problem at a time.

So I will probably take on problem one sometime during the first week in May (which causes a load of other problems that I won't go into right now).

Needless to say, I will be busy the next few weeks. Stop by an pat me on the back, I need all the help I can get. And the help and encouragement I do get is always greatly appreciated. :-)

I have been lost in a world of formatting, printing, and organizing...

A world of suddenly driving Sara to Boston...

A world of wondering, of stressing, of...

It's almost 1:00 am and the printer is getting pretty hot.

Maybe it is time to call it quits and start back up early in the morning.

Thank you to all of you who have offered words of encouragement.

The defense is in a week! YIKES!

The Bitter-Sweet

I turned in a draft today (with a few missing parts).

Still to be completed:
- Bibliography
- Number pages consecutively
- Insert page numbers into table of contents
- List of Tables
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- Appendix

I should be happy. I am not. I got a rejection letter from Wisconsin. I was almost certain I did not want the position, but I wanted the reassurance that I could get it.

So I have this big binder full of written pages. What is it good for? Why all that work?

As many you have remarked, I do need a break. Sometime soon. There are still a lot of little details to take care of.

Bleh.

Finished - sorta...

...well, not really.

There is still much to do.

It will really never be done. There just comes a time when you need to let go.

This probably makes no sense to anyone.

Bye.

XOLOITZQUINTLE'S BRAIN IS CURRENTLY OUT OF ORDER

PLEASE TRY BACK LATER

THANK YOU, WE APPOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE

Do you know that goofy distorted look you get when you look at your reflection on the back of a spoon?

Our neighbor when I was growing up in Mexico look liked that. He was a pretty ugly man.

I don't know why I thought of that today.

I must be working too much.

I had a horrible headache today. That is until Sara walked on my back. Those feet are magical, I tell ya.

The revisions are moving forward. I hate seeing the comments: "You need more analysis here." I have written 350 pages. I will just write down what people said and you do the f***ing analysis!

Yeah, I guess I am kinda cranky. I want to be done with this.

I am still missing a conclusion. If I don't have one, you think they would notice?

Tax Time

Why is the IRS Center for Rhode Island the same as those for southern states in Atlanta? Shouldn't it be in Andover, MA with all the other northeastern states?

And why is Tennessee's in Austin and Ohio's and Virginia's in Memphis?

Stupid IRS.

Sara has to turn in her draft tomorrow.

She is stressed.

[Understatement of the year]

I am trying to finish up as well.

I spent all evening getting the data for parliamentary election results in the province of Italy where I did my fieldwork. My advisor wants a chart in one of my chapters. I have spent hours searching for the data online, figuring out how the database works, downloading the results, and finally weeding out the little data that I need.

Ugh...

Hours and hours for a stupid little chart. But Dr. Advisor wants it...it needs to be in there.

I still need to format it and insert it in the chapter. I will do that tomorrow because if I spend one more minute on Excel tonight, I am going to start screaming. And Sara doesn't need the distraction.

I am going to get ready for bed and I will continue this fun adventure in the morning.

Leave me a comment and tell me about all the wonderful things I am missing out in the real world.

The rush towards the defense continues.

Type, type, type...[Pause]...[Think]...type, type, type.

[Get up, wander around - I do my best thinking while pacing around, it must be that the good ideas settle down into my behind when I am sitting - get an idea, rush back to my desk]

Type, type, type.

That wasn't my whole day, though.

I had to teach a section this morning. Then I had the dreaded post-exam office hours.

Student: "I want to know why I got a bad grade!"
X: "You tell me. Why did you get a bad grade? Why did you write all the wrong answers?"

Some students came, but none were too confrontational.

Not only do we need to finish our drafts, defend them, etc. There is a mountain of bureaucratic stuff we need to get through before we are allowed to graduate. Ugh!

*I just re-read the line above about ideas...and before anyone says anything - NO, I don't have a big butt. That's because I don't have many good ideas. :-)

Well, I better get some rest before I start seeing dead squirrels walking dogs (see comments in previous post). By the way, that squirrel is still there. It is looking pretty bad. You would think someone would move it...like the people who live in front of where it is. I certainly would not want a decomposing dead squirrel by my house.

Ah, speaking of squirrels...have a lookie...for once a sensible squirrel [NSFW] (embezzeled from Anne). I am also sick of the low carb craze. I have taken to eat more carbs just to be contrarian.

Ok. I'll stop.

YAWN!

Time is running out for me to finish the necessary changes on my dissertation. But the distractions keep popping up.

I curse those distractions.

Today's main culprit was grading. I had a stack of short papers to grade. I have said it before, I will say it again: I hate grading.

I almost skipped yoga today. I really needed to go, though. I had not been for several weeks (Wisconsin trip, spring break, etc.). I don't like this class very much. It is run too much like an exercise class and its a bit too new-agey for my tastes.

I saw a dead squirrel today while walking the dog. It is amazing how he obsesses about them when they are alive. This dead one was right in front of him and he could have cared less. There is something about the way they move...

As much as I dislike the critters, I still felt bad for this one.

No word from Wisconsin yet. That's ok. I am not ready to deal with that just yet.

I was thinking...there are too many worthy charities out there. It is a good thing I don't have any money. I would have a hard time deciding which I would want to donate money to. Maybe I will make a list of the ones I like or feel indebted to.

But not tonight.

I might not be around tomorrow. It's Thursday. That means lecture, quick lunch, section, a different section, and then more grading (I need to do the papers for my Friday section). If I still awake after all that, then I need to write a little more of the ol' diss.

Nonetheless, I might still stop by and say hi.

Nite...

I have found a web radio station that I love:

Radio Paradise

It plays as an eclectic mix of music as my tastes.

You know you need some rest (and probably some psychiatric help) when...

Last night, after a particularly long and stressful day, Sara and I were spending some "us" time in our living room. We were sprawled out making small talk. I think we were talking about using the word Xoloitzquintle in Scrabble (tm). I said that you could score a lot of points because it had an x, a q, and a z. Sara said you could not use it because it wasn't an English word. We then went on to discuss the letter Q in the game and how it had the letter u attached to it since there are no words that had a Q without the u.

Yes, this is what brilliant minds talk about at midnight after long stressful days. Now you know.

I said you could do QANTAS, the Australian national airline.

Sara: No you can't.
X: Sure, why not?
[Pause]
S: Well, then, why don't you just throw the tiles up in the air and see what lands?
[Pause]
X: You could get a monkey...
[Pause]
S: Where?
[Pause]
X: [Giggles]
S: Wha...[giggles]
S & X: [Uncontrolable laughter]
X: [laughs until tears roll down his cheek and his stomach hurts]
[Silence]
X: [Giggles]...You could get it at the zoo...
More laughter...

Now neither of us really know why that was so funny...but we needed that laugh. And we needed to get some sleep...at the very least.

However...

...sleep does not guarantee that your state of mental health will be restored. I recently dreamt that I was going to teach. I had to give students back their exams, papers, and other assignments. I was late and in a hurry. To carry all the stuff I had to give back, I put it in a shopping cart. So I was wheeling this shopping cart across some kind of campus (it was not the campus of my university here). Someone had vomitted on the path to the building I was going to and I did not want to roll my shopping cart through the puddle of vomit. When I finally got to class, I was stressed and got all muddled up with all the things I had to give back. Something bad was about to happen and...

...the dog jumped on the bed and licked my face, waking me up.

Am I losing it? No. I lost it a long time ago.

As the two defense dates approach, the stress levels in the Xoloitzquintle household are rising pretty quickly. There is probably a reason why dissertations are not written concurrently within one household. Despite all the stress, worry, frustrations, etc., I think Sara and I are getting along pretty well. We just hide in our respective offices and emerge on occasion to gather nourishment, use the facilities, or wander aimlessly.

With school back in session, I have had to return to my teaching duties. I don't mind the teaching, in fact I really like it. It is the organizational nuissance that goes along with it that I don't care for. I had a stress dream about that last night, but I won't go into details about it now.

Today I saw someone whose last name is Guano. If my last name were bird shit, I would definitely change it.

Oso asked whether there are Xoloitzquintle tamales. I have never had one, nor have I ever heard of one.

I just looked it up in my trusty reference on indigenous food: Presencia de la Comida Prehispanica. The entry for this particular item is as follows (translated by yours truly for your convenience):

BALD DOG, XOLOIZCUINTLE, TLALCHICHI
Canis domesticus
Canid family

"...and the small dogs that they raise to eat, castrated." - Hernan Cortez, 1520.

Xoloizcuintli comes from the Nauhatl xolotl (monster) and izcuintli (dog). According to mythology, Xolotl, the dog-god, leads the souls of the dead as they cross the Chignahuapan River so that they may arrive to paradise. This god is a form of the god Quetzalcoatl (or Venus) that crosses across the night sky.

The xoloizcuintli is a large bald dog. Its skin is smooth and soft...

Sahgun (who chronicled the Spanish conquest) mentions three types of dogs, among which we find the xoloizcuintli. These dogs "did not have a single hair so that at night they had to cover them as they slept..." He adds that there are other "dogs that they call tlalchichi that are short and round and they are good to eat." It appears that the tlalchichi was the same type of dog that was bred and castrated so that it would not grow.

Antonio of Ciudad Real commented in 1584: "...the Indians bred a type of dog of the earth, smooth and without any hair, which used to be their food, and they still eat them although they prefer beef." However, Clavijero, in 1778 speaks of them in the past tense when he writes: "Mexicans ate techichi meat, as did the Spanish, which was tasty and nutritious." He attributes their extinction to the fact that the Spanish took them as provisions on their ships on their trip back to Spain. The dog ceased being food a long time ago, but we did not want to fail to mention it because it was a very important food.

==========================

So there you have it. Everything you ever wanted to know about this ugly and hairless little dog.

No recipie for tamales, though. Sorry, Oso.

Now, I have heard of people eating bear...so you better be careful...

Crap. It's already 10:08 pm.

I WANT MY HOUR BACK!!!

Spent most of today grading exams. I hate grading. Some of the grading was straight forward: multiple choice, short answer, etc. There were essays too, though. Some of that grading is so arbitrary...

I am just happy that I am giving out the grades instead of receiving them. Some of the students are not going to be happy with their grades and they are certainly going to come and complain. Fortunately, those that got low essay grades also got low multiple choice scores too.

I will bring in brownies or cookies when I hand back the exams. Sweeten the experience up a little.

In other words, bribe them into complacency.

So much more to do, but my brain is done for today.

And we lose an hour tonight. Rats! I need that hour. Can I keep it and give it back sometime after graduation?

I do like having more daylight, but it also makes me relax and before I know it, it is really late.

Actually, I will be happy just to see the sun again. It has been a while...

A friend just heard that she got a grant to do fieldwork in Normandy. That's great news because she really has a good project and deserved to get funding to do it. But it is even better because Sara and I can now start planning out trip to go visit her. I love the cider there...mmmmm....

Yes, it all comes back to food with me.

Hmmm...maybe I will go get a snack....

Seems to be a slow day in the Blogoland.

Few new posts. Even less comments.

People seem to be having strange dreams. A few have been writing about them. Freud would be proud.

In Italy they claim that the change in seasons affects your mood. They say spring makes you tired.

I could blame spring, but I think getting up early and driving Sara to Boston and coming right back is the more obvious reason.

Or maybe my body is on stike.

Whatever...I am off to bed.

Spring, they say, arrived sometime at the end of the last month. The weather right now is much more like winter than spring, however. Although it is raining (a lot) instead of snowing, so I guess that is an improvement (or is it? I do like the snow better than the rain). Nevertheless, this week is spring break for us. That means that I don't have to go to lecture or teach. I do have a HUGE stack of exams to grade, as well as some short papers. Not to mention a certain dissertation that is sitting there waiting to be revised and finished. Hmmm....

But since it is spring, today I engaged in one of those seasonal rituals that people speak about: Spring Cleaning. No, my office is still a mess, our apartment is very schmutzig, our car needs some help, and the dog still needs a bath. The cleaning was within myself.

This morning I finally got a massage that was long overdue. It did wonders to cleanse out the tension that has taken root in my muscles and in my being. It will definitely take some additional sessions to work it all out, but it was a start.

This afternoon I got a very needed dental cleaning. It had been three years since I had ventured to the dentist's office. Not because I am afraid of the dentist, rather because I have not had enough money and time to get myself there. I do take care of my teeth and fortunately I have a good set of teeth that have held up well.

So now I have a less tense body and a clean mouth. Yay for cleansing....

In other news...

My mind was so at peace today that I was even able to tackle our taxes without stressing out too much and now that is more or less taken care of.

The car got its service on Monday, so it is feeling better as well (although that 30K service took a big chunk out of the bank account).

I set my defense date: the big day is April 27. Yes, that day is coming up very quickly. I should be more worried that I currently am. Don't worry (no pun intended, sorry), I will make up for it in the coming days and weeks.

I baked cookies last night. Now I know why I don't do that more often. They are too good and I am tempted (so is Sara) to eat them all. We have been good....(so far).

Ok, I am off to goof off a little....

Update



create your own personalized map of the USA
or write about it on the open travel guide

I just had to add Wisconsin.

No, I did not have any cheese while I was there.

Hey, my ass is checking out the map. Do you think he is impressed?

The last post (and Sherri's comment) got me thinking (a rarity, I know)...

We have all heard about (or from) voices in one's head.

I was wondering if anyone has heard from voices in other parts of the body.

I am sure the toes cry out in the dark, "Turn that light on, damn it! Turn it on!"

Of course, men often heed the directions of a certain body part. Whether they actually *hear* it speak is still a mystery.

Any other creative ideas out there?

Don't you hate it when the voices in your wife's head keep talking to you?

Have a look on Corn Smut to see what I am dealing with.

I already had enough trouble ignoring the voices in my own head. Soon they will be carrying on their own independent conversations. I just hope they don't get cell-phones. Now that would be annoying!

I am still really tired.

I am not sure whether it was the draining on-campus interviewing process, the demands of travel, my body fighting off some illness, malnutrition, or something else. I just don't seem to have any energy. And thus no will to do anything. Even write in here.

After six weeks of existence, my xoloitzquintle@hotmail.com address got its first bit of spam:

From : michael nwachukwu
Reply-To : michealgodbless@fastermail.com
Sent : Sunday, March 28, 2004 9:18 AM
To : nwachukwu2@alex4all.com
Subject : PLEASE ASAP

It was one of those, give me your bank account number so I can transfer millions into it requests. I wonder how many people fall for that one.

I'll be back if I can find some energy somewhere.

Got back at 1:00 am this morning.

I am very, very, very tired.

Rest is in order. More later.

I am off to Wisconsin later today.

Yeah, I am still nervous.

So an Oregon county has decided to ban all marriage. Hmmm...that seems fair to me. If certain people can't get married, then no one can get married.

Although as Sara said when I told her the news, "There are going to be some upset couples whose wedding plans have gotten screwed up."

Samuel Huntington's essay "The Hispanic Challenge" in Foreign Policy has gotten much attention both in cyberspace and in academia (you may recall that SH garnered much attention after September 11 because people began to wave his book "The Clash of Civilizations" around saying the "West" and "Islam" were on a collision course).

While I think the article is a piece of alarmist trash, it is important because there so many people in this country who think that way. I don't want to go into a discussion of it here. I just want to share the best summary of it that I have found.

It is from Julio Sueco: "Noticed how nightmare scenarios were drawn about the clash of civilizations, of unassimilated Mexicans running amok resisting sauerkraut at all costs?"

Yes, Julio, I did notice. And thanks for the laugh.

[By the way, I must admit that I am Mexican and I eat sauerkraut - I must be assimilated. Oh no!]

I leave for Wisconsin in two days.

I am tense and nervous. My back is tightening up and I feel anxiety creeping into my soul.

I am not sure why. I don't think I want this job. The people I have spoken with all seem very nice. There really should not be a reason for me to worry...

...but yet...

Maybe tomorrow I will feel better about it. I hope.

Tonight Sara and I went out for dinner to an [Ameri]-Mexican restaurant. It was pretty good [for New England]. I had the fish tacos.

Fish tacos and other good Mexican food are some of the reasons I really miss San Diego. I usually get fish tacos at Rubio's. Sara had a hard time accepting the combination of fish and taco at first. You need to understand that she is from New Mexico where fish is not a good choice of food because it is probably not fresh and putting it in a taco just does not make any sense. After her initial doubts, she has come to enjoy them as well.

There are many other reasons I miss San Diego. For example, walks on this beach. I also miss my family and friends. And that warm weather....ah nostalgia.

But those Rubio's fish tacos are good. Try them if you are ever in San Diego (although Rubio's has expanded all over the west - check their website for locations). As for my fish tacos tonight? They were good, but not the real thing.

I would not trade the company for anything, though - not even the best fish taco in the world.

From my fortune cookie the other day:

It doesn't matter.
Who is without a flaw?

Very encouraging, huh?

It's a quiet (and lonely) night in the Xoloitzquintle household. Sara is staying with a friend in Boston tonight. She had an evening event and morning one tomorrow up there, so it was just easier for her to stay up there. But shhhhh...if anyone asks, especially the faculty on her dissertation committee, she is at home working hard on her dissertation.

Another Thursday is over. Phew. I can't believe a week has gone by since I was complaining about Thursdays and getting ready to go to San Antonio.

Next Thursday will probably be even more tiring, but for different reasons. It will be Day 1 of my campus interview in Wisconsin. I am starting to get a little nervous about it. Right now I am just slightly too tired to worry about it too much, though.

It snowed pretty much all day today. It was very light snow, though, so it did not really pile up. I did see some very confused (and cold) robins today hopping about on the snow as I walked about campus. Come to think of it, they had the same expression as the students: "Isn't spring supposed to be here soon?"

As I write this I am sipping a Cabernet/Shiraz blend from Australia that is quite nice. Despite its recent trendiness, I am not a big fan of Shiraz and Cabernet is rather bold for evening drinking. The vinter who put this blend together knew what she or he was doing. I can't remember the label and I am too lazy to go to the kitchen to look it up. It has a aboriginal-like picture of a kangaroo on it though. I have also had their Merlot - very good too.

I have lost interest in the Presidential campaign. I know who I am going to vote for and I can do without the nastiness that has already started. It is sad that being nasty is the most effective way to campaign.

I really would like to go see a movie. Any movie, but preferably a good one.

I guess it is time that I wander off, brush my teeth, and put myself to bed.

Things I need to do:

-Make a dentist appointment
-Take in our car for its 30K mile service (that's the big a costly one) - I think it needs it and the reason why the check engine mysteriously comes on and off.
-Set a date for my dissertation defense.
-Actually finish the bits and pieces that are keeping me from claiming that my dissertation is finished.
-Order my cap, gown, and hood for graduation.
-Revise a paper (co-written with Sara) that was submitted for publication (I have until June 1 for that one, but I can't forget about it).
-Kiss Sara more often. I can never kiss her enough.
-Bathe the dog - he's getting kinda stinky (not bad as far as dogs go, but he needs a bath nonetheless).
-Grade 60 exams.
-Grade short papers.
-Get a haircut.
-Get a massage (there's a story behind this one I will tell soon).

Ok, sorry about that. I need to come here occasionally and regurgitate all the stuff that is clogging up my mind.

Ignore me if you want.

I leave for Wisconsin in a week. Before then I need to prepare two presentations, practice my friendly yet professional demeanor, and learn as much about the department and faculty as possible. This on top of the normal demands of everyday life.

My students had their midterm yesterday. The professor wrote the exam and luckily he designed it so that it will be easy to grade. And thanks to the fact that Spring Break is in a week and a half, I will have three weeks to grade them. As I was proctoring the exam, I thought that I am so happy that I don't have to take exams anymore. I have always hated exams.

It snowed again yesterday. I guess it is still snowing lightly today. While I would welcome the arrival of spring, I don't mind the snow too much. Yesterday had to walk home from campus in the snow. I prefer that to walking in the rain.

Another day, another rejection.

Today's was for a ten month post-doc at UC San Diego. While it would have been nice to have been in San Diego (my mother lives there) and I would have been part of a good network of scholars there, it is *wicked far* (see, I am starting to go native here) from Boston.

My sister today had some good suggestions for me should none of the academic things pan out. She works in the non-profit sector and said there might be some opportunities there. Sara used to joke that she was going to get business cards with "Freelance Anthropologist" written on them. It might actually become a reality for me.

I am off to pick up Sara from the train station.

We're back...

...and we are exhausted. That was a mighty long way to go for a weekend. It was worth it, though.

The memorial service was very nice. Some warm memories of Sara's grandfather were shared.

I also got to meet some of Sara's family and see the others I had met before again. I enjoyed that.

It's hard to believe that this morning we were in Texas. It was warm (albeit very wet) there. The chilly air as we walked out of the airport here was a rude welcome back.

I am off to sleep. G'nite.

My thoughts are with the people of Madrid.

Yet another reason to plant a tree.

Did you see how bent out of shape the Republicans got after Kerry's comments about crooked liars...

Sometimes the truth hurts, doesn't it?

And how did they know that he was talking about them? From the clips I have seen there is no real reference about whom he is refering to. But I guess if the shoe fits...

Ok, I will stop with the tired cliches...

I dislike Thursdays. They are long days that are draining. Today was particularly bad because there were so many lose ends to tie up before we leave for Texas tomorrow.

I am trying to decide what work to take with me. Part of me wants to leave it all behind. Just let it be for a couple of days. I really can't. All those hours at the airport need to be used productively, at least a little.

I have been having very strange dreams recently. It is all the emotional comotion going on in both of our lives right now.

Stress - it will mess with your mind.

One recent dream: I was teaching a cooking class. It was entitled, "Cooking with Tripe". The main message I was trying to convey was, "You need to keep Tripe with Tripe." Yes, not everyone likes tripe (including me) so you don't want it mixing with any of the other dishes.

Yeah...right...whatever. Stupid subconscious...

Whenever I think I am going nuts, though, I just have to remember my current yoga teacher...now she is out there. I'll tell some stories sometime later. In anycase, I am not doing too bad.

Yesterday they cut down a tree that was in front of our house (actually more on the side - we live on a corner). The tree was very sick. On windy days, branches of it would fall on the street below. I was careful not to park our car there. It needed to be cut down. Still it makes me sad. Despite its failing health, it was hanging on. Every spring, a few branches would amazingly put out a few leaves. And every fall those leaves turned into some amazing colors. We won't see those few leaves reappear this spring. I feel like I should plant a tree somewhere sometime soon. The cycle of life...or so they say.

To all a good weekend and I will be back on Sunday...

I used the one of the words that kept popping in my mind the other in the title of the presentation I will be giving for my interview:

"New Faces, Indelible Images: Ideology and the Representation of Immigrants in Italian Public Discourse"

Now if I can only find a way to use the other one...

Also my travel dates are set: March 24-26. This is going to be interesting.

Day after tomorrow we are off to San Antonio, Texas for Sara's grandfather's funeral. We're back on Sunday.

I will be criss-crossing the country quite a bit over the next few weeks. And I am already tired...

Professionals

It has been an eventful career week in our household. Sara was offered a position (go on over there and congratulate her) and I was asked for an on-campus interview (last step before being offered a position).

Problem: Sara's job is in Boston and mine is in Kenosha, WI.

Now, I still have not been offered the job, so I may be getting ahead of myself.

Stay tuned.

Did you know...?

Today is Interantional Women's Day. In Italy men buy mimosas (a small yellow flower) for the women in their lives.

Some issues come to mind:

- This day is not even mentioned here in the US. Why? (Probably because of its socialist origins).
- Why just one day? Women deserve more, don't they?

In any case, to all the women out there, here is to your contributions to society, your struggles, and your future.

I admit that I am a card carrying member of the AAA and I fully endorse the statement below (you can see the original here):

Statement on Marriage and the Family from the American Anthropological Association

Arlington, Virginia;
The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association, the world's largest organization of anthropologists, the people who study culture, releases the following statement in response to President Bush's call for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage as a threat to civilization.

"The results of more than a century of anthropological research on households, kinship relationships, and families, across cultures and through time, provide no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies."

The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association strongly opposes a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to heterosexual couples."

Media may contact either of the names below:

To discuss the AAA Statement please contact: Elizabeth M. Brumfiel, AAA President (847) 491-4564, office.

To discuss anthropological research on marriage and family please contact: Roger Lancaster, Anthropologist, author, The Trouble with Nature: Sex in Science and Popular Culture , 2003 (202) 285-4241 cellular

For the Dogs

Sara and I went to the Pet Show at the Rhode Island Convention Center. I had gone several years ago. It was before we had a dog, but we were living with someone else who owned a Dachshund. The show was fun because they had numerous rescue leagues represented with lots of dogs to look at and play with. I also brought back numerous treats and dog related goodies.

I was looking forward to going and bringing our dog a bagful of surprises. The event was very disappointing. It was much smaller than in the past (yet it seemed much more crowded). We only got a handful of freebies. Maybe it is the poor state of th economy, I don't know.

There were a few rescues and we enjoyed seeing some of the rare breeds that were there (although I am a staunch believer in mutts, being a cultural mutt myself). We even saw some real to life xoloitzquintles. They are pretty ugly, but then again so am I. The ugliest dog, however, had to be the Neapolitan Mastiff. We also watched some of the agility exhibition. In the end it was just to chaotic and crowded, we ended up leaving. Not before we bought our own dog a bag of peanut butter cookies.

Maybe I will ask my Psychiatrist...

I often get songs or jingles stuck in my head. Sometimes I get words stuck in there too. Today I have two that keep popping up, I am not sure why.

They are:

Accoutrement and Indelible

Monks and Devils

You come across the strangest things when you are channel surfing. We only get the very basic cable: local television channels, all the home shopping channels, local access channels, and our one bonus is the Discovery Channel. To get from the Discovery Channel to the local networks you need to go through numerous local access channels as you surf.

One of the local access channels is some sort of local Catholic television. This usually airs some priest giving mass, nuns signing or praying, or the inside of some church somewhere. As I passed by the channel during a recent surfing episode, Sara and I caught a glimpse of a monk's talk show.

The monk was old, was wearing a gray robe, and had a long flowing white beard. The phrase we heard during the few seconds I stopped on the channels was, "Now I am going to play the devil's advocate..." [Flip]

I had to pause. Sara just looked at each other and then started laughing...It is not a phrase you expect a monk to say.

New Theory

My new theory is that our *friend* Osama has already been captured by US forces and he is being kept at an *undisclosed location* (with the vice-president keeping him company? Perhaps). He will be revealed as being captured at the most politically opportune moment. Statisticians have been intensely laboring to see the exact time when such a revelation will create the most fruitful bump in the approval ratings so as to help the president win re-election.

Do I really believe this? No. But I would not be surprised if it were true.

Gullibility

Why does it not surprise me to find this headline following this headline? I hope most Americans aren't that stupid to fall for it. Some aren't. But some are.

It's all so frustrating!

Here's something for good laugh

Your future occupation by meteoric
Your name
Your future occupation	Prostitute
Yearly income	$669,602
Hours per week you work	10
Education	Over 6 years of college
Created with quill18's MemeGen 3.0!

All I can say is that I must be pretty good at my job to make that kind of money and only work those few hours. I am not sure Sara will be happy with this future occupation.

[Found at Enigma's place.]

Yes, another quiz, such is the state of my mind...
This quiz turned out ok, I guess...


You are Allan G. Johnson! Surprise, you're a man!
You're also a radical man that talks about
patriarchy, male privilege, misogyny, gender
roles, and what the role of men in a feminist
movement should be. You're willing to call men
(including yourself) on privilege. We love you!


Which Western feminist icon are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

No Title

It has been a very long day and I am on my way to bed. Just a short note to say that I think the interview went as well as could be expected. I am not good in interviews and I am not good on the phone. It was also awkward because there were two people on the other end of the line on a speaker phone.

I did stutter and umed and ahed quite a bit, but I think I put forth a fairly accurate picture of myself and my abilities and I showed a genuine interest in their department. Now we wait and see.

Thank you once again to all of you offered words of support.

I have yet another busy day ahead of me tomorrow. Teaching fun! The problem is the reading for this week is deadly boring. I am sure many of the students have not done it. And I cannot say that I blame them. Time to get creative...Hmmm

By the way, there is a new - non-political - poll down below on the side. Check it out and vote!

Xolo's Dilemma

Yesterday I received two rejection letters for two postdocs that I would have really liked to have had. Now I have to quickly overcome that disappointment and be enthusiastic for a phone interview for a job tomorrow morning.

For the record:

Jobs 1*-4
Postdocs 0-3

*The one is the interview I have tomorrow.

Super Tuesday

It is the big voting day, but I am one of those numerous registered voters who will not vote today. Why? It isn't as much that I don't care or feel disenfranchized, it is more that there really isn't a reason to.

You see, I am registered to vote in California. For some reason I am registered with the Green Party. I cannot remember why I did this, but I did it when I was in college. It was either because I was adhering to my youthful environmental ideals or I was trying to impress a girl (if that was it, it definitely did not work). Whatever the reason, I never changed it. I will, once I know where I am living after I graduate and register there.

California has a closed primary and there is no one really to chose from on the Green ticket, so I just won't vote. If I were a registered Democrat, however, I am still not sure who I would vote for. Although, I think it is a foregone conclusion that the candidate will be Kerry.

Weekend

I spent most of the weekend writing syllabi for the university position for which I am being considered. In some ways it can be fun, but it is also draining. Doing more than one is truly exhausting. I am on number four today. This will be the last since they need to be sent today.

My office is a mess. Books and papers everywhere, blanketing the floor and my desk. Finding the right book or artile for each class is quite difficult.

As I worked, I turned on the television and paid vague attention to the Oscars.

Not one surprise. Or perhaps the fact that Lord of the Rings won everything it was nominated for could be considered a surprise. Everything else went as expected. I like it when the person no one has ever heard of wins.

A few other thoughts:

- Kudos to Tim Robbins who upon winning ended his speech with a social message, yet not the tired anti-war/anti-Bush one, but one against abuse.
- When will we see an Oscar go to an ugly actress playing a beautiful, glamorous woman, rather than a pretty face who uglies herself up?
- Not that I find those actresses pretty. I still fail to understand why society considers amaciated women who serve their fake breasts on a platter (most of those dresses last night did just that) attractive.
- Will the best actor Oscar ever go to someone not playing a character with a tormented soul or physical handicap?
- Does anyone care who wins the sound editing Oscar other than those receiving it?
- I need to get the soundtrack to "The Triplets of Belleville."

Ok, back to work on this last syllabi.

Snippets

Gay Marriage: yes.
The Passion: no.
Right for Gibson to make the passion: yes.
Need to make a fuss about it: no.
Oscars: probably not.
Land mines: no.
Patriot Act: NO!
Chocolate: Thank goodness!
Vacation: in desperate need.
Massage: also in high demand.
Super Tuesday: ho hum.
Bed time: yes.

The Perfect Partner

You know you are compatible with your spouse when the both of you are so tired you can only manage to speak in grunts and yawns, yet somehow you still communicate beautifully...

Example:
Him: Uhhh, [YAWN] rahr uhg to teh...
Her: [YAWN] Ya, gah ur geh tah....
Him: Urha dava rugh?
Her: Dah frumpa laag vaaah [YAWN]

Translation:
Him: I am tired, I think I am going to bed.
Her: Me too, I think I will join you soon.
Him: Are you coming now?
Her: Yeah, but I have to brush my teeth first.

Haiti

Our wonderful president would have us believe that he cares about the people of Iraq and thus *liberated* them. Yet he has not done a thing for the poor people of Haiti who in addition to living in extreme poverty and with an AIDS epidemic, now face a civil war and an anarchical society.

Right in our back yard to boot.

You gotta love his compassion and his Christian sense of charity.

Drivel at the end of the day...

The one thing I don't like about teaching: grading. There are a few short papers I am supposed to grade and hand back tomorrow. Have I done it? No. Am I doing it? Obviously no, since I am here instead. Am I going to do it tonight? Probably not.

Had a very busy day. Lecture, teaching two sections, busy work, a reception, and an *academic* dinner (that means a dinner with professors and scholars where you need to engage intellectually) on campus. It might sound stuffy, but it isn't really. It is actually interesting to see these nerdy academics socialize and hear some of the stories they have about each other. Best of all is the gossip from the academia. Hehe...Intellectuals can be catty and trashy as well.

Got some good news today. I have a phone interview for the job I mentioned yesterday. That is yet another step forward in the process. It will be next Wednesday. I am terrible on the phone, and I am not good in interviews. So the two together is not a good combination. Panic has not quite set in yet.

I am not terribly excited about Wisconsin, but there are worse places. Actually, I have never been to Wisconsin as you may recall from the states I have been to map I posted a while back (sorry, I am too tired and lazy to post a link as I should). I have been to Chicago (as you may recall from postings back in November - again dig in the archives if you wish and curse my laziness), which is about an hour away. I liked Chicago, but I don't know if it would be a place I would want to live in.

I am getting ahead of myself here. There are many more steps that I would have to take before I would have to decide about living in Kenosha. The interview and any subsequent steps that may occur will at the very least be a good learning experience.

This is all so draining, though. I just wish I did not have so many other things to do.

Freaky Coinsidence

I got a nibble on a job application yesterday. They requested letters of recommendation and syllibi for courses I would teach. I little step, but a forward one nonetheless. The school is University of Wisconsin - Parkside. Where is that, you ask? It is in Kenosha, WI.

I know, I know that is not a lot of help. Kenosha lies on Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Chicago, almost on the border with Illinois.

Back to my story. Like you I wasn't too sure where it was, so as I had David Letterman on the television late last night, I pulled out the atlas and I was looking it up when something freaky happened. Sara was flossing (of course) and she wandered out of the bathroom and into the living room. Right at the moment she walked in, I spotted Kenosha on the map, and on the Letterman show someone said that Saddam Hussein now works as a vending machine repairman in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Huh?

Letterman was doing a segment called, "Dictators: Where are they now?" that mock the MTV and VH1 shows about old rock stars. The segment, of course, was about Saddam. So that was the story they came up for him.

Sara stopped flossing and looked at me increduously. She asked, "Did they just say Kenosha, Wisconsin? And are you looking it up in the atlas? That is just too weird! You need to put that in your blog!" So here it is.

I must say, that was very bizarre. Just one of those strange cosmic conjectures.

Think Green

How big is your ecological footprint? Take the quiz and find out.

Mine is 16 acres, whereas the average in the US is 24 acres. It is still not good. If everyone on earth had such a footprint, we would need 3.7 earths to sustain it.

[Thanks to Bil for the link].

:- (

It's been a couple of days I'd rather forget. Bad news, bad energy, bad moods.

It's made me sad.

Look at the penguin below. Go Gay Penguin! [Of course Nader couldn't be outdone by a bird, so he jumped in the race as well - ah envy].

Politics Again

...but not the same old story. Here is a candidate I like.



GAY PENGUIN FOR AMERICA!!!

[Link via Greengrl]

Note the poll has been updated to reflect the changing field. Those of you who voted for candidates that dropped out, I placed your votes in the "not Bush column". If you object, email me or leave me a comment and I will adjust it accordingly.

Teaching

So what is the course I am an assistant in? Here is the brief course description found in the university catalogue:

CITY POLITICS
Bosses, reformers, states, bureaucrats, politicians, the poor, the homeless, and the citizen. An introduction to the major themes of urban politics.

It is one of the most popular courses at this university. Mostly because the professor is quite dynamic and entertaining. The reading load is a little heavy.

Questions

Can anyone honestly tell me clearly why gay marriage is a threat to heterosexual marriage? Can you do it without citing the Bible?

Why does society tolerate or ignore the kind of behavior that occurred at the University of Colorado? And why has it become a scandal just now? Does this happen at other universities?

I saw a Robin today. Is spring really near?

Does John Edwards really have a chance?

What film will win the Oscar? Does anyone care?

Do you anyone who has ever purchased anything because of a spam message they received? If you do, hit them.

What is your guilty pleasure?

Just thought I would ask...

Requests?

I am making homemade pizza tonight.

What woud you like on yours?

Find for Today

In my need for mellowing I found this ambient radio station hosted by MAGNATUNE.

It is a nice site with some great mellow music offerings (but not only). Artists get 50% of what you pay (which is up to you) when you download.

Just thought I would share.

Ah Yoga...

Had my first yoga lesson of the semester today. It was crowded and I liked the instructor I had last semester better, but this one will do. My body is tired, but happy.

I met with my outside dissertation reader today. He liked my draft and he had some very good and helpful suggestions. It is always good getting positive feedback and good constructive criticism.

I have agreed to teach and extra section for the class I am TAing (this is actually a verb among graduate students - meaning "working as a teaching assistant"). Yes, I will get extra pay...very much needed extra pay.

Sara got into Berkeley - YAY!!!! [We kinda knew it already, but it is always nice to get the letter with good news].

Going to Boston yesterday was tiring, but Sara and I had a nice dinner, we bought the books she needed for her class, and I actually got a lot of reading done while she was in class.

I am off to figure out what to cook for dinner...

Busy, busy, busy...

Yesterday: met with my advisor who gave me back my last chapter (said it was fine), did much scanning of images I discuss in the dissertation (many of them racist - from the Fascist period and from today), went to my monthly seminar on teaching (learned about using multi-media as pedagogic tool), took out all the trash, made corrections on that last chapter, and formatted the images I scanned.

Today: Lecture, TA meeting with professor, errands, drive up to Boston, reading.

Details:
After seven chapters there is an issue my advisor and I disagree on - it is not a big one, but disagreement nonetheless. I have to remember that I need to please him. He is the one who decides what goes in the dissertation. I can change it when I work on the book. I also seem to have annoyed him tremendously with a mistake a keep making with my grammar. Generally I write well, but I have some problems inserting commas where they do not belong and missing them where they do (this dirves Sara nuts). My advisor doesn't mind this as much. What irritated him was my using "that" where I should use "who". Example - the students that (who) study hard. Of course I do it in sentences that are more complex than that, but you get the idea. I think the problem stems that I construct such grammatical constructions in my
head, I do so in Spanish where there isn't such a differentiation. Or I am translating from Italian where the differentiation also does not exist. I have also discovered that British English writers tend to make that mistake as well. Since I went to a British school through 9th grade, that may account for it as well. In any case, I need to be more careful about that. I can't afford to irritate my advisor. Not this late in the game.
I find it amazing how the images of foreigners in Italy have changed very little beween the 1930s and today.

There is a fine line between using multimedia to teach and teaching so you can play with multimedia. I am not sure where that is.

I am signing up for Tai Chi and Yoga through the university's PE program. It will be good for me - physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Sara is still not feeling well and she has a make-up class in Boston late this evening. The class ends too late for her to take train/bus back, but she is also not well enough to drive back to Providence late. So I told her I would drive up with her. I will use the time when she is in her seminar to catch up on some reading and work on some applications.

By the way - the score is Personal Messages 2, Spam 0.

I am off to prepare for the busy day.

New Email

Ok, you crazy kids. There are some of you who are just dying to email me and have been utterly frustrated that you can't. So to placate you, I went ahead and got an email.

Go ahead, send me a message...

...I may even answer.

Oh, yeah, the address:

xoloitzquintle@hotmail.com

We'll see if I get a real message before I get spam. Probably not.

Randomness

I am feeling puffy today. Yes, I could stand to lose about ten pounds and get this body back into shape.

It is hard.

It is hard to go outside when it is cold again. At least I am walking to campus for the lectures and my sections. The dog also gets his daily walk. When it gets warmer, those walks will get longer.

And I need to eat less and healthier. But those sweets, I just can't resist. I seached high and low for some good chocolate cake...I had been craving it ever since writing it in Icelandic. Found some here. They have the best desserts in town. A place I need to stay far away from.

Enough complaining.

I have been exploring the various internet radio station that are preset on the iTunes player. There are several good ones.

A song came up that never ceases to make me smile: Day-O by Harry Belafonte. There are just certain songs like that: perfect for warming you up on a cold winter's day.

Peppermint tea is sitting here by my keyboard keeping me company.

Just like there are many things that I should be getting done, there are many things I could write about here. I don't seem to have the will for either. My guess is that I am still recovering from that flurry of words that traveled from my somewhere in my mind through my fingers onto the screen and eventually were transposed on to pieces of paper. Random thought: would that not be an interesting musical composition? The writing process - an idea is born, it is developed in the mind, it is discussed, researched, then it goes through the mechanical steps of being transformed from something abstract and fluid into something concrete and permanent. The tranformation uses the human body as a vehicle and the idea becomes a fixed and permanent entity that are found on the words printed on the page. If there is a composer that has done this, I am not aware of it.

The uncertainty of the future is troubling.

I got Korean take-out the other day. While I was waiting for my order, I picked up a Korean newspaper they had on the counter and began to look through it. I have always been fascinated by magazines and newspapers printed in other writing systems. What are squigles and characters to me have meaning to others. It gives you a sense of what it is like to be illiterate. But would I be thinking the same thoughts if I were illiterate? Probably not. The food was very good, by the way.

That's all for now.

Bad Luck Day

It is Friday 13th, bad luck day here in the US. I think the same goes for Canada and England.

In Mexico, however, the bad luck day is Tuesday 13th.

In Italy it is Tuesday 17th, which makes sense. Italians are always a little late (how's that for a good anthropological stereotype?!?).

Any others people know about?

Oops!

I have a section that I teach on Fridays at 9:00 am. This means I have to get up at about 7:00, which is about half an hour earlier than usual. My sleep pattern is such that it is pretty routine. It is rare for me to wake up more than half an hour before or after my usual wake up time, regardless of the time I go to bed. This is also partly an indication that for the past year or so, I have not really had to go anywhere on a regular basis in the morning. I have had to get up earlier to drive Sara to the train station once or twice a week for her commute to Boston. But I am digressing here...

Knowing that I had an earlier start than usual for this morning, I tried to set up things so that the morning routine would be easier. One of these was setting up the timer on the coffee machine so that coffee would be ready when I got up. When I went to wash the decanter, Sara was in the shower. Experience has told me, that it is not a pleasant experience for the showeree, if someone turns on the sink faucet. So I put off the washing of the decanter. And set up the rest: programmed the timer, filled the resevoir with water (from our water pitcher), ground the coffee beans and put them in the filter. Since Sara was still in the shower, I wandered off.

I have mentioned that I have been quite out of it since I turned in the draft, so it should come as no surprise that I never returned to the kitchen before I went to bed. This morning, after I got up, I noticed the dog was more eager than usual to make his way to the kitchen. As I approached the kitchen, I heard something dripping. Even before I saw the lake of coffee in the middle of the kitchen floor, it dawned on me what had happened. I had never gotten back to the kitchen to wash the decanter and place it in the coffee machine. The machine has one of those convenient plugs that lets you pour a cup of coffee while it is still brewing. It only works for a minute or so. Eventually the coffee backs up and oozes out of the top. This was, in fact, what it was doing, and a nice little brown stream was flowing across the counter, down the drawers, and onto the kitchen floor. I looked across the kitchen and there was the dirty decanter sitting by the sink. Rats!

I quickly washed it out, and placed it in the coffee machine. I guess I got it half way through the brewing, because I still got half a decanter of coffee. That was good because I needed some coffee while I cleaned up the mess on the counter and the floor.

The surprises were not over, however. At lunch time, when we went to get some chopsticks out of our silverware drawer, we noticed that there was a nice pool of tepid coffee inside. That was the extent of the damage. Enough for one day.

Sara was extatic that this happened. You ee, the same thing happened to her when we first met. Except that she set up the coffee in her morning stuppor (she is NOT a morning person), and forgot put the decanter in the machine and ended up with a coffee lake of her own. So one of the first gifts I got her was a coffee machine with a timer so she could set it up the night before when she was more awake (and her heart has been mine ever since). She claims that I tell everyone this story (which I don't think is true, although I am writing it here, so she is probably right) and now that it has happened to me, she thinks I will refrain from bringing it up.

Probably not.

By the way, while our dog likes a little bit of coffee in his dish and he loves to clean up spilled food on the kitchen floor, he did not seem all that interested in coffee lake. He was probably wondering what was keeping me from helping him complete his morning routine: go outside for his morning business and then get his breakfast.

Just thought about the date and put it together with this coffee incident. Well, if that's the worst thing than can happen, I will definitely take it.

Happy weekend everyone!

Real World Disorientation
I am still adjusting to my return to *real life*. It is something akin to coming out of a movie theater into daylight after watching an intense film. I feel startled, disoriented, and drained. I am starting to get my bearings just like your eyes adjust to the brightness of the day. But it takes time.

I am using my PDA again, which means that I need to remember that I need to be at certain places at certain times. There once is life for me outside of my home office. Nonetheless, I got to an appointment late yesterday because I thought it was at 2, when in reality it was at 1:30. Still adjusting.

Poor Sara is sick, and I think my body is fighting off the bug. Honestly, I did expect to get sick once I turned in my draft. The equation goes something like this: low immunity (from mental exhaustion) + abundant pathogens (from returning students from all over the country) + opportunity for contagion (from venturing outside of the confines of home) = sickness. I am doing my best to ward off the bugs: teas, vitamins, fruit, juices, zinc, sleep, and healing dances and songs (although Sara objects to these - I don't blame her, I am a terrible dancer/singer).

I need to get ready for lecture and then I have my first discussion section. No big plans for today...just get to know the students and let them get to know me.

Return to the Real World

I am off to the professor's lecture this morning for the class I am working in as an assistant. It is a good thing that this particular professor is one of the most entertaining and theatrical lecturers in the university. I have been a teaching assistant for this course before, so I have heard the lecture before. I like to study the professor, maybe learn something about presentation for when I have to lecture.

My sections start on Thursday. I have not taught for a while, so I think I am a little rusty. It is probably like riding a bicycle, so it should come back quickly. I hope I get some good students. Experience has shown that so much depends on the chemistry of the group. We'll see.

The weather is beautiful today. Too bad I need to sit in a windowless auditorium for two hours. Phhttt....

Congratulations to Sara!

She got a big fat envelope from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health today. I had to wait until she got back from Boston to confirm my suspicions, she was accepted to the Masters in Public Health program. It is, as they pointed out very clearly in their letter, the #1 program in the country.

Not only is Sara beautiful and sweet, she is also brilliant. Of course, I already knew that. I am just happy that the people at Hopkins were smart enough to recognize it too. So I guess they can still claim to be #1. I am so proud of my wife!

Where will I be?

I got the first bit of good news on the career front last week. I might have a phone interview for a postdoc at a small liberal arts college. That would be great. The problem, the location. Very rural and very isolated. I could do that for a year, but I know Sara will be somewhere else. There would be nothing for her to do there and she is already getting good news on her career options.

All I can hope is that this is just the first of many other good things to come.

In other news, I am still recovering. I can't take too much longer to recover, though. There is just too much to do!
I am still playing with the penguin. It is still entertaining.

The Return of Mucky Maize

You all probably know this already, but Corn Smut is back in business. If you haven't already, go over there and say hi!

Random Update

I turned my dissertation draft in yesterday. YAY!

It still needs an introduction, conclusions, bibliography, and probably some revisions. Step one is done, though.

Just to let you know what my state of mind is, I have found this grossly entertaining (Warning - do not click if you are an adamant lover of penguins) - thank you, Kristin. It is just the hours of entertainment that my feeble mind needed.

Speaking of Kristin, she linked to a band that plays Black Sabbath (Ozzie's old band) in Latin with medieval instruments. Some of you might find it amusing. The rest of you might put it in that "people who have too much free time on their hands" category.

Now I need to catch up with the rest of my life, which has been on hold for the past six weeks or so. Funny how quickly things pile up, isn't it?

We went to see Big Fish today. I liked it a lot. It was very quirky. One of those story-book movies that makes you smile, kinda like The Princess Bride.

I am going back to play with the penguin.

Can You Picture It?

I think recent spam has come up with a way to generate random words in the subject heading as a way to bypass filters. Usually it is utter nonsense, but today I got this one:

Subject: savant dachshund contextual ale

Too bad the spam wasn't for the beer that brilliant wienerdogs drink in specific situations! I might just have bought that.

More to say, but not until tomorrow. G'night.

Quick Notes

- Just finished Chapter 7, a 44 page behemoth. I need to proof-read it tomorrow. Then I can turn in the first draft on Friday. It's only a week and two days late. Of course, I also need to write the Introduction and Conclusions. But the 258 pages that are the main body of this dissertation are written. Pending revisions.

- Ughh. Just thinking about the dissertation exhausts me at this point.

- I have been described as a space cadet that has been zombified. That is probably an accurate statement.

- The Super Bowl was an example of why I don't really watch sports often. I get too invested in it and I suffer. I don't know why, but the adrenaline kicks in, my heart races, and I yell out in cheers or in disappointment (much to the annoyance of Sara). But the Pats won, so it ended well. I should be good until the next World Cup (soccer). Unless the Red Sox make a run at the World Series again.

- My body is in desperate need of exercise.

- Last night it sleeted and the streets were covered with a perilous sheet of ice. Not fun.

- I received a rejection from a job I applied for at the University of Colorado. That one hurt because Boulder seems like such a nice place to live and I thought I had a shot at it.

- Heimabakaða sjúkkulaðiköku means "home baked chocolate cake." I sure could use some of that right now.

- The new seasonal beer by Sam Adams, the White Ale (so new it is not on their website yet), is fantastic!

- I need a vacation.

GO PATS!*

It is always fun when the hometown (home-region?) team wins!

*In reference to the New England Patriots American football team that is playing in the Super Bowl (the final) today.