My brother's girlfriend won airline tickets at some sort of work function, so they decided to go to Portland for a week. One of their activities today (and probably tomorrow, and possibly the next day at various points) was to go to Powell's City of Books. Which he texted me about.

brother: In the rare book room...
me: Ooh, how rare? What does ( Read more... )

I'm coordinating Christmas presents for my parents with my brother and his girlfriend ( Read more... )

For this to make sense, it would be helpful to remember that my father works with international students, and that he and my mother will be going to various countries in Asia in a few months. He's going to be part of a wedding in Hong Kong for two of his old students, and then they're going to visit lots of other people ( Read more... )

My trip to visit my parents went great, and now I'm back in Florida, where I am supposed to be studying German. I really will study tomorrow. My independent study work is all turned in, and I should be meeting with my adviser to discuss dissertation topics sometime in the next few weeks ( Read more... )

When I taught high school history, I tried to make sure that my students were absolutely clear on one topic (amongst many): trying to take over the world is a really bad idea, especially if it involves invading Russia in the process.

Apparently my brother disagrees. (Although he probably agrees with me about Russia).

brother: I have reached the ( Read more... )

My parents sent me a cookbook that deals with food allergies in a package along with birthday presents. Yesterday I made Shrimp Creole, which was delicious, so I called my parents to tell them that ( Read more... )

1. my friends ( Read more... )

My brother and I frequently use instant messenger to make ridiculous lists. This one was originally meant to address the fifteenth century, but we seem to have wandered into the sixteenth as well.

Ethan: I want to make an Everything I Know I Learned from 15th c. Monarchical Courts [list].
( Don't hire anyone you like as a wine-taster, Eyebrows are optional. )

Apparently today is a day for several short, random posts.

But! In case anyone who reads this likes to knit (or crochet, etc.), I suggest that you join ravelry! I've been on for a while (I'm colorwheel there, in case you wanted to find me), and they have lots of great FREE patterns along with those for sale by designers. I got a (free!) pattern ( Read more... )

I've been using a non-gluten baking mix while I was doing this allergy diet thing, and my mother sent me a recipe for making a non-gluten flour mix. I'd made chocolate chip cookies with the bought mix, and figured that the one I made would work just as well. How wrong I was. My brother called up while I was mixing the cookie batter, but before I'd ( Read more... )