My mom, dad, sister, and I celebrated Christmas with my mom's side of the family, since most of my dad's side of the family is a) extended, b) scattered throughout the States and the world, c) actually kinda religious. Whereas my mom's side of the family is Jewish, so we just get together for Christmas as an excuse to see one another, eat tons of ( Read more... )

I'm kinda out of it--I blame environmental factors as well as not enough sleep. Plus it's just jarring to readjust in some ways... but in others, it's good to be here ( Read more... )

While I was in California, my mom only mentioned her desire to have grandchildren three times. I told her I'm on the five-year plan: I finish my Ph.D. and go on the job market in the next 2-3 years, and then I land a cushy tenure-track professorship and get my first book on its way to being published in the 2-3 years after that, and then I can ( Read more... )

This past long-weekend trip to Napa Valley was one of the best vacations ever, for reasons which I shall recount below.

Okay, I'll be nice and LJ-cut it. Highlights included:
-Easter: I ated it
-THE FRENCH LAUNDRY-wine reviews ( Read more... )

My trip to California was, as usual, busy and overbooked (i.e. not enough sleep was had) though overall wonderful. lordlothair put up with fresh seafood and my kooky family, and he was rewarded with shopping at The Shrine, Necromance, and Amoeba Music (not that I just stood around and watched... I got phat loot too!). We also hit Bar Sinister, which has ( Read more... )

That was quite the whirlwind trip ( Read more... )

Regarding the title of my last post, I did not intend to imply that I've taken a vow of silence or anything. I simply haven't felt like I've had much to say worth posting to LJ. I may have been a tad hermit-ed up during my stay here in L.A., despite the occasional fun&frolicking, but mostly it's been balancing my time between academic work and ( Read more... )

First, there is a serpent in me. I know this sounds crazy--or like the old legend where someone swallows spring water and a snake grows in her belly--but let me explain ( Read more... )

It's true, sometimes I think to myself, "Do I really have to go teach my dance class? It's so cold and icky out. Maybe nobody will come and I can just go home." I know, these are awfully selfish and uncharitable thoughts. I admit that I was thinking something similar to those thoughts tonight, but then I had an AWESOME time with my three students ( Read more... )

I am possessed by a sudden desire to read James Clifford's anthropological musings on borderlands, Routes: Travel and Translation in the Late Twentieth Century. My ethnography prof heavily pimped this book during the past semester, and now that I find myself immersed in routes and roots, I hunger for more ( Read more... )