Friday, October 19

1) Today was the birthday of both my Grampa Dimmick and my loving cousin Susan. And I miss them both still.

2) A day of experiences: a) a man with a crutch (who may or may not have been drinking) fell flat on the sidewalk getting off the #1 bus, b) waiting for the campus shuttle and listening to an old lady yawping into her cell phone, I was surprised to recognize her as a colleague from almost 30 years ago, and c) coming home tonight I was very surprised to find someone sitting on our front steps smoking a cigarette. I greeted her "Good evening! Are you visiting some of the neighbors?" She replied "No, I'm just takin' a break." She said she lived up the street. I had never seen her before, and it was unclear what she was taking a break from. I told her "I'm sorry, but we don't keep the porch open for the public, and this is a non-smoking building. You'll have to leave." (I really was so taken aback - this has never happened - I hardly knew what to say.) And off she went in the direction of Washington Street.

3) I am for the moment very focused on this scene from The Devil Wears Prada: “And then call Natalie at Glorious Foods and tell her NO, for the 40th time, NO, I don’t want dacquoise, I want tortes filled with warm rhubarb compote.”


Wednesday, October 17

1) Frustrating communication day, as my personal email will not send outgoing mail because of some “syntactically invalid HELO argument(s),” whatever the hell that is. JUST SEND THE EMAILS!

1a) Opened a ticket with ye Lynyrpyges at 8:45 AM, and it is STILL open ten hours later.

2) This is one of those days when I have to wonder what on earth I’ve been doing my whole life.

3) I was given a copy of Stealing Rembrandts: The Untold Stories of Notorious Art Heists, which so far has been very interesting. So this puts me in the middle of three books simultaneously, including Victoria: A Life and White Trash.

Thursday Morning, October 4

1) Yesterday turned out to be a wonderful, impromptu office excursion for us all to get our flu shots! “Whaaaaaaat?!” you ask. After having gotten the flu for a whole week after my last flu shot several years ago, I just said “I am too busy to be sick for a week!” Then I was down with the flu for two weeks last spring (as you may recall). And my doctor gave me a stern talking-to, so I knew I’d be getting a shot this autumn.

1a) Colleagues were very proactive about all this. One printed out flu shot forms for anyone going to complete early, to save time. Another kept calling out the number of minutes until the campus shuttle was supposed to get there. I think from our end of the floor about six people were on the shuttle, along with some others.

1b) The Great Big Flu Shot Clinic had been set up in ye Wylker Memorial, and a colleague timed us waiting in line for 28 minutes. It passed quite pleasantly with a whole clutch of people to talk and joke with!

1c) I could not roll up the sleeve of my dress shirt high enough for the nurse, so I had to undo everything from the top down so she could “go in from the top.”

2) Lots on the calendar today: the opening of mit.nano in the afternoon, and then a cocktail party on Newbury Street, and then dinner with a friend.

3) I’m trying not to let the fact that it’s already October get to me.

Sunday Morning, September 30

1) I’ve been up since 6 AM (quite naturally and by choice), drunk half a pot of coffee and written and published a column . . . and I’m ready for my nap.

1a) But I got that column published before 11 AM, so it’s a good day.

2) It’s worth noting that this year my birthday falls on National Chocolate Day.

3) This morning’s devotional included Matthew 6. A friend online once told me that the whole Book of Matthew was like the most poetic wisdom ever received. I thought that was such a great description.

3a) Whereas today’s C.S. Lewis made me say “Gurrrrlllll, you are overanalyzing this thing!”

Friday Afternoon, September 28

1) Quote of the Day: “An evil soul producing holy witnessis like a villain with a smiling cheek, a goodly apple rotten at the heart.” — William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

1a) This courtesy of my Shakespearean Insult a Day calendar, one of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received (and this from Oldest Nephew Who Must Not Be Tagged).

2) A gray day requires rainbow umbrellas.

3) Over the last few weeks I’ve tried to institute a weekly review period on Friday afternoon, to clear the decks and prepare for the week ahead, and it really helps.

Friday Morning, September 28

1) I’d made sort of an informal New Year’s resolution to get more comfortable with uncomfortable conversations. It’s not working.

2) Thinking of yesterday’s hearing, and the fact that National Coffee Day is tomorrow (on the internet, anything can be a holiday), a new response to an old meme came to my mind: “I like my coffee like I like my men: ethically sourced.”

3) This weekend is the first two-day weekend at home in six weeks, and to the extent possible I intend to be a hermit!

3a) It hasn’t all been drudgery; the first three of those six weekends were beach weekends at the home of friends. Then a rare work trip to DC, then a one-day memorial service at the office, and last week’s conference on Saturday.

Thursday, September 27 - Quotes of the Day

1) From Hamlet: “O Hamlet, speak no more! Thou turn’st mine eyes into my very soul, And there I see such black and grainèd spots As will not leave their tinct.”

2) From Soapdish: “I was very young then!” “Not anymore, babe.”

3) Actually, that’s quite enough, don’t you think?

Wednesday Evening, September 26

1) Met a colleague for drinks after work at ye Cytylystte, which I always enjoy - and don’t do nearly enough of.

2) Apparently that was during the time of only the President’s second press conference in less than two years, and it sounds like it was a complete embarrassment for the nation.

3) Walking home past the high school I looked up and stopped dead in my tracks - completely smitten by the beauty of the full moon with clouds between the stadium lighting. Simply beautiful - but we can’t put our faith in the inconstant moon.