b l o g o s

this doesn't bode well.

Today is the first day of my sabbatical, and as I just wrote to a friend, I'm celebrating by meeting with two of my graduate students. But these are exceptions: one is about to leave the country for the semester, and the other, dissertating while gainfully employed, is in town for a spell. And the meetings aren't at a campus location. Even so, my friend agrees with my admission that I ought to be flogged.

I did, however, sleep in and have managed a morning of uninterrupted work on a little piece for CCC due next month. And last week I declined two requests for meetings and one rec request, pleading sabbatical for all. So maybe there's hope.

obsessive much?

This week OFL has been staffing the stacks entry station. On Wednesday, she looked at my i.d. card and said "oh yes, it's Mona Lisa smile again," referencing our last conversation. As I cranked through the turnstile today, she held on to my i.d., staring at it. Then she drew a deep breath: "If you ever get your new i.d., you should see if you could save that picture." She made careful scissor motions with her fingers around the blurry shot. I told her I'd save it for her, and I was a little surprised when she looked at me like I was such an idiot and handed it back to me.

"No," she said, "you need to give it to your mother. We love those kinds of things." I didn't bother to mention that MY mother prefers photographs with discernible images. Instead I returned the sympathetic look from the other librarian who has to work with her all. day. long.

a recommendation

If you like watching "The Office" (American edition), then you might like this novel. I was just reading it at the gym and discovered that suppressed laughter throws off one's balance like a mofo.

Here's just a little taste of what I'm talking about, from p. 36 (so no spoiler):

A fun thing to do to let off steam after layoffs began was to go into someone's office and send an email from their computer addressed to the entire agency. It might say something simple like "My name is Shaw-NEE! You are captured. Ha! I poopie I poopie I poopie." People came in the morning and read that and the reactions were so varied.

Salve for the 18th-century prose addled brain.

the whir of work

As I just wrote to one of my advisees, today must have been the day that academics collectively rebooted their computers and refilled their planners and started circulating work and news of work. I think I am a guilty party in at least one instance, probably more. Here is the breakdown, Harper's style:

59: the number of emails that came in today (to my university account only)

8: the number of emails that came in last Monday

11: the number of people I helped today with RSA conference registration, membership etc.

1: number of those people who were grouchy pants

10: the number of people I helped with RSA matters in November and December combined

0: number of those people who were grouchy pants

1: the number of things I wrote on each month (through May) in my 2008 calendar today [including, hooray, Dublin in April.]

3: the number of fresh deadlines that will rattle around in my brain as I go to sleep tonight.

Yep, the holidays, they are over.

All the emails pinging about made it a liiitttle difficult to resume reading for the  eighteenth-century project, but I suppose there's always tomorrow. Or maybe I'll just turn off the ping box and tuck my calendar away.

animals and politics

While cleaning out my office today, I found this little gem, which I'm sure I meant to blog back when I stumbled on it in some crazy search.

a real break

From mid-December to yesterday, I took the longest break from work that I can remember. The most I did was piddly email stuff. Didn't crack an academic book; didn't do any journal reviews; didn't step into the library; didn't write any rec letters. Instead, I did some home improvement and reorg projects, read a couple of novels, made lots of spinning cds, did a fair bit of cooking and baking, and hung out with good friends. It was a very good break.

Today I started easing back in: reviewed a journal article, wrote two recommendation letters, had coffee with a colleague, and then stopped by the gym on my way home to work out. This evening T joined JM and me for our favorite Friday tradition: yellow fin tuna and guinness at our favorite Urbana bar. We celebrated the arrival of JM's anthology and T's return from the northwest, hooray.

Easing in on a Friday isn't a bad idea, as it turns out. Monday I might even pay a visit to my library carrel.

animal costumes, choreographed cycling, shimmery blue eyeshadow, and sparkly tights

what more could you ask for in a music video?

what was the last food you put in your mouth in 2007?

Here's my answer: a grape. Actually, twelve grapes, following the custom of N, our stunning hostess last night, who made an exquisite meal of stuffed chicken and butternut squash gratin.

Just before the grapes, it was a sliver of chocolate gateau, a dense flourless mousse cake with a layer of pastry cream in the middle and chocolate glaze on top. It took all day to make. Yum.

Happy new year, everybody.