Evil home stereo

what good songs do you know?

So another holiday done. I passed the day trying to keep busy. It was warm here so I worked in the garage, doing some fix-it stuff, piddling. I'm glad for it to be over; I'm hoping in the future holidays will be nice again instead of another reminder of what is lost. Yes, another excuse for me to be all bah humbug. Enough of that..

So these last two weeks of work have been very nice in that there is nothing too pressing I have to do and I have some vacation time to burn so I've been doing half-days and taking days off without compunction. Plus there's no one here on campus or really in this building so it's not like I'm missing anything. (Though yesterday I left early because there was this creepy facilities guy who was hanging out by the elevator and who gave me the serial killer vibe -- I figured if there's one place you don't want to be, it's in your office in a deserted building with a guy who has keys to all the doors. I rarely get that feeling from the fac guys around here but because there wasn't really anyone around, I didn't want to second guess my unease). I may not even come in tomorrow or Fri. I'm really going to have to get psychologically prepared to NOT work and not feel guilty about not coming to the office (by the way, that one post where I said I was losing my email of 6 years? Well, I worked out a situation here where I'm an affiliate so I won't be losing it, plus I get to keep this office for next semester -- all that deleting and fretting for nothing!).

I do have several projects I'm still working on and things I need to do for collaborative work, but since I'm not getting paid, I am not obligated to come in at all..I can do most of that stuff at home. So it will be kind of weird. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to my sabbatical and time off. I've been itching for it for awhile now and ready to savor it. It's just a matter of getting out of the mindset of 'work', you know, and all the accompanying feelings of obligation/responsiblity/guilt. I've pretty much gotten there, but it will certainly be an adjustment.

What else? Oh, you know what a tool whore I am so for Xmas, my dad sent along a gift card for Home Depot (motto: "A Lesbian's Second Home") and I bought the final two pieces that should complete my workshop -- a compound miter saw and a belt/disc sander. I'm all ready to woodwork your ass, mmkay. That's right, don't mess with me and my miter saw because we will cut you. So I'm finishing up my second Adirondack chair (really just need to finish a little sanding then put it together and stain it). I do have another project on the horizon, though. My friends asked me to install window casings in their house so I will be compound mitering like a fool. I installed some of these casings in our own place so it shouldn't be too hard, I'm looking forward to it. I'll probably look for these little fix-it things that friends need done while I'm off just to keep busy. Will work for beer!

Finally, I bought two new books (one on the rec of Renee) and started reading them...not like I don't have enough to read, but I like variety. So I'm reading The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene. It's good so far and I'm enjoying it (aside: in high school, I was a big science geek and loved chemistry etc. However, in my senior year, I decided to take Astronomy instead of Physics - against the advice of the teacher who taught both. What can I say? I was concerned about the calculus involved and math wasn't my strong suit back then. Now, I wish I had taken both. Of course, if I knew then what I know now, I'd have taken all kinds of different shit in high school and college..but no need to regret the path taken, we all get where we're supposed to go in the end).

I'm also reading The Physics of Consciousness by Evan Harris Walker. There's a fair amount of overlap in the two books and the only thing irking me about the Walker book is his focus on some long lost love of his from when he was 16. I'm assuming he will draw it together and make a point further down the road, but those parts of the book seem a tad self-involved. I'm interested in the idea of what happens to energy associated with a person when they die (after all, we are made up of atoms of electricity that *must* go somewhere when our bodies cease their complex processes; where does it go? what new matter is created from death?) so I think he might ultimately get to that..or at least I hope he does. (Actually, Renee, I think you mentioned The Tao of Physics and instead I got to this book..hmm) At any rate, I'm interested enough to keep reading so we shall see.

Look at me go on. Carly would be proud (by the way, I heard that song AGAIN yesterday while in the garage. I swear, someone programmed Kansas City radio to play that song every day. I just find that too weird. And another
strangely-inappropriate-song-played-during-the-holidays I've been hearing is Alanis Morrisette's "You oughta know". Because nothing says Christmas like Alanis going down on you in a theater).

Ok, I'm outta here. I'm staying in town for the bball game tonight, I'm glad I've been able to make it to as many games as I have. I had forgotten how fun it is to see it live. (Plus the coach is hot and that's enough for me..yeah, shallow but true).

Peace out.


Well see what you wanna see. You should see it all.
Well take what you want from me. You deserve it all.
Nine times out of ten, our hearts just get dissolved.
Well I want a better place or just a better way to fall.
But one time out of ten, everything is perfect for us all.
Well I want a better place or just a better way to fall -- Modest Mouse