it's awfully rainy outside

it's a miserable spring day here in england. dark and drizzly. perfect for keeping me hunched over my desk, typing away at a chapter and sipping mint tea. once i finish this chapter (please god let it be this week!), i'll be half done with my doctorate. ok. that just means half done writing it. the editing process will be horrific. but i'll burn that bridge when i come to it.

to cover the pitter-patter of raindrops on my windows (a sound that makes me long to nap), i'm listening to dar williams and a wonderful mixed CD that julie-marie made for me. both are making me smile but also reminding me how much i miss you all. i can't wait for july in san francisco.

i had all sorts of interesting things to say this morning when i woke up. they've left me now, so i'll revert to rants about current affairs.

1) i simply cannot believe that the conclave picked cardinal ratzinger to be the new pope. at the same time, i think if any office can change a person for the better, it's the papacy. i wouldn't be able to sleep, worrying about all those souls under my care.

2) speaking of boats, i got the model yaght to st louis safely. i even wore a white collared shirt on the journey, and managed not to get it dirty at all. i did, however, spend a hefty amount on taxis and sky-caps. my dad took one look at the box and said, "UPS can take that the rest of the way to spokane." i'm glad we're not farmers or anything.

3) speaking of farmers, i'm about to finish the most boring novel ever written: knut hamsun's growth of the soil. yes, i love it. yes, it makes me cry. no, i don't recommend reading it.

4) speaking of books, i'm counting down the days to harry potter 6.

5) speaking of potter, i want to hear all about julie's weird dark side of the moon-esque harry potter thing.

6) speaking of the wedding (see number 2, above), the wedding last weekend was wonderful. and i didn't get a nosebleed at this one (though i am wearing the nosebleed sweater from that JVC wedding as i type. it's become my lay around the house sweater, a must for any graduate student). apparently my toast was quite good. i don't remember it. because i was nervous, not because i was drunk.

7) speaking of nervous, i should get back to work.

love you all,
A

the most exciting thing ever

Ok, well maybe not really the most thing, but it is right up there with sex, chocolate chips, spring and of course Harry Potter! I am talking about the Wizard People. This artist, in New York I think, put together a spoken word performance that coincides with the first Harry Potter film. You watch it like you would watch the Wizard of Oz and the Dark Side of the Moon. So currently, I am downloading the soundtrack. Anyone interested in a July viewing?

love you all. can't wait to watch this with you. i'll probably have to do a pre-screening without you all...sorry. i'll make sure it's worth it though.

good luck with the advisor a. and with the boat. that's a tough one.

love, j

the lazarus of blogs

anyone else remember that scene in lamb in which jesus raises lazarus from the dead, but he's kinda stinky, and biff remains unimpressed? me too.

confession: at this very moment, i'm using the blog to avoid doing my work. i'm meeting with my supervisor tomorrow at noon to submit the 3rd body chapter (of 6) of my dissertation. only problem is that the dang thing is only about a quarter done. so my plan is to take care of other things, and then just give him the section that's written with a detailed outline of the rest of the chapter. maybe that will trick him into thinking i'm a conscientious and responsible graduate student. HA HA HA.

anyway, then wednesday morning i'm getting up at 4 am to get a taxi to get a bus to get a plane to st louis, MO for my friend brandon's wedding. i'm best man and haven't written my toast yet. i wish you were here, shannon, to help me.

the whole trip to the middle of the country would be less amusing if i weren't dragging a model yacht along with me. one of my dad's friends collects, yup, model yachts. he bought one on Ebay and asked me if i wouldn't mind bringing it back to the US for him. thinking it was the size of, say, a large squirrel or small dog, i said it would be no problem.

the model yacht arrived last week. the box it's in is 55"×18"×18". yes. that's big enough for me to fit into it if i bend my knees a little. and it weights about 60 lbs. now imagine me dragging that and a wheely bag through the two busiest airports in the world. oh, that's right: i'm flying from heathrow through o'hare to st louis. i love my life.

i do wish i'd scheduled a couple days in chicago, though. it would be great to see bern.

ok: enough typing. time to...eat.

love you all. see you soon?

anthony

the dying blog

y'all are letting the blog die a slow and painful death. it is similar to my present situation. i got some sort of horrible cold that began in my lungs, migrated to my head, and then dissapeared almost entirely, but left me with a fever. so it's 60 degrees outside, and i have spent the afternoon in a 2 and a half hour nap, and have ridiculous amounts of work that i need to attend to. i may be screwed for the end of this semester. we'll see.

still no full summer plans, but i am going to israel for ten days at the beginning of june, and i will find out friday if i can finagle that into some research with a bit of monetary compensation. wish me luck. when is our reunion again? july?

i miss you all, but have to say i'm happy to be in isolation for the next 3 weeks, attempting to get healthy and attempting to get work done.

love, julie