L and I depart for France in less than 24 hours. Unfortunately Kinkos printed his poster badly and now he has to go back and have it redone. In Kellyland, I'm finally packed. I'm a totally obsessive packer and an obsessive overpacker. I know it's going to be warm and beautiful but I have to remind myself that I don't need 4 long shirts "just in case" - one will do just fine. So I packed, unpacked, tried on my clothes again, and repacked. The benefit of this system is that I managed to eliminate 30% of what I packed the first time, and I feel confident about my choices. The drawback is that I also feel like a total lunatic and wish I could have done it all in one fell swoop.
I've got the travel book, pocket dictionary, Harry Potter in French, and my knitting. My plan for the plane is to make some bedtime tea (bringing the bags with me, per reallytiny's suggestion), start to read in French and pass out. If that doesn't happen, I have a new novel, knitting projects, and whatever crappy movie they're playing. If I really wanted to guarantee instant slumber I'd drag some big tome of European Economic History along for the ride, but I think I'll save the bag space.
After France it's to NJ for 12 hours and then to Montana for my middle brother-in-law's wedding.
I'll try to blog occasionally and post pictures of my travels.
À bientôt!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
End of the Quarter
Today I turned in all of my grading and evaluations for Spring 2008. I am done with Imperial Russia, and all of Russia for a while (although the prof wants me to TA for Soviet History in the fall). The grades fell along the patterns of Russian society: a small elite, no middle class, and a large peasantry. We had 7 As, 12 B's, 12 C's, 2 F's, 2 passes and an incomplete. I guess weh have a slightly bigger "middle class", but these are the least inflated grades I've ever given. Sad, isn't it? But there is something about Russian history that really sifts the student's work into easily definable categories of A, B, C, and lower (there were many of them too, especially on the midterms).
In happier, crafting news: I finished Knitting Rogue! She's blocking over night and I'll be able to start the seaming tomorrow. I noticed that one sleeve is an inch or two longer and an inch wider than the other, but I'm hoping to block them to the same length. I'm too lazy to go back and re-do one of the sleeves. I'm ok with an imperfect first sweater.
Since then I've cast on for Tempting (I'm using Valley Farms merino/alpaca blend called Lenox in a blue) and will also cast on for Calorimetry (Manos of Uraguay in a variegated purple). I plan to take Calorimetry and the Irish Hiking Scarf along on my upcoming trip as they are both easy, small projects.
Speaking of which, L and I leave for France on Monday! We'll be in Nice with Sandychile for a week, then onto Marseilles, and then to Montana for my BIL and Lily's July 5th wedding. I'll try to post from Franc,e but seeing as how I hardly post from here, we'll see if it happens.
So my goal for the summer is to post once or twice a week. My other goal for the summer is to run more regularly and I've already started that, so blogging more regularly is my second task.
Overall, it's been a really tough but good year. I look back and I'm sort of amazed at what I've done in the past 9 months (read a ton, 1st conference presentation, organized a conference, QE'd, and didn't go crazy or eat the town of SC completely out of its chocolate supply). I'm looking forward to vacation with my SO to a place that doesn't involve in-laws or family (at least not our own), and I get to co-teach a course. Of course I have to start on my dissertation... but one step at a time.
In happier, crafting news: I finished Knitting Rogue! She's blocking over night and I'll be able to start the seaming tomorrow. I noticed that one sleeve is an inch or two longer and an inch wider than the other, but I'm hoping to block them to the same length. I'm too lazy to go back and re-do one of the sleeves. I'm ok with an imperfect first sweater.
Since then I've cast on for Tempting (I'm using Valley Farms merino/alpaca blend called Lenox in a blue) and will also cast on for Calorimetry (Manos of Uraguay in a variegated purple). I plan to take Calorimetry and the Irish Hiking Scarf along on my upcoming trip as they are both easy, small projects.
Speaking of which, L and I leave for France on Monday! We'll be in Nice with Sandychile for a week, then onto Marseilles, and then to Montana for my BIL and Lily's July 5th wedding. I'll try to post from Franc,e but seeing as how I hardly post from here, we'll see if it happens.
So my goal for the summer is to post once or twice a week. My other goal for the summer is to run more regularly and I've already started that, so blogging more regularly is my second task.
Overall, it's been a really tough but good year. I look back and I'm sort of amazed at what I've done in the past 9 months (read a ton, 1st conference presentation, organized a conference, QE'd, and didn't go crazy or eat the town of SC completely out of its chocolate supply). I'm looking forward to vacation with my SO to a place that doesn't involve in-laws or family (at least not our own), and I get to co-teach a course. Of course I have to start on my dissertation... but one step at a time.
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