Back from SoCal

S had a SWA credit she had to use by the end of the year and further demonstrated her sweet nature by using it to buy tickets for L, I and herself to fly to SD for MLK (ha! a veritable alphabet soup). We spent a very nice 3 days at my Dad and stepmom's place on Coronado. We went to the beach, hiked in Torrey Pines, went dancing, cooked, and drank a lot of really good wine. The weather was absolutely beautiful (high 70s), and it felt like a little piece of summer. I'm still not 100% back to work, but I hoping the break has left me refreshed and refocused. I have a conference paper to write/finish and one more grant app, and then I can turn to my dissertation work. I'm almost there - just a little bit more to go.

And in other news, we have a new president. I like the guy, I really do, but I'm concerned about the pedestal he has been hoisted up on and the cult of personality that is developing. They were selling I Heart Obama t-shirts in the San Diego airport. 1) San Diego is a conservative military city, 2) it's the freakin' airport, and 3) I've never seen anything like this with any other elected American official. It reminds me of the Britney Spears obsession of the late 90s and early 2000s. I just hope Obama can do what he needs to do and handle the pressure. I really don't want to see him in a LA tattoo parlor getting lips tattooed on his wrist, shaving his head, and then going after the paparazzi in his best Batman's the Penguin impersonation. He's not perfect, he's just a man (a smart one, but still just a man). I think he's the best man for the job, but I also hope people realize the incredibly difficult job he's undertaking, that he's not going to solve any (much less all) of the world's problems in the first month in office, he's going to make mistakes, and he needs time. I'm always concerned of head over heels googly-eyed love, this this is the worst case I've seen of it since Middle School.

And in knitting news: I know I need to update my WIP tool bars, I also need to post some new pics. I finished my cherie amour sweater (and wore it to ReallyTIny's place on Thursday night), and have started a new sweater called Pink, in green. This is my first attempt at a top down raglan with bust shaping. I'm at the "bust point" and so far so good. Enough room for the bazoomgas, but not so much room I'm swimming. now I have to figure out how to star the decreases in such a way that I don't have bust darts literally making a direct bee line to my bust points. All for post-paper completion.