A billion years

So it's been a while since my last post, and for that I am regretful, although I was kind of in the dumps for a bit there (oh ye dissertation of great pain and agony!), so it's probably better that I didn't share. In the meantime, a few tidbits, here and there, of the past few months.

1. I am currently in the Lakewood Public Library, an independent library about 15 blocks from my house. It was recently renovated, and it is absolutely gorgeous. I'm here because my trusty Dell, which was never really that trusty, has failed once again, and is currently in the Dell hospital, hopefully being shocked into remission. Uniquely, its absence has made me far more productive on several realms. No longer faced with facebook and hulu in the evenings, I come to the library to dissertate and then annotate at home on a typewriter. Yes, I am stuck in the 19th century, but sometimes, when the thought or inspiration or motivation hits, take advantage! Progress is being made, and I hope to defend on October 3. That's the new plan anyway.

2. New York! I went to NYC to visit Sonia Plant a week after inductions. It was magical and lovely and magical and lovely, with just enough lovely weather, snarky hipsters, flower stands, delicious food, Sonia, and other old friends to make it still ring clear in my mind as a magical time and place. Just lovely. Visiting Elise, Sonia, et. al. also inspired me to pair down a bit - they live with so little because they just don't have the space (because it is SO expensive), that I decided that my crammed-full 1200 square feet must be cleaned out. I am making progress and it is good.

3. Inductions were great. I met lovely people (above all Daryl McDaniels of Run-DMC and Elizabeth Kucinich of Dennis Kucinich fame) and worked my ass off. The show was great, the after party great, and the after-after party...I'm too old for this! Regardless, I am looking forward to November's American Music Master's, which is a huge program that my department is in charge of, where I met Les Paul and Lenny Kaye last year. Woo!

4. Spring has sprung and it is just beautiful! I still miss the heat heat HEAT of Austin, but seeing the neon green of trees and flowers and plants just burst on the scene in full force is pretty damn cool. I run the Madison Marathon next week and couldn't be more excited to see Michael and Julia and Mary. Hooray!

5. Did I mention that I want to defend in October? That means getting it done by August, working on the draft, and turning it in by September. Whoa. We'll see if it can be done. ;)

6. I head to San Diego in two weeks for the IASPM conference, then to Mexico City in November for my birthday and the SEM conference and Thanksgiving and then to Spain for Christmas. Hooray!

And so, a billion years later, she writes a slightly more interesting blog.