Testosterone-Charged Weekend

On Thursday, my dad, brother Jon, and brother-in-law Mike flew into town for what was billed as a ‘Guys-Only Weekend’, which is exactly what it was. We did all the stereotypical ‘guy’ things: the TV only showed sports or action movies; we consumed large quantities of barbecue, burgers, and beer; and, of course, the toilet seat was left up all weekend.

The highlight of the weekend (and the initial reason for the trip) was the annual grudge match between A&M and t.u. (as the University of Texas is pejoratively known here in Aggieland). The game turned out to be what we hoped it would be: competitive, exciting, down-to-the-wire football. The only downside was that the hapless underdog Aggies couldn’t pull of the upset–an upset that would have ruined t.u.’s otherwise perfect season. But we gave ‘em a good scare and actually looked like we belonged on the same field (something not many expected).

Aside from the football game, we enjoyed investing in each others’ lives: asking each other the tough questions, laughing, arguing, relaxing, etc. It was nice to have them around for a few days.

But I am glad that Barb has finally returned! And she has brought my sister Jessica with her (Mike is staying a little longer than Dad and Jon). So we’ll have a few fun days with them (Jessica has been looking forward to fiesting on Mexican food for the past few months), and then a couple more with Barb’s Uncle Abe and Aunt Eleanor, who come in on Saturday.

Which Muppet Are You?

I am Miss Piggy.

You are Miss Piggy.
You are talented and the center of attention. At least you’d like to think you are. You’re really just a pig.

FAVORITE EXPRESSIONS:
“Moi”, “Moi” and “Moi!”
LAST BOOK READ:
“Women Who Run With Frogs And The Frogs Who Better Wise Up Quick”

FAVORITE MOVIE:
“To Have and Have More”

DRESS SIZE:
If it’s expensive, it fits.

BEST FEATURES:
Eyes, eyebrows, eyelashes, nose, cheeks, hair, ears, neck, shoulders, arms, elbows, hands, fingers, legs, knees, ankles, feet, toes and so on and so forth.

SPECIAL ABILITIES:
Singing, Dancing, Directing, Producing, Writing, Starring, and Being Famous.

Surprised?! (How do they come up with this stuff?)

Which Muppet are you?

10 Days of Bachelorhood

Barb flew north today and will be spending the next 10 days visiting family and friends in Niagara. All this means that I’ll be on my own for the next 7 days and then joined by my dad, Jon (brother), and Mike (brother-in-law) for 3 days after that.

Barb has left me in good shape. She made massive amounts of food before she left and put it in the freezer, which means I’ll still eat pretty well. She also set everything out for the guys for when they come, which means I don’t have much to do to get ready for them.

I should be able to use the alone time to get significant amounts of work done. And this is a good time to do that. After meeting with Dr. Darby (my thesis advisor) earlier this week to discuss my 2nd chapter, it became apparent that it needed not just some revisions, but a complete rewrite. (I’m not surprised, though; this is how the process works.) The earlier draft is certainly not a waste, but it’s not ‘on target’ either. So, back to the drawing board this week. I should also be able to get most of my notes together for the next two chapters.

Anyway, I will certainly miss having Barb around, but I’m sure she’ll have a great time. (I’ll let her tell you about it.)

Ahead of schedule

I’ve been busy lately, which explains that lack of blogging, but it’s been rewarding. My original plan for the thesis was to write 3 chapters before Christmas, which would give me a near complete draft by then. Plans have changed—for the better. I’ve been on a writing tear lately and it looks like I’ll have 4 chapters written by Thanksgiving! This puts me about a month ahead of schedule. This means I’ll be able to get the first wave of revisions in before Christmas.

Also, the applications are ahead of schedule. Almost all the forms have been submitted online and all my statements have been written. The writing sample has gone through a number of revisions and is just about finalized.

Basically, all this translates into two things. First, being ahead of schedule with the drafting process means I can spend more time revising. This should only help the final product. Second, it means that I can slow down the pace a little. And the time is right for that. My dad, brother, and brothers-in-law will be coming down here for a long weekend in two weeks, followed by a visit from my sister Jessica and her husband Mike, and wrapped up with a weekend visit from Uncle Abe and Aunt Eleanor.

So, things are looking up for the rest of the term…

Love him or hate him…

… we saw him on Saturday. Who did we see? None other than George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States.

We were at the Aggies game on Saturday, milling around outside the stadium beforehand when all of a sudden people started to clap and cheer. I looked over about 20 feet to my left and there he was, Bush Sr. himself, accompanied by Barbara (in all her silver glory).

It’s not uncommon for him to show up around these parts. After all, his library is on our campus. The occasion this weekend was the ‘Tribute to Freedom’ conducted during halftime at the game, where Aggies who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq were honoured for the sacrifice.

The game was nothing to write home about, so I won’t. But we did see George H. W. up close and personal, which was an uncommon experience.