Meanwhile, 10 months later.

So clearly I have not been inspired to keep up with this blog about summer in Indiana, PA, since I came back home to San Francisco, CA. Keeping up with Nings, Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader- so much information, so much social media fatigue.

But now that my cohort are back in Indiana for the summer, along with my friends from last year's cohort, along with newly minted summer student High School Writing Center Rockstar, I am feeling a little wistful about not being there this summer. Last summer was hard for a number of reasons having little to do with Indiana, other then their lack of fava beans, and more to do with California, but this summer feels different. I am glad I don't have to be there the whole summer but ... I am looking forward to visiting.

Anyway, in the spirit of camraderie and whatnot, I am going to keep this blog going this summer.

So far, it has looked like this photo.

meanwhile, 2 weeks later

Well, folks, I have been back home in SF for two weeks now, and have been working on making up for all the sushi I could not eat over the summer.

The first week back was technically vacation, but apparently I have turned into one of those people who has to be doing something, or rather, can only do nothing for maybe a day. So, I spent that week sleeping in, going to work for a few hours during which I mostly just hung out with my colleagues who were also working before work officially started, and slowly organizing my new "office" space.

I also met with the Chair of the 4Cs Local Arrangements Committee, Mike, and we talked about my "Food and Entertainment" subcommittee. Basically, I get to find and manage a team of volunteers who will help 3K conference attendees have a good time and eat well in SF in March. I'm writing a restaurant guide, which I do anyway on Yelp, and so it gives me an "excuse" to do more culinary research. Also, I get to think about SF like a tourist, so I spent 2 afternoons sampling coffee and getting makeup done at Macys in Union Square and wondering why so many tourists go to Chinatown. I am planning on taking the double decker bus tour of SF, just to see where it goes. I love those buses- touristy as they are, I take them when I travel in major cities because it's such a good way to get the lay of the land.

Work started officially this week, and the students came back yesterday, so now I am tired from having to reset to my 6:45 a.m. wake up schedule. Le sigh.

Reflections toward the end

Well, folks, I have four nights left in Indiana, PA, before I bid it adieu and return to my beloved SF.

It is this ending of things that makes me somewhat nostalgic, as in I will actually miss Indiana, a little. I'll definitely miss the warm summer temperatures. I don't even know why I am bothering to send my shorts and tank tops home. Oh, I know: it is wishful thinking. I will really miss Caffe Amadeus, with its quiet and free wireless and non-attitudinal/non-sullen-hipster employees. I missed the Coventry Inn last year, and will again, especially their scallops, and I will miss Reeger's farm dinners, which really are more about local and sustainable than some restaurants that wear that mantle in SF. As much as the small town-ness annoys me, I'll also miss that, too: how everything I need is within a ten minute bike ride. I might even miss Wal Mart. Or, not.

I am leaving this summer exactly as I wanted to. I feel totally confident in proceeding with my dissertation, at least with the first three chapters. I have a plan, a schedule, a method for attacking the readings. On Friday, my first full day at home, I am going to go to the UC Berkeley main library, pay the 100 bucks for a CA resident card, and check out a month's worth of books. On Saturday, I will begin my quest to find the ideal cafe to work in- not too loud, wireless a plus, nice employees- does this mythical place exist in the land of internet worker nomads?

I am also leaving this summer with the knowledge that I can do this without my dad, though I miss him at every turn. Not that there was any doubt, but in the past months since his death I've wondered if I was doing this for him, because this is the route I think he wished he'd taken, the life of the scholar and academic over the life of the lawyer and recreational theologian he became. He was always proud of me, and whether I did this work or went into business wouldn't have mattered to him, as long as I was happy and felt my work was my vocare, my calling. But, but, our love of academia and scholarship and asking questions about things that may or may not have answers, answers that we can understand: it is his fault I am like this, we used to joke. But he is still proud, and even as I type this I can hear it in his voice and feel it in the recesses of the heart where only these things that are true with a capital T can be felt and understood.

So, this summer I have realized that who I am in academia has everything to do with my dad and our relationship, but also that I can do this on my own, and in doing so, I honor all of him that is in me. Which is exactly what he would have wanted. And still does. And will always.

QOTD!

"the life we learn with....and the life we live with, after that" said by my friend and colleague Christine!

Exotic Creatures in My Yard in PA

I hear these are called "rabbits"?

LOLCat meets Iran's bad photoshop job

)

I blogged too soon!

I blogged too soon! I couldn't believe there were no 7-11s around here, so I did some Google sleuthing, and lo and behold, there is one (maybe a combo gas station one?) down the street. So, tomorrow, I will endeavor to acquire some icy high fructose delish! For free!