What is Love?

So,  Burtie came into town to visit! Much dancing, laughing, rib-cracking, North-and-Southing, and cookie-making ensued. In that order. It was great to have my various worlds collide. As I suspected, my fabulous friends got along fabulously and I just can't wait until I see a mass immigration of everyone awesome to DC. (We are working on this, right?) Burtie and I got a chance to go around Georgetown and the National Mall, stopping to take various photos. We drank hot chocolate, and with Marissa, watched the best love story of all time (North and South) and made chocolate chip cookies--the food of love--but didn't get a chance to hold hands as we went ice skating. Mostly because I rebroke my ribs. Darn. Well, all in all, I'd say  a very Valentinesy time was had by all. We even stopped in at the National Gallery to visit some of my favorite paintings.

Sadly, one of my favorite paintings, the botanist, is no longer there.

That's right. The dark, curly haired botanist with his geraniums isn't there. And I deeply feel this loss. RIP geranium man! (On an optimistic note, I found a statue of Nathan Hale there. Perhaps I'll have a new work of art to stalk after all.)

-M

Inauguration Day

Superman in the "Seinfeld and Superman" Visa Commercials once said, infamously, "hindsight is 20/20." Unlike Superman, I haven't locked my keys in the car yet, but I do think it's a good idea to retroactively blog. Since, you know . . . I haven't been.

So it is without further ado I present to you: INAUGURATION DAY!

The day started out at 5 a.m. After making breakfast for (and with) a crew who had gone salsa dancing until 2 a.m. we all somnambulistically (yay, I get to use my favorite word!) emerged into the 18 degree weather of D.C. to witness the infamous event.

The metro was alive with bright, happy faces. (For those D.C. natives, you will know that, hour aside, this is unheard of. I learned in my first week not to smile, look at, acknowledge, or well-wish anyone on the metro. Those who do talk to me, I can now safely label "tourist." Only a totally random aside from my already lengthening aside . . . I have never seen quite so many Romance novels--no, not the ones I'm studying; the ones with Fabio on the cover and contents that make me blush--in one place before. I guess this is another reason why people don't want to be looked at on the metro. I know I wouldn't, and I'm only reading semi-pornographic 18th Century Gothic Literature. I guess maybe I understand Brigham Young's snide remarks about novels. . .) What? Oh. Obama. Right.

After walking a good distance to the Mall, we managed to secure ourselves some spots by the second teleprompter. Pretty close, as my photos indicate, but we couldn't see Obama directly. In fact, we didn't see him for many hours. Our panic-induced rush on the Capitol resulted in about 7 hours of idling, during which time I lost feeling in my feet and put my hands up to my mouth to keep them warm. Some kind folks near us let us use one of their fleece blankets, a shock blanket, and several hand warmers. (I really had wished I had had more foresight to purchase fuel for my handwarmer, rather than try to track some down the night before. Apparently the several million tourists also had had the same idea as me.)

Finally the time came. It was momentous. I was disappointed to hear people boo Bush (really? He's on his way out. Can't you just let him exit with some dignity?) but was happy at least for their support of Obama. I hope it lasts. And I hope I feel my toes again soon.

It's ALIIIIIIVE!

Well, I'm still alive. Were some of you wondering?

As promised, I forgot to check other peoples' blogs, forgot how to update my blog, forgot about the blog altogether . . . but I didn't forget you. (It's a communal "you" at this point. To all the people I should be calling on the phone, I apologize.)

I've started a new semester at my graduate program at Georgetown in DC. It's an interesting experience, to say the least. I'm TAing this semester with a person who has taught for years in the prison and at first I was worried. After all, on the first day of class, she goes face-to-face with one of the 6'7" basketball players (one of my students) and says "If you and I go head-to-head, you. will. lose." Well! 

But we've got the "good cop-bad cop" relationship down well now, and the students go to me for approachability. Unfortunately, "good cop" can't teach very well, but we're working on that. I'll be teaching Frankenstein this month and am about scared senseless. First class did not go well due to some under-planning (she gave me 35 minutes to teach instead of the promised 5) and it consisted of me asking "So, uh, what do you guys think of when you hear the word 'Gothic?' Yeah? Interesting. Well, uh. . . what do you think of when you hear the word . . . 'Romantic?' Great. Let me write this down on the board. . ."

The good news is that I am bound to make an improvement. If, you know, I stop procrastinating and finish reading the book I'm about to teach. Yeah. But I'm getting some snide remarks on not updating my blog.

I told you not to expect anything, so I don't feel the least bit compassionate to your pleas. But yes, I am alive. . . :)

Oh, on a side-note, I broke three ribs from a cough. How is that even possible? I'm trying to come up with a good cover-story (because GU students might not appreciate an invalid). Ideas thus far are 1. cage-fight. 2. stampeding (insert animal here) 3. roommate came at me with a golf club.