You know, I never thought my blog would be a repository of the inanities of my life, but then I guess I see friends so infrequently these days that it’s sort of inevitable. At any rate, here are a few updates.
Most importantly, we closed on the new house in Nashville last week! The house looks fantastic and exceeded our expectations — which is always nice. All of our crap is now moved, and we’ll both be living there in < 10 days... Daniel, this weekend, even! We've been busy buying new stuff for the house... some of it absolutely vital, the rest more for fun. In the last week, we've spent an incredibly large amount of money at IKEA... the closest one to our new house is in Atlanta. Eeps! I am wrapping up the last of things here in Dallas. My summer government class (the latest in a long line of groups of students who make me wanna say, “This is my BEST CLASS EVER!”) ends next Thursday, which I’m so incredibly sad about. My last Texas SAT class ends this Friday. And, later this week, we’re gathering together with as many of our friends as can show up to say goodbye to what has been a fantastic time here in Dallas. Kinda sad. Over the course of the last month or so, Daniel and I have separately listened to Randy Pausch’s book, “The Last Lecture,” on CD, and we were both very sad — moved to tears, even — to hear that Randy died last Friday. His book is incredible, with its message encouraging you (and me, and everyone) to fulfill childhood dreams. You can access his Web site (with links to his blog, where there are photos and other things) here: download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/.
My high school football team’s 2008 schedule is available — and I’m trying to decide if it’s worth an 8-hour drive to go to the Beat Harrison game. Hmmmmm…
I am really eager to get things going at Vanderbilt. I’ve been in e-mail contact with a couple of professors and have nailed down my fall schedule (informally, at least). I no longer believe it’s going to be an “easy” semester, but nor do I think it’ll be impossible. A good balance, I guess. I’m really excited to get copies of syllabi, buy books, and get back to my research.
But first, I have to wrap up life here, go fetch the animals at Ma & Pa’s place (and I am soooooooooooo missing the HOUND! {sigh}), and sort through dozens and dozens of boxes at the new house. Everything in due time. Still, I have about a week left here, and I’m determined to make the most of it and enjoy the time I have left with family and friends here.
My thanks to everyone who’s been so supportive these last several months. It has been an absolutely insane year, in both good ways and less-good ways, and I couldn’t have done it save for the wonderful friends who’ve been there to listen to me rant and help out when they could. So thanks.