F in DC, two years ago, and other things.

fwash07_0909
I like the blues in this shot.  That’s all.

And.

Had an event directed toward connecting campus and community tonight, with four higher eds and Central Baltimore.  I work at one higher ed as an AmeriCorps type.  (Well, I’m assigned there.)  My wife works at another of the higher eds.  We both had to go to the same event tonight. Professionally.  As in, we were separated all night because we were there on business.  Each of us. We didn’t even walk up together because I went with someone from my institution (and because we had to score some caffeine first).  Bizarre to be physically near but apart from someone you share a bed with. I suppose it was beneficial to have the distance to step back. And to see how awesome my wife is and how…excellent she is at everything she tries to do. Being so close to the awesomeness, it’s not that you/I don’t see it. You/I just see it differently. Details. Not the breadth. That’s what I mean. You know what I mean.

Funny moment: When someone came up to us at the end as we were leaving (we did leave together and ride the bus home together after all), with a furrowed brow and said (tentatively) at the realization that we have the same last name, “You two have a connection….?….” Yeah, like I have a common last night? (I don’t.) Maybe it’s because we’re a different color? I don’t wanna think that. Not tonight.

Other funny moment: My pal ate a pizza with what looked like tiny octopi on it. Pulled one off and ate it and exclaimed, “AGH! This doesn’t taste like octopus!” It was squid. And she knows what octopus tastes like. Oh. My.

Also ran into my favorite socialist bike folks, with a Starbucks cup in my hand.  Shame.  Seriously.

Mr. Poopchute on my desk.

mrpc0609
Got this cool little guy for Christmas. He holds tape, pens, cards and has a magnet in his butt to pull paperclips out of the potty.

This week is going by slowly! I had a meeting with a lawyer Monday morning to make sure I don’t get screwed over completely by the lady that hit me and her insurance company. No offense to lawyers or to this particular guy (who was extremely nice and teaches at the university where I work), but I really don’t like having to do this. Really. No. But I don’t wanna get stuck paying bills I shouldn’t even have, either.

I also found out that I have to go see Mr. Foot Doctor again because I am supposed to find out exactly what probability of future damage/pain there is and how bad it will be. While I suppose it would be good to know, I really don’t want to expect it. I need my feet. The idea that they might start giving me hell in ten years because of someone’s inability to drive a car properly makes me want to run over someone’s face (guess who) with this funny shoe I still have to wear. I’m kinda kidding. Kinda.

I was told that this will take at least 4-6 months to solve. In a way, that’s good. We’re moving next week, and Mrs. P. is starting a new job, and we’re officially trying to get pregnant next month. So something to back-burner might actually be good. Besides, as long as someone else fights out getting hospital bills paid and all that, I can live with it more peacefully.

I’m going to finish my mocha now.

Mr Emerson’s nose.

emnose0409
May I be excused by large-nosed folks for this doodle on my co-worker’s desk of Ralph?  I totally got the hump/shape wrong, though.  My other American author doodles were much better, especially my Hemingway.

I am a member of The Large Nose People myself, by genetics. My nose grows constantly. Can you see your nose when you look straight ahead? I can.  When I was a baby, it was concluded that I didn’t get the family nose.  But, you know, what baby is born with a big schnozz?  I’ve really grown that thing.

If you call a meeting.

pens_1_0409
I learn new pointers for attending and running meetings all the time. Some are no-brainers: Have an agenda, and stick to it. Start on time, since we can’t all revolve around people who always show up late and can’t manage their time. Take notes in case no one else does.  Stay awake.

Other good ideas include providing some kind of refreshment, even if you just bring a few assorted sodas (and rootbeer is often a surprising hit, and cops usually don’t drink diet cola); printing out the agenda because a lot of people will take their notes on it and don’t carry paper; bring some extra pens; don’t sit through the whole meeting on your handheld.

Less obvious things include not calling folks two days before you want to meet and only giving them one time to pick from. That’s inconsiderate of people’s time.  Also, not calling a meeting just to hear yourself talk, since you could just email your speech — good idea.

But, the single most important aspect of running a meeting is one that two people (so far!) this week have blown. If you call a meeting, show up for it!

Post grant application vacuum.

Finished a big grant application Friday.  Worked Saturday.  Took off yesterday.  Back to work today, and I feel like I should be stressed out about something.

Back on my bike, too, after six days off, taking transit and walking.  Knee was bothering me, and it didn’t go away after a lot of time off the bike, reinforcing my belief that it’s more from sitting than cycling.  It’s not really a sharp pain, and I think I’m making it worse by holding my leg funny.

It’s very very cold, and I’m looking forward to cycling at any rate.  My ride into work is almost entirely downhill, so I don’t think I can really hurt my knee any more (?).

This list is over.

New shoes, strange knee.

Monday, I was at work between my normal workday and a community meeting I had to go to at night.  My knee was bothering me again, so I read up on what a trainer in college told me I had.  She was crazy, but I think she was right.  Except about the part about surgery.  Turns out it’s almost always exercise/PT, often involving cycling.  The inflamation is worse when sitting.  Yes.  So I took the long way to the meeting, and my knee felt a good bit better.  Yesterday also.  But I thought I’d rest it today and took the bus, which I’ll do for the rest of the week.  Okay, maybe it’s a wuss move, but at least I’m not driving, right?  The bus is its own kind of fun, actually.

And I met another cyclist in the church basement at the community meeting Monday who wears the reflective ankle straps I wear to keep my pants out of my chainrings.  I told him I was glad to not be the only one to have them, and we talked about favorite jeans ruined by chainrings and chains.  I also became less anal about wear-and-tear on my bike yesterday, through realizing that getting upset about a new scratch on my fork blade, when there are dozens all over my bike and that it had some from the shop anyway, is just stupid.

Either deal with it, or hate my bike and never ride.  Never ride?  F@#$ that.

And I finally have shoes on!  I realize there are people at work who have never ever seen me in shoes.  This is funny.  The purchase process was almost too good to be true, for someone who doesn’t wear leather but doesn’t want to drop $150 on shoes either.  First place I looked, got em.  Very nice price, too, with free shipping to boot.  Picked up my package at someone else’s house, strapped a large box to my bike (bought two sizes to try) and rode home in rush hour.  It was awesome.

But I don’t want to portray myself as a constant consumer, at least not of anything but notebooks, coffee/tea and bike innertubes.

Must be a successful man!

I was riding the elevator up to my office today.  I work on the top floor of my building.  An older gent who I have not seen before was riding to the third floor.  When I excused myself and pushed the button for 6, he joked, “Sixth floor?  Must be a successful man!”  I was still laughing when I opened my office door and threw all my crap on a chair.

Office, fall 2006.


Dang it, I don’t start my new job and move into my sweet new office until next month. Here’s a workspace from my dissertation, in the fall of 2006, which feels like last month.

My stomach is killing me, which is why I’m still up.  I could go for some of that chai tea right now.

Photo Friday: The Office.