inauguration 2013

Just some photos from the Inauguration. You remember... the one that happened in January? Ross stayed home (cold. crowds), but I braved the Mall and, in spite of bad weather and the masses of people and the incredible difficulty of getting home, I'm glad I did. It felt good to physically participate in a political event. It felt like what living in DC is for.

(Besides, we did vote for the guy :)

Expect more catching up-type posts in the near future. In the meantime, have a wonderful week!

resolute. late, but resolute

For the past two years my resolution posts have featured images by Anne

Marie Musselman, a Portland photographer. Musselman works a lot with

animals and conservation in her photographs, and I especially love her

series on the Sarvey Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. It makes me feel hopeful.

Even though it's a bit delayed (sorry about that), I'm excited to post my New Year's resolutions here. As I've said many times, I love January. For instance, last year I wrote that January "feels set apart from the other eleven [months] somehow, a month of new beginnings and hopeful futures." Well put, self. And even though a lot of people find New Year's resolutions to be futile, the fact that I've been faithfully posting these for a long time now means I can look back and see actual, honest-to-goodness progress, and that feels nice. In case you're curious: 2012, 2011 (here and here), and 2010 (I didn't post resolutions per se in 2010, but I did post a book list and a sort-of bucket list). 

This year, I've been thinking about a lot of things I'd like to keep up with or change. So many, in fact, that I divided my resolutions up into two lists: one personal, and one professional. 

Personal List: 

1. Drink enough water. This is my always-and-forever goal. 

2. Eat more produce. I read a suggestion once that at least half of your plate should be filled with fruits or veg. I like that. 

3. Learn: A) To can; B) French. The French goal is a semi-professional one, since I have to take a language exam next October. Did you know medieval England was bi- (and even tri-, if you count Latin) lingual?

4. Perfect homemade pizza and crepes. I make these all the time, and always struggle. No longer!

5. Keep in touch. I made some (small) strides at keeping in touch with friends last year, but didn't do so well with family. I'd like to change that. Part of that keeping in touch will be blogging here: my new, not-crazy goal is once a week. Here's hoping I stick to it. 

6. Grow spiritually. I'm still figuring out what I mean by this. 

Professional List:

1. Increase digital presence by: A) Starting a professional blog; and B) Using Twitter and Facebook more professionally. I've already had some success with both of these. I started my blog and I was active on Twitter during a digital humanities conference. Now to keep it up. 

2. Limit internet idleness. Again, some success here! I use Safari, and I recently altered my home page  so the sites I see are professional ones. I'm embarrassed by how much of a difference this has made. Now if I'm feeling idle, I'm more likely to read the Chronicle of Higher Education than, say, the A.V. Club. 

3. Publish. My first paper is coming out in postmedieval this year, and I'm hoping (this feels scary to say out loud) to line up another publication by the end of the year. We'll see.

4. Apply to (at least) two major conferences.  

5. Get more work out of each day. 

6. Write daily. This doesn't necessarily have to be Writing, with a capital "W." I think blogging, either here or on my professional blog, Facebook and Twitter can all count. 

That's it! No big deal, right? Here's to a 2013 full of adventure and accomplishment. Happy New Year. 

2011 in review

Happy 2012! Every year, I try (oh boy, is that ever a key word) to post a year in review. By try, I mean that I created such a post for 2009 and began, but never finished, another such post for 2010. Ah, well. But here it is, 2012, a new beginning, and here, for your reading pleasure, is 2011 in review.

January began, not very auspiciously, with some winter blues and sleepiness.

We also saw (and loved) The King's Speech, Creature had a seriously unfortunate poop explosion, and this incredibly charming thing happened.

In February, Miss Kathayoon Khalil and I started a design blog (still going strong!), Creature helped us celebrate Valentine's Day, and Mr. Chris came to town!! (Please excuse the poor quality of this photo. It was dark).

In February, I also officially became a vegetarian. It's been good. 

In March, I presented at my first ever conference, Ross was in the midst of reading the Harry Potter series in Polish, I wrote some acknowledgements, and we had some more friends come to town:

We also celebrated Earth Hour by playing candlelit boardgames, which was lovely. 

In April we went to the cherry festival, I wrote (a lot) and I traveled to Salt Lake City for a conference and to see my family. 

We also broke ground on a garden we made with some dear friends. 

In May, we had an amazing day with yard sales and good stuff, I didn't blog (at all), I started my wretched job, and best of all, we went to Charleston and Savannah! 

There were also ducks in May. 

In June I missed the zoo, and hated my job (although Creature liked the materials end of it):

Also in June, Ross' brother and family moved away. June sucked. 

July was awesome, though! In July we went camping near Harper's Ferry and got our Civil War reenactment on.

My birthday was (and remains) in July, and Ross took me here for an amazingly delicious dinner and then surprised me with tickets to Harry Potter. Which was awesome. 

August was busy! We drove to Chicago to visit Ross' grandparents and got to see the city from Joe's boat. (Can you find Ross-first picture-and the two of us?) 

For Ross' birthday I staged a scavenger hunt, and Ross' obsession with plants hobby began to really take off. 

Oh, also, there was a hurricane which wasn't, really. Not for us, anyway.  

I didn't blog at all in September or October because I am the worst. Also, because I was trying to be super student. But we still did stuff! 

In September we went to the National Arboretum...

and I went to the National Book Festival... 

In October, we spent our second anniversary in New York. 

Also in October, Ross gave me the best present I've ever been given. I'll try to blog about it soon (it will require me to come to a better place with our scanner). 

Also also in October, we celebrated Halloween with our new friends, Katie and Evan. I went as a fox...

Ross went as three hole punch Jim. I didn't get a picture of Ross, but this is kind of what he looked like:

In November I went to a really boring conference (but at least it was in Miami)...

we hung out in DC...

and we drove Shenandoah with our friend Chris. Can we talk about Shenandoah for a second, by the way? People here LOVE it and think it's the most amazing thing ever, but the three of us--spoiled Northwesterners all--were somewhat unimpressed. Anyway, here are some pictures:

In December I wrote like a madwoman for a while, and then we left for Portland, where we visited beloved people...

(Next two photos by the fabulous Nicole Dewey)

and places...

It was the best.

Since we've been home (January bonus!!!), we've been doing a whole lot of blissful, wonderful nothing. Lots of movies, lots of books, and lots and lots of food. Last weekend the weather was incredible, so we went rollerblading at a park near the University of Maryland. It was, as the kids say, "rad." 

Happy New Year!  

8am contradictions

Photo from here, a new, curiously addicting blog discovery

On the one hand: I still have about 26 pages to write before I'm done with the term. For the next three days I'll be stuck here, in front of this desk, hour after hour, typing my sweet silly brains out. I'm still waking up every morning before my alarm with feelings of panic, and I'm not sure how my grades are going to turn out.

On the other hand: There's a beautiful (but mercifully thin) blanket of snow covering the parking lot outside. The sky is the palest of blues, the trees are bare and lovely, and I can actually see through them to the river. Creature is sleeping on her bed right next to my on my desk, we already have a festive pile of Christmas presents, and I'm nursing a hot cup of tea. I just enjoyed my breakfast ritual, and yesterday, I wrote every single page that I was supposed to. I've never felt so disciplined or in control of my work habits.

Someone tell me how I'm supposed to feel about this day.

the weather outside is frightful... the end

Photo from Cerloz via Cup of Jo

So... it's cold here. Really, really cold. Everyone said that it was colder in DC than Portland, but apparently I don't listen very well. I was utterly unprepared for how truly, face-numbingly, bone-chillingly cold it really is. It happened unexpectedly. We went from weeks of relatively balmy, sunny, fifty-degree weather to high-of-forty, forty MPH winds virtually overnight. And it's been that way for days!

I realize I've already covered this, but it really is cold. That is all.

Somewhere, far, far away, a Kathayoon is laughing.