9.27.2005
study
I dislike studying.
I cooked for the first time last night. I mean, here in England. Our kitchens are not terrible, but they leave quite a lot to be desired. Including, for instance, that many of the knives need sharpening.
I did, however, buy a rice cooker on eBay yesterday, which is nice. I look forward to receiving it shortly.
Red Sox won over the weekend, keeping pace with the Yankers. Unfortunately, we're going for a double-header today because of last night's rain-out. I'm not optimistic, given all of the injuries.
Speaking of injuries, saw the Pats game on Sunday. Was in pain just watching Rodney Harrison go down.
I cooked for the first time last night. I mean, here in England. Our kitchens are not terrible, but they leave quite a lot to be desired. Including, for instance, that many of the knives need sharpening.
I did, however, buy a rice cooker on eBay yesterday, which is nice. I look forward to receiving it shortly.
Red Sox won over the weekend, keeping pace with the Yankers. Unfortunately, we're going for a double-header today because of last night's rain-out. I'm not optimistic, given all of the injuries.
Speaking of injuries, saw the Pats game on Sunday. Was in pain just watching Rodney Harrison go down.
9.23.2005
baseball
So yesterday, I woke up to find that the Red Sox had dropped out of first place after losing to Tampa Bay, while the Yankees passed them to take the lead in the American League Eastern division. Sure enough, I got an email from my good friend and Yankees fan, Eric. I should explain: Eric loves sports and is probably the consummate fan. He has his teams, but he also recognizes excellent play when he sees it. And, as far as I can tell, he'll watch anything, but his first love is baseball. I'll reprint here the three emails we sent back and forth. I'm presenting these uncut and almost entirely unedited, except for their formatting and headers and one or two typos.
Why share it? Because this is why we both love baseball. My friend Christian is from Needham, MA, and he is seldom seen without a Red Sox cap. But when I talk to him about the Sox, it is clear that he doesn't know how they did the night before, who their next opponent is, or how the Yankees or Indians are doing. Eric is not like that: he's obsessed. As, evidently, am I. Here's why.
From: eric@xxxxx
Subject: YO
Date: September 22, 2005 6:16:26 AM GMT+01:00
To: joseph@xxxxx
The Yanks reclaim 1st place on the same night I finish reading Bill Simmons' new book, "And Now I Can Die In Peace." The book, a collection of articles from the beginning of Bill Simmons' career until the beginning of this season, is really an amazing collection of history. And it got me thinking, randomly at 1:10am.....
Ever since the Sox won the World Series, I feel like each game this season has been like watching the beginning of baseball all over again. Everything about this season seems epic. First season after the Sox victory. Carpenter vs. Clemens for the Cy Young. The ChiSox amazing start to the season. The ChiSox epic collapse, right now. The 25-and-younger Indians streaking to the first division title since '97 Marlins vs. Indians. The last good year for Greg Maddux. The first Steroid year, with Giambi, Raffy, and Bonds. Bonds' 704, 705, 706, and 707. Watching Big Papi and Manny in their prime. Watching Arod fight for the MVP. The potentially last year for the Biggio-Bagwell era in Houston. The first year without the Big 3 in Oakland. The Beltran and Pedro era in Shea. The first year of the Nationals. And of course, the first year I have a real job and have attended close to 20 live games, a record for me in one season.
So why am I writing this? Because I'm wondering how you've felt about this crazy past few months ... I wanna know that I'm not crazy for following baseball so closely this season that I feel like I am going to need a break and vacation come November.
Any thoughts?
-Eric
From: joseph@xxxxx
Subject: Re: YO
Date: September 22, 2005 5:55:57 PM GMT+01:00
To: eric@xxxxx
Well, yeah. So the Sox took a 3.5 game lead going into September and blew it. I wish I could say that it didn't have the air of inevitability, but with such lousy bullpen, it was looking more and more likely every day. What it came down to, really, was the fact that the Yankees have finally figured out how to beat Tampa Bay. And frankly, that Tampa Bay has figured out a way not to suck so bad. It's a shame they're in last place, or that might mean something more than spoiling Boston's hopes.
There was a wonderful article from the Boston Globe about 9 or 10 months back talking about how, after the Red Sox won, and the Patriots were on a roll, a father had been watching the Pittsburgh game on TV with his young son. This was the 22nd regular season game, the Patriots having won the previous 21. And the son was mortified that the Patriots had lost - in recent memory (especially to the child), the Patriots had never done so. And this was after the Red Sox had won it all. The father had to reassure his son that it was going to be OK, that sometimes Boston teams do lose (cough cough, Celtics), and that winning and losing are really part of a greater whole called the love of the game. I think that Boston is going to have a fall that's even harder this year: I don't think the Patriots are going to pull it off (they might yet surprise. Maybe the Carolina game galvanized them, who knows?) and I'm doubtful but hopeful for the Sox's playoff chances, even though they won't get terribly far without some better fielding and some relief pitching that doesn't suck. Or some starting pitching that doesn't suck. That would be nice too.
But you're right. Why does baseball do this to us? Because it's baseball. Because unlike football, you don't have to wait around until Sunday or Monday. Because unlike soccer, we care about it, we understand it, and we appreciate its complexity and its simultaneous simplicity. Because unlike hockey, the season went on and was assured, and because unlike basketball, the baseball is still about teamwork and not individual stars dunking the ball like the Harlem Globetrotters. And especially this year, it's because John McCain pushed steroids into the forefront, especially with the emphatic statements of Palmeiro and Schilling. Because Jose Canseco, despite being a joke, managed to get the focus back on baseball. Because A-Rod is a dick who slaps balls and we all want to see him do it again. Because all of the fantastic people who came out of Boston to other teams: Pedro, Minky, Nomar, D-Lowe and who have thus made their new teams something fun to watch. It's not that competition on a scale like this doesn't happen every year. But this year Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore made a movie called Fever Pitch. This year Bonds and Giambi and Palmeiro said no, then maybe, then oops. And because now, every so-called accursed team now has precedent to cite when they say they can do it this year, that this is the year. Especially when they're down 3-0 in a seven-game series and they need to pull out the biggest win streak of their lives.
I compare this to the Ashes Tournament this year in England. Don't know if you follow cricket, but here's the deal. The Ashes is a tournament between age-old rivals England and Australia. Every two years, the Ashes are played for (it's actually the ashes of several cricket balls) and it's been a tournament since 1882. England hasn't won in 18 years. It's a best of 5 tournament, though if there's a draw, then the team who won the previous tournament is declared the winner at the end. Australia won the first test. England won the next test by 2 runs, the closest match win in Ashes history, if I'm told correctly. The third test was a draw. England won the fourth test by three wickets. And it came down to the last test, in which England would win if they won or drew. They drew and the Ashes return to England after 18 years. The thing is, football is the main sport over here, with cricket and rugby dueling for second place. But this summer, the Ashes really took hold and the country went absolutely nuts. It's inspirational stories like that one, like the 1980 Miracle on Ice, that take hold and make the country take notice.
Finally, I firmly believe that baseball is special. For the entire summer, there are only a few precious days in which there isn't professional baseball being played somewhere. There are great games and there are infamous games, and for everything in between there's good, solid baseball. You can watch more bad news on CNN or you can watch baseball on ESPN. Your choice. This was the second year in a row I've attended a live game outside of Boston. Up until then, I'd never seen a game except in Fenway (now I've been to Shea and to U.S. Cellular). In doing so, I've reconnected with Russell, Ray, Stella, Graham and Tacy.
How have I felt? Like baseball was a wide-open world again. That just once, it was OK to believe in the Sox again. That David beat Goliath and that somehow I want to live in a country in which that's possible. After the 2003 World Series, which was a yawner compared to the heady prognostication of what might have been the Cubs / Sox series, baseball began to disappoint. Even my Yankees-fan friends didn't watch the series, finding it dull. But after the 2004 Series, after the highest ratings the ALCS has ever enjoyed, and the most closely watched World Series in a long time, baseball was back. So when we talk about baseball, we find an allegory for the best and worst of life. Working-class or pinstripes, we can all get together and agree, as we did just after the game on September 11th, that that was an amazing game.
That's why we've been feeling like this. Because baseball is, quite often, as good as it gets.
-joe
From: eric@xxxxx
Subject: Re: YO
Date: September 22, 2005 6:29:10 PM GMT+01:00
To: joseph@xxxxx
Joe, this is why I love you. Your writing is eloquent and perfect. Some comments:
"...the Yankees have finally figured out how to beat Tampa Bay."
--> I guess so - TB used to own us, and took the first two series against the Yankees this season before we swept them in the third series. Lou Pineilla is a good manager, as well as an unhinged psycho.
"I don't think the Patriots are going to pull it off..."
---> really? I think the Pats are still the scariest team I can think of, besides the Steelers. I am NOT scared of Indy or KC.
"Because all of the fantastic people who came out of Boston to other teams: Pedro, Minky, Nomar, D-Lowe and who have thus made their new teams something fun to watch..."
--> WOW. Very true, never thought of this. Because yeah I do think of those players as Red Sox still...
"And because now, every so-called accursed team now has precedent to cite when they say they can do it this year, that this is the year. Especially when they're down 3-0 in a seven-game series and they need to pull out the biggest win streak of their lives."
--> DOUBLE WOW! SO TRUE. my favorite part of this email.
"After the 2003 World Series, which was a yawner compared to the heady prognostication of what might have been the Cubs / Sox series, baseball began to disappoint."
--> UGH, so true. I could care less about the Marlins. Even the Giants-Angels series the year before was a snoozer to me. Blech.
Yeah man. You nailed it. Also, you've got to read that Bill Simmons book, YOU. WOULD. LOVE. IT.
-Eric
sfc
So I will admit to losing some faith in the Patriots (Belichek is still the amazing head coach that he is, but I would be much more optimistic if he still had Weis and Crennel on his staff) and yes, there are some who would obviously disagree with my assessment of the Red Sox or of why baseball matters. And I think, to further my point above, this is why baseball is great: because it means something different to each person. Just a note on the September 11th game mentioned above: that was the Tim Wakefield vs. Randy Johnson game. Unbelieveable game.
Why share it? Because this is why we both love baseball. My friend Christian is from Needham, MA, and he is seldom seen without a Red Sox cap. But when I talk to him about the Sox, it is clear that he doesn't know how they did the night before, who their next opponent is, or how the Yankees or Indians are doing. Eric is not like that: he's obsessed. As, evidently, am I. Here's why.
From: eric@xxxxx
Subject: YO
Date: September 22, 2005 6:16:26 AM GMT+01:00
To: joseph@xxxxx
The Yanks reclaim 1st place on the same night I finish reading Bill Simmons' new book, "And Now I Can Die In Peace." The book, a collection of articles from the beginning of Bill Simmons' career until the beginning of this season, is really an amazing collection of history. And it got me thinking, randomly at 1:10am.....
Ever since the Sox won the World Series, I feel like each game this season has been like watching the beginning of baseball all over again. Everything about this season seems epic. First season after the Sox victory. Carpenter vs. Clemens for the Cy Young. The ChiSox amazing start to the season. The ChiSox epic collapse, right now. The 25-and-younger Indians streaking to the first division title since '97 Marlins vs. Indians. The last good year for Greg Maddux. The first Steroid year, with Giambi, Raffy, and Bonds. Bonds' 704, 705, 706, and 707. Watching Big Papi and Manny in their prime. Watching Arod fight for the MVP. The potentially last year for the Biggio-Bagwell era in Houston. The first year without the Big 3 in Oakland. The Beltran and Pedro era in Shea. The first year of the Nationals. And of course, the first year I have a real job and have attended close to 20 live games, a record for me in one season.
So why am I writing this? Because I'm wondering how you've felt about this crazy past few months ... I wanna know that I'm not crazy for following baseball so closely this season that I feel like I am going to need a break and vacation come November.
Any thoughts?
-Eric
From: joseph@xxxxx
Subject: Re: YO
Date: September 22, 2005 5:55:57 PM GMT+01:00
To: eric@xxxxx
Well, yeah. So the Sox took a 3.5 game lead going into September and blew it. I wish I could say that it didn't have the air of inevitability, but with such lousy bullpen, it was looking more and more likely every day. What it came down to, really, was the fact that the Yankees have finally figured out how to beat Tampa Bay. And frankly, that Tampa Bay has figured out a way not to suck so bad. It's a shame they're in last place, or that might mean something more than spoiling Boston's hopes.
There was a wonderful article from the Boston Globe about 9 or 10 months back talking about how, after the Red Sox won, and the Patriots were on a roll, a father had been watching the Pittsburgh game on TV with his young son. This was the 22nd regular season game, the Patriots having won the previous 21. And the son was mortified that the Patriots had lost - in recent memory (especially to the child), the Patriots had never done so. And this was after the Red Sox had won it all. The father had to reassure his son that it was going to be OK, that sometimes Boston teams do lose (cough cough, Celtics), and that winning and losing are really part of a greater whole called the love of the game. I think that Boston is going to have a fall that's even harder this year: I don't think the Patriots are going to pull it off (they might yet surprise. Maybe the Carolina game galvanized them, who knows?) and I'm doubtful but hopeful for the Sox's playoff chances, even though they won't get terribly far without some better fielding and some relief pitching that doesn't suck. Or some starting pitching that doesn't suck. That would be nice too.
But you're right. Why does baseball do this to us? Because it's baseball. Because unlike football, you don't have to wait around until Sunday or Monday. Because unlike soccer, we care about it, we understand it, and we appreciate its complexity and its simultaneous simplicity. Because unlike hockey, the season went on and was assured, and because unlike basketball, the baseball is still about teamwork and not individual stars dunking the ball like the Harlem Globetrotters. And especially this year, it's because John McCain pushed steroids into the forefront, especially with the emphatic statements of Palmeiro and Schilling. Because Jose Canseco, despite being a joke, managed to get the focus back on baseball. Because A-Rod is a dick who slaps balls and we all want to see him do it again. Because all of the fantastic people who came out of Boston to other teams: Pedro, Minky, Nomar, D-Lowe and who have thus made their new teams something fun to watch. It's not that competition on a scale like this doesn't happen every year. But this year Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore made a movie called Fever Pitch. This year Bonds and Giambi and Palmeiro said no, then maybe, then oops. And because now, every so-called accursed team now has precedent to cite when they say they can do it this year, that this is the year. Especially when they're down 3-0 in a seven-game series and they need to pull out the biggest win streak of their lives.
I compare this to the Ashes Tournament this year in England. Don't know if you follow cricket, but here's the deal. The Ashes is a tournament between age-old rivals England and Australia. Every two years, the Ashes are played for (it's actually the ashes of several cricket balls) and it's been a tournament since 1882. England hasn't won in 18 years. It's a best of 5 tournament, though if there's a draw, then the team who won the previous tournament is declared the winner at the end. Australia won the first test. England won the next test by 2 runs, the closest match win in Ashes history, if I'm told correctly. The third test was a draw. England won the fourth test by three wickets. And it came down to the last test, in which England would win if they won or drew. They drew and the Ashes return to England after 18 years. The thing is, football is the main sport over here, with cricket and rugby dueling for second place. But this summer, the Ashes really took hold and the country went absolutely nuts. It's inspirational stories like that one, like the 1980 Miracle on Ice, that take hold and make the country take notice.
Finally, I firmly believe that baseball is special. For the entire summer, there are only a few precious days in which there isn't professional baseball being played somewhere. There are great games and there are infamous games, and for everything in between there's good, solid baseball. You can watch more bad news on CNN or you can watch baseball on ESPN. Your choice. This was the second year in a row I've attended a live game outside of Boston. Up until then, I'd never seen a game except in Fenway (now I've been to Shea and to U.S. Cellular). In doing so, I've reconnected with Russell, Ray, Stella, Graham and Tacy.
How have I felt? Like baseball was a wide-open world again. That just once, it was OK to believe in the Sox again. That David beat Goliath and that somehow I want to live in a country in which that's possible. After the 2003 World Series, which was a yawner compared to the heady prognostication of what might have been the Cubs / Sox series, baseball began to disappoint. Even my Yankees-fan friends didn't watch the series, finding it dull. But after the 2004 Series, after the highest ratings the ALCS has ever enjoyed, and the most closely watched World Series in a long time, baseball was back. So when we talk about baseball, we find an allegory for the best and worst of life. Working-class or pinstripes, we can all get together and agree, as we did just after the game on September 11th, that that was an amazing game.
That's why we've been feeling like this. Because baseball is, quite often, as good as it gets.
-joe
From: eric@xxxxx
Subject: Re: YO
Date: September 22, 2005 6:29:10 PM GMT+01:00
To: joseph@xxxxx
Joe, this is why I love you. Your writing is eloquent and perfect. Some comments:
"...the Yankees have finally figured out how to beat Tampa Bay."
--> I guess so - TB used to own us, and took the first two series against the Yankees this season before we swept them in the third series. Lou Pineilla is a good manager, as well as an unhinged psycho.
"I don't think the Patriots are going to pull it off..."
---> really? I think the Pats are still the scariest team I can think of, besides the Steelers. I am NOT scared of Indy or KC.
"Because all of the fantastic people who came out of Boston to other teams: Pedro, Minky, Nomar, D-Lowe and who have thus made their new teams something fun to watch..."
--> WOW. Very true, never thought of this. Because yeah I do think of those players as Red Sox still...
"And because now, every so-called accursed team now has precedent to cite when they say they can do it this year, that this is the year. Especially when they're down 3-0 in a seven-game series and they need to pull out the biggest win streak of their lives."
--> DOUBLE WOW! SO TRUE. my favorite part of this email.
"After the 2003 World Series, which was a yawner compared to the heady prognostication of what might have been the Cubs / Sox series, baseball began to disappoint."
--> UGH, so true. I could care less about the Marlins. Even the Giants-Angels series the year before was a snoozer to me. Blech.
Yeah man. You nailed it. Also, you've got to read that Bill Simmons book, YOU. WOULD. LOVE. IT.
-Eric
sfc
So I will admit to losing some faith in the Patriots (Belichek is still the amazing head coach that he is, but I would be much more optimistic if he still had Weis and Crennel on his staff) and yes, there are some who would obviously disagree with my assessment of the Red Sox or of why baseball matters. And I think, to further my point above, this is why baseball is great: because it means something different to each person. Just a note on the September 11th game mentioned above: that was the Tim Wakefield vs. Randy Johnson game. Unbelieveable game.
9.22.2005
wacky
I was poking about on NPR today and I found a lovely article from the British Cheese Board, which stated that a study undertaken by said board seemed to suggest not only that eating cheese before bed gives you strange dreams but that the type of cheese is the determining factor in what type of dream you have. I was particularly amused by the dreams caused by blue stilton: a vegetarian crocodile upset that he could no longer eat children, and soldiers fighting each other with kittens instead of guns. How delightful.
I was in my room with the door open when a guy popped in to ask me how to get to the ARCO and Sloane-Robinson buildings of Keble College. I'm at Keble, and living in Keble housing, but this is the Acland Hospital site, which is a 3 minute walk from the main part of campus, where the ARCO and Sloane-Robinson buildings are located. I told him to ask the guy at the security desk. In fact, he was the guy from the security desk: someone was downstairs asking him how to get to those two buildings. OK, I said. I suggested that he call the porter's lodge when he got back to the security desk to ask for more details. He said thank you and left. Five minutes later, he came back and asked me how to get to his desk. Boy, I feel a lot safer now.
Yesterday I made beds in housekeeping. It was gruelling work for which I was complemented for working really hard and doing well. I made beds in the ARCO building: on the Ground, second, and fourth floors. In fact, I made three floors of beds on my own. In under two hours. Today, I went back to the ARCO building to work and was told that two out of those three floors of beds were to be dismantled in order to prepare them for students to arrive. Which meant un-making the beds and removing the sheets and duvet and such. So frustrating! At least I'm quitting this week. I was pulled out to the Acland in order to help prepare other rooms there. We worked so darn hard that the three of us were subsequently promised triple pay. Sweet.
Oh, and in terms of wacky, here's a lovely company which makes odd radio-controlled flying machines. I think it's hilarious that they have a flying lawnmower. I want one.
I was in my room with the door open when a guy popped in to ask me how to get to the ARCO and Sloane-Robinson buildings of Keble College. I'm at Keble, and living in Keble housing, but this is the Acland Hospital site, which is a 3 minute walk from the main part of campus, where the ARCO and Sloane-Robinson buildings are located. I told him to ask the guy at the security desk. In fact, he was the guy from the security desk: someone was downstairs asking him how to get to those two buildings. OK, I said. I suggested that he call the porter's lodge when he got back to the security desk to ask for more details. He said thank you and left. Five minutes later, he came back and asked me how to get to his desk. Boy, I feel a lot safer now.
Yesterday I made beds in housekeeping. It was gruelling work for which I was complemented for working really hard and doing well. I made beds in the ARCO building: on the Ground, second, and fourth floors. In fact, I made three floors of beds on my own. In under two hours. Today, I went back to the ARCO building to work and was told that two out of those three floors of beds were to be dismantled in order to prepare them for students to arrive. Which meant un-making the beds and removing the sheets and duvet and such. So frustrating! At least I'm quitting this week. I was pulled out to the Acland in order to help prepare other rooms there. We worked so darn hard that the three of us were subsequently promised triple pay. Sweet.
Oh, and in terms of wacky, here's a lovely company which makes odd radio-controlled flying machines. I think it's hilarious that they have a flying lawnmower. I want one.
9.19.2005
avast!
Arrr! Today be international talk like a pirate day! And 'tis a glorious day for such an event as this: with a sky as grey as me glass of water and as cold as a bilge rat in a tempest.
Speaking of piracy, a few days ago I wrote about opinion columns and how they were taking over as the most valuable commodity that daily newspaper websites had to offer. I'm certainly not the only one who noticed: the New York Times has now come up with TimesSelect, a collection of media goodies that the regular mooching public is no longer invited to enjoy. Op-Ed columnists, News columists, Multimedia, and the New York Times Archive are a few of the TimesSelect services that have now been cruelly ripped out of the hands of those who expect full access to a newspaper which one must pay for in person, but which can be read online for free. I don't know who is right and who is wrong: I tend to feel a little ambivalent in terms of complaining, since it's true that I don't actually pay the Times anything for what I read. And yet, I can't help but think that the real losers are people like Nicholas Kristof and Prof. Paul Krugman and Maureen Dowd, Thomas Friedman and David Brooks et al. They are the ones whose no longer available to those who want to read it.
... without paying.
Arrrr!
Speaking of piracy, a few days ago I wrote about opinion columns and how they were taking over as the most valuable commodity that daily newspaper websites had to offer. I'm certainly not the only one who noticed: the New York Times has now come up with TimesSelect, a collection of media goodies that the regular mooching public is no longer invited to enjoy. Op-Ed columnists, News columists, Multimedia, and the New York Times Archive are a few of the TimesSelect services that have now been cruelly ripped out of the hands of those who expect full access to a newspaper which one must pay for in person, but which can be read online for free. I don't know who is right and who is wrong: I tend to feel a little ambivalent in terms of complaining, since it's true that I don't actually pay the Times anything for what I read. And yet, I can't help but think that the real losers are people like Nicholas Kristof and Prof. Paul Krugman and Maureen Dowd, Thomas Friedman and David Brooks et al. They are the ones whose no longer available to those who want to read it.
... without paying.
Arrrr!
9.18.2005
blargh!
Patriots lost!
Red Sox lost!
Argh!!!!
Red Sox lost!
Argh!!!!
9.16.2005
room for improvement
Well, I'm settling into my room (yes, it's been two weeks: shush!) and I'm almost there. I still need to hang a few things on the walls. I'm noticing that the room doesn't have that home-y feel that my room last year had. And which I miss. This is definitely a strange little dorm room. Pictures to come, I promise. As soon as I clean. :P
Also needing improvement: the Red Sox. It's been heartbreaking watching them drop so many games. And, of course, the Yankees are resurgent, which is problematic. Still, they're a half-game behind Cleveland for the Wild Card, and still 1.5 games behind the Sox for the AL East. Which is looking more and more tenuous every day, though I would hate to say such things.
The University of Georgia people have shown up at Keble for the term. They're hilarious, and it's been really funny watching them attempt to find their way around Oxford. One of them has been living off of ramen for the past week. When I asked him where he was buying ramen (it's not as easy to find in the UK as in the US), he admitted that he had, in fact, just packed tons of it in his suitcase. They were thrilled to learn that it was actually possible to buy it here in Oxford. Like poor lost sheep they are.
Jess's blade went on the wall this morning: I miss her and Ted so much. The MCR really isn't the same without them around. It's nice to have a memento of Jess though: her indomitable spirit lives on in the form of a 20-foot rowing blade. :)
Also needing improvement: the Red Sox. It's been heartbreaking watching them drop so many games. And, of course, the Yankees are resurgent, which is problematic. Still, they're a half-game behind Cleveland for the Wild Card, and still 1.5 games behind the Sox for the AL East. Which is looking more and more tenuous every day, though I would hate to say such things.
The University of Georgia people have shown up at Keble for the term. They're hilarious, and it's been really funny watching them attempt to find their way around Oxford. One of them has been living off of ramen for the past week. When I asked him where he was buying ramen (it's not as easy to find in the UK as in the US), he admitted that he had, in fact, just packed tons of it in his suitcase. They were thrilled to learn that it was actually possible to buy it here in Oxford. Like poor lost sheep they are.
Jess's blade went on the wall this morning: I miss her and Ted so much. The MCR really isn't the same without them around. It's nice to have a memento of Jess though: her indomitable spirit lives on in the form of a 20-foot rowing blade. :)
9.14.2005
phew!
I wish that I could say that I've not had a terribly exciting week and was just waiting for the perfect time to write about the one or two small kernels of fun that have happened recently. Truth be told, though, it's that I've been exhausted. And busy. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, academically. Which means studying a lot in the library at a time when even the librarian is on holiday.
I went to London to see my Mom and Dad on Friday: stayed in the luxurious opulence of the Park Lane Hotel, for which I remain very grateful to my Mom and Dad. We went out for a delicious Chinese dinner in Chinatown, and then back to the hotel for some relaxation. Saturday, we went to the Portobello Street market, which would have been a lot more fun had the three of us not had to pull ourselves away every fifteen seconds to make sure that the other two of our party had not disappeared. Which if course, we had. Lunch was a nice return to Wagamama, a delicious restaurant which we had been very lucky to find relatively recent to when it opened in 1992.
Dad went to the airport on Saturday afternoon, and so Mom and I went off to have dinner with my friend Edith, the high school friend of mine whose birthday party I attended last year with Basak, Simon, Derek, and Emily. Much fun was had: we ended up at Zaika, a funky neo-Indian place by Royal Albert Hall. It was really quite amazing: a rich mushroom soup with an onion pakora to start (complements of the chef), I had a salmon kebab, and then a delicious crusted biryani. Outstanding. On our way to Zaika, Mom and I walked by the Royal Albert Hall, which was hosting the last night of the proms. Of course, we had no idea at the time. We got back to the hotel to find that the entire affair was being broadcast live. It was quite the spectacle: with Brits being uncharacteristically emotional and wild. Inside the hall were some gentlemen dressed in full white tie and also wearing silly union flag-patterned hats.
After an emotional goodbye on Sunday, I came back to Keble where I couldn't help but feel kind of depressed. I mean, I miss my parents a lot. *sigh* At least I'll get to see them when they come to visit over Thanksgiving again. Is it weird that a 25-year old feels so homesick? I hope not. It's not always, mind you. Just on certain occasions.
Matthew made the first soccer team at Eton! They're playing today, actually. No word yet on how they've done, but I'm really proud of him. Even though the coach has, as I hear from Mom, already told him that he's a sub and will be seeing relatively sparse playing time. Quite an accomplishment for the guy. I'm psyched for him. Go Matthew!
I went to London to see my Mom and Dad on Friday: stayed in the luxurious opulence of the Park Lane Hotel, for which I remain very grateful to my Mom and Dad. We went out for a delicious Chinese dinner in Chinatown, and then back to the hotel for some relaxation. Saturday, we went to the Portobello Street market, which would have been a lot more fun had the three of us not had to pull ourselves away every fifteen seconds to make sure that the other two of our party had not disappeared. Which if course, we had. Lunch was a nice return to Wagamama, a delicious restaurant which we had been very lucky to find relatively recent to when it opened in 1992.
Dad went to the airport on Saturday afternoon, and so Mom and I went off to have dinner with my friend Edith, the high school friend of mine whose birthday party I attended last year with Basak, Simon, Derek, and Emily. Much fun was had: we ended up at Zaika, a funky neo-Indian place by Royal Albert Hall. It was really quite amazing: a rich mushroom soup with an onion pakora to start (complements of the chef), I had a salmon kebab, and then a delicious crusted biryani. Outstanding. On our way to Zaika, Mom and I walked by the Royal Albert Hall, which was hosting the last night of the proms. Of course, we had no idea at the time. We got back to the hotel to find that the entire affair was being broadcast live. It was quite the spectacle: with Brits being uncharacteristically emotional and wild. Inside the hall were some gentlemen dressed in full white tie and also wearing silly union flag-patterned hats.
After an emotional goodbye on Sunday, I came back to Keble where I couldn't help but feel kind of depressed. I mean, I miss my parents a lot. *sigh* At least I'll get to see them when they come to visit over Thanksgiving again. Is it weird that a 25-year old feels so homesick? I hope not. It's not always, mind you. Just on certain occasions.
Matthew made the first soccer team at Eton! They're playing today, actually. No word yet on how they've done, but I'm really proud of him. Even though the coach has, as I hear from Mom, already told him that he's a sub and will be seeing relatively sparse playing time. Quite an accomplishment for the guy. I'm psyched for him. Go Matthew!
9.09.2005
sweet
Patriots RULE.
I need to be awake and working in less than 3 hours. I'm done for the night.
What sucks is that it's already starting to get light out.
But wow. What a game.
I need to be awake and working in less than 3 hours. I'm done for the night.
What sucks is that it's already starting to get light out.
But wow. What a game.
kickoff
Kickoff in fifteen minutes! The Patriots face off against the Raiders in fifteen minutes! The NFL season kicks off in fifteen minutes!
Yes, it's 1:45 am in England. I don't care.
I've got Doritos. I've got Pringles. I've got Coke. I've got Budweiser. And I've got some sandwiches.
Let's GET IT ON.
Yes, it's 1:45 am in England. I don't care.
I've got Doritos. I've got Pringles. I've got Coke. I've got Budweiser. And I've got some sandwiches.
Let's GET IT ON.
9.07.2005
opinions
What does it tell us about the new mode of news delivery that the New York Times and Washington Post "most emailed articles" sections are dominated thoroughly by opinion and editorial pieces.
At the New York Times, it's four of the top five, and seven of the top ten. Of the top twenty-five articles listed, eleven of them are opinion or editorial.
At the Washington Post, it's three of the top five (the other two are columns written outside of the reporter's normal detached view).
At the Chicago Tribune, it's two of the top five. And at the LA Times, it's two of the top six, with a third being a column.
So what's it mean? The ubiquity of big news stories like Katrina or Rehnquist are everywhere, so people don't have to email them around to their friends. That's a given. But beyond that, I'm not so sure. We're now seeing the Times and the Post getting out of the news business and into the analysis or commentary business. But what that means for the future of the newsmedia I haven't a clue. I'm still going to read their papers.
Just noticed that my updates from England have been time-tagged with the time in Boston. So I'm not going to go through and amend them, just to note that the posting times from *now on* reflect the time in Oxford.
So I'd draw your attention to one of the lesser-noticed articles in the Washington Post's top 20. Headline: Freshman Classes Getting Hooked On The Classics. I think it's great that students are now getting back to the core curriculum. Of course, places like Chicago have never abandoned such classes, and at Oxford, the Classics mods are not called 'classics', they're called "Greats". Outstanding. :)
At the New York Times, it's four of the top five, and seven of the top ten. Of the top twenty-five articles listed, eleven of them are opinion or editorial.
At the Washington Post, it's three of the top five (the other two are columns written outside of the reporter's normal detached view).
At the Chicago Tribune, it's two of the top five. And at the LA Times, it's two of the top six, with a third being a column.
So what's it mean? The ubiquity of big news stories like Katrina or Rehnquist are everywhere, so people don't have to email them around to their friends. That's a given. But beyond that, I'm not so sure. We're now seeing the Times and the Post getting out of the news business and into the analysis or commentary business. But what that means for the future of the newsmedia I haven't a clue. I'm still going to read their papers.
Just noticed that my updates from England have been time-tagged with the time in Boston. So I'm not going to go through and amend them, just to note that the posting times from *now on* reflect the time in Oxford.
So I'd draw your attention to one of the lesser-noticed articles in the Washington Post's top 20. Headline: Freshman Classes Getting Hooked On The Classics. I think it's great that students are now getting back to the core curriculum. Of course, places like Chicago have never abandoned such classes, and at Oxford, the Classics mods are not called 'classics', they're called "Greats". Outstanding. :)
start of school
Well, Matthew's starting today at Eton. The P. School is having its orientation day. And two friends of mine who are teaching now just started: Kirsty, a Queen's College singer, is teaching music, and Ted, my good mate is back at his alma mater in Liverpool. Best of luck to everyone starting school today.
And for me? Classes begin, oh, 10 October. Hah! Michaelmas Term actually begins on Sunday, 1 October, which is right after the feast day of St. Michael (hence the name). But full term doesn't begin until a week after that, and so the first day of classes will be 10 October. Excellent...
And for me? Classes begin, oh, 10 October. Hah! Michaelmas Term actually begins on Sunday, 1 October, which is right after the feast day of St. Michael (hence the name). But full term doesn't begin until a week after that, and so the first day of classes will be 10 October. Excellent...
9.06.2005
oxenford
So I moved back to Oxford yesterday. It was great to get to see Eton, though - Matthew is going to have a great time, I think. His housemaster seems fantastically nice (as does his whole family, really), and the people around Eton have been, by and large, very helpful and friendly.
My friend Jenny kindly came to pick me up from Slough yesterday and drove me back here to Oxford. I didn't have a room to stay in until this morning, so I slept in the MCR. And then today, I got to move in. :)
I'm busy putting posters up on the walls. I've hung my shirts and suits, lined up my books, made my bed, and unpacked and stowed the suitcases. Now all that's left are the walls and the random knicknacks that end up going in the desk drawers and such.
So I picked the day of the St. Giles' Fair to make my return to Oxford: all of St. Giles Street is filled with stands selling candy or carnival food and massive rides. It's cute, but a little bit overkill on my eyes, especially as I was really looking forward to coming back to a quiet and serene Oxford.
A bit of good news: my conductor at The Queen's College chapel choir was able to secure enough funding over the summer to make me a lay clerk! What that means is that I will make more money singing there this year. I'm psyched. :)
My friend Jenny kindly came to pick me up from Slough yesterday and drove me back here to Oxford. I didn't have a room to stay in until this morning, so I slept in the MCR. And then today, I got to move in. :)
I'm busy putting posters up on the walls. I've hung my shirts and suits, lined up my books, made my bed, and unpacked and stowed the suitcases. Now all that's left are the walls and the random knicknacks that end up going in the desk drawers and such.
So I picked the day of the St. Giles' Fair to make my return to Oxford: all of St. Giles Street is filled with stands selling candy or carnival food and massive rides. It's cute, but a little bit overkill on my eyes, especially as I was really looking forward to coming back to a quiet and serene Oxford.
A bit of good news: my conductor at The Queen's College chapel choir was able to secure enough funding over the summer to make me a lay clerk! What that means is that I will make more money singing there this year. I'm psyched. :)
9.03.2005
well...
So it's my last day in Boston. I had a long and both happy and sad dinner and evening with Diana last night. I dropped my Dad off at the airport yesterday too - he's flying on a business trip via London and will be meeting us in London on his way home. It really kind of hit me yesterday that this family is growing up and coming to a new chapter. It's weird that realizations like that usually happen during happy occasions: I was just joking around with my Dad and we both insulted each other playfully and then I think we both realized very quietly that we weren't going to be able to do that for much longer. And a quiet sadness came upon me, at least, and I didn't really know what to say. Thank goodness we were in separate rooms or I might have said or done something stupid in an attempt to avoid awkwardness.
Mom has been tearing up a lot. So have I. I think that the only person it's not hitting is Matthew, who is so excited to be heading out into the world that the magnitude of his leaving home hasn't really impressed itself yet. Dad is also a little emotional: I think he's reluctant to let it show, but I'm pretty sure it's there. And while I don't usually get terribly emotional, I do when other people around me do. I probably wouldn't tear up on my own surveying the situation, but seeing my Dad's controlled exterior begin to falter, even the smallest bit, really sends me over the edge.
But it's not a bad thing to move forward: progress is not by definition bad. It is change, and sometimes change just takes some getting used to. I wish it didn't: it's be a hell of a lot simpler and a good deal less discomforting. For me and Diana, it's not getting used to change but instead settling back into the familiar but also decidedly less-than-ideal situation of a long-distance relationship. Of course, we've done it before, and we can do it again. But it's still difficult.
For Mom and Dad, I'm realizing that while I've been out in the world for 8 years with college, teaching, and now grad school, they've still had Andrew and Matthew around. And they won't now, and they're changing too: which is a terrifying thought. I have always depended on my Mom and Dad for guidance, friendship, and advice. And for as long as I can remember, they have been exactly the same, and really comfortingly so. The fact that they change and that they have fears of their own is scary. I don't want my parents to change, I much prefer the comforting feeling of the past to the uncertainty of tomorrow. And while I know that my parents aren't static beings, I do know that I can count on them to be a stable home base to which I can return whenever I'm overwhelmed by life, and I guess that's the best that I can even hope for.
I am going to miss Boston. It's been a beautiful and wonderful and sometimes exasperating summer. But overall, I can't think of any real regrets. Congrats to Mike & Doreen and Graham & Tacy on their marriages, to Matthew for graduating from High School, to Andrea & Andy on their engagement, and to all others by thanks for your support and friendship.
Mom has been tearing up a lot. So have I. I think that the only person it's not hitting is Matthew, who is so excited to be heading out into the world that the magnitude of his leaving home hasn't really impressed itself yet. Dad is also a little emotional: I think he's reluctant to let it show, but I'm pretty sure it's there. And while I don't usually get terribly emotional, I do when other people around me do. I probably wouldn't tear up on my own surveying the situation, but seeing my Dad's controlled exterior begin to falter, even the smallest bit, really sends me over the edge.
But it's not a bad thing to move forward: progress is not by definition bad. It is change, and sometimes change just takes some getting used to. I wish it didn't: it's be a hell of a lot simpler and a good deal less discomforting. For me and Diana, it's not getting used to change but instead settling back into the familiar but also decidedly less-than-ideal situation of a long-distance relationship. Of course, we've done it before, and we can do it again. But it's still difficult.
For Mom and Dad, I'm realizing that while I've been out in the world for 8 years with college, teaching, and now grad school, they've still had Andrew and Matthew around. And they won't now, and they're changing too: which is a terrifying thought. I have always depended on my Mom and Dad for guidance, friendship, and advice. And for as long as I can remember, they have been exactly the same, and really comfortingly so. The fact that they change and that they have fears of their own is scary. I don't want my parents to change, I much prefer the comforting feeling of the past to the uncertainty of tomorrow. And while I know that my parents aren't static beings, I do know that I can count on them to be a stable home base to which I can return whenever I'm overwhelmed by life, and I guess that's the best that I can even hope for.
I am going to miss Boston. It's been a beautiful and wonderful and sometimes exasperating summer. But overall, I can't think of any real regrets. Congrats to Mike & Doreen and Graham & Tacy on their marriages, to Matthew for graduating from High School, to Andrea & Andy on their engagement, and to all others by thanks for your support and friendship.
9.01.2005
behind
I'm very behind with posts, and it seems kind of trivial to be posting about what I *ate* a week ago. Suffice it to say that Restaurant Week went really really well. I ate a lot of sorbet, copious amounts of fish, more heirloom tomatoes than I could have imagined, and a ton of sweet corn.
For the weekend, I sang Beethoven 9 with the Boston Symphony and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. It was really amazing, and the clarity of the winds and the delicacy of the strings was highlighted by actual intensity in a brass section which, truth be told, does not like to work very hard. Among the favorite comments offered by Maestro Janowski during his rehearsal: "come on, Mr. Schlueter", referring to BSO principal trumpet Charles Schlueter, whose recent playing (at least, while I'm behind him), has the brilliance of unpolished silver. It used to sparkle, but it hasn't in a while. The Boston Globe's review can be found here.
Had a visit from my friend Victoria, with whom I shared a correspondence romance about 9 years ago. I went to her wedding in 2001, she and Carl are now divorced as of last November. She's lovely: both of us were at Tanglewood 9 years ago and enjoyed the summer a lot. It was wonderful to see her again: she's still extremely loopy and our meandering conversations generally kept us awake until about 2 am each night. I was also really touched that she drove up from Pennsylvania for the weekend. Very nice of her.
Last week in Massachusetts until December. I'm packing and studying and trying to spend time with family and with Diana. I am both excited and anxious about my UK return. I can't wait to see my friends and make new ones as the MCR rebuilds itself after the mass exodus of those doing only one year degrees. But I also don't want to think of Keble MCR as being different, I don't want to come back and not have my old friends there (Jess and Ted and Simon and Dan and Sundeep and Jennie come to mind), and I certainly could do with more time at home relaxing with my family.
I'll post more when I can. I just don't know *if* I can. Things are getting hectic to the point of frantic.
For the weekend, I sang Beethoven 9 with the Boston Symphony and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. It was really amazing, and the clarity of the winds and the delicacy of the strings was highlighted by actual intensity in a brass section which, truth be told, does not like to work very hard. Among the favorite comments offered by Maestro Janowski during his rehearsal: "come on, Mr. Schlueter", referring to BSO principal trumpet Charles Schlueter, whose recent playing (at least, while I'm behind him), has the brilliance of unpolished silver. It used to sparkle, but it hasn't in a while. The Boston Globe's review can be found here.
Had a visit from my friend Victoria, with whom I shared a correspondence romance about 9 years ago. I went to her wedding in 2001, she and Carl are now divorced as of last November. She's lovely: both of us were at Tanglewood 9 years ago and enjoyed the summer a lot. It was wonderful to see her again: she's still extremely loopy and our meandering conversations generally kept us awake until about 2 am each night. I was also really touched that she drove up from Pennsylvania for the weekend. Very nice of her.
Last week in Massachusetts until December. I'm packing and studying and trying to spend time with family and with Diana. I am both excited and anxious about my UK return. I can't wait to see my friends and make new ones as the MCR rebuilds itself after the mass exodus of those doing only one year degrees. But I also don't want to think of Keble MCR as being different, I don't want to come back and not have my old friends there (Jess and Ted and Simon and Dan and Sundeep and Jennie come to mind), and I certainly could do with more time at home relaxing with my family.
I'll post more when I can. I just don't know *if* I can. Things are getting hectic to the point of frantic.
