well, I hope, though I cannot expect, that some of you still occasionally check this blog for new posts. I can't blame those of you who might have been tempted to give up on it, and I beg your forgiveness for my flagrant inconsistency. I've intended to write this post for at least two weeks now, and though I'm sure it sounds ridiculous, carving out an hour to do so has been remarkably difficult. Let me explain.
October was a month of midterms. Though I'm really proud of the quality of work I produced, it did not come without a price. What price, you might ask. Surely it's a reasonable question. So, if you are curious, I encourage you to take a second look at the picture above and see if you are able to make out the purple rings encircling my eyes. I wasn't jumped, I'm just severely under slept. But who needs sleep right? Anyways, for most of October, I was completely consumed with my midterm papers. In fact, I finished them just in time for Danie's birthday on the 22nd, and the concomitant arrival of Danie's good friend Becca who was visiting to celebrate. Having just finished three papers, it was great to play co-tour guide for the weekend, though the festivities didn't help my sleep situation. Fatigue aside, it was a nice break from research and writing. It's so easy to get busy with school, work, the gym, and day to day tasks, that having visitors gives us the excuse and the opportunity to break with the quotidian. Plus, as you can probably tell from the pictures
here, it was my first exposure to sunlight in weeks.
Contrary to my expectations, things have not slowed significantly since Becca's departure. Danie's back to working 5, and at times 6, days in a row. She's also getting all of the 'good' shifts now (Thursday, Friday Saturday nights, and Sunday brunches) which usually get assigned only to the veteran servers. Didn't take long... Also, she's been getting babysitting and dog watching requests from admiring customers!
Another contributing factor to my overall busyness during the past month has been my newly obtained position as a Research Assistant (RA) for one of my professors. As these positions are few in number and highly sought after, they aren't often awarded to first semester students; however, after the first few weeks of class, my professor was pleased enough with my work to select me as her assistant. Aside from my immediate happiness at having found a source of income (however small), the substance of my work has been far from menial, and in fact, very interesting. I am assisting my professor in research she is conducting for a forthcoming academic article which contrasts French and American humanitarianism and charity, specifically as it relates to refugees and displaced persons seeking residency and citizenship. My job primarily consists of reading other academic articles and books on related topics, writing summaries and outlines of them for her, and meeting with her to discuss how they might be useful to her paper. It's really an invaluable experience for an aspiring academic.
So a week into November and things are moving fast. We're really excited that my mom is coming in on Friday; being so far from family is the one part of living here that Danie and I dislike, and visits are so crucial in ameliorating the difficulty of distance. Friday we are also going to see one of my favorite bands, As Tall As Lions, in concert for my birthday (Thanks again Danie!) so the weekend is promising to be a great one.
I do have one piece of regrettable news. For those of you who haven't yet heard, we won't be coming back for Thanksgiving, or as it's also known, the greatest holiday of the year. Jason, if you're reading this, my apology is especially directed to you, as together we generally demonstrate the deepest commitment to and appreciation for the great feast. Of course, its greatness comes from the collective, and accordingly I'll miss you all. In my absence, please make sure Eryn's lifetime ban on Aunt Tari's rolls is upheld.
I think that about covers it for now. With only five weeks left in the semester, I'm getting started on my final papers. My research is coming along, and it's actually very enjoyable when not overwhelming. We've entered late fall here, and the low 50s seems to be standard fare. The leaves are changing and we've been using our little space-heater in the mornings. Maybe one upshot to the cold here is that when we come back for Christmas, California cold will be mild by comparison.
Until next time, with love,
Cam
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