Home Home On The Range

Back again in the land of Mom, cheap gasoline, and apple pie. Summer vacation has begun!

The flight from uneventful, as usual, and I slept for more than half of it. gyades picked me up at O'Hare and we got Mexican food for lunch -- my first in over six months -- before coming home. It is good to be back at the Event Horizon; I do love this house. Glen Ellyn may not be anywehre near as nifty as Oxford, but the Event Horizon is a much nicer space than Skullcrusher Mountain. And, of course, Stumpy and Chirp have already lavished kitty love on me. Or, rather, demanded that I lavish love on them... which is about the same thing.

Looking forward to seeing some of you tonight for karaoke at Sidekicks... and on Saturday at the Event Horizon party. Also, for anyone interested, The Kiddo and polymorphism and I will be heading down to Cypress Cove on Sunday afternoon. Anyone who wants to join in the fun, just let me know!

Meanwhile, my goal for the next month is to speak only US English. We shall see how well I succeed in this challenge.

Home Home On The Range

Back again in the land of Mom, cheap gasoline, and apple pie. Summer vacation has begun!

The flight from uneventful, as usual, and I slept for more than half of it. gyades picked me up at O'Hare and we got Mexican food for lunch -- my first in over six months -- before coming home. It is good to be back at the Event Horizon; I do love this house. Glen Ellyn may not be anywehre near as nifty as Oxford, but the Event Horizon is a much nicer space than Skullcrusher Mountain. And, of course, Stumpy and Chirp have already lavished kitty love on me. Or, rather, demanded that I lavish love on them... which is about the same thing.

Looking forward to seeing some of you tonight for karaoke at Sidekicks... and on Saturday at the Event Horizon party. Also, for anyone interested, The Kiddo and polymorphism and I will be heading down to Cypress Cove on Sunday afternoon. Anyone who wants to join in the fun, just let me know!

Meanwhile, my goal for the next month is to speak only US English. We shall see how well I succeed in this challenge.

Gentlemen[*], I Am Tormented By Questions; Answer Them For Me

#1) What does it say about me that, immediately after arriving back at the Event Horizon, the first thing I do is make two calls to Oxford? The first is the standard call to my beloved cheshcat to let her know that I arrived safely. The second, though, has me starting my vacation to make a call to the lab to speak to JI (my grad student). Yesterday, I spent a large part of my last day cooling down the K-400 to make a particular measurement. I was dearly hoping that the cryostat would become cold enough last night so that I could make this measurement before leaving the lab at 4am for the bus station. Sadly, it was not to be. Happily, though, JI informs me that the particular transition we were looking to measure may be occurring right now! But who starts their vacation by calling work?

#2) The US stock markets hit a record high today, and I think a record gain for a single day. Yesterday, the dollar hit a record low against the Euro and a twenty-six year low against the pound sterling. It's a good time for me to be in the US, changing sterling into dollars. However, how can it be that the stock markets are through the roof when the dollar itself is plummeting into the toilet?

#3) By chance, my visit to the States turns out to be the inverse of my dear resourceress's visit to me in Oxford... modulo one year. Last summer, she arrived in England on July 12 and left on August 10. This summer, I arrived in the States on July 12 (today) and will leave on August 10. How odd is that? And how odd am I for noticing?

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[*] Women can answer them, too. Not trying to be sexist... just trying to quote Dostoyevsky!

Gentlemen[*], I Am Tormented By Questions; Answer Them For Me

#1) What does it say about me that, immediately after arriving back at the Event Horizon, the first thing I do is make two calls to Oxford? The first is the standard call to my beloved cheshcat to let her know that I arrived safely. The second, though, has me starting my vacation to make a call to the lab to speak to JI (my grad student). Yesterday, I spent a large part of my last day cooling down the K-400 to make a particular measurement. I was dearly hoping that the cryostat would become cold enough last night so that I could make this measurement before leaving the lab at 4am for the bus station. Sadly, it was not to be. Happily, though, JI informs me that the particular transition we were looking to measure may be occurring right now! But who starts their vacation by calling work?

#2) The US stock markets hit a record high today, and I think a record gain for a single day. Yesterday, the dollar hit a record low against the Euro and a twenty-six year low against the pound sterling. It's a good time for me to be in the US, changing sterling into dollars. However, how can it be that the stock markets are through the roof when the dollar itself is plummeting into the toilet?

#3) By chance, my visit to the States turns out to be the inverse of my dear resourceress's visit to me in Oxford... modulo one year. Last summer, she arrived in England on July 12 and left on August 10. This summer, I arrived in the States on July 12 (today) and will leave on August 10. How odd is that? And how odd am I for noticing?

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[*] Women can answer them, too. Not trying to be sexist... just trying to quote Dostoyevsky!