friday feature 2

Made it to Friday! Almost thought that wasn't going to happen. You know how those weeks are.

Today's feature is more about my brother and RJR than myself, but I'm playing a critical role. We are headed to the Ommegang Brewery tomorrow. It is located just outside of Cooperstown, NY, lovely country. This isn't quite local to where I am now, but it is near to where I will be soon. Buy local is a theme here as you can see.

I've never done a brewery tour myself. However, for Bro2's birthday, we agreed to take him and some other friends to do the tour. Much of the state is swathed in a crisp blanket of snow, which will make the drive beautiful--reminding me that I need to get new batteries so I can post some pics upon return.

Have a wonderful weekend all!

four city tour

After finding a place in Albany, which is #58 on the grid below, I headed to Delaware yesterday to drop off some paperwork and the dissertation draft to the secretary in my department. Lots of friendly hellos from folks since I've been gone since December. The room reservation checked out, as did the paperwork, so I then moved on to something a bit more enjoyable--shopping at IKEA. To the best of my knowledge, the closest IKEA to Albany is in Buffalo, which might as well be Philadelphia. The drive from Newark to Philadelphia was something bittersweet. I hated that commute for three years while attending the University of Delaware and living in Philadelphia, but it always made me feel like a real Easterner, zipping down I95 between NYC, PHL, BLT, and DC without a care.

IKEA is one of those places that sucks me into the material culture of our nation. I loathe it. I also, well, adore that store! The Scandinavian design aesthetic is something rare at a discount rate. When I realized they sold unique fabric, there was no way I was ever going to come back to this city without popping in for a yard or two. Last night I stayed at my old place--540B--in West Philly. Its a community house with great character that deserves its own post sometime. This very moment I'm sitting in my old bedroom where the green walls are empty, devoid of all my ephemera. Sigh. Two of the mates invited me to a SuperTuesday party with friends from UPenn, very cool. Oh yeah, my girl won.

Today I drive to Rochester, but not before a stop at Trader Joe's and Fabric Row on 4th Street in South Philly. I'm also thrilled to be here for Ash Wednesday, which I'm planning to observe at the Basilica in Center City. Four cities in 48 hours. Whew.

winter sun

I have been cloistered away for four straight days now making final edits to my dissertation before it is put out for review at our school. Because I have relocated temporarily before starting my job, I am enjoying a different venue for writing. The library at my undergraduate institution is brand new this fall with over a dozen perfect places to work. There is a central "quiet" area that features lovely cherry colored desks, stunning windows, and a fireplace. A fireplace that crackles quietly across from you while you write words no one but your committee will ever read. Or maybe your mom or your person, but even that is a stretch. At 300+ pages I wouldn't ask anyone to torture themselves.

Upstate New York can be a decidedly gray place. So, on days like today, when the sun is slanting across the desk so deliciously, I can't help but be a bit more motivated, to find a way to draw a portion of intelligence from the keys clicking away under my fingertips.