Monday, April 06, 2009

Get Back, Jojo. Go Home.

The week before last--my, how time flies!--was my SPRING BREAK!, and so, in celebration of the fact that, unlike last year, I am now officially a California resident and therefore not trapped in California for the break, I went to Tucson.

Tucson, you say? Right: the visit was nominally for a conference, because, really, what graduate student thinks they could have an entirely school-free week?, but the conference was only an excuse to visit my cousin Margaret and spend a few days hanging out with these guys, all at the expense of the university. Rock on.

It's never too early to learn about jumping pictures.

Now there's a funny story around this conference, mostly that the abstract I submitted for it way back in December was a wild guess at a hypothesis, and, true procrastinator that I am, I basically hadn't worked on the project at all since submitting it. If my life were a touching ABC family special, I would have suffered public humiliation for my unpreparedness, but, as it is, I sailed through it all, despite having only thought of an analysis for my data on the plane on the way to the conference and having stayed up all night putting the presentation together. Plus there were technical issues and therefore no time for a question period. How much luckier could I possibly get?

The rest of the break was divided between transcription--sometimes I think I have nothing in my life but Ao or Kawaiisu transcriptions--and becoming Booker's new favorite non-parent adult, mostly by conducting covert theory of mind experiments on him and dangling him upside down by his ankles. If only seducing boys my own age were as easy.

Tucson was unexpectedly lovely, set in a desert straight from Central Casting, with tall saguaro cacti marking the skyline everywhere, growing in backyards and by the side of the highway. I couldn't have asked for better weather, a better place to stay, or better company as I transcribed. What a vacation!

(Thank you, Margaret and Clark, for your hospitality.)

The best part of vacations for me lately, though, is coming home: I got to my apartment alone in the early afternoon, and, to revel in my post-SPRING BREAK! Saturday freedom, I rode to the grocery store for fancy produce (mangoes! rosemary! chard!), stopping once briefly on my way there to observe a drum circle at the local flea market, and once on my home to visit a friend. It's finally sandal weather, I have a bike, an apartment, friends to see, and money to blow on mangoes. Gimme that California grass any day.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Dude. Next time you're in the general vicinity, SAY SO!

Chet said...

this is the best picture because it looks like you are holding that adorable little boy by his buzz cut. awesome.

my name is amy said...

yep, it totally looks like you're pulling the little guy up into the air by his hair.

Margaret Proffitt said...

I wish there were more reasons for you to visit Tucson. We had so much fun. Thanks for coming!

Tony said...

"If only seducing boys my own age were as easy."

I would definitely be seduced by a girl who could dangle me by my ankles. (Assuming she's not my cousin, that is.)

Unknown said...

Also, you could have called this post "Under a Tucson Sun".

Ginsberg said...

You do know, of course, that your journey was the reverse of JoJo's, right? JoJo left his home in Tucson, AZ. You left your home in California grass.

(Sorry, I fancy myself as something of an authority on the Beatles, so I feel a responsibility to be a bit persnickety from time to time.)

Petra said...

Ginsberg--

I know, I know. I just couldn't resist the Beatles reference.

(Hey, at least I didn't go for Loretta's story!)