So I mentioned Alicia and her arsenic Fulbright and we chatted at length. I mentioned Alicia is cramming Bengali lessons before leaving, he offered his whole family to help out with training. Lots of unmarried brothers apparently, so I did some matchmaking while at it. 
I promised I wouldn't reuse any skeleton action figures, and so will stay true to that credo, but if I could, I'd simply re-post the skeleton at her desk with a big ole stack of folders. 'Twas today's activity, going thru the job candidate packets with a fine-toothed comb. We've got some great candidates for the new bio position, this should be an enjoyable search. Chairing the committee however, not so much fun... Still, I'm psyched by the potential new colleague we will welcome next year.
The panel finished up, tiring but enjoyable as always. Turned out our conference room was located in the Polar Research wing at NSF, so I got a chance to talk to some of the folks doing work (or sponsoring work) in Antarctica. Unfortunately I can't get to McMurdo while I'm there because it's on the other side of the ice (I forgot the continent is larger than the US and Mexico combined), but I did score a chance to visit the Palmer Research Center up on the peninsula (where we'll be). Should be cool.
The one advantage to traveling is the kittie response when I get home. I'm no sooner seated than I have 3 hairy boys snuggled up against me. I should point out, give the picture to the right, that there are only 3 cats at my house (and the last one is Jaime's and Alicia's fault). That still qualifies me for the title 'spinster' or 'cat lady', but it's not QUITE as bad the picture.
Rarely have I seen so pathetic a group of adults as our panel at 5:30 today. Didn't know people could develop such big bags under their eyes (except me of course, fresh as a daisy -- that's been sprayed with Round-up). It is such a pleasure to serve on this panel, it might be the most personally rewarding thing I do each semester -- but BOY is it taxing. We all went out to dinner afterwards...somehow the prospect of cold beer livened up the crowd...
This thing is a reminder of how old I'm getting -- one of the panel members, a former undergrad research assistant, is now up for tenure. And I learned tonight that I was the TA for two others while at Colorado. We went around the table to figure out how we all knew each other and realized there was about 1/2 a degree of separation for us all. And as luck would have it, one of the guys was present for the filming of "Gorillas in the Mist" and met Sigorney Weaver, who worked with a writer on Ghost Busters, who likewise wrote for Animal House, which had as one of its bit players....you guessed it, Kevin Bacon.
Spent the day huddled in my room finishing NSF proposals. Apparently the only difference between me and the other members of the panel -- they did the same on planes, arriving this evening. 
Nice view and good steak, but I'm not sure I quite get all the PR about the place. The waiter told us about their specialty steaks (for a mere $68 ala carte)- Kobe beef - fed beer daily and rubbed down with Saki, making for a VERY relaxed cow and thus supposedly tender beef. We passed. I will say, their house Pinot Noir was excellent, highlight of the meal. That, the view, and the company.
Shipwreck tourists flown to Chile
I'm off again, this time to DC for a NSF Grant Review panel. Pretty fun, tho' a TON of work. And the cats gave me some seriously dirty looks as I was packing. I think the leftover turkey helped however ;-) Matt is taking care of 'the boys' while I'm gone. 
While I'm in flight, Notre Dame will be playing their last game of the season. Something tells me there'll be no bowl this winter... I figured this final football skeleton in-action figure was fitting for the season as a whole.
UPDATE -- easy flights, tho' always tiring. And ND won! Didn't see that one coming.
A "white thanksgiving", lot's o' snow today. Pretty to look at -- perfect day to stay inside, make turkey, chat with family, sleep in late. Minus the turkey making part, that might very well be my busy schedule for tomorrow - with some grant reading and packing tossed in since I head to DC on Saturday. 
Icky, rainy, cold, grey day just before Thanksgiving...and yet, students were still in class. Notre Dame, you gotta love it. I'm off to grocery shop after classes are done (while these guys are dedicated...I don't imagine they'll be trudging over to the lab in the rain in the late afternoon today). Waiting till today to shop may not have been my wisest choice...
They won while I was gone, figured it was a rare enough event it was worth a late posting. Bumped us up to a whopping 2-9 on the season. At least the seniors got a final home game win. Stanford on Thanksgiving...not sure it'll be the same outcome.
The day improved considerably. First, the computer guys came over to bring my new MacBook Pro. It is a thing of beauty indeed. Big bright screen, smokin' fast, tons o' memory, and actually lighter than my 12" G4. 
IT'S A MAC MIRACLE!! That computer has no business whatsoever working -- it's been dropped twice now, the screen popped off, it lost a key, and the frame is bent such that you can't change the battery. Also, the only plug that works in it is the one that was attached during the first drop back in Germany. And yet, the little tyke takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin!!
This afternoon I got the word on my Jeep as well -- needed a new alternator and battery. But it's purring like...Wiley when his food dish is filled. Not a cheap afternoon, but one that's got me up and running again. 
As the first picture shows, we've a pretty nice view in the daylight as well. Everything in the room has a giant "S" on it, obviously personally inscribed for moi! And should my paper not go well and I decide to leap from my balcony...as you can see from the second picture, I'll just get wet. Water comes right up to the hotel.
Hello from sunny San Diego. We are at a Sheraton for the ASOR meetings, and I don't know what I did exactly, but I have the swankiest room ever! Since I haven't finish my presentation yet (it's not till Saturday morning...plenty o' time...), I will likely be spending pretty much all day tomorrow sitting on said balcony powerpointing till I drop (if that's not a verb, it should be). 
Here are the long overdue Halloween winners for the department -- Ian as Tinkerbell Gone to Seed, and Agustin as a Banana Ecosystem. Enjoy.
Today we play Air Force, with the outcome in serious question. Weis has decided to start Klausen, not quite sure why. Talking to the students, they said that last week, at the end of the game when they play the song where everyone shouts "Weis", people boo-ed instead. 
It's been pretty cold around here the last week. The pretty trees lasted about 3 days, then the windy weather took care of much of that around campus. Below average cold for the past week, with snow and sleet in small doses (mostly at night). Seems more "wintery" I think because of the darker evenings with the time change.
West Bank settlements 'expanding'
Curry-derived Molecules Might Be Too Spicy For Colorectal Cancers
Paper or Plastic … or Neither
After Battle, Barnard Professor Given Tenure
Although today is a windy overcast day, this weekend was gorgeous, complimented considerably by the Fall foliage. Nice time of year to be in South Bend. 
Didn't change my clocks last night as my wise father told me to, so got up today rather late, realized it was actually an hour earlier than I thought, rolled back over with the express desire to sleep some more. Unfortunately, Wiley's tummy didn't know about the time change, and thus the nagging began. Doh! Admittedly, I don't want him to waste away to nothing, so I got up and did my parental duty.
And since I'm up, here are some news stories:
