Ft. Lauderdale/Boca Raton

Boca Raton=Mouth of the rat. I've learned much. FAU is made of concrete. It's full of nice folks though who may or may not want to hire me. I saw a comorant, a blue heron, a lizard, a coonti plant, a dutch pipe vine, a monarch butterfly, and several turkey vultures.
I do love big birds.
But pink buildings--not so much.
I've never been this hot. I've been sweating since I got off the plane?
How much red wine can I drink at dinner???? Less, than I want, I presume.
This is a good job--grad students, 3-2, non-adversarial department....The chair is one of the funniest, smartest people I met. Plus, man can he eat. He's my metabolistic role model. In fact, as a teacher, a writer, and an administrator, he's a role model for all.
But this part of Florida is super-suburban, expensive, and humid.
I don't know. I had a gut feeling for a moment.
I'm off to the other two interviews on Wednesday. I fly all the way back to SLC and then to Atlanta. Which wouldn't be so bad but for the very bumpy skies.
I feel like a sponge--absorb, absorb.

Exercises in Futility

This week has been nothing if not one step forward, two steps back (The Dow Jones and I may run on syncopated paths).
For instance, today I went to the eye doctor, loading the heavy Zoe in the bucket and driving through rushhour traffic, only to find the office closes at 1. Great. Then I went up to campus to find the latest issue of the Chronicle which has an article written by one of my interviewers at Florida Atlantic. The new issue just came out--supplanting the issue I needed.
So, I was inspired by Unhip's blog to really exercise. I emailed all 78 legislators and asked them not to support HB 45 the Bear River Development act:

Please don’t support the Bear River Development Act—HB 45. This $1 billion water project promotes waste, discourages conservation, uses funds poorly, and threatens to destroy one of the last wild waterways in the west. With a bit of conservation—by which I mean less irrigation, not less “drinking water”—we can easily compensate for the amount of water that would be appropriated by this bill that provides no healthy vision for the future.

I kept it short and pointless since it will fall on 70% deaf ears. I end this week by embracing my (and the Dow Jones) path.

Home, underrated

As it looks more and more like I may actually be moving (I'm hoping to jinx it by writing it in ink--or pixel), I keep thinking how very underrated staying in the land of your birth is. Since I was seven, my parents made it clear to us that had the economy been different, we would have been raised in NYC. Every slight made against me or the twins would cause my mom to rail against this backwards town. And it's true. Everytime the legislature convenes I say to myself, "we're out of here." But I do think that the imperative to leave can be a overrated. The opinion that to be truly career-oriented and grow- up requires that one leave town. And, I subscribed to that when I lived in Portland. But I also think appreciating what is here becomes evident only as the moving threatens. It's important to me that Zoe grow up around people who think she's truly unique, not just another baby; that Erik and I can go to dinner at the drop of a hat because her grandparents will come over at a moments notice; that her cousins are close enough to be like siblings; that when she looks outside she sees amazing land.
But there are enough drawbacks--bad legislature, bad restaurants, bad smog, bad legislature, the bad house being built next door destroying part of the amazing land, bad jobs--that we should at least seriously entertain the notion of going.
I can come back for summers, I'm reminded.
Zoe can visit her grandparents for weeks at a time, I'm told.
But having left home and come back, I feel like I know exactly how much I'll be missing--

Friday the 13th

Usually my Friday the 13ths aren't marred by disaster so much as dissatisfaction.
To note:
No new interviews. Which is OK because I'm really happy with my two, but I got SO addicted to NEWS in December, I'm going through withdrawals.
The lot next door just got surveyed for building. From what I can tell, their back door will open directly into my living room.
The cats think the new carpet in the basement is a brand new litter box. We've barracaded them upstairs but me thinks one or two of the cats may have to find a new home.
Erik is on call tonight which means he doesn't want to have people over. I haven't just hung out in weeks. I would like to relax with his folks or some friends of ours.
I ordered the wrong soup at Big City Soup.
No mail.
No email.

OK, apparently this 13th is marred by NOTHINGness. And a litany of small complaints is NOTHING. But, if something truly horrid happens, I'll keep you posted. And if you have any horror stories, I'd love to hear them. Because I'm horrid.

Door to door sales

I have a soft spot in my heart for Rugby because it was the only game anyone at Reed was any good at. So, when the kid from Westmini's CHAMPIONSHIP RUGBY TEAM came to ask me if I'd buy a raffle ticket, I said, sure. In fact, I bought 6 for $10 (what a bargain--$3 for 1!). I never win. I may come in 2nd. I may occasionally even get a prize for coming in 2nd, but I just don't catapult myself (or luck neglects to catapult me) over the top.
Still, I keep trying. Perhaps my number will come up (I hope not the "when your number's up" of my mother's Woody Allenesque take on fate) this time. What will I win? I don't know. I didn't really read it. Something about Vegas. Or Park City. Two nights.....
So, I suppose my point is, if you'd like to get $10 from me, come over and show me a nice picture of young folks (at Reed, Rugby was co-ed) with lots of bruises and soft buttons and hand me some tickets. Don't bother tearing off the part that you keep. I won't even notice until you leave that I have all the parts and the raffler has no idea how to contact me should I win. Which I won't, in good spirit. In fact, were it not for this post, I would have forgotten about it already.

looming

2nd interviews loom. What to do? Take Erik and Zoe so I don't have to pump & go? Buy real estate in upstate new york? Write pro and con list and make sure I realize that it gets below zero in both Michigan (GVSU) and NY (Alfred)?
The real question: what to wear? I already wore my power suit. Plus, it's two days of interview. Even if I re-suit on the first day, should I differently suit the next?
When will I write again since all I do is make travel plans.

How does this philosophy work of "what should happen, will happen?" Where is free will? Is there any free will when grandparents of a six-month old are involved?
Where are the west coast jobs? Is there anywhere as beautiful as Utah? Does better politics trump beauty?
How many questions can one ask to the ether???