Defense date

Now this could change, but I think that its safe enough to write in May 7th as my defense date on your calendars. Or perhaps more importantly to write in the evening of May 7th and my post-defense party (rain or shine, as it were). Or perhaps most importantly of all to write in May 8th as a day not to call me before noon.

Updated dog

Here's a picture of the three of us from just before Christmas. Awww.
Bella is a sucker for tummy rubs, and will even put up with being manhandled onto my lap and having her toenails clipped in order to get one. This appears to be post-clipping, based on the shears next to us.
This is Bella and her super-mellow friend Dash. Dash enjoys stealing and hiding butter, backcountry skiing and naps.
Dash has been our primary tool for socializing Bella, since she's shown some signs of aggression towards other dogs. But this doesn't look too aggressive, now, does it?
We even had a couple of strange dogs over a few weeks ago, and they got along great. I forget the big dog's name, but the little one looking at the camera is Miss Piggy, cause she's got a curly tail and only one lung, which makes her grunt a lot.

Belated dog notice

Did I ever mention that Beth and I have a dog?

This is Bella:
and this is Bella viciously attacking me:

She's about a year and a half old, full of energy and smart enough to keep us on our toes. She's also fast as all hell, and if you think you can catch her she'd love it if you tried.

Avatar

It's a good movie. Stunning visually although I have to warn you that it's intense - there's literally not a single lighthearted moment to break the drama. Go see it the next time you have a couple days free.

Look, honey......

THE INTERNET!!!!!

Good life, but busy

With apologies to my dissertation, here are some things that have actually happened in the last several weeks:

Back in early September, Beth and I headed back to Michigan for her brother's wedding. It was a lovely ceremony and reception (pretty amazing how many people I knew there) and the hotel had a water park in it! Congratulations to Ian and Frances (and Berkley, too).

While we were there I got a call from the AK Department of Natural Resources, offering me a job. So I accepted it and started work the Monday after I got back. I work in the easements section of the Division of Mining, Land and Water, adjudicating trail applications for the Mat-Su Borough. In English, this means that while there is a large network of trails on state lands throughout the borough (county) north of Anchorage.

And what else has been happening.... oh, right! Beth and I finally closed on our house the last weekend of September. Since then life has been a whirlwind of painting, packing, unpacking, fixing, buying, power tooling, firewooding and flopping lifelessly onto the couch to zone out for a bit at the end of the day while our neighbors watch our every move (curtaining is next on the list). Things are finally starting to settle down now, and although we've still got plenty to do around here its just really nice and already feels like home. I love it (so does Beth, but she's not writing this) and its just really satisfying to live in a place thats mine. It makes it worth it to put this much effort into making the place nice.

The first snowfall of the season is supposed to start any time now - which is almost the latest ever for Anchorage (Nov 15) - and we've got a toasty fire in the fireplace. Dinner's in the oven and I actually spent several hours working on my dissertation today. Beth's almost done making the bed (literally, with wood and power tools, not just putting on sheets.) and we've got a bottle of wine open. Life's pretty good!

Twos

My life since the last post can be summed up in a series of 2s: 2 hikes, 2 parents, 2 fantasy football drafts, 2 abstracts submitted for a conference, barfed 2 x 2 x 2 times in one night and now the next 2 weekends I'll be on the road for Beth's brother's wedding and some vacation time.