"I know I must keep travelin' till my road comes to an end..."

OK, Will. Ha ha. Here's another post -- this year, yet -- just for you, Mr. Smarty Pants. And, for the record, yes, the dead bird is off of my car. That car, as a matter of fact, is now completely defunct. Head gasket blown, wheel baring rapidly going down the tubes, brakes no longer functioning. It sits in the driveway like a beached whale, gathering pollen dust and bird poo. Pretty soon I'll have to get some cinder blocks and turn it into a planter or something for the front yard. But that $500 air conditioning I paid for last summer works like a champ. If there was a patron saint for automobiles, I'd kick him or her in his or her respective naughties.

Aside from the car, life continues on. I've been granted a research fellowship for the summer, so I spend most days confined in my apartment reading through dusty tomes (or photocopies of dusty tomes) and writing my magnum opus. It's currently on page 30 or so. I must say, after 6 years of working toward this moment, I thought that the writing process would be easier. I mean I have all of my arguments, tons of notes, and a skeletal outline. Alas, no -- not so easy. It is the most soul-sucking endeavor I've yet encountered in grad school, and as many of you know, grad school has no dearth of soul-suckage.

Bryan continues at his job, although hopefully not much longer, and he's eagerly anticipating meeting his new nephew when we head to Indianapolis at the end of July. My mom knitted him a new baby blanket, which is really cute, and we're both looking forward to giving it to the blessed child when we see him. As well as meeting the little'un, it will be my first time meeting Bryan's brother which should be interesting. I only get Bryan's view of his brother most of the time, so I'll be keen to know if he lives up to his reputation.

Bryan and I have a relatively new addition to the family, our beloved Oscar. He has several annoying habits, but when he's not currently engaged in yowling, scratching, or tearing about the house, he's darned cute. Bryan continues to try to "train" him. Mostly, it's kind of like watching an episode of ALF. The furry being does something annoying and mildly destructive; we berate him for all of thirty seconds; he gives us the googly eyes; we all have a hearty laugh and snuggle on the couch.

My best friend got married this weekend. The wedding was beautiful, she was beautiful -- the whole thing was beautiful (or, à la Cabaret, "Bee-YOO-tee-ful!"). I'm happy for her, if I'm a bit sad for me. We'll never hang out, just the two of us, like we used to, or do any of the impulsive things we were fond of in our earlier years. No matter how much I look to the future, when the future arrives, there's always part of me that wants to maintain just a little bit of the past. I guess that's what photo albums are for.

And there it is folks. The update. Hopefully to be followed by more, although probably not on anything resembling a normal schedule. Um, yeah. Tally-ho!