Uhm?

I just heard how tRump treated Ukraine’s delegation and President Zelensky.  I have no words.  

(sigh)

PipeTobacco 

Exhaustion

 With ALL the work I have been doing with my students to prepare for this conference, I have difficulty explaining how UTTERLY tired I am.  It has been very much a condition of close to non-stop work and effort other than a late dinner in front of the tv with my wife before bed.  

I may be exaggerating a bit.... but IT HAS BEEN MUCH BUSIER than is my comfort zone.  

Last night, I ended up Zooming with some of the researchers until 2:00am.  

I was so tired this morning, I did not run.

I need rest and relaxation.

PipeTobacco

Beautiful Dream, but Odd

 

I am still completely in a state of feeling "wiped out" pretty much every waking hour.  Fortunately, all the student's research talks ARE up-to-snuff.... but a number of teams are excessively nervous and want MULTIPLE practice sessions with me (at this late date).  So, I have a variety of other commitments as a professor (teaching, exam prep, and all the usual.  So I listed available times I could "Zoom" with my students to let them practice their talk with my guidance.  I have running Zoom sessions all afternoon, and have three scheduled between 11:00pm and 1:00am tonight as well!

I chose Zoom meetings for this all week, as the students are all the hell over the place in different locations across most of the day.  Some are nearby on campus, others are off in the field somewhere doing other things. And, of course in the latter part of the week we are all traveling to the conference.   

And, even though I originally stated the couple of openings I had for EMERGENCY NEEDS ONLY on Thursday (I am part of the Executive Board of this conference and it meets in the evening Thursday), I already have TWO of the three "Emergency" late night spots taken on Zoom as well.  (sigh).  

A dark, heavy, robust IPA (or perhaps two) will be damn pleasant at the end of the day, Friday.

BUT.... onto my very entertaining DREAM!!!!!  It was quite odd in many ways, but still it was wonderfully fun:

For some reason, which I do not recall, I was in Puerto Rico.  I have NEVER actually been to Puerto Rico, but I have always thought it would be a fun place to visit.  My wife and I were staying in a beautiful condominium apartment that was way up high, perhaps along the 10th floor or something.  It had a beautiful, expansive balcony.  

In my dream, I was running one of the mornings we were there, and I was running on a path along the beach.  And, from looking on my phone that morning, I had found that Puerto Rico had only ONE pipe tobacco shop (although it did have dozens of cigar shops).  I ran by the street the pipe tobacco shop was located and decided to go from the trail to the street to go see what the shop looked like.  I ended up finding the shop when I was back in the middle of the "downtown" area.  I went inside, and apparently the shop was just opening for the day, as I was greeted by the owner who was rather loud and boisterous.  He greeted me with robustness as I entered.  He sported a very dark, bushy mustache and was tall, and round as a barrel.  He was wearing a wide brimmed hat.  

I was in my running clothes, and was sweaty as hell.  As is my norm, when I am running, I have my phone in an armband/pouch that I wear on my upper arm.  This allows me to use the gizmo earplugs that I can wear while running and listen to music (most of the time Gregorian Chants or other Catholic Music as I am typically praying the rosary during my run) or listen to a Capuchin Mass.  

But, for whatever reason, not logical in the least, In addition to my phone that was in this armband/pouch, I also had one of my Peterson pipes, and I pulled it out and showed it to the fellow.  He laughed, and looked at it and then reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the SAME MODEL of Peterson pipe as mine, just with a darker walnut bowl color compared to mine.  

We laughed.  

But then, with this dream being disjointed in a lot of ways, suddenly (I did not seem to dream through (or at least did not remember) the details) I had agreed to help the guy out and run his pipe tobacco shop for a month while he was working on and finishing his new cigar store that was on the other side of downtown.  He had a scheduled opening date 5 weeks out and was so far behind, that he had to devote all his time to getting the cigar shop up and ready to open.  He had agreed to pay for my condo for a month and to provide me a reasonable wage as well. 

I was excited and yet nervous about the news.  I was running back to the condo, trying to figure out in my mind how to tell my wife this sudden news when the damn alarm woke me from my dream.  

It was a nice dream, but very all over the map in timing, and in focus.  It was odd.  Maybe I ate too many types of salsa on my taco salad last night?  I actually put four different types on it..... salsa Verde that I had made (and froze) from our garden's tomatilos , Pace traditional, a Fresh Market, sweet onion salsa, and another Fresh Market pineapple/jalapeno salsa?  Maybe the too diverse array of flavors added to the chaos of my dream?  

 PCS - 8..... I am stuck here it seems, at the high range.  

Contentedness Score - 8.... I can FEEL the end of this week approaching and it feels good! 

PipeTobacco

One Positive - 21.5

 

I have to say that this weekend, I did get one happy bit of news.... my wife and I weigh ourselves each Sunday morning before breakfast and have done this for well over 20 years now at least.  

Well, I recall sometime back I wrote about how I was dismayed that I had gained roughly 7-8 pounds over what I consider my "ideal" and had it been nagging at me.  I can now say that I am once again set in the dead center of the Body Mass Index (BMI) for my height.  I have lost ~7 pounds.  My BMI is a 21.5 (dead center of the "normal" range).  I weight 165 pounds now (~75kg; ~11.75 stone).  So, I am happy about that.  Even with the 7-8 extra pounds I had been wearing, I was still in the "normal" range... but I was inching into the mid-upper portion of the "normal" range.

However, I tend to feel "best" when I am just a bit lower (I like to be at the 159-160 pound range) because then I have a little bit of "finagling" room.  But, I am happy.  

I have mentioned this before, but sometimes it still surprises me.  But, as I have said, I still "feel" like my former "hefty" self.  Emotionally, I still see myself that way when I look in the mirror.  And, this has been the case during all of the (approaching) 20 years since my transition from a "hefty" fellow (just BARELY under 300 pounds (~136 kg; ~21.5 stone) and with a BMI of 38.5) to a normal BMI.  The emotional baggage of being "hefty" is hard to shake.  I mostly just try to ignore those feelings, but occasionally it is difficult to do so.  

I am a bit excited about a POTENTIAL action on Thursday.  

As you realize, I do very much value being able to go the "Retiree's Cigar Group" on Thursdays.  But, you also know that this semester has me have a class that significantly delays my arrival, so much so that I am sometimes alone or at best there may be 1 or 2 of my friends have stayed beyond the typical time.  

I do miss seeing and talking with ALL the regulars in the "Retiree's Cigar Group".  But... just MAYBE.... this Thursday I will be in luck.  My late class has an EXAM!!!!!  And, while the students can stay as long as they like in the class period to complete their exam, there is a possibility they all may be done EARLY and I may be able to leave EARLIER, and that means I could potentially arrive with more of my friends still at the shop!!!!!

I do not know what to predict this Thursday.  I have had classes where one or two or three students may stay till the bitter end of the class period (boo-hiss).  But, I have sometimes had all folks finish with 30-40 minutes of time remaining in our 90 minute block (fingers crossed).  Having that extra 30-40 minutes to get there would make it likely I'd see at least 90% of the crew.  

I have come to the realization that TUESDAY running is the hardest running I do each week.  This is because it is also the day AFTER a late evening of Band Rehearsal, and Tuesday morning is the day we have for trash and recycling pickup.... and I want to get out as much trash, recyclables, and used cat litter as possible that morning.  Add to this my relatively earlier start time for "big voicing" at the U on Tuesdays.  

I have no plans to CHANGE my running on Tuesdays.  But, it is at least nice to understand why I am usually so "blah" about getting up to run Tuesday mornings.  

PCS - 8.5..... I spent ALL of my run this morning AFTER I finished the rosary (and shamefully some of the time when I would drift away WHILE praying the rosary) imagining smoking my pipes and pipe tobaccos.  I was especially enamored with remembering and recalling the tastes and textures of a rum tinctured and slightly butterscotch infused burley I was especially fond of when I first started at the U.  It may sound truly stupid, but there were a few moments where I felt a bit of a "shivering" type of intensity at the feelings invoked with these memories.  I really could almost actually taste the beautiful flavors upon my tongue.... all the while doing the running loops like a hamster in a wheel.     

Contentedness Score - 7.... feeling ok.  Still looking very forward to stepping off the bus come Saturday, and are these conference talks of my students DONE, but so the "Battle of the Bands" is ALSO DONE too!  Maybe I will splurge and have ANOTHER beer or two on Saturday to celebrate that milestone..... a milestone where things should...... should..... return to "normal" (whatever the hell that is) for a while.  

Practice

 

I am bushed but hopeful.

The research talks of my many researchers will be coming at the end of this week!  All their various talks are ready to go (other than minor typographical error corrections that likely will be noticed as they continue to practice).  

And, they are tasked with doing a whole helluva lot of practice before scheduling a "Dress Rehearsal" with me over the next three days.  They hopefully will be smooth, eloquent, and be able to weave a beautiful story of their work for the "Dress Rehearsal" ahead of their real presentations.  But, that may be a "pipe dream" of sorts.  They are all feeling nervous, so I suspect for at least a few, the "Dress Rehearsal" will reveal their need to KNOW exactly what they plan to say before they say it and they will have to scramble to practice and practice and practice if they are NOT up to snuff.  

Come the end of these research talks, I am thinking I will have a celebratory beer or two in the evening when I eventually traverse the land back to home.  Yet, I cannot become too celebratory, as the next day, I have to take a very early morning bus trip with my band as the scheduled "Battle of the Bands" is set halfway across the state and our group is set to play sometime that day.    This is a yearly event where community bands from across the state come together to play across the day and be evaluated by band professionals (usually College of Music Faculty).  They give each community band a critique of how they can further improved.  Our conductor is nervous as hell (as he usually is) and we have one more (likely fire-and-brimstone style) rehearsal tonight to practice our program of songs.  

Last Thursday, I ended up getting to the "Retiree's Cigar Group" regrettably late, but one friend was there, so for a part of the time that was very nice.  The remainder of the time, I spent editing student talks.

I got up late this morning and only was able to run 7.7 miles before I had to stop and get ready to go to the U.  

PCS - 8.... pipes still call to me each and every day.  Their nurturing of my mind is something I miss terribly.

Contentedness Score - 7.5.... the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight!  

PipeTobacco

Slug

 

I actually think slugs are exceptionally cool creatures.  Snails are more akin to slugs who are RVing, so they are pretty cool as well.... but I find working with (non-human, animal) slugs to be quite fun.  I do not do research with them, but in one of the labs I teach in my ethology course, I have the students work with slug behavior in a maze learning experience, and I also lecture about the physiology of snail mucin (the material that makes the the "slug slime" of the beast).  It is helpful for the locomotor behavior of the beast and it can be used in defense by the slug.  In some species, the mucous secreted also has chemical agents that make the fluid rather antimicrobial and in some cases also a mild anesthetic.  I also like to mention (much to the horror of some of the students) that snail mucin is actually incorporated into some commercially beauty products (cosmetics, shampoos) and some medical salves.  

But, today I am not so fond of the (human) slugs in one of my research groups.  They have not yet gotten me their data in the form of an Excel file so that I can produce graphs for them of their data.  This means I am at a (nervous) standstill.  

I am already at the peak of excitedness imagining going to the Retiree's Cigar Group tomorrow!  Unfortunately, my schedule means I will be very late, but I am hoping, with weather looking ok, that I WILL get there in time to have at least 2-3 stragglers remain so they can chat with me for a while.  It is an incredibly peaceful and relaxing experience, and I so look forward to it.  

Presuming I can work like hell this Friday, I should be able to catch back up on things I have let slide (grading) while fixing the kids' research graphs so much of the last two weeks.  On Friday my wife and I are planning on going to a play, and on Saturday there is a TUBA CONCERT (yes, I am serious) that I very much want to attend. As you know, I relish the low instruments (my own bass clarinet, contra alto clarinet, contrabass clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax, euphonium, tuba).... and when I read of an actual TUBA Concert, I knew it was for me.  I am not sure if my wife is ACTUALLY interested or is just humoring my eccentricities.... but she is willingly coming with me to this as well. 

PipeTobacco

PCS - 8.5... I know this may sound awful.... but I have done this a couple of times.  When I get into some certain lecture topics that  are SO easy (I guess I mean for me, not the students) I sometimes can get into a bit of an "autopilot" mode where I am animated and gesturing about and lecturing like usual.... but I can slip into a bit of a daydream as well.  Well in today's lecture about basic comparative brain circuitry and my rather elaborate diagramming and discussion of the zebra finch higher vocal center (a brain region that in male finches is the telencephalonic region of circuitry for development of their elaborate song production), I was in the midst of a daydream about smoking a bowlful of cube cut, Sir Walter Raleigh pipe tobacco.  I wasn't really "seeing" it as I was looking at the students as I talked, but I was emotionally feeling it in my mind as was recalling that ingrained, repetitive pattern of drawing from the stem of my pipe. 

Contentedness Score... a 7, which I consider pretty damn good for how hectic life still is at this moment.  I might even have listed a 7.5 if I was not weighted down by the (human) slugs I spoke of.  

Snow and Computer

Just a brief post because I have been unable to sit to write anything meaningful (if I ever do, anyway).....

We had a large amount of snow that happened Saturday through to Sunday and  while we made it to Mass on Saturday, most all weekend my time was spent either a) on the computer doing analysis to help my research students prepare their talks or I was snow shoveling.  

I did help my wife with dinner, however... Frittata, (with lots of vegetables and an Ethiopian style curry seasoning), lots of other vegetables, and my requisite salad that is bigger than my head. 

I am exceedingly bushed this Tuesday morning.   My secretary messed up the printing of my exams for students, so I am lecturing ahead on the fly instead.  That is exhausting.  

I daydream and night-dream about pipes and pipe tobaccos.  And, I also keep imagining the act of being able to go to the "Retiree's Cigar Group" this Thursday.  

Running like usual.  Band last night was squeezed in.  But, very little else but work when I come home.  I am a true cyborg at this point.  

The end of this mad work schedule is in sight.  I am hoping before Thursday when I head to the "Retiree's Cigar Group" I will have everything as done as I can damn well do for my students and it is then on them to PRACTICE and PRACTICE their talks.  They will have about 1.5 weeks to bring their talks up to snuff..... so they need to practice.

PipeTobacco