THANK YOU JOHN KERRY!!!!

I believe there is once again hope! You did an excellent job and showed us a well-spoken, thoughtful man. We as a nation need your leadership. I am so glad you were able to present yourself so well!



Do you feel motivated?

I often wonder if this time of year causes actual physiological malaise in me or if it is just my imagination? Every year, beginning around October, the following symptoms arise in my visage:

a) feeling tired as hell

b) wanting to sleep more in the mornings

c) a lack of motivation to accomplish or do work

d) a stronger desire to eat poorly (lots of chocolate, lots of fries, etc)

e) a lack of focus

There are several factors that occur regularly at this time of year that could induce such symptoms in me:

a) the start of a new academic year where the initial excitement has worn off

b) the change of the season in terms of temperature

c) the change of the season in terms of daylength

d) feelings of chaos because of so many students needing advising help

e) more errands for various relatives that are too old or in challenged health to drive

f) the dread of winter

So here is the way my last 24 hours had gone:

1. Taught my upper division physiology course until 3pm.

2. Advised eight different students on their majors until 4:30pm

3. Read e-mail and answered letters until 5:30pm and went home.

4. As it was Thursday, my wife and I split up that evening and each take one or a few of our relatives from our respective sides of the family out for dinner and "one-on-one" time.

5. I returned home to my wife and family around 9pm

6. We had time to talk and to play a bit.

7. Everyone of the family other than me went to bed by 11pm

8. I read the newspaper, endocrinology journals, and thought about the next large scale research strand I want to develop.

9. I watched "American Chopper" on Discovery at 1am.

10. I finished a beer and a last pipe and headed up to bed at 2am.

11. I woke up (to the alarm) at 6am.

12. Ate breakfast, exercised (walked ~5 miles), had a few pipes, showered and shaved (my neck only of course) and made it to the University by 8:30.

13. Drank three cups of coffee before 9:00am

14. Attended various committee meetings all morning until now.

So, that is it in a nutshell... my last 24 hours. To be frank, that is a very typical 24 hour day for me on ANY Thursday noon to Friday noon throughout the year.

However, if I were to change item number four to "4. Arrived home and had dinner with my family ~6:30." and change item number five to "5. Talked and played games with the family and finally leave number 9 blank to fill in with whatever late-night show I prefer on a given day... the above would represent my typical Monday-Friday routine.

Why is it that a good 4/5ths of the year I enjoy and relish my life, but for a period every fall and each early spring (February/March) I feel a wretched sort of melancholy that is difficult to shake and aggravating as hell. Even though I have no specific evidence, I suspect that the day length change may be the most likely culprit... although I think that any of the six possibilities listed above may contribute.

Comments and/or suggestions anyone? I would GREATLY appreciate them.

I think I may end up playing hooky for the remainder of the day (avoid the grant writing work I had planned) and see if my elderly father-in-law wishes to visit the tobacconist for new leaf with me and then we can perhaps chat away the afternoon and drink ourselves mildly silly.

PipeTobacco