This & That

 

With so much going on at this beginning stage of the semester, it is hard to have a long-term coherent thought.  So, I thought (again) that I would for today, just have a smattering of disjointed thoughts that rummage through my mind at the moment:

• Liz mentioned in comments that she hopes my Institutional Review Board (IRB) effort is not as taxing as it has been in the past.  I wish I could say from "your mouth to God's ear" please...... but I already know that is not possible.  I KNOW all these IRB folks.... and they are terribly fussy, fusty, and extremely didactic.  Anything that can be done swiftly, or easily is the antithesis of life to them.... and they want to draw it out beyond tolerance or measure.  I KNOW all these folks because I am a member of the IRB at my U.... and deal with them regularly being slower than frozen molasses with other folk's things.  They get FAR, FAR to involved with minutia.  Being on the committee is frustrating but I stay on to try to push things along so other researchers have some hope.  For me, though.... I have to excuse myself from the committee when they evaluate my proposals.  So, no one is there to attempt to goad them into rapidity for me.
• My oldest daughter came over for dinner last night and it was very pleasant.  I made a "fusion" dish that was triple fusion..... part Indian, part Italian, and part old school "American classic" fare.  It was a casserole that was somewhat akin to macaroni and cheese but with Indian flavors and more robust pasta and vegetables.
• I have been having the most vivid and beautiful pipe smoking dreams the last few days.  Being within the dream is so intoxicatingly wonderful and exciting.  It feels so utterly joyous within the dream.  In some fashion, though, I think that even while in the dream itself, I somehow am aware that I need to be appreciative of the joyousness of the activity.... which back when it WAS something I was doing daily, it just was normal, regular behavior. 
• The dreams, though, also have kindled my awake yearnings for the pipe to be a more robust fire again too.  I have been spending a lot of time looking at and deeply examining my pipe racks this past weekend, in my den.  
• My wife and I are thinking of seeing a film Tuesday evening that is some sort of interesting story about a match up between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis.  It sounds intriguing.  
• Ran exactly 10 miles. (~16km) this morning.  

PipeTobacco