Sorry for not posting in so long, I keep forgetting about this thing. I hardly know where to start, so I guess I’ll post a few updates from the last year or so:
- With any luck, this is my last year at UT, and my formal schooling will stop at the 21st grade. Granted, there’s still a dissertation in the way, but things are still on track to graduate in May. I’ve also started applying for faculty jobs, at schools ranging from Wyoming to Switzerland. Most of these are public schools, so hopefully the economic downturn doesn’t hurt the hiring situation too much, and something pans out.
- RJ and I are training for the Austin Marathon in February. Last Thursday I ran Austin’s Turkey Trot in 34:35 (8K) which supposedly translates to a 3:23 marathon (7:45/mile). We’ll see about that — the longest training run to date was 13 miles, and that at 8:00 pace, so there’s still a ways to go.
- Things at church are busier than ever. There’s a new service that started in the chapel this September, with a more modern feel. There’s a worship band, rather than a traditional organ and choir, and projected lyrics in lieu of a bulletin. Traditional worship is still my preference, but I think that UUMC needs this type of service, so I’ve been planning the services and helping out on piano. There are still some kinks being worked out, and I wish it took up less time than it does, but I’m really pleased with how the service is turning out.
- Brian is overseas, deployed in Iraq until September. My parents and I have been able to be in contact with him off and on, which is nice. However, my heart always stops whenever I see a headline describing another attack in Baghdad — having a brother over there really makes the news a lot more personal. Here’s to continued recovery, and to a strong, stable Iraq that can support itself soon.
- Thanksgiving was nice. I actually had three Thanksgiving dinners this year — one with church friends, one with school friends, and one with my family in Houston. My mom was able to fly down this weekend, and it was good to spend time with her. My cousin Christopher is four years old now, and is as cute as ever. On Saturday afternoon we headed to the tennis courts for some volleying, and I was a bit disappointed to see that my skillz have all disappeared. Apparently playing racquetball these last few years has destroyed my sense of control over a tennis racquet, and there was a lot of ball chasing going on, but that was still fun.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Hopefully I remember to update this blog more often.
