The Final Four...

...weeks that is before I blow this joint! Woohoo! As exciting as that feels-- the idea of getting outta the midwest indefinitely and returning to Cali to chill with my homies-- a few major hurdles are left to jump:

1. Write/Revise/Defend Dissertation Prospectus...Ick, ick, and ick!

2. Finish teaching seminar, learn how to be a prepared future faculty member...retain as much info as I can since I won't be tapping into it again for another 2-3 years

3. Pack/Ship Boxes/Sell Stuff online

4. Sell my car...boo, sniffle, sadness

5. Jump on an airplane, fly home, regain semblance of sanity that existed before coming to crazy grad school program.

6. Plan fun reunion with Oregoniehomies!!!! This last step you all must participate in!!!!

It's the final countdown...do do do do...do do do do do...do do do do...do do do do do do doooooooo!

Tulip Time!

One thing I will definitely miss about the Midwest is how noticeable seasonal changes are here. After surviving many months of cold and snow (for the third year in a row) I find myself far more appreciative of the color that comes out in the spring, all these beautiful tulips dotting yards, walkways, and in the photos above...the fields in Holland, Michigan! Tulips are a big deal there and I finally got out to see them this past weekend, while my cousin was in town.

We also finally got out to the DIA (Detroit Institute of Art) and sampled some of Detroit's tasty BBQ dining. I was very impressed by the DIA, primarily this corridor area where Diego Rivera painted the walls with murals of industrial workers during the Great Depression.* This alone is worth a trip to the museum, as I'm not sure I've ever seen anything quite like it. You could easily spend hours staring at these murals trying to decipher the multitude of messages embedded within them (as my Marxist South African buddies recommended that I do).

It's amazing that having been here for almost three years, this is the first weekend I've gotten out and about to explore Detroit (or parts at least) and tulip-ville!

*This is one side of the four-sided set of murals