Grumps can suck it, it's Friday!

[bigbill]

I finally figured it out and blocked her number after she showed at my door, knocking, peppering me with calls and texts saying we have to talk.

Nope.

I did the same thing with my ex. She had a habit of saying some incendiary stuff and then apologizing later. When we filed for divorce, I was already in AZ and she was in South Carolina. Our divorce was in Texas, where we lived when filing. She called and screamed at me, saying she was pulling the divorce papers and to get my own attorney. I paid for her attorney because it was uncontested. I told her to ask her attorney first, and if he agreed, I would file in Arizona. She called back the next day and apologized. AZ wouldn't have granted spousal support. I knew that, she didn't. I eventually blocked her to take away her ability to text a bunch of f-you's and then apologize. I should have done it sooner.

[bigbill]

I have 4500 words completed of my 5000-word (plus or minus 500 words) essay due Sunday. I still have one source to analyze and a conclusion to write, but that will put me over the 5000 threshold. I will edit it tomorrow before writing the concluding paragraphs to ensure the scope is unchanged. In my previous master's program, I figured I could write 5000 words on weekends. That was a poor decision. I wrote for 16 hours on Saturday and another 16 hours on Sunday. This time, I started the paper three weeks before it was due. I hope to submit the paper on Sunday morning.

Somehow, along my path of learning graduate-level history, I have become an expert on certain Native American tribes and regions. I teach Hualapai kids in a K-8 school; I first learned their history.

[Marvinlungwitz]

Untitled by Marvin Lungwitz, on Flickr

I always start with raise or arise, and today that proved to be lucky.

[ides1056]

I managed to string together two cordial and productive conversations with my soon-to-be-ex wife. Progress.

[bironi]

Untitled by Marvin Lungwitz, on Flickr

I always start with raise or arise, and today that proved to be lucky.

My wife and I used raise as a starter word for quite a while.
So it goes.
I did get a win on the first word with irate last summer.
We enjoy playing against one another for a brief moment of bragging rights.

[Tom]

Wordlebot is dumb. After guess four I'm not doing well, I have four letters in place but can see four possibilities so I use a word with three of the four to flush out the answer. Wordlebot says that was a bad guess but hey it was lucky there's only one possibility left.

I'm peeved with the whole thing, though. I got cocky the other day and wound up on the last guess with two possible words and selected the wrong one to break a 530+ day streak.

[echappist]

While it's not Friday, this is bike-related and something that brought a smile to my face.

I really enjoyed living maybe 200 yards away from my high school, more so because I got to sleep late. But overall, having a significant number of students biking to school was a very foreign concept to me until I moved to Madison.

So here's a WaPo article on the bike-bus, a school of students shepherded by parents to ride to school (gift link). I'm gonna see if there's anything similar in the Madison-adjacent town we'll be moving to.

[Marvinlungwitz]

While it's not Friday, this is bike-related and something that brought a smile to my face.

I really enjoyed living maybe 200 yards away from my high school, more so because I got to sleep late. But overall, having a significant number of students biking to school was a very foreign concept to me until I moved to Madison.

So here's a WaPo article on the bike-bus, a school of students shepherded by parents to ride to school (gift link). I'm gonna see if there's anything similar in the Madison-adjacent town we'll be moving to.

So you’re moving back to Madison from Milwaukee? I assume that’s better for pedaling, from what you’ve said.

Of note, my son is looking at a teaching job in WI. That’d work out well for him, as he’s a gung ho Packers fan.

[echappist]

So you’re moving back to Madison from Milwaukee? I assume that’s better for pedaling, from what you’ve said.

Of note, my son is looking at a teaching job in WI. That’d work out well for him, as he’s a gung ho Packers fan.

Good memory!

Yessir, we are moving back to Madison (or rather suburb thereof). The transaction should close either this upcoming Friday or some time soon after. We won't move until July, but my HampCo will be in the new house full time until then, b/c the riding is so much better there anyway and I figure I can schlep other fragile articles on our trips in the mean time.

And I haven't forgotten about the Cinghiale ride. I can certainly look to help organize something in the fall after we settle down.

Best of wishes to your son!

[bigbill]

A day early, but I received good news from my college. I am nominated for a grant to help pay for my research and travel to campus this fall to present a condensed version of my thesis which I am currently writing. My previous writings have been well received and survived peer review, which is a big deal for a recovering engineer writing history papers. My current work is focused on the Iroquois Confederacy (Six Nations) and the colonists of western Pennsylvania immediately before and following the Proclamation of 1763. Again, going back six years, I never would have imagined I'd be an academic.

[bigbill]

I am working on my thesis for military history. I reached out to one of my favorite professors who is all things Six Nations (Iroquois) for research advice and she told me she was retiring and offered me her library on Native American history. She wasn't kidding, I am still sorting through the books to see what I need for my thesis and which ones can wait. When I complete my masters in November, I will start organizing the books by region and timeline.

As a historian, I sometimes feel like Dug from the movie Up. I know what I am researching, but there are so many squirrels.

[ides1056]

Yeah, it's hot, but we are having a Goldilocks summer of adequate rain and ideal growing conditions, so the hills around are busting out in green. I went out as the thunderstorms wound down last night and watched fireflies. I fell in love with them when I went to Disneyland, the one time, when I was five, back when Walt was alive. Pirates of the Caribbean was my favorite ride, made magical by the fireflies.

I had no idea I could be this happy. Divorce suits me to a T.

[robin3mj]

That’s awesome, Bill.

I saw Wilco last night and they sounded great. Cooking a brisket (among other things) tomorrow for about 30-40 people. Sunday will be hot but I should get a ride in.

[72gmc]

The current lineup of musicians in Wilco is ridiculously good.

WFH today, which means WFBY (back yard) with dog for office mate, followed by a visit to my dad and some time for my projects. Nice to have shorts weather again.

[bigbill]

I was in the Southeast in the early 90s and saw Uncle Tupelo a few times. After the split, I followed Son Volt and Wilco. The recent Son Volt "Day of the Doug" is a tribute to Doug Sahm and a pleasure to listen to. I crank it up in the shop when I'm tinkering on bikes.

I love the lyrics more than anything else. Son Volt Brick Walls - there's more brick walls than bridges on the way to your heart…

[robin3mj]

The current lineup of musicians in Wilco is ridiculously good.

WFH today, which means WFBY (back yard) with dog for office mate, followed by a visit to my dad and some time for my projects. Nice to have shorts weather again.

Yes, they sounded great. Wolf Trap is a wooden amphitheater, so even if it’s placebo effect, you can imagine for a hot minute you’re inside a giant guitar and most bands sound really good there.

[72gmc]

Yes, they sounded great. Wolf Trap is a wooden amphitheater, so even if it’s placebo effect, you can imagine for a hot minute you’re inside a giant guitar and most bands sound really good there.

I’d like to hear that. A bunch of live recordings on YT have me interested in Glenn’s approach to drumming and his adaptations for different venues and songs. I was only a musician in school so I have no expertise, just an eager pair of ears.

[bigbill]

I received the fellowship at Norwich University, so I will get to see the pretty leaves the first week of October. Northfield, VT, has one hotel. My task, to convince an auditorium full of undergrads the importance of 250 year old history. I will present a condensed version of my thesis and try to draw parallels with information warfare in recent years.

[Scott G.]

Hope to see it on C-Span Lectures in History series.
You can be the next H.W. Brands.

[robin3mj]

With the addition of a full-frame camera, my desktop Mac has been running extremely slow for Lightroom and Excel, and I checked the specs- it's from 2017(!)
Before dropping a stupid amount of money on a new machine, I spent $60 to upgrade it from 8GB to 64GB RAM, and the difference is night and day.
Still getting long in the tooth, but a good value if I staved it off for another year or two.

Otherwise- kids are back to school and this is the last weekend before soccer takes over our lives; Blues Traveler at Wolf Trap tonight and a neighborhood BBQ tomorrow.