Into 2009
The Arizona trip was wrapping up (you can see pictures here), and we knew we wanted to do something for New Year's Eve, since we were in the LA area, but didn't really know what. We had tossed around the idea of going to the Santa Monica area, but hadn't looked into anything. Ellen (my aunt) told us of a party she was going to, so we decided on that, because whenever we toss around an idea (as we did with Santa Monica), it usually ends up with us walking around aimlessly, and realizing we should have planned better.
We were to meet up with Don and Ellen on the evening on the 31st, at their place, then head to the party. Ellen wasn't feeling well, we tossed around more ideas, and ended up going to the Hollywood and Highland area of Hollywood, where we walked around, ate at Mel's Diner, felt really cold, and didn't understand why some women felt the need to dress so scantily in 45-degree weather.
It was cold, so we decided to head back early. We thought it might hit midnight on the subway back to our car (it did not), while Lauren was in 7-11 buying water (it did not), while we bought gas (it did not). For the record, I thought we would make it back to our hotel before midnight (we did not).
We were on Van Nuys Boulevard when midnight hit. I pulled into a closed gas station, kissed my beautiful wife, attempted to honk the horn (being that it was a rental, it took me a little while), and headed back to our hotel, where we promptly took our computers to the lobby (the only place that got a wireless signal) and checked our email.
We drove back to Mountain View on the 1st day of 2009.
2009 is going to be an odd year, in the numerical sense and otherwise. Lauren is on the market this year (I love the phrase 'on the market'), so I'm not sure where I'll be on the 1st day of 2010. It's that same kind of feeling, though I don't remember feeling it, in your last year of high school or college, where you don't know where you'll be come next fall. The difference is, I have less of a say in this case. We go where Lauren feels is the best fit for her, and of course, there is the possibility that she doesn't get a job (I hope that doesn't happen), in which case we'll be where we are now, next year.
When I bring up the thought of us moving, people often seem surprised, especially when I don't seem to see what the big deal is. 'Why can't she get a job around here?' is the most common question. The answer I often give: She's in a narrow discipline that has about 10 openings around the world every year. People have a hard time wrapping their heads around that; in any given year, there are more openings for presidents of a country than for tenure-track, sociolinguist, positions.
So, who knows where I'll be on the 1st day of 2010? Probably visiting family, or driving to/from visiting family, but where I'll be on the 11th day of 2010 remains a mystery.
We were to meet up with Don and Ellen on the evening on the 31st, at their place, then head to the party. Ellen wasn't feeling well, we tossed around more ideas, and ended up going to the Hollywood and Highland area of Hollywood, where we walked around, ate at Mel's Diner, felt really cold, and didn't understand why some women felt the need to dress so scantily in 45-degree weather.
It was cold, so we decided to head back early. We thought it might hit midnight on the subway back to our car (it did not), while Lauren was in 7-11 buying water (it did not), while we bought gas (it did not). For the record, I thought we would make it back to our hotel before midnight (we did not).
We were on Van Nuys Boulevard when midnight hit. I pulled into a closed gas station, kissed my beautiful wife, attempted to honk the horn (being that it was a rental, it took me a little while), and headed back to our hotel, where we promptly took our computers to the lobby (the only place that got a wireless signal) and checked our email.
We drove back to Mountain View on the 1st day of 2009.
2009 is going to be an odd year, in the numerical sense and otherwise. Lauren is on the market this year (I love the phrase 'on the market'), so I'm not sure where I'll be on the 1st day of 2010. It's that same kind of feeling, though I don't remember feeling it, in your last year of high school or college, where you don't know where you'll be come next fall. The difference is, I have less of a say in this case. We go where Lauren feels is the best fit for her, and of course, there is the possibility that she doesn't get a job (I hope that doesn't happen), in which case we'll be where we are now, next year.
When I bring up the thought of us moving, people often seem surprised, especially when I don't seem to see what the big deal is. 'Why can't she get a job around here?' is the most common question. The answer I often give: She's in a narrow discipline that has about 10 openings around the world every year. People have a hard time wrapping their heads around that; in any given year, there are more openings for presidents of a country than for tenure-track, sociolinguist, positions.
So, who knows where I'll be on the 1st day of 2010? Probably visiting family, or driving to/from visiting family, but where I'll be on the 11th day of 2010 remains a mystery.
posted by Jefferson at 3:43 PM
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