On the Eve of the Shortest Day of the Year

2010.12.20
Days Remaining: 162

01. Just a minor amusing thing. There is an article on the "history of eggnog" currently posted on Yahoo's main page, and the author cites various other websites' accounts of why the drink is called eggnog. One of those other websites is the AARP, which in turn cites Mental Floss (http://www.aarp.org/food/recipes/news-12-2010/eggnog_what_you_need_to_know.html), where they discuss the fact that George Washington's recipe for eggnog included rye whiskey, rum, and sherry. What made me laugh out loud is that they then comment "nobody could tell a lie after having a few cups of that." I don't know why that struck me as so funny, but it was the sort of aside that I wasn't expecting, and is all the more appreciated.

02. Today I had a lunch meeting with the Philosophy Department of Baskerville College, at the nearby "Panda Buffet." It was very nice and relaxing, and we discussed various students' progress, overall course issues, and some of the intellectual debates that have arisen in and after classes this semester. It was very collegial and enjoyable, and underscored for me the ideal virtues of an academic department: camaraderie, shared intellectual interests, shared institutional interests (the classes and students), and the ability to work together, even informally.

03. Afterward, I spent some time on campus photocopying two Interlibrary Loan books which arrived last week and which are due back by 31 December (I won't be here then). The general atmosphere on campus (where most students have already left, though finals are not over until Wednesday at noon) was quietly festive, with people working but cheerful and the professors were all, grading notwithstanding, in fairly good spirits. It also helped the holiday mood that the sky was snowy-looking and lowering all day, though nothing actually fell.

04. And now I'm back in my apartment, commenting on rough drafts and collecting final drafts as they're sent to me. Tomorrow is the 2nd try at the divorce hearing. I'm meeting my two witnesses at noon in Providence for lunch, and the hearing is at 2pm. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes, and then I should be back here by 4pm. And that will be that. Fingers crossed.