Thursday Threads: Hamlet Tights

As a Hispanist and someone who has written a book (forthcoming in 2017 :)) about the prevalence  and importance of theater in the early modern Spanish Atlantic World, I sometimes indulge in a little biting my thumb at the Bard. While Lope de Vega would have totally bested him in a battle royal, in all honesty, I do also enjoy Shakespeare. My mother's background was in Speech and Drama Education so poetry and plays along with novels, and BBC and PBS (Doctor Who, Blackadder, and Mystery) were entertainment staples in the households of my youth. It's not uncommon for my mom and I to spend part of a vacation together rematching a series of Blackadder or a film adaptation of a Shakespeare play.

Dress - H&M, Cardigan - Target, Tights - Online Legging Store, Boots - Not Rated

When I saw that these tights were on sale a couple of months ago, I felt compelled to acquire them. I've worn them to teach in a couple of times, and I wore them last Friday for a day of meetings and events, mostly related to the presentation of and celebration of undergraduate research at my institution.

Now if only I could find Don Quixote or Don Gil de las calzas verdes (Don Gil of the Green Breeches) themed attire! In the meantime, I can sooth my inner Iberianist by drinking my morning coffee out of my Las Meninas mug. Do you have any literary themed clothing? How do you feel about Shakespeare?

I promise a training update next week, but the last few weeks of this semester have been a doozy. I've had to choose between getting in runs or blogging about getting in runs, and I've been choosing the former.

Currently: March 2016

Current Netflix/TV Obsession: I haven't had much time for binge watching much of anything lately, but I've managed to sneak in all of the DVR'ed episodes of the last season of Downton over the past few weeks excepting the show's finale. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story ends even though the show declined in quality a lot after the third season. Hopefully, I can sneak in time to watch the last episode a little later this week.

Current Running Status: My past couple of long runs have not been super confidence-boosting ones. In part, I can chalk this up to the fact that I was sick, and it's a tiring time of the semester so that makes it hard to get back to 100% healthy and rested. I finally felt like I was getting my groove back on a frosty run dedicated to my friend and colleague Gretchen on Thursday. Then I took a tumble on Friday on an icy campus sidewalk which made Saturday's hilly long run something of a painfully hippy experience. Full disclosure:  20 minutes into the run I was having fantasies of just hanging out permanently at the water stop and eating gummy bears. Only my coaches and team captain and thoughts of my dear friend Lizzie to whom I dedicated the run kept me going on that one. More yoga, stretching, and foam rolling are likely in my future. 

Moving along at a decent on Thursday's run

Coach Orrin Keeping Me Going

Current Food Journaling Progress: I'm trying to get back into the habit of keeping my food journal (I fell out of it while I was sick in the middle of February). I'm not currently trying to lose weight, but it's useful information for marathon training purposes to have a log of what I'm eating and when. 

Currently Looking Forward To: Spring Break. If for nothing else than to get caught up on copy edits for my book and a little bit of a respite from the breakneck pace of this semester.  

Current Book: I'm currently reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. I was on the waitlist for this book forever, and I'm enjoying it so far even if I'm not as in love with it as some of the reading friends who recommended it to me seem to have been. Up next is Station Eleven for my book club and a 400th anniversary of Cervantes' death (re)reading of Don Quijote in Spanish. 

Current Drink: Coffee and copious amounts of it these days.  

Current Excitement: I'm really excited about getting to explore parts of Costa Rica on an upcoming trip! A couple of days of beach time, cave hiking, and zip lining in the cloud forest are all things on an agenda that will hopefully be equal parts restorative and adventurous!

Current Fashion Trend: I would love for it to be more practical to indulge in the current culottes and cropped pants trend. In the meantime, I'm deploying some of my older pieces to tie into the new bohemian trends that are popular right now. 

Current Love: I love playing Scrabble with my mom on the app on my phone. I love this even when she opens the game with a Bingo.

Current Food: Cheese is delicious. I've been trying some new ones from my local grocery's cheese counter lately. My favorites have been a smoked sharp cheddar and a cheese with Jamaican jerk spices. 

Current Indulgence: Writing this post instead of grading or copy editing.  

Currently Pondering: How to get everything done that I need to get done this month. It's what I like to call Academic March Madness here. I have a conference paper to write, book copy edits to finish by a deadline, an undergraduate research conference to finish planning and put on, and a symposium to help plan on top of the normal demands of teaching, grading, advising, etc. 

Current Mood: Did you have a mood ring in the 70s or 80s? If I still had mine from childhood, it might or might not be orange or yellow (because, you know, those rings were incredibly calibrated and scientific) as I've been pretty stressed and anxious here lately.

Current New Find: I was thrilled to discover that I can (seemingly easily) deposit checks to LLS through their app.

Current Outfit: I'll show you. Please forgive the low quality shot.

Current Peeve: It really bothers me when people don't show up to appointments or meetings that they have scheduled. 

Current Song: I can tell you about a song that I never cared for and am now am absolutely sick of: Coldplay's incredibly banal and not catchy "Adventures of a Lifetime." As soon as the radio starts to play it, I immediately change the station. 

Current Triumph: Successful adulting and getting some dental work that I was procrastinating from done last Friday. 

Current Wish-List: I wouldn't say no to some new jewelry or some new gloves for winter running. I'd love it if I could raise another $500 of my fundraising goal for TNT over the course of the rest of the month of March. Work-wise, I wish for the three conferences/symposia that I'm involved in over the next few weeks to be successful and intellectually stimulating  

Currently Delaying: Grading, but I can delay no longer. So adieu, dear readers! Please tell me what's going on currently with you. Are you procrastinating from anything? Watching or reading anything good?

Thursday Threads: Pants

It's often pretty challenging for me to find jeans or pants that fit me well. However, the other day after brunch I happened into Banana Republic, tried on a pair of pants, and ended up buying two different patterns because they seemed to be of quality material and didn't have a giant gap in the back. Please don't mind me while I repeatedly rotate them over the next few weeks.

Pants - Banana Republic, Blouse - Modcloth, Cardigan - Thrifted (Banana Republic), Shoes - Nine West

Pants - Banana Republic, Sweater - Target, Shoes - John Fluevog

Is there an item of clothing for which you find it notoriously difficult to shop?

Thursday Threads: First Classes

A new semester started on Monday. Being an avowed nerd and a higher ed professional, I always look forward to the start of classes even when I'm simultaneously wishing for another week of break. Since I'm teaching three courses this term -- one on Mondays and Wednesdays and two on Tuesdays and Thursdays -- I got two first days of class and two back-to-school outfits. ;)

For the first time in a couple of years, I'm not teaching a class at 8:30. Because I'm a morning person, the slot has never been a challenge for me personally, but I recognize that it can be harder for students. Also I have to admit that I'm also pretty happy to be able to get up at the same time (or even fifteen minutes later than I was for the better part of 6 years) and get in an hour of research and writing at home and/or a workout before I start those days on campus. Clearly, I c/should also be using that time to let go of the holidays and change over the decor on our mantle.

Aside from the start of the semester, I don't have too much news to report. The only other real incident of note is that I gave myself a pretty bad (but not quite bad enough for stitches) cut on our kitchen mandolin a few nights ago. The scalloped potatoes turned out to be delicious, but I'm not sure they were quite worth the injury.

Academic friends, do you like teaching early in the morning? Did you loathe or like taking early morning classes when you were a student?

Currently: January

This month has really gotten away from me, but mainly for pretty mundane, work-related reasons. Here's what's been going on with me of late in currently fashion….

Current Netflix/TV Obsession: Even though neither seem to be as good as they were in the earlier series, I've been enjoying the return of Downton Abbey and now Sherlock. My guilty pleasure the past few months has been Dracula.

Current Running Revelation: I need to be doing more of it.

Current Food Journaling Progress: This past week involved a few meals out, so I had to do some guestimating. But I've journaled every day this month so far.

Currently Looking Forward To: I'm really looking forward to a trip to Hawaii next month. We're going to Maui! I've never been before, and I can't wait to enjoy some warmth, hike, and walk on the beach.

Current Book: I'm currently reading a novel in Spanish by Isabel Allende called Inés del alma mía. I'm reading a lot of fiction written by Latin American authors these days. Up next is The Underdogs, which was written by Mariano Azuela during the Mexican Revolution

Current Drink: I've really been enjoying Midnight Sun's beers here lately. If you can get your hands on any of them, I definitely recommend doing so. My favorites are the Panty Peeler Tripel and the Cocoho Imperial IPA.

Current Excitement: I'm pretty jazzed about the Super Bowl party that we'll be hosting on Sunday.

Current Fashion Trend: I may regret this, but I'm buying into the floral track pant trend. I'm not wearing them to work with a blazer yet, but that may change as the semester progresses. I jest… I jest….

Current Love: I love texting with my mom a few times a week in addition to our more or less weekly catch-up phone calls.

Current Food: I bought Mark a waffle maker for our anniversary, and I am enjoying reaping the rewards of my self-serving gift.

Current Indulgence: Dark Chocolate Açai Blueberries. We bought a big bag at Costco….

Currently Pondering: A haircut? I haven't been to the salon since early in the fall semester. It's pretty overdue, but I'm not sure what I want to have done to it at this point.

Current Mood: Pessimistic. For now I'll just say we are looking at some serious institutional budget cuts in the works, and I can't think that they will mean anything good for the overall quality of any of the facets of my professional life.

Current New Find: I'm not sure that I have one this month.

Current Outfit: Not the floral track pants. I hadn't planned to wear these particular tights with this dress, but I started to put on three pairs of black tights only to discover giant holes or runners in each.

Current Peeve: It's not a pet peeve exactly, but I've been irritated the last couple of times I've been to the gym because a) it's been more crowded since the new year (New Year's resolutions no doubt) and b) my favorite elliptical machine got removed from the premises.

Current Song: I really found all the songs that Lily & Madeleine sang on the NPR tiny desk concert they did incredibly charming, but I especially liked "Devil We Know."

Current Triumph: I broke through a bad and ill-timed case of writer's block to get an abstract sent off for a conference and to make some progress on a book chapter. I wrote/revised over six pages in about two hours yesterday.

Current Wish-List: I'm really wanting an end to this crisis in Higher Ed. I'm more likely to actually receive a nice Le Creuset Dutch Oven.

Currently Delaying: Grading some short writing assignments from one of my classes. I can't put it off too much longer, though.

Do you have a guilty tv pleasure? Are you planning to watch the Super Bowl? What's currently on your wish-list?

Currently: November

I'm still trying to rediscover my blogging voice and carve out time for this little writing space, so I thought I would do a currently post.

Current Netflix/TV Obsession: For the past few weeks I've felt an emptiness as the world waits for more episodes of Orange of the New Black (so fracking good). In the meantime, we have been watching the series Whitechapel. However, some of my students told me that I should start watching the David Tennant Casanova ASAP.

Current Running Revelation: When you are trying to rebuild your fitness back from nothing, the most important thing is just trying to get back out there with some level of consistency. My goal for the month is to run at least 3 times each week and to add 5-10 minutes each week to at least one of those runs.

Current Weight Watchers' Progress: After losing about 10 pounds between March and June, I gained them back in July and August by not following the plan at all. In September and October, I lost and gained the same 3 pounds over and over again. This month I'm hitting reset. I joined an accountability group with some Friends and Friends of Friends on Facebook, and I'm committed to tracking everything.

Currently Looking Forward To: I'm really looking forward to seeing family over the holidays. I can't wait to meet my new niece, Lily, and to see the rest of my family!

Current Book: I'm currently reading Nada by Carmen Laforet in Spanish. I've also recently been reading some of the Dorothy Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey novels, which are a lot of fun. If you like Downton and/or Sherlock, I highly recommend these.

Current Drink: Coffee, coffee, and more coffee. It's that time of the semester. What can I say?

Current Excitement: Last week I welcomed a new niece to the world! It's pretty thrilling to be an aunty again.

Current Fashion Trend: I love that red, plaids, and houndstooth are in right now. I have quite a few pieces already in my closet, so it's nice to bust them out and feel on-trend.

Current Love: It's pretty dorky, but I'm really lovin' working on my book right now. I'm trying to spend at least 30 minutes most days on it for the rest of this semester since I have a couple of other projects that are still on my desk. I hope I can increase that in the spring, and I can't wait for the summer when I can devote most of my mental energies to it.

Current Food: Pumpkin! My friend has made me delicious pumpkin soups for lunch a couple of times in the past month, and I made a delicious pumpkin seed, parsley, and cilantro pesto the other night. And of course there is the clichéd but always delicious PSL.

Current Indulgence: Painting my nails. I don't always really have the time to do it, but I do it a few times a week anyway.

Currently Pondering: Article revisions and book manuscript revisions. Everywhere I look there are revisions to be done.

Current Mood: Responsible. This afternoon I have an appointment with my financial advisor. Tomorrow I have an appointment to (hopefully) get my treadmill repaired. I'm also setting a goal to make some other appointments that I should have quite some time ago, including an annual exam and a physical.

Current New Find: My happy lamp. After several friends recommended that I get one, I purchased a happy lamp a few weeks ago. Maybe it's placebo effect, but it does seem to be helping my mood and internal clock even as we start moving into the times of much darkness here.

Current Outfit: I'll show you.

Current Peeve: Maybe I'm mellowing in my old age, but I don't have any new peeves to add right now.

Current Song: Since Lou Reed's death, I've been revisiting a lot of my favorite Velvet Undergrounds tunes like "Beginning to See the Light" and "Pale Blue Eyes."

Current Triumph: Returning to yoga. I hadn't been to a class for about a month, and I made it to a nice Yin class last night with a couple of friends.

Current Wish-List: If my treadmill cannot be easily or relatively expensively fixed, a new one will top my wish-list. With the shrinking hours of light, it is just so much more convenient to get in weekday runs on the treadmill, and it's a challenge to fit the gym in more days of the week because of work and car-sharing.

Currently Delaying: Grading.

What are you currently up to? What's currently on your wish-list? What's currently exciting you?

Currently: March

I love the currently posts that my friend Kyria does each month on her excellent blog, so I decided to do one of these again but to add a couple of categories of my own. (Mine are the first four listed.)

Current Netflix Obsession: After blazing through both series of The Hour (damn you, BBC, for not making a 3rd series!!!) earlier this month, I have been watching MI-5. It's amazing to watch episodes from 2002 and note not only how topical they were but also how much things like cellphone and computer technology have changed since then.

Current Running Revelation: I may be able to push through and have an alright run when I have a cold, but if my stomach is bothering me I pretty much turn into a complete mess. I cut two runs short this past week due to some tummy troubles that left me feeling not only a wobbliness in my gut but a bit of lightheadedness as well.

Current Weight Watchers' Progress: My first week was a success. The scale went down a couple of pounds, and I stayed within my points allowance. Admittedly, it probably helped that I wasn't feeling 100% so I didn't feel like eating all that much over part of the weekend.

Currently Looking Forward To: Getting a massage this coming weekend. Also I'm looking forward to finding out about a grant here soon so that I can start making more substantial summer research/travel plans.

Current Book: I just started Roberto Bolaño's 2666. But since I'm reading it in Spanish and it is long and thus it might be 2666 before I finish it, I'm also reading Aphra Behn's Oorinoko.

Current Drink: Lately I've been even more into cognac than usual, and in the afternoons I have been drinking Earl Grey Tea like I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard. (Just file this away under gratuitously nerdy.)

Source

Current Excitement: I'm still pretty excited that my sister is having another baby. I love being an aunt!

Current Fashion Trend: I'm loving some of the interesting floral prints that are trendy this spring. While I probably won't make many purchases due to the limited season here, I love looking at them in magazines and on style blogs.

Current Favorite Blog/Website: I love so many so it's always hard to pinpoint just one, but for this month I'll say that no site has brought me more amusement in the past few days than Undergraduate History Illustrated. Having graded more than a few Western Civ essays and exams, I've seen a few of these and similar kinds of errors myself -- just never so hilariously rendered.

Current Love: My silly-ass dog. She almost never fails to make me laugh with her hijinks, but here lately I've found them especially amusing and endearing.

Current Food: In terms of grocery store produce, this is one of my favorite times of year because Cara Cara navel oranges come back into my life. I love them and could eat them every day!

Current Indulgence: Dark chocolate with sea salt. A little goes a long way for me, and it is so, so good.

Currently Pondering: While I don't want to be deliberately and annoyingly opaque, I also don't want to over-share about other people's concerns so I'll just say that some decisions and their consequences that impact my immediate family are causing my brow to furrow a bit here lately.

Current Mood: Grateful. I'm feeling really lucky right now to have a job that I love and to have colleagues who are willing to read drafts of my work before I send them out into the wider world.

Current New Find: The Waze App. Since Mark and I share a car, it's been great for helping to coordinate pick-ups with less waiting and calling and texting.

Current Outfit: I'll show you, if you'll excuse the bad bathroom mirror shot.

Current Peeve: It drives me crazy when people talk on their phone or text at what I view as inappropriate times -- in class, at the dinner table, while ordering a latte at the coffee shop, while driving   in traffic, etc.

Current Song: I've been feeling some love for The Lumineer's "Ho Hey" here lately.

Current Triumph: Getting my copy of an academic journal with an article that I wrote in it! It's always nice to see tangible progress toward tenure.

Current Wish-List: I wouldn't mind having my own pair of snowshoes.

Currently Delaying: Anything that requires me to go back out into the snow -- at least without new snowshoes. We got an inch or two over the weekend, several inches last night, and it's continuing to fall steadily this morning.

What running revelations have you had lately? What are you currently reading?

A Love List

On this day devoted to love and friendship, I just thought I'd share a list of a few things that I'm loving here lately.

1. My family.

2. Ridiculous Valentine's Day cards and tumblrs that feature Vladimir Putin, Richard III of England, and puns about Platonic love.

3. My new sweater from J.Crew. Xoxo, indeed!

Please excuse the self-indulgent and poorly lit bathroom mirror shot

4. Seeing initial mock-up pages for the volume I'm co-editing. It's still in the early stages, but it's tremendously exciting to see some of the work that I've done on this project. And to know that it is getting a bit closer to publication.

5. Making travel plans. I'm looking forward to San Diego next month, Vancouver and New York in May, and then Spain in June. I don't have all the details worked out yet for New York and Spain, but a 10K with some friends in NYC and a weekend trip to Valencia with one of my dearest friends may be in the works.

6. The returning daylight. It's still not quite normal, but the days are getting longer now and the sun is getting to normal positions in the sky. Hooray for that.

7. Having a student I encouraged submit work to an academic showcase. It fills me with pride.

8. Confidence-building runs. I wish every run rocked that hard!

9. The pleasure of reading a good novel. Right now I'm reading Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and finding it absolutely delightful.

10. Sentence fragments. Apparently.

What are you loving on this Valentine's Day?