I give a f*ck about an Oxford comma . . .

Running on a platform inspired by Vampire Weekend, I just became the new Editor in Chief of the Southeastern Environmental Law Journal. Booooooyaaaaaaaaa!!! I love the feeling of responsibility before it actually kicks in:)

I have since arrived in the lush "Heart of Mendocino County" and the "Gateway to the Redwoods." The town itself reminds me of a much longer Division Street, replete with odd shops and more general stores. Instead of pizza joints, they have healthy fast food. Instead of college students, you have farmers and dreadlocks (rarely in combination). On Sunday, I embarked on the 30-45 minute drive (45 for me) to get inner tubes for my deflated bike tires. To make my trek more worthwhile, I checked out the Used Book store, which has shelves that reach the ceiling and narrow aisles. I had hoped for a used Infinite Jest so I can stop making excuses, but instead found a copy of ZZ Packer's short stories ("Brownies" is good), but was too cheap to purchase it just yet. Finally, my trip culminated at the toy store, where I bought a baby's board book as a gift for one of the family members, who's due to be induced Thursday...re: this baby's going to be close to 10-12 lbs. I bought him a book on cookies.

BUT the beauty of my life exists on the farm.

After winding up and down narrow dirt roads, you end up on a rich patch of land where goats, ostriches, cows, llamas, sheep, chickens, cats and dogs roam about. The property extends for 1,000 acres, something I still have trouble fathoming, given my upbringing on a half an acre. Best comparison: a Carleton Arb plus some. I only work W-F, which has given me three days of ample time to settle in. My room is the one featured on the other side of the trellis in the photo.

Today, I spent my day hiking in the mountains and wandering by the river. I'm trying to get myself to READ and MEMORIZE a field guide to Western trees. Apparently, a twig and branchlet are not the same, something I'd scarcely ever contemplated before now...not monumental, but a start! (FYI: a twig is the end portion of a branch, whereas a branchlet encompasses all the other portions.)

I've been spoiled on the food as well. Tonight, a full spread of Indian food made from scratch--dal, chicken makhani, palak paneer, naan, and raita (yogurt-cucumber dish). You know, just whipping this up in 90 mins. somehow conjuring up double laminated chocolate croissants in the mean time. (Laminated=folding the butter into the dough; unsure what "double" adds...) We concluded with a chocolate cream pie that my housemate made (re: Gourmet cookbook, where every recipe req. 500 ingredients) and whipped cream (a garnish that frequently accompanies foods here).

Needless to say, I'm relatively content. I'm a little shy still, given my vast lack of skills in this type of environment. But we played three rounds of Bananagrams after dinner (I learned the value of "Qi"), and they find my attention to event details humorous (e.g. we may compete in a team spelling bee this weekend. I recommended designing shirts for the team to entice businesses to sponsor us.) So while I cannot distinguish dog breeds, divine the uses of amaranth (besides its similarity to those dot-like sprinkles when roasted), bake gourmet foods, identify trees (beyond evergreen vs. non-evergreens...in the winter), or efficiently chop kindling, I imagine that by the end of the summer I'll be a pro. At least, this is what I hope to attain. I can perhaps forgo the dog breeds. I'm only glad that Carolyn and Andrew asked me for a wedge of lime last year, so at least I'm solid on that front.

Moving to Chicago!

Andrew has been accepted at the University of Illinois at Chicago- we'll be there August 1st!

Start planning your visits now :)

For all you literature geeks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NKXNThJ610

When we are all reunited we are doing this dance...