Favorite person/favorite place...

10 October 2026: Longwood Gardens might not be my favorite place, but it's high on my list, mostly because I am always there with Vogel. 

I thought springtime with the tulips was the best, but holy cow, the fall flowers are beautiful, too.

Cold Case

9 July 2026: Yesterday I discovered that a network I didn't even know I had is showing a block of Cold Case episodes every afternoon. 

This is very good news: I really liked this procedural in my grad school days--Rita and Vogel used to come over to my apartment to watch it. We'd cook dinner and everything. And I remember some of these episodes so well. (We'd also play a game where you had to guess the killer before the last act break.)

It's also potentially very bad news, maybe distracting me from my work. Ha.

Anyway, an episode started today that I instantly remembered, including that Jason Dohring, who I loved so much on Veronica Mars, was in it. And man--rewatching this? You see everything in that performance that you would later see in Logan Echolls.

In fact, I was just thinking that when a graphic popped up...

Okay, StartTV...why is your programmer targeting me this way? 

Vogel's birthday dinner...

11 April 2026: One day late, but happy to celebrate Vogel's birthday today.

Home again...

20 January 2026: Just got home after spending most of the day with Vogel, saying goodbye to Brandon. Beautiful services--very moving and meaningful. Now on to the next stages--new kinds of hard. 

Reinforcements arriving...

19 January 2026: Rita and Mike (Mikeeee) arrived here in PA last night. It's been a balm to have them here, not just because it's the first time we've all been together in forever. 

It's always so strangely beautiful to me how much laughter and tears ride side-by-side in times like this. 

Vogel Time!

8 November 2025: Kicking myself that we didn't take any pictures, but after my presentation and a couple of panels this morning, I spent the rest of the day with Vogel. As always, it was awesome. 

Walking buddy...

21 September 2025: Took my walk today while on the phone with Vogel (such developments are much easier since I joined the 21st century and actually have earbuds with a microphone). Made the time just fly by and almost felt like she was on the walk with me. It was awesome.

Darkly funny that I also saw The Long Walk today, a predictably disturbing movie that also gestures towards the power of love and friendship. (Not sure how I feel about it yet, though I don't want to watch it again and looked away a lot.)

Home again...

8 August 2025: Had breakfast with Vogel before we both hit the road. Drove home filled with gratitude for such a meaningful friendship. 

Back to "normal" now...

Megaliths...

7 August 2025:

[Catch-up post...]

On Wednesday, I asked a shopkeeper for recommendations of places we should be sure to see. She told us about this park with megaliths and we figured "sure" and added it to our list of things to do on Thursday. (I am not linking to it because they seem a bit strict about how you post pictures and I want to respect that!)

What a cool place! We walked and wandered. We stopped and sat in the woods for a bit and just talked. I tease* Vogel about her interest in "energy" and all that, but being in this space on that day? I kind of get it. 

*just a bit! it's more that she assumes I am teasing her!

Together again...

6 August 2025: 

[Catch-up post...]

Closed out my summer break travel with quick get-together with Vogel in the Poconos. Hard to think of many people who know me more, understand me better, or mean as much to me.

SSAWW 2025!

22 April 2025: (Once again trying to start the day with a positive post!) I realized this morning that I hadn't stopped to really feel good about an email I got yesterday: my abstract for SSAWW 2025 was accepted. I am delighted to get to work on a weird little paper about a YA book inspired by "The Yellow Wallpaper." It should be a fun summer project. And SSAWW is in Philadelphia, one of my favorite conference cities (with a nearby Vogel bonus). 

Just hit "send"!

25 June 2024: As the last chorus of "I've Had the Time of My Life" played (not making that part up, but how perfect is that?), I hit "send" on my book manuscript. Wild, wild feeling. A last minute conversation with Vogel was enough to make me take a break, stop obsessing, and just hit the button. That also feels kind of perfect. (And three months early!)

And now for some more chair-dancing, to this fun track that just came on, also perfect given my almost spiritual connection to Footloose. 

Watkins Glen...

2 August 2023: 

[Catch-up post...]

It seems like a failed effort from the start to describe Watkins Glen State Park. Just amazing...

Seneca Falls to Plum Point...

1 August 2023: 

[Catch-up post...]

The second day of trip meant visiting the site of the first Women's Rights Convention, then heading down to our second hotel, right on Seneca Lake. 

Road tripping with Vogel...

31 July 2023: 

[Catch-up post]

Kicked off a mini-vacation on Monday, driving up to PA to pick up Vogel before we headed up to Seneca Falls, a place that's been on my "I need to visit there" list for years.

Sunday check-in...

29 January 2023: Long Sunday shift at the office but I made some decent progress. Finished my Southworth entry (actually quite a bit of fun to work on) and shifted onto starting research for the general entry on Lydia Maria Child. 

On the non-work front, I had a good, long phone call with Vogel. Took my walk after I got home, as the sun started to go down. Now I'm watching Tár (so far, interesting and tense!) and thinking about dinner. Also working my way through the next book club selection (I Capture the Castle) and feel that pull to get back to it. That, combined with a new episode of The Last of Us, promises a pretty good Sunday evening, all things considered. 

Twenty years (!?!)

5 August 2022: Back home in WV this evening, thinking about how lucky I am to have had Vogel in my life for twenty years (!). I told her today that I think so much of who I've become in those decades (the good stuff anyway) is because of her friendship and support. What a gift. 

Pool time...

4 August 2022: 

[Catch-up post]

Spent a big part of the day at the pool at the hotel. Very chill, very relaxing. Just perfect. 

Reunited!

3 August 2022: 

[Catch-up post]

I can't even say what it meant to be reunited with Vogel for a couple of days in Cape May. Drove down on Wednesday (though this photo is from Thursday). 

Just hit "send"...

20 September 2020: I just sent in an article (not due until October 1). And tomorrow, I give a big presentation that I feel pretty darn ready for. By this time tomorrow, I'll have knocked off two big items on my "Fall Scholarship" to-do list. I know I have used this post title before, but the good feeling never gets old, even if it's a bit different every time. 

Also really grateful that I can still count on Vogel to be a careful reader for me.