Please see Cucina Viola for posts relative to food.

Moving Tip:

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(Almost) Everyone is Flawed

We all have our flaws, it seems. Some have flaws that are so minuscule that only they can see them (my wife being one of these fine folks).

Suffice it to say that others (like me) have a few extra flaws.

But this isn't about us. This is about our cats. We have two of them, both with flaws (and one with claws, but we'll get to that later).

Meet Bella:









Don't let the cute pose fool you. Bella is a seriously flawed 1 year-old Maine Coon mut, a "Beautiful Wreck" in the immortal words of Shawn Mullins. She is cute and cuddly one minute, and a complete nutter the next. It very well could be that these flaws are the reason she's so lovable.

Bella does NOT have claws.

Meet Penny:









Penny is a 10 year-old Burmese mix that will do anything to please us. She tolerates Bella most of the time, and LOVES people. And people love Penny back. She's the cat for which non cat-people make an exception to their dogma.

Penny has claws.

I am writing this blog tonight because I am fustrated with Penny. Despite having claws, Penny rarely uses them on anything (except Bella). She doesn't scratch furniture, dig at doorways, or mark her territory in any way. Except carpet. Penny has an odd affinity for one particular spot on the stairway to the basement. And she digs. And digs. And we scold. And yell. And she digs.

If I didn't know better, I'd think she was like Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, slowly digging her way to freedom, scattering small shards of carpet about the house during her "yard-time." I've asked her about her "Mexican Hideaway" but she just gives me on odd look. Over the last few weeks, it's as if she knows we're leaving her Shawshank behind for a better prison just north of here, and wants to see what is at the end of her digging. Here's hoping she doesn't find out.

Yo, Fabrizio! What It Do?

So, yeah. It's been a while without updates. Here's the rundown:

1. I passed my dissertation defense.

2. I submitted the research to a professional journal for publication.

3. I've been teaching a course at OSU, which is almost over.

4. We've found a renter for our condo.

5. We're getting ready to close on a house.

6. We are packing for the move (barf).

7. I got a dream vehicle, a Vespa LX150. It is brilliant.

So, that's what has been going on! More updates to come :)

Big week -- look out fingernails!

This is decision week.

I have the presentation ALMOST ready to go, and I just hope the committee has mercy on me. What else can one do but write the paper, look things over, and prepare to talk about it.

Two hours later, we'll find out the verdict.

June 6, 2007. 9am-11am. PAES 019.

Not to be lost in all of this is Julie's birthday on June 9th. Happy birthday, beautiful!

I'm back (for now)

What a six weeks!

Today I am submitting the draft document to the committee for their review, and I get a bit of a break over the weekend. June 6th is coming quickly, which is when I have my defense, so there will be a lot of preparation leading up to that....but at least not too many late nights beforehand.

After that, it'll be revisions, all culminating in a June 15th deadline for the document to be sent to the graduate school.

So I thought I'd pop in and say hello and that I'm still alive and writing!

Update Chasm

I thought it important to note that the next few months will see me with my "nose to the grindstone," going after my research quite vigilantly.

SO.........the updates might be few and far between. I'll be sure to pop in and say hello, though!

Today IS Opening Day for Tigers baseball, though! Hooray!