Just doing a little housekeeping here in my little corner of the internet (as he sweeps away the cobwebs)...

Over the past week, TW & I tore through the first two seasons of Dexter (obviously, we loved it!)

I was heartbroken over the weekend, as the US Men had a lead going into the half against Brazil -- unfortunately, they're still a green to beat them for the full 90. Still a great tourney for them, overall!

I made the first deadline for my online book club; 7% (and 75 pages) down, 93% (and I don't even want to do the math) to go!

Currently, I'm sitting here watching the clock crept ever-so slowly...

One week exactly until my Beatles course begins...I'm
about 3 parts excited, 2 parts nervous!

Infinite Jest

Well, it seems that a small corner of the internet has banded together to read David Foster Wallace's masterpiece Infinitie Jest. Seeing as it clocks in at 981 pages, the communal aspect of this undertaking is appealing. Therefore, I'll be joining in. I've always wanted to join a book club, and this seems to be perfect: all the positive elements (help w/discussions, positive reinforcements) without the negative (don't have to schelp to the meeting in the perpetual rain that is Boston lately). And, I just happen to be in between books at the moment. The good folks over at Infinite Summer are my partners in crime, so check in from time to time over there to see how things are going. Perhaps I'll include some tidbits here...if you want a little insight into David Foster Wallace (DFW), check out his commencement speech, "This is Water," to Kenyon College from a few years back...apparently it's not online anymore, as a publisher has printed a copy of it.

It's been a while...

...and it'll continue that way. I've been on a semi-informal summer vacation from my blog. Once my class starts rolling, July 6th, I imagine that will be rectified.

For now, check out this ranking of the top-ten architecture in Star Wars.

Vacation Recap...

Today's blog comprises an overview of the StL trip, in pictures! My favorites appear in the following order: We went to the opera, and picnicked outside; we visited my favorite golf course; we slid down, crawled in, around and through things at the City Museum, which is neither a city nor a museum. Enjoy!

Vacation in images

I'm heading off to here (above), with a side trip (hopefully) to below.

Meanwhile, I'll most definitely be stopping here for a ballgame:

Here for a burger:

And here for an opera (that Boheme at OTSL, if you couldn't tell):

More to come during the week!

Antilibraries

This post, from a new site that I've been devouring lately, sums up perfectly my philosophy regarding books.

Umberto Eco, by the way, is a fantastic author, whose book "Foucault's Pendulum," really appealed to me in a way that rendered my mind quite unable to grasp the book's mutliple storylines. The book features The Knights Templar, which attracted my attention post-Da Vinci Code, and it invokes a much more layered interpretation of their history.

By the way, has anyone borrowed my "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" book? Moreover, if you have that book laying around, do you also have my score to Schumann's "Dichterliebe"? These two books seem to have dissappeared down the rabbit-hole, so to speak, in the past few years and I miss them dearly.

The Weekend Past, by the numbers...

This past weekend saw my first paper presented at a conference, and I think it went over fine. There were some issues (apparently I was a little fidgety, which I blame on the lack of a proper podium -- I was reading off a music stand!), but otherwise nothing too major. I was awfully busy with outside activities as well, so I was unable to attend most of the actual conference. So here is my weekend, by the numbers...

Haydn Panels attended: 3, including my own

Papers presented: 1, including my own! (sweet...)

Words misspoken during said paper: I'm not sure, maybe one or two, but I did get coup de grace right

Soccer games played: 2 in two days; one men's, the other coed

Soccer games missed: 1, and it was a consolation game

Injuries resulting from said games played: 2, a deep bruise in my thigh rendered me almost inert on Saturday afternoon/evening; while in Sunday's game, some idiot slid into me -- studs up -- as I was playing goalie, so my right leg is pretty mangled right now

Referees yelled at, truly: 1, surprisingly...our guy yesterday was new, to me at least, so I had to break him in a little bit; otherwise, I was pretty good

BBQs conducted: 1, and it was truly delicious -- marinaded steak tips, from whole foods, corn on the cob, and three jumbo sea scallops for an appetizer, all grilled to perfection!