The Blogger, tied in furious knots
I was about the do a quick posting on Roger Federer, who announced his retirement from professional tennis today — because Federer is an admirable person in a whole series of ways, and because Federer is really really Swiss (he and I share the Alpine nose!).
But I was interrupted by Life, in ways mostly gratifying, but both time-consuming and exhausting, so the piece about RF and his splendid Swissness remains unfinished.
Well, the Federer piece interrupted my progress on a “RELAX ARNOLD” posting (about something that had popped up in a Facebook ad).
And “RELAX ARNOLD” took me away from posting on two other ads that had appeared suddenly: “funny aperitif board” and “the social lives of ruff dudes”.
And those two interrupted my advance on a whole set of half-prepared postings: “tastes like glazed donuts”, “ride the wild okapi”, and more.
I can’t imagine how I’m going to dig myself out of this hole.
But, you ask, how did I spend this day (after taking in the hot news about Federer)?
You need to know about my Medical Mornings. Tuesday, a COVID-19 test, necessary to go on with the medical events of today and tomorrow. Negative results this morning! Crowds of mammoths trumpet in delight! Wednesday, a bone scan that turned out to say that yes, I still had ostepenia — one step from osteoporosis, caused by the prednisone that has been mitigating a whole pile of auto-immune afflictions — so be really careful not to fall. Today, more COVID-19 vaccine. Tomorrow, a pulmonary function test. (Next week, a flu shot at PAMF (Palo Alto Medical Foundation) in Mountain View. Not to mention an interview, for October, Gay History Month, about my being a famously gay linguist.)
So (after a lot of housekeeping work) off to PAMF in San Carlos (north of here) early in the day for the Bivalent Booster shot. Lots of hiking around the buildings using my walker, but vaccine #5 achieved.
Then an unscheduled interlude to get my toenails clipped (something I cannot do for myself) at an especially nice nail salon in San Carlos. Really fine pedicure, producing very happy feet. Well, expensive, but what the hell, Monday was a fabulously awful day, happy feet are soothing.
Got home to discover that things were finally getting resolved in the Stanford Adjunct Professorship Renewal Crisis, in favor of extended incompetence on the part of the dean’s office, rather than malevolence against me there, or in the university’s legal offices (which just hate it when professors do controversial things, like pretty much everything I do): suddenly, things were moving, a letter of offer was promised if I submitted my current cv.
Oh dear, the compressed version of my cv is 17 pages long (it does go back to 1962, after all) and hadn’t been updated since 2019. So I had to fix it up, and also fix the “About AMZ” Page on this blog, which was even more out of date (for fun, I added two more pictures of me, plus the rainbow dragon above). Hours of work. I will note that the updated cv pointedly identifies me as an Independent Scholar and Writer in Palo Alto CA, since I’ve had no academic home or title for two weeks.
Created a .pdf version, e-mailed that to my department. Then was so exhausted by the day’s work (which started at 4am) that I fell asleep face down and drooling on my work table, in front of the computer. Somehow did not fall off my desk chair.
On waking woozily, I saw that my department had produced a letter of offer, which I had to sign and return: print it out, sign it, scan the signed copy in, e-mail that to the department. A letter of appointment from the dean is supposed to appear soon.
Then I had to bring the mail in, wash the lunch dishes, and assemble dinner. And here we are.
Tomorrow, need to be up early to wash my hair (preparation for a haircut) and go off to an 9am pulmonary function test at PAMF. (The shortness of breath on exertion is overwhelming, despite the temperature moderating so wonderfully.) After which I will get taken to do the masculine barbershop ritual, which I find deeply pleasing.
And then, I hope, finish writing that little piece about Roger Federer. D’ya remember Roger Federer?
September 16, 2022 at 5:10 am |
Speaking of looking Swiss, did I ever tell you that when I lived in Zurich, that on quite a regular basis (i.e., probably about once a month), when I was out and about in town, I would see a man out of the corner of my eye, and think, “Hey! There’s Arnold! What’s he doing here?” Only to find that it was a man of about your age, with the same “Swiss nose”. It was never the same man; on double-take, I always realized that it wasn’t actually you.
September 16, 2022 at 5:26 am |
The alternative theory is, of course, that I Am Everywhere. Working to achieve the Alpine Nose Agenda.
September 16, 2022 at 6:37 pm |
Congratulations on getting the red tape all cut. Oh, and you remind me to get back to the nail salon for my gnarly toes.
September 16, 2022 at 6:55 pm |
I really recommend that guys get the basic pedicure. A better job than you can do yourself, and you come away with happy feet. And you get to admire the displays of little bottles of nail polish: found art works. Crying out for a Wayne Thiebaud to paint them (Thiebaud himself did ensembles of cakes and of lipsticks, but apparently not nail polish).
September 19, 2022 at 12:45 am |
Yes, and Fortinbras, too. Thanks for reminding us.
September 19, 2022 at 3:02 am |
Oh dear, I’m not sure what “and Fortinbras, too” is following. Is this where we take up the bodies?