January: Snowmaggedon I, II, III, IV...

January began in Costa Rica, swinging over the rain forest on zip lines and gazing at monkeys:

Suspended bridge in Monteverde, Costa Rica

 And the month ends in Northampton, slipping down streets and trying to find the dog under 3 feet of snow:

January is not a bad month to be on sabbatical, especially when every other day you wake up to another foot of snow knowing that your Honda hybrid would have gotten stuck on the way to work anyway.

Days #227-231: After swapping hiking boots for heels, I flew out to LA for the MLA.  Gave my first MLA presentation on a panel called "The Globalization of the Holocaust," caught up with myriad colleagues and left coast friends, and scoured the city for culinary delights unavailable in New England (namely Pinkberry and Beard Papa).  Also, I caught some great views of the Grand Canyon out the airplane window.

Days #234 and #246: Phase one of the Almodóvar Project is completed, with the viewing of La flor de mi secreto (1995) and Carne trémula (1997), both excellent mid-period Pedro films.  I was excited to discover that La flor includes, embedded in the narrative, a plot synopsis of Volver with the delightful Chus Lampreave playing essentially the same role in both movies.  Now I've seen all the early and mid-period Almodóvar films I'd missed!  Late period Almodóvar I've got covered.

Day #238: Cross country skiing!

Days #240 - 245: Eating, American style.  Meat loaf, mac and cheese, burgers, pizza and wings.  Vegetables are for losers!  Stocking up before it's all paella, paella, paella.

Day #241: I cold-emailed one of my academic idols who said he'd be "delighted" to give a keynote at next year's Five College Symposium.  Whoo!

Day #242: 6 hours on the road/6 hours in the city: a beer at Pete's Tavern, dinner at the Union Square Coffee Shop, and the Jayhawks at Webster Hall in NYC.  We make it home riding the front end of another Nor'easter. 

Day #244: Saw The King's Speech.  Reminded me of my first, disastrous conference presentation and how I overcame it to become the King of England.

Day #246: Finished Keith Richards' autobiography, Life.  Then I burned it and snorted it.

Day #250: More snow!  More X country skiing!

Days #250-252: A visit from an old friend (and certainly the most fashionable U.S. government employee I know) for a lovely weekend enjoying the sights and delights of Snowho.  A great staycation before I leave for España...