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Amused Muse

Inspiring dissent and debate and the love of dissonance

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Location: Surreality, Have Fun Will Travel, Past Midnight before a Workday

Master's Degree holder, telecommuting from the hot tub, proud Darwinian Dawkobot, and pirate librarian belly-dancer bohemian secret agent scribe on a mission to rescue bloggers from the wholesome clutches of the pious backstabbing girl fridays of the world.



Sunday, July 15, 2007

Amused Muse In Training

John wants to do the first annual Minneapolis Tour this September, and so do I - but first I must make sure that I can cycle 41 miles. I'm not sure if I can do it.

Well, John had a family reunion today and there was no room for me in the car (awww!), so I made good work today - biked from Northeast Minneapolis down the Midtown Greenway into Uptown, rounded Lake of the Isles and stopped to lie in the sun at Lake Calhoun. Ohhh, what a beautiful day it was today! Lots of families at the lake, cute kids - one little guy kept coming up to my spot to give me this adorable smile. Plus, some kids were selling kool-aid - and they made it the way I like it, strong, like melted cherry lollipops.

Also, I just joined the YWCA for two months at $99 - I usually join just for the summer, because I can't get motivated in the winter (however, I hope to take advantage of the free facilities at my grad school so I don't develop library butt again this winter) - and it's been weight training and swimming for the Muse for the past two weeks. I recommend the Y to everyone, not only for its sports facilities and inclusive, polite atmosphere but also for the sauna and whirlpool. Ahhhhhh! Not quite the companionship that I had on the M/V Santa Cruz, though - and no pina coladas. :-(

(I miss my beautiful boat! I miss Lobo waking us up at 6 a.m.! I miss the doctor speaking in Spanish with the crew and all of them thinking that I can't understand. *Wink* I miss being rocked to sleep by the waves and the sounds from the depths of the ship. I miss giggling with Toni over random stuff. There are no sea lions playing with me in the YWCA pool. There is no bar next to the whirlpool at the Y, and no view of the Daphne Islands or the sunset. There is no iguana poop anywhere. I have been working on my tan (I now have very strange tan lines, so I may as well do the whole thing, considering that I've a belly dancing gig coming up), but the sun in Minnesota doesn't do half the work in three days what several hours on the equator can accomplish. (In short, I love aloe.) There is no dashing scientist walking around with a totally hawt young cameraman in tow and me following around hoping that they don't mind how I'm always there whenever they turn around. There is no bartender and a few shipmates making goo-goo eyes at me in my bikini. No heated political discussions in the whirlpool. No chug-a-chug of the engines in the library in the evening. No sea lions or pelicans traveling alongside me at night. No frigate birds hovering in the sky. I miss the Galapagos as if it were a lover. Don't you feel sorry for me?)

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5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Change your degree to a Ph.D. in History of Science and apply for a grant to study in the Galapagos for 2 years and back in London for the third (you might be able to make the trips by sail so you can really replicate Darwin's experience in his single field research project).

July 15, 2007 10:48 PM  
Blogger Kristine said...

Oh sure, dearie.

And in the meantime, John stays in the house with the kitties and pays the mortgage. ;-) And I don't see my family and friends for three years.

We all have fantasies - and nostalgic memories - but the next time I go I'd like to take John with me. He and I really want to see more of South America - he, Argentina, and me, Peru and Easter Island.

But anyway, thanks for the thought.

July 15, 2007 11:39 PM  
Blogger Kristine said...

(And I don't want to replicate Darwnin's experience. No pina coladas, and he became sick and suffered for the rest of his life. I just want to recreate my experience!) :-D

July 16, 2007 2:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Think back to 1976. The "Tall Ships" in NY harbor. Those sailing craft. They have every amenity.

Now you have baggage and home problems - these are easily solved: Dual Degree Program - you both take the degree.

Of course, then there is the "hidden degree" program - that's where you apply for a grant from Scaife / DI / Dobson (look at it this way - if you spend their money they can't spend it on things that you don't support) with the premise of the Grant that even with modern amenities Darwin couldn't have accomplished what he did and therefore the whole of evolutionary theory comes crumbling down - researched by "legitimate" academics.

After your 3 year research trip you can publish the appropriate findings disproving your original hypothesis and have the pleasure that you conned the neo-cons out of their hate money.

It ought to be pretty easy to draft up a grant proposal - but I strongly suggest that you dress the part of Chloƫ Sevigny's character in Big Love and not in the dance garb when you meet the grant committee at Dobson or DI...

July 16, 2007 4:17 PM  
Blogger Kristine said...

Think back to 1976. The "Tall Ships" in NY harbor. Those sailing craft. They have every amenity.

Oh. Well...even an old tree stump like me has trouble remembering 1976 (I was 11 years old). Must be the senility. :-D

The hidden degree idea is marvelous. Toss in completing an animated film and I think I can convince John. ;-)

(OMnG! Which reminds me! He just completed an evolution animation and I NEVER POSTED IT! Senility! Should you really trust me on a ship?)

Believe it or not, I don't wear a dance costume often! For one thing, I can't sit down in those things. (For another, I'd sink like cement in the water, even with the lifejacket on.)

Can I wear what Jodi Foster wore during her sales pitch in Contact? I at least saw that movie.

July 16, 2007 8:03 PM  

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