Today started off no better than last night ended. My right eye was still watering uncontrollably, I was congested (runny right nostril), and I was foggy headed. I didn' get to bed until around 3 a.m. on account of my discomfort, though I did manage to read quite a bit of my Shostakovich biography. I was up at 8:30, reluctantly. Even for the first half of the day I felt pretty miserable sitting in my office trying to comprehend bifactor, higher order factor models, and measurement invariance. My mind was in the fog, and I'm sure what work I did do was equally clear. However, I stepped out for some fresh air and ate a delicious sammich, and I'll be a cow's mitten if I didn't start feeling better. On my way back up to my office I ran into Denny and a visiting philosopher of science. We decided to head across the street for a coffee and by the end of the coffee I still wasn't at 100%, but things had improved markedly. Afterward, I went to a Psychology Department celebration where awards were distributed and all the presentations were in Dutch. I didn't mind. After all, they had a marvelous spread unlike anything I had seen. For sake of my health, I stuck to mineral water and filled my belly with delightful snacks which were not limited to sushi and strange fried ball with meat and cheese inside. After Denny received his award and left, I kind of felt like an idiot just standing around freeloading amongst all the Dutchytalk, so I decided to head home. Just my luck, however, that once I got to Central Station on the metro, I could not find the bus to take me home. Hence, I walked for about 15 minutes in the cold rain and wind. So we'll see if I relapse. Basty, I haven't forgotten about you!
3 comments:
I am so glad to hear that you are feeling better. Keep eating, it's very important when you have a cold. Love you, M
I think comments from me are perhaps not particularly appreciated, but as I'm reading your blog while avoiding writing grants, I think one good turn deserves another. I'm pretty sure the biography you're reading is Wilson's Shostakovich: A Life Remembered, yes? It's pretty good, but I think either of the Fay books are probably more informative and generally better reads. Also, I'm not sure how good your Russian is--or if this has been translated, though I think not--but _Shostakovich v vospominaniakh syna Maksima, docheri Galiny i protoireia Mikhaila_ by M.D. Shostakovich is really fascinating. While perhaps not the most unbiased account out there, it might be my favorite book on him.
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check them out as soon as I'm done with this monster.
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