14 days to go

It's a rough time of the year ... student exams to grade, papers to submit, projects to bring to a conclusion, not to mention the long dark days ... But in two weeks, the tension will melt away. I'm heading out, down south, way south as a matter of fact - for collaborative projects and a bit of vacation as well. Maybe a day or two at Hot Water Beach, in the Coromandel near Auckland, New Zealand, where I'm headed first. Then Christmas in San Diego. It's hard to believe I haven't been there in two years ... there was a time I could've been a cab driver in that town, I knew it that well. Well, San Diego must have changed, things change fast in SoCal. One of my favorite restaurants - La Vache in Hillcrest - has closed down. Others haven't - Khyber Pass, for example. Then New Year's eve in San Francisco. Anyway, we'll be driving up the coast stopping at various UC and other campuses, working on projects, meeting collaborators - life could be worse. Well, lest you think I'll be living it up, let me assure you: I'll be carrying a daunting to-do list too, but the California sunshine and the quality RnR will make it all just a tad easier.

It'll be an interesting drive up from San Francisco - I'm already dreaming about it - but that's for another day.