Routines...

Three weeks in, and I've finally settled into a bit of a predictable routine. It's strange relearning the nuances of living solo, even if only for four months. I typically spend from 8:30 to 6ish at the Research center, hit the gym, cook dinner, watch a movie (to settle my brain down) and go to bed. After so many months of Netflix, it's also strange to be going to a video store again, but it's good people watching and the staff enjoys being slightly rude to all of their customers. Might I recommend "The Painted Veil" and "Starter for 10." Life's fairly predictable, save nights like last night when the power goes out for a few hours. My 4 year old neighbor Drew brought me candles--it was adorable. I like my gym here alot because it's a community center so there's always a lot going on. I've learned that men's basketball leagues take their games surprisingly seriously :-). Lots of rivalries. It's extremely cute how many wives and girlfriends and little kids fill the bleachers to watch the games. The swimming is best late at night, when the lights are dimmed and it feels like you are swimming outside at night.

We had our first bi-weekly "Scholars Tea" today outside on the patio. It was fun to hear stories about the museum. The director is really vibrant and funny. There's a new exhibit being hung this week, opening on the 20th. It's about the women of the Stieglitz circle who preceeded O'Keeffe. I am really looking forward to seeing the Gertrude Kasebier photographs. She was a good friend of Day's. I also got to meet Max Weber's daughter who lives here in town this afternoon and look forward to chatting with her about her father's connections to people in my circle like Clarence H. White. Most of the time I like the quiet of the research center--the uninterrupted spans of work time--but I miss being to walk outside the office and stroll around chatting for a bit when my brain is fried. And I miss answering questions from students, strangely enough. I worked for 9 hours straight today revising an article and wished a bit that someone would knock on my door and ask me an advising question, just to break it up. However, it would have taken me two weeks to get the same amount of revising done while teaching, so maybe the uninterrupted quiet is good for working :-). Jonathan, my scholar neighbor, is good company though and we're going to check out Santa Fe's famed breakfast joint, the Tecolote Cafe on Friday. We also got invited to the Museum's 10th anniversary staff party on Saturday, where we board a train at the Santa Fe railyard headed for a saloon. It promises to be an adventure.

Santa Fe has settled down considerably after fiestas ended on Sunday evening and the weather is cooling off nicely as we head into fall here. I can't wait to see snow here--it just seems so strange to think of snow in the desert.
Any and all visitors welcome in the casita (one at a time however--that's the rule).