Miami and San Diego

It's Christmas. That' s all I have to say about that. I enjoy the holidays, but I don't find it THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR.... it is great, because I can be home, have an excuse not to think about academia and North Carolina, and I can eat, cook and do nothing else. But other than that, I don't know, maybe I am the grinch, but it isn't a thrilling time for me.

I cooked arroz con pollo today. Typical Cuban Xmas-meal food fare. It came out well and Mami was thrilled, so that is good. I bought mexican pastelitos and had lots of Sees chocolates. Very yummy.

I also went and saw " Broken Embraces" or "Los Abrazos Rotos" by Pedro Almodovar. It was good, not my favorite, but good. I feel like I need to see the movie over again and watch all of his other movies to fully get the genius of it. I did notice a lot of references to past movies, but I couldn't quite place which movies he was trying to invoke.

In other news, I was in Miami for a week before coming to San Diego for Xmas. I went to Navarro's Drugstore and bought two perfumes: 212 Sexy by Carolina Herrera and Intenso by Cafe. Both are good, but I love the 212 Sexy. It reminds me of Lolita Lempicka mixed with the Allure for Men cologne which Luis used to wear. Those two scents are my favorite and now it is like I have both on my skin, at the same time. Amazing. Love it, really I do.

The above pics I either found or took while in Miami. Abuelita at 22 on a rooftop in Havana, in the mid nineteen forties. Abuelito, right before he got married, 1947. Me and Abuelita, Navarro's Discount Pharmacy, Cuban Discount mecca.

Uncle Lou wanted me to act like a guajira. This is the best I could do.

Another Uncle Lou portrait.

Uncle Lou took this. He says that it completely suits my personality. hehe.

Grad school and University of Chicago

My old apartment building in Chicago....... I miss my walk to and from school to 54th and woodlawn.

The pond outside the Reg Library...... where I spent most of my time while at UCHICAGO.


Oh, being a grad student can suck. I have been grading exams for six hours and I am exhausted. Some students soar and some students just "don't get it." I wonder what my TA's thought of my exams when I was at the University of Chicago.......