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The Big Holiday Mass-email
December 26, 2005 ( life )
I guess it's been kind of a big year, but it began and will end for me in Austin, even though temporarily.
I've mostly adapted to life in the States again after being in Venezuela and Jamaica for most of the previous three years (If you've been under a rock or I've been remiss in keeping in contact, and that's a surprise for ya, check www.griffjon.com/travel), returning last October. I helped my girlfriend from Peace Corps on the last days of the 2004 campaign season a bit (though not much, as going from hot and humid Jamaica to dry and cold New Mexico didn't sit so well), toured some grad schools, and spent December planning the next step and finishing applications.
I ended up in Austin starting in January, living in "Das Blue Haus", a living situation that's been passed through a group of friends there for almost 10 years when I joined in. Unfortunately, this 100-year-old historic home is now an empty lot awaiting high-rent, low-occupancy luxury condos, as the "Drag" and West Campus area near UT goes through another round of saddening gentrification/starbucksification. I worked with some of my former co-workers from eCertain at the technology commercialization office of UT, doing a pleasant assortment of random tech/IT duties. My most fun and hopefully long-lasting and beneficial task was to map out the various ghosts in the machines and create a central and living documentation project in the form of an internal "wiki".
So I passed spring and summer in Austin, enjoying the Austin life and defending my house in front of various historic-preservation and city hall panels until we finally lost a vote. You can read all about the house, its varied history of being home to your Austin-normal gathering of eclectics, musicians and academics at http://www.griffjon.com/dashaus/ .
The grad school acceptances rolled in, but fewer came with any financial support. I chose GWU's International Science and Technology Program in the end, and will continue my focus on IT in development work. Through GWU I can take classes at other DC-area programs, and they gave me by far the best deal.
I moved up to DC in early August as my lease came due and the haus was being torn apart (quite literally from under my feet!). I found a part-time job filling all the IT needs of a non-profit crisis call center in northern Virginia (CrisisLink.org). Grad school (rather, the reading load) has taken up pretty much every available hour outside of work and sleep, even to the point of catching a few pages on each leg of my subway journeys to school and work.
I'm here at the end of my first semester, still generally convinced that grad school is a good idea. Ask me again in a few years when I have to repay my loans...
I'm back in Texas for xmas and the new year, then back to the cold northeast for another round of grad school. Drop me a line, call (202-380-8782), or visit, and I hope you're having a great whatever you like to celebrate. This year I'm claiming to celebrate "Saturnalia," (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia) the original Roman holiday of cut-down trees, parties, and gift exchanges.
So, Io Saturnalia, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Solstice, Happy Kwanzaa, and so on and so forth. If you find anyone complaining about "Holiday Trees" please just remind them that "Christmas trees" are rightfully "Saturnalia Trees" and they should relax and enjoy the syncretism.
Oh, and happy (Western) New Years!
Posted by griffjon at December 26, 2005 09:42 AM
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