Not the weather, though that's been eerily mild for August in NYC, but back in the fridge that is my office here at school.  And by my office I mean the temporary space I share with people who actually make this their living.  How anyone could stay in an academic career for the insanely long times that these people have (one guy has been here 13 years, another over 20) is beyond me.

We actually got back last Monday around 1am, but I'm just now getting back to work.  Proof that I hate computers and hate sitting in a room that bores me.  I'm fighting off the urge to nap right now.  It's actually nice to get out of the house with a purpose and I do have a big one right now, my classes are all fucked up.  I didn't pay my fall tuition because last semester it was taken directly out of... *oops, forgot to finish...

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Needless to say my classes were put back on track.  Work's kind of on hold since no one really knows what to do with me and that's just fine.  If I needed the money it would be something else entirely.  I probably should have just lied to my parents and said I had a job when I really didn't, but at the time it seemed like I should get a job and at least appear responsible.

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How was CA, you ask?  Good.  As usual, our time on our own was way more fun for mannimal than family time.  Something about my mom being a control freak and mannimal being very anti-control freaks makes them not get along.  They play civil, but I end up hearing all his bitching and getting stressed out.  He really needs to get better about that (hopefully he's reading this).

We did the Claremont in Berkeley and were massaged and wrapped and facialeded and pampered.  We had aweful Thai food that kept me up till 4am going to the bathroom every 15min (literally, no exaggeration, for 6 hours I was up and down every 15min).  Skip ahead to the next day and it was amazing tea and soup and salad in Hayes Valley and dinner at Eos in the Haight.  Good times, just remember folks, if you've got gays, let them choose where to eat.  We're bitchy and complain, but we make decisions instead of just letting things happen (OK, not all of us, but usually we just know better so yeah).

From Berkeley it was off to Tulloch for waterskiing.  Mannimal was bored, but we did manage to get him out of our room for some sunning and tubing.  I had a good time skiing as usual (thanks for fixing my ski, Dad!) and chipped my tooth on a fork to everyone's amusement.

Tulloch led to Yosemite.  A late start out took us straight to our hotel that afternoon before coming back into the park for dinner at the Ahwahnee.  I was much more impressed with my food than the last time we were there, but as always, how good can food be when it has to be shipped in from godonlyknows where every day.  Next day I drove us up to Glacier Point and had a good look at the valley below.  Well worth the trip and it inspired me to get us to go all the way up to the top of Vernal Falls.  1.6mi, not far, you say, but what they don't tell you is the last .3mi is straight up a series of narrow stairs.  It was totally worth it.

Headed off to Disco Bay for Sam's 1st birthday.  It was a great time and she took to her cake like nobody's business.  The kid's a lot cuter than when she popped out all wrinkled a year ago.  My brother and Mistress are natural parents (complete with control dramas with grandma -do you see a theme here?).  Thankfully mom and dad left so we had a day just us normal people and cousin Kate.  Somehow she went from being a baby in my arms to 11 really fast, I'm going to have a talk with her mother about that.

That was CA.  Some drama, but not much.  Mannimal and I got along well and hopefully this time next year we'll be on a cruise around the Med.  Be nice to have an actual vacation one of these years, but being a poor student the dream usually remains that.