Fafe and Amy Ruth

I was thinking about the grandparent generation yesterday, when I found out that the husband of one of my professors at Fletcher worked at Covington & Burling between 1952-1955. Do we know when Amy Ruth worked there?

As I was poking around, trying to find the answer to that question, I discovered something else interesting. In previous searches for "Amy Ruth Mahin," "Charles Boyd Mahin" and "Keck, Mahin & Cate," I'd come up with little information. My assumption was that there would be less and less as time went on. Much to my surprise, the amount of information seems to be expanding.

That quirky, quirky internet.

All those grubby little hands...

I suppose it's really no surprise that swiftly upon returning to school I've contracted some kind of sickness. Sore throat? Check. Running nose? Double check. The law firm, for all the things it was not, was comfortingly sterile.

I'm hunkered down, don't worry. But I was just thinking, I could really use some citrus fruits to fight off this cruel pathogen. Whatever happened to our Florida oranges? If the problem was my lack of gratitude, let me tell you, I repent. Sick and tired is no way to go through school.

I also wanted to let you know that Irene and I purchased our tickets to Chicago for Thanksgiving and Baltimore for Bardy's Wedding on November 8th. We will be coming into O'Hare the morning of Wednesday the 26th at 8:50am and leaving Monday December 1st at 6:45pm (so we'll have an extra day in Chicago). For Bardy's wedding we are coming into Baltimore at 10pm on Friday, November 7th and leaving at 6:30pm on Sunday (Irene is going to Manchester). Since the wedding is in Baltimore, this should leave us some time to come to Westminster on Sunday. What are the chances you could leave the car at the airport for us?

Old Man

Since Dad seems to have been put-off by his nickname (it's a term of endearment!), I thought I'd pass along that today, like so many generations of Americans before me, I stood aghast at the cost of a Coca-Cola.

$1.61! For a can!

When I was a boy we could get $.05 sodas at Rexall's on Main Street. I just don't know what's wrong with the world these days.

Photos From Chip's Wedding

Here you go: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30540667@N06/sets/72157607294134316/

Buried in Reading

I tell you, if Fletcher is any example graduate school isn't like law school at all. It's true that there's a great deal of work to do in both, but the pedagogical methods are completely different. In law school, we had a fair amount of reading which we needed to know inside and out. Knowing the facts, holding and procedural posture of a case was all run of the mill, and some professors regularly asked us to support whatever argument we were making with specific page numbers.

Not so Tufts. Instead, we're just buried. Buried, buried, buried. It's all interesting material and I'm enjoying reading it. But the volume. In fact, it's common practice at Tufts for people to form study groups and split up the reading. They purposefully give you more work than they think you can complete. Seems bizarre to me, but I guess they know what they're doing...

My only consolation is that I've encountered my old friend Oliver Wendell in both institutions.

Debilitating

After playing two hours of soccer yesterday with some Fletcher students I am utterly incapacitated. Irene informs me that my mistake was wearing cotton socks with my cleats, instead of my nylon-cotton mix soccer socks. However that is, I've got impressive blisters and walking has become surprisingly difficult.

Irene's Place in Concord

Check it out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisboundy/sets/72157607066438097/

There are also a few pictures of the Outdoor Church Irene worked at, as well as a few of our trip to Vermont. Flickr's uploading limitations didn't let me put up all the shots I would have liked...

But I'll find a way. Oh yes. I'll find a way.

Shopping Day

With a predictability that deeply embarrasses me, I started today with a clear sense of what classes I was going to take this semester and, by the end, I was flummoxed. This is all thanks to "Shopping Day," which at Fletcher consists of a full day of professors given brief (25-30 minute) synopsis of their courses. It's an interesting idea, and helpful, but you're a fool if choose your classes before seeing the professor's teaching style and hearing his or her vision of the course. Based on these two factors alone, U.S. Public Diplomacy was out and The Rise of China in the 21st Century was almost (almost!) in. However, sober reflection led me to...

The Final Line-Up:

The International Legal Order

Law & Development

Compliance and Exceptionalism in International Treaty Behavior

European Union Foreign Policy: Theory and Practice

Why these? Int'l Legal Order and Treaty Compliance are fairly standard choices for international law sorts. European Foreign Policy and Law and Development cater to one of my particular interests--strengthening the States Transatlantic and North American ties (militarily, economically, etc.).

The funniest moment of the day? I spoke with my advisor this afternoon about course selection and, in describing the courses I was considering taking, let slip that the professor for the European Union Foreign Policy course had some chair or other. I was quickly corrected. Although Prof. Yannis is currently the Constantine Karamanlis Associate Professor of Hellenic and Southeastern European Studies, the chair, properly speaking, belongs to Constantine Karamanlis.

Indeed.