I'm striking out in all the usual places... Syriacists, has anyone figured out how to get Word for Mac to stop breaking connections between letters after diacritical marks? (keyboard/font work fine in google docs, mellel, and on a PC, it's just this dang Mac Word update that finally snuck through)

After assembling my new standng desk, I put on my heat compression mask for dry eyes while laying on my cervical traction pillow and think: is middle age is just an ever-expanding nighttime routine?

I'm planning for my first Oxford Patristics in 2027--any seasoned experts have tips for accommodation?

This is what it currently sounds like in my on-campus office. We did not receive any sort of construction notice. 🙃

My kids have had a Sherri, Shari, Cheryl, Sharine, and Shari (another one!), if anyone is looking for anecdotal evidence on most common names for preschool teachers.

The first appearance of the Drs. Estes at graduation.

The university-required travel company is insisting we take a 3.5 hour layover instead of a 2 hour layover, so you all can look forward to me complaining in July about arriving to my gate 2+hours early. 😇

This seems like a great opportunity! (and can confirm, STL is great)

I'm honored to have been invited to join this remarkable group of scholars! Looking forward to sharing some thoughts on imagined prayers in the metrical homilies of Jacob of Serugh.

Not a single one of my 33 students told me that the Canvas module for today wasn't published (meaning, not a single one of my 33 students did the reading, meaning we're all going to encountering Kant together for the first time in class). Pray for me.

If you're wondering how it feels to finally have my kids back in school after their two-week spring break that did not align with my university's break, the answer is: it feels like 1500 new words towards my current project!!

A dear friend shared her Olympics local presale slot with me and now we're headed to the Men's Team Artistic Gymnastics finals at #LA28 (plus tennis and women's soccer!) fingers crossed we get another "pommel horse guy" moment of brilliance

As #SBLAAR26 paper acceptances go out, anyone who’s trying to figure out to juggle parenting while at a national conference should say hi! I presented at my first SBL w/my 4 month old in the audience (paper title, appropriately, was “Babes Who Need Milk: some subtitle about anti-Jewish polemic”)

It’s been couple years since I’ve presented a proper paper at #SBLAAR, but I couldn’t miss the chance to riff off Susan Ashbrook Harvey in honor of Scenting Salvation’s 20th anniversary. See you in Denver!

Watching my tiny alma mater play Oklahoma’s only HBCU for the NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship tonight. There’s something really charming about college athletics sans the crazy money and marketing machines.

The one and only time I completed a March Madness Bracket, by total fluke, it ended up in the top 99th percentile of ESPN brackets. So obviously, I immediately retired. youtube.com/shorts/9U7xU...

It's regalia purchasing season, so let me once again plug getting a custom gown from www.capandgowndirect.com I paid full price for the official one from our university. My husband paid 1/3 the price with Cap and Gown Direct. They look virtually identical, and his has pockets.

Somehow evaluating paper proposals for four different conference units, reading apps for a scholarship committee, and kicking off the search/being committee chair for our church's new children's minister all fell in the same week, and 10/10 would not recommend.

Putting together an SBL proposal and the 150 max word proposal abstract is TOUGH.

Today I did my taxes, replaced my key fob battery, prepped class notes for two weeks, wrote a quiz, cleared my email, and helped two lost transfer students find their class... all by 2:00!

Southwest implementing its no free checked bags policy before implementing assigned seating has created an absolute hellscape of plane boarding.

what are the best staplers? the ones that never jam and aren't finicky, even if you're someone who has weak grip strength and likes to hold them sideways and staple in the air instead of using the table?? I would pay good money for the perfect stapler.

Sometimes I wonder if the overwhelming scale of #SBLAAR25 is worth it. But then I go to a panel on a topic tangential to my work but w/presenters who are just good thinkers & writers & question-askers, head back to my room, and bang out 750 words for a paper I'd been struggling with for weeks.

If you’re at #SBLAAR25 and looking for a hearty breakfast/brunch, let me recommend Thornton’s. Huge portions, reasonably priced for a place walking distance from the conference center, quick service, and generous with the coffee refills.

Last night’s Amazing Race episode had a Greek alphabet memorization challenge, obviously in honor of #SBLAAR25

Which books need to be on my shopping list for #SBLAAR?

People grouse about colonoscopy prep, but honestly, the week before when you cut all the healthy fibrous veggies and whole grains and have a good excuse to eat nothing but meat, cheese, pasta, and dessert is pretty top tier.

Fall break means my university inbox is at zero, so no one is allowed to email me for the rest of the day.

My 2yo is learning the Lord's Prayer and somehow got it into his head that the line is "deliver us from people," and you know what kid? fair enough.

Is there a pdf of the 2025 SBL/AAR program available? I find the new online program book less convenient to navigate than a good, old-fashioned CTRL+F.

Looking forward to seeing how many of the 18 year olds who lapped me on the track this morning are in my classes today!

New achievement unlocked (if I ever say I want to go back to school again, please give me a good shake)

Well, we somehow managed to win the academic lottery—my spouse will be moving into a tenure track role at Pepperdine this fall! Feeling super proud and super lucky.

Using a tablet and e-pen to offer feedback on writing is such a game changer, and I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to get on board. All sorts of ways to annotate that reviewer mode in word just can’t replicate.

A high schooler just complimented the way I was wearing my shirt, so either she was making fun of me or move aside Gen Z, Gen Alpha is bringing back the French tuck.

The other Dr. Estes’s robes are here! Totally customized and look great, with/slight differences between his and mine noticeable only side by side If you’re a PhD student looking for a more reasonable alternative but want your school’s colors instead of generic black, check out Cap and Gown Direct!

Greater love hath no man than this, that he do an LAX drop-off for his friends.

Vacation = reading time = finally getting around to @andytobo.bsky.social’s contribution to the Elements series. First chapter is a lovely, accessible summary intro to recent approaches to ethnicity that I wish I’d had to assign to students in my Ancient/Medieval Christianity class last semester!

It looks like I'll be in Durham for a workshop in December. Right now the plan is to fly in via Edinburgh, make my way down the coast with a stop at Lindisfarne, then spend a few extra days sightseeing. What must I be sure to see/do/eat in Northern England?

Me to Disney.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you're waiting for reviewer feedback it WILL come in the day before you leave for a vacation.

I'd love to hear from folks who teach online courses to learn how you're creating assessments and discouraging cheating. It's always been harder online, but in the last two years it's just seemed impossible. I've liked picking up an extra course in the summer, but it's been so discouraging lately.

Doctoral regalia has gone up even MORE since I defended (now nearly $1200 after tax!!), so spouse has decided to take a gamble and use one of the knock off custom regalia providers for 1/3 of the price. I'll compare to my robes in 6-8wks and be back with links if they turn out well!

Ah, closing day for Malibu Little League, when all the teams and coaches are named and recognized and you realize one of the other AA teams was coached by a guy who played in the majors for 12 years.

Spent the first hour of my workday on a three-way phone call with insurance/hospital billing, so there goes any chance of getting anything else done today. (0/10 would recommend having a kid break a leg out of state)

Did I just spend two hours trying to read a medieval catena manuscript? Yes. Am I any closer to answering the original question that brought me to said ms? No. (If they find me dead in my office, tell them the medieval Greek scribes and their infinite ligatures and abbreviations did me in)

It's the first time I'll stay at a conference hotel instead of camping out on a friend's couch in Boston for #SBLAAR2025. Do we have a favorite hotel?

Alas, I moved a footnote to the main body and expanded it quite a lot, which means.... I now have to cut something. 😭

If the article was at 7.9k words before I started filling out the sparse foonotes... what are the chances it stays under 10k total?

This is completely anecdotal, but I've been struggling to edit/wrap up an article and I just changed the font from Calibri to Garamond and it's a whole new ball game. Does anyone else have silly little hacks like this?