I spend a lot of time at ice rinks. Usually I’m a hockey mom. Sometimes I’m a fan. Last night I hung out in “Hockey Valley.” I begrudgingly cheered when PSU scored the winning goal in the final minute of the game.

Nothing like walking down the street, being obnoxiously cat-called from a passing car, and turning to see that it’s … your husband. He’s allowed to cat-call me all he wants. 🤣

I guess I’ve been absent from the place of the Blue Sky for over five months. @gloefflmann.bsky.social tells me I should return, so … here I am! ☺️

We have just advertised a Full Prof position in the Political and Social Sciences department at the EUI (@eui-sps.bsky.social). Here are the details. Please spread the word, and get in touch if you have any questions. www.eui.eu/Documents/Se...

As someone who advised on US CT strikes and helped craft the legal rationale for the counter-ISIS campaign, I'll foot stomp: The use of force arguments presented here are unserious and even inconsistent with the more well considered elements of US state practice.

Hi @isanet.bsky.social folks! I received a request from Dr. Bess Davis (UPenn) to form an ISA roundtable for the ELIAS program. Please contact her or me if you might be interested in participating!

I might not declare that grades are due in 21.5 hours, but there will be signs … #Finals

In the event that my #SABR baseball friends haven’t seen this shirt, it exists and it’s pretty amazing! www.rsvlts.com/products/the...

Someone tell Kris Atteberry in the @twinsbaseball.bsky.social broadcast box that Jason Brunansky played baseball at the University of Kansas. He was a student in a class I taught when I was a grad student at KU. I didn’t tell him that I knew who his dad was until he turned in his final exam.

Well, my fiancé found my pill organizer in the refrigerator this morning. It had been there for at least 24 hours. So, yeah. That’s how things are going. 🫠

Yeah. This sounds about right.

On the first day of spring break Matt and I went to Dean’s Diner at 5am, ate breakfast with some Western PA farmers, and had some coconut cream pie for dessert.

Hey #SABR folks! Are any of you official game scorers for the #MLB or #MiLB? I’m interested in working towards becoming an official scorer and want to learn the best way to do so. I’m in the #PittsburghPirates and #AltoonaCurve markets. @brucemcclurenh.com

Starting spring break by liquidating my Roth IRA … because that money is far better off in my savings account (saving my financial booty) than in the stock market. 😳 (Also … I clearly need a nap!)

Job Opportunity! Bennington College seeks a historian for a 1-year visiting position. The field of specialization is open, although there is a strong preference for candidates who do not specialize in Europe or North America. Interdisciplinary approaches are welcome. www.h-net.org/jobs/job_dis...

That’s cold, Duolingo. Cold. 🥶

Hey ISA friends. I learned on Friday that my grant application for funding to ISA from my university was rejected. Apparently I submitted the application to the wrong drop box. This will prevent me from attending ISA this year. I am super bummed (and am still a bit enraged).

My middle school son just watched me finish up a conference funding proposal and submit it with two minutes to spare. B: Wow, Mom! That was a close shave. Me: Oh, Bennett … I had a whole 90 seconds to spare! He was a total champ for hanging in there with me. ❤️

Cats to interrupt the horrors:

Note: The person giving the sermon in question is Bishop Mariann Budde, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington. Rep. Collins is suggesting deporting a U.S. citizen and bishop for delivering a sermon in a house of worship in accordance with her faith.

Traditional first day of the Spring 2025 semester selfie. It was cold. The end.

The temperature highs are dipping towards zero. Growing up in Minnesota, that meant that now we had indoor recess. This week in Western Pennsylvania? School cancellations. It’s a different climate culture, I guess.

But … why? Develop Wyoming or something.

How much did I not want to work on my spring 2025 syllabi today? I started working on my 2025 taxes … until I realized that most of the documents I need aren’t available yet.

My “signing bonus kid” was awarded a 10 minute misconduct for boarding (it was an absolute shit call — for real, without bias), so I decided a selfie or two were in order. Matt thought I was being ridiculous. 🤣

Fletcher’s surgery went well. He was groggy at first, but within three hours was driving his father a little crazy (I was running errands). Apparently he’ll be back to school on Wednesday! He’s a tough kid. 😊

A couple of days late, but here’s my Goodreads report from the past year. I read. A lot. www.goodreads.com/user/year_in...

My baby boy is having dental surgery right now. Send him (and me) your thoughts and prayers. It’s difficult to not be terribly anxious. ❤️

The results are worth the two hours of early Christmas morning gift wrapping. ❤️

Behold the magic of Christmas. 😏 I’m on day three of a nasty bout with tonsillitis (not strep, thank goodness!). After two days in bed, I thought we might be relegated to Christmas-on-New-Years, but thanks be to antibiotics, prednisone, and throat coat tea. I am mostly upright this morning. 😳

What an NCAA volleyball championship match!!! Penn State wins 3-1, but Louisville battled, hard until the end. #WatchWomensSports

Penn State is leading Louisville 2 sets to 1. This championship match is straight fire. Some incredible play at the net. Turn on ABC or ESPN+ to watch these phenomenal athletes. 🔥

It’s far too soon to lose this man. 💔

My fiancé took my youngest son to our favorite local restaurant last night. The pizza chefs let him make the pizza that they ordered. My son, of course, was wearing his fox costume. We’re back there tonight and all the staff are telling me about how awesome my kid is. ❤️

My fiancé misses Chamberlain (the now 18 month old, 135 lb Saint Berdoodle puppy that I had to re-home after he outgrew my old house). Now that we have a big house with a big yard, he wants to get a Newfie puppy. Him: We can just go *look* at the puppies that won’t hurt. Me: Love hurts, Matt. 💔

Sweden, Denmark Norway: "Jul" Finland: "Joul" Estonia: "Jõul". And all pre-christian cognates of the pre-christian British Isles' "Yule"

Post-multi-day-grading-bender: a little worse for wear. Definitely in need of a nap.

I noticed today that my youngest son (6 years old) had been drawing blue snowflakes all over his arms. I told him that I had something to show him and pulled up my sweater sleeve so he could see my tattoo. Him: Mom! You got a new tattoo! And, we match!!! What a fun coincidence! ❄️❄️❄️❄️

Final grades aren’t due for another eight hours and I’ve already had to break a student’s heart. The semester is over. I will not grade any more assignments. I will not round your grade up 3 percentage points. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Sorry, not sorry.

The Bears are not good. Let’s say that in “Viking”: Björnarna är inte bra. Thanks Duolingo for teaching me such important words such as the above. Also, SKOL!

My fiancé and I are getting in the jazzy holiday spirit at the Squirrel Nut Zippers show in Pittsburgh. It’s marvelous! 🎺🎄🎅🏻🎷

Anybody else get post-semester ink? Just me? 😉 This is session one. I will go back to have it finished after the new year.

I called my mom yesterday and left a message telling her that I had gotten engaged. 24 hours later, no response. Matt and I have been dating for a year and despite attempts to arrange a meeting between my parents and Matt, they have declined our invitations. It’s a bummer.

Some personal news: I now own a ring from Tiffany’s. Also, I’ll be jettisoning my ex-husband’s last name. 🥰

When zero undergrads show up for the final night class of the semester. We were going to watch “Oppenheimer.” I hope they will be ready to discuss this film for their final next week … 👀

Let it be known that I have placed my spring 2025 book order with the bookstore BEFORE the end of the fall 2024 semester. #PleaseClap

Meanwhile in South Korea … Is it a full moon or something? 🧐

This just in: I am too old to move myself ever again. My joints hurt. I fell asleep at 6:30 last night. My right arm feels tingly. Ascending stairs is a challenge. I’m going to live in this house until my kids determine that I need to move to the old folks’ home.

Entirely moved out of one house. The floors are vacuumed, swept, and mopped. I smell like I’ve bathed in Lysol. The lights have been turned off and the doors have been locked. Unfortunately, the stuff from the old house is now in the new house & amount of unpacking work to be done is terrifying.