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December 8, 2006

Birthday 2006

My yearly birthday post: Like last year, I've been agonizing about this birthday more than usual, perhaps in part because it has been a year of transitions and adjustments: a new job, a new "city," new students, new friends. Even some new research and teaching interests.

Most of these changes have been positive. It's nice to have a tenure-track job, certainly, but living in Fayetteville has been a learning experience, especially after several years of living in large cities. It's still very difficult not to feel disconnected from the independent movie cultures that were much easier to find in DC and Atlanta, but I think I would feel even more disconnected without the internet and especially without the blog communities in which I've participated. Of course, it's also hard not to feel like I'm window shopping, standing on a sidewalk looking at a beautiful but inaccessible window display when I hear about what's happening in the indie film scene in bigger cities.

And I think that in the end-of-semester grading rush (which, amazingly enough, is almost done), it's easy to forget that it has been a productive year for me professionally, both in terms of new publications and in terms of thinking long-term about my research goals. But I am glad that this very long semester is finally coming to a conclusion and that I won't have another birthday for another 365 days or so.

Posted by chuck at December 8, 2006 9:17 AM

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Comments

Happy birthday Chuck!

Posted by: Chris at December 8, 2006 10:54 AM

happy to you!! :)

Posted by: profgrrrrl at December 8, 2006 12:36 PM

Happy b-day, Chuck! All the cool kids have December b-days...

cgb

Posted by: collin at December 8, 2006 12:40 PM

Happy birthday Chuck!

Posted by: Jason at December 8, 2006 3:11 PM

happy birthday chuck.

a year of transitions and adjustments indeed. here's to future transitions and adjustments, especially those that encourage us to grow.

make sure you eat at least one of your favorite meals and drink at least one of your favorite drinks at some point during this day.

Posted by: david silver at December 8, 2006 3:47 PM

Thanks everyone.

Collin: yep, lots of cool kids have December b-days.

David: some friends here in the 'ville are taking me out to dinner and for drinks tonight, so I'll get to celebrate a little.

Posted by: Chuck at December 8, 2006 4:03 PM

Happy Birthday!

Posted by: George at December 8, 2006 4:08 PM

Many happy returns, sir, on this anniversary of your birth!

Posted by: AndyHorbal at December 8, 2006 5:08 PM

happy birthday!

Posted by: JM at December 8, 2006 7:22 PM

Hey, Chuck, you got time to meet up in Raleigh or Chapel Hill next week?

Posted by: Jonathan at December 10, 2006 10:50 AM

Thanks, all.

Jonathan, I'm more or less done with everything other than calculating grades (other than giving a final exam Wednesday afternoon), so meeting up in Raligh or CH would be great. We can get in touch via email.

Posted by: Chuck at December 10, 2006 11:14 AM

happy birthday! mine is next week.

Posted by: cynthia at December 11, 2006 8:03 PM

Happy b-day Chuck!

Hey, it was like a year ago that I sent you the last b-day comment, around the same time of the year, & while I was about to celebrate my b-day.
Weird, I think these things happen like every year, around the same time. I maybe on to something, stay tuned...

Hope you enjoyed yours. Come visit us in the DC area when ya get tired of your new city.

- Sujewa

Posted by: Sujewa Ekanayake at December 12, 2006 4:08 AM

Happy birthday!!

Posted by: Scrivener at December 12, 2006 8:49 AM

Thanks, y'all, and happy birthday to Cynthia and Sujewa.

Posted by: Chuck at December 12, 2006 9:58 AM

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