Language hat is going to spend the next week in California. Regular blogging will resume July 18; in the interim, I urge you to visit the excellent sites blogrolled at right, and (for those of you in climates resembling that of New York) drink plenty of fluids and stay in the shade.
Update. Well, I’m back, after a stay in sunny Santa Barbara (my 89-year-old dad is doing reasonably well, thanks), a return flight that ran into momentary turbulence causing me to splash some wine on my wife’s jumper (the airline offered to pay for the cleaning), a tension-racked ride on the express bus to Grand Central (we arrived just in time to catch the 11:02 and avoid an hour’s wait for the midnight train), and a taxi to the house around 12:30 this morning (fortunately our bodies, still on Pacific time, thought it was only 9:30). People were speaking Russian and French, two of my favorite languages, on the plane, so I was happy, and it had rained here during the week we were gone, so my wife the gardener was happy. And here I am.
HIATUS.
July 10, 2004 by 9 Comments
I look forward to your safe return to the fray . . and being entirely new to blogs I’ll especially appreciate your forthcoming items . . plus any encouragements (from anyone!). BTW, _you_ are now listed as priority Mentor in my post today in:
https://web.archive.org/web/20040715094211/http://interalia.typepad.com/docendodiscimus/
Peter in UK
There have been two rough spells for me this summer: first, having to go away to Annual Training, and not be able to have daily (or nightly) access to languagehat’s and his guests’ postings. Second, having to bear Hat’s departure for a week.
Still, I wish him a safe and enjoyable soujourn, for him and his dear ones.
A couple more items: yesterday was the birthday of both Isaac Bashevis Singer and Isaac Babel, great Jewish writers (and in the latter’s case, a great writer of Odessa). Perhaps someone or more might have found something new or interesting on one of these writers.
Also, may I wish everyone a jolly Jour de la Bastille!
I miss Mr. Hat as well. For the record, Bob Dylan’s Grandparents came from Odessa.
You too take care! We will be waiting.
Yes, I had heard that; Bob Dylan is one of those people in whom one can always find something else interesting.
So is there any connection between the Odessa of the Crimea and Odessa, Texas?
“Odessa was established in 1881 as a stop on the Texas & Pacific Railroad. Odessa was supposedly named by railroad workers who thought the area resembled their home in Odessa, Russia.”
http://www.relocate-america.com/states/TX/cities/odessa.htm
Why there were so many Russians/Ukrainians working on the railroad, I don’t know. Many Ukrainians settled in North Dakota and neighboring Canadian provinces.
Based on what I know of U.S. frontier history, when Odessa was named it was a dot on the map and no one lived there. Perhaps someone won a game of poker or something.
Trust ye had a good tyme watching that peaceful ocean. Welcome back to the land of the Duchesses.
Ye have nae been seduced by that la la mob? hav yee?
Thanks to all for your comments (I especially like the fact that the thread turned into a discussion of various Odessas), and I’m happy to say I resisted the blandishments of the la la mob.