I’ve received two emails from, I suppose, vastly different people asking if I am some particular Joshua. Indeed, of course, I am. I must be. It’s sort of a matter of defintion. But, and I regret to say this, I have not been the Joshua in question, or, I suppose, in questions. And, oh, the emails, they’ve all been in Spanish. Spanish seems to be a theme in my immediate present. Last night I hit up the Raza party. Lisa and I wanted to talk about people privately in public. Were we in Sweden, perhaps Spanish would be a reasonable secret language. But at a party hosted by the Mexican students club? I don’t know who we thought we might be kidding. If you’re trying to sneak about, try to choose a language you speak well. And if not, make sure that everyone else around doesn’t speak that language better than you.

This entry is a product of procrastination. I’ve been reading about spinor bundles and connections and the like. This time it makes a lot more sense. My recent revelations are well overdue. I fear that I won’t have time to finish my thesis. NSF grant applications need to be electronically submitted by November 2. My PDE midterm has November 3 deadline. And the Landau equation from plasma physics looks like it’ll be tricky. Thankfully, I’m not doing plasma physics. But the course name is Partial Differential Equations and Applications. The equation is well within the realm of fair game.

After the HAA fall awards banquet, an email from the Office of Career Services, and a short chit-chat with Judy, I think I might want to work for the Alumni Association for a year or so. That way I can stay in Cambridge, attend math classes, possibly teach, get my applications in proper order, and give back a little to my alma mater. Funny, I never thought I’d ever be old enough even to have an alma mater. Today Diana told me that I’m old — so old, said she, that I’ll probably retire at thirty-two.