Items Crossed Off the Summer `To-Do' List:

1. Create personal webpage.

I wanted to create a separate webspace to house more academically related items, since it didn't really suit to put that stuff here. So I've got the basic site online here. Check it out if you're interested. It mainly contains items related to my research and teaching. You can also find links to papers I'm working currently on, as well as a link to the final version of my MA thesis.

2. Upload photo collection to an online server.

Technically, this isn't finished yet. But I'm probably half-way done. The main advantage to finding an online host for our photos (we're using Photobucket) is that it frees up all kinds of disk space on our computer because our photos are now stored (securely) offsite. We will also have greater flexibility in sharing our photos with others using this service. So look for links to photo albums once we've got some ready.

There is one hiccup to completing the transfer: about half of our photos (including those taken during our Southeast Asia trip) are currently on a backup disk in a (non-climate-controlled) storage unit in Ann Arbor. We're a little concerned actually. Typically, computer disks don't do well in extreme temperatures, and it is likely that the backup disk has been and will be exposed to extreme heat over the coming weeks. We're not certain that we'll lose the photos, but we are preparing ourselves for the worst. Looking at the situation positively, Barb has said `If we lose the photos, we have an additional reason for going back!' We'll see how things turn out.