A Conversation with Elizabeth
1998
Late mail

From:          Elizabeth
To:            mixsonl@acm.org
Date:          Fri, 20 Mar 1998 14:07:16 PST
Subject:       Late mail
 
I heard inadvertently from someone today in the hospital that his internal e-mail was delayed over several hours. That explains why I did not get your message yesterday until so late. It was the one about your name being wrong. At first I thought it might be your new account causing the delay, but apparently not. It was strange, because I had checked during the day and had no messages. Then, while working late to make up time I wrote you a note, and then just as I went to log out, I noticed a message had come in. By then it was almost 5:30.
 
I went by B & N on the way home and the new Wired was in. I enjoy the magazine quite a bit. This month's issue has an interview with E.O. Wilson, a very famous scientist who just so happens to be a Univ. of Alabama graduate (although he went on to Harvard later). I heard him speak at a special biology lecture in Tuscaloosa. I also enjoyed this month's column on what the digerati are reading, as it gives me leads on interesting books. Thank you very much for (in a 60's phrase) turning me on to the magazine.
While in the bookstore I also checked just to see if there were any copies of Neuromancer, and there was one single copy, so I purchased it.
I picked it up to read last night and was amazed at my different response to it. I heard about Neuromancer about a year or so after it came out and went through great contortions to get a copy through interlibrary loan at U of A. After finally getting it, however, I didn't read past the first page. Perhaps the book is now "commonplace" in terms of its ideas, while back then (about 1984) it was too revolutionary for me to appreciate.
I spent almost the entire day sorting and recycling "papers." For an information specialist in the so called "paperless society" I generate enormous amounts of paper. Fortunately the hospital has a recycling program.
I'm going into the weekend rather tired, which is not a good omen as I need to really study. For recreation there are two movies I would like to see, Boogie Nights and The Apostle, but I don't know if I will have time for both. The director of The Sweet Hereafter did get nominated for a best director award, but the sentiment seems to be that Titanic will do a sweep. This past year I have not been as tuned in to movies as I usually have been. In fact, other than Titanic and The Sweet Hereafter I've only seen one or two others--Jackie Brown and Contact.
Much of what has been shown hasn't appealed to me, but also I don't have the free nights or weekend afternoons to go. What I have done instead is regularly scan through the AMC and Bravo channel listings and identify interesting movies to watch. Since they are often shown several times during the week, I can try to schedule a time to watch anything interesting. I re-watched Brazil recently and Jacob's Ladder, and also An Affair to Remember.
 
I envy you your window. I miss mine a great deal, as I cannot see "out" at all. Aren't you glad you got over your sinus problem before having to start your new job. I'm glad you like the new position. Is it a term contract though, renewable from month to month, or year to year?
 
I read a strange article in the NYT online. Apparently a craze or rage in Japan is to keep jellyfish as "pets." You have to buy a special "fish" tank which doesn't have suction and everything, or bubbles, which
apparently can harm the jellyfish. The Japanese feel it is very relaxing to watch the jellyfish float in their tanks. I knew that eating jellyfish was done in Japan, which I could never imagine, but think it would be interesting to have one as a "pet," depending on whether it truly could stay alive as such.
Have a good weekend. Elizabeth

There is a missing email from me before this one as she mentions getting my email late. In the email I musth have told Elizabeth about my new office at PEC having a double wide window.

Boogie Man