I could have said no, but . . .

John Houston, Sunset over Cornfields

Right on the heels of being called up to the bishop coadjutor search committee, I got asked to chair a faculty search committee in my department. I really, really didn't want to. Faculty searches are a lot of work; they are heavily regulated and subject to all kinds of irksome restraints. (For example, if two committee members see each other in the hallway and one says to the other, "Candidate X looks really promising." they have just violated the state's open meetings law.) But I've had plenty to say over the years about senior faculty who shirk important service, and I didn't want to fall under my own justifiable condemnation; plus, given that I'm teaching only one course this semester and have met all my pressing research deadlines, it really would have been selfish to say no.

Not to mention that I'm eligible for a sabbatical next year. Better get that application completed soon.

My hope is to spend some substantial part of that year in (of course) Edinburgh. I keep my eyes out for exhibitions of Scottish art, vaguely hoping for something like a sudden crash in the reputation of the Scottish Colourists so that I can pick up a Caddell on the cheap. There's a new exhibition opening at the Fine Art Society in Edinburgh that has a number of beautiful paintings, including the gorgeous John Houston above. (You can see the online viewing room here.) The associate director there responded to an enquiry by saying, "If you're back in Edinburgh, you're welcome to pop in sometime next week."

Popping in, alas, is not in the cards.