the mock-up.

Much has transpired since we last spoke! I'm going to make that my personal mantra, because it's almost always true.

The Celtics won a championship. I was in Costa Rica at the time, learning how to surf at Playa Samara and not getting a tan. (What can I say? I lack melanin.) It was pretty painful not to be in town for the last two electrifying games but I made up for it with lots of ESPN Deportes, watched in the wee hours of the morning. The baseball recaps were especially fun; every time I hear someone refer to J.D. Drew, I'm going to imagine the voice of the enthusiastic female Deportes anchor emphatically pronouncing every syllable: "Jay. Dee. Droo." Don't forget to roll the "r".

Otherwise, Costa Rica was excellent -- beach, cocktails, fresh fruit and plantain chips are a fairly unbeatable combination. I got lots of Vitamin C and quality nap time in, making for a nice mid-summer break.

The bad news: Less than two months left to finish my thesis. Some days I feel fine about this. Other days, I contemplate drinking hemlock. Far more of the latter than the former right now but if I put in a few more days of hard-core post-vacation catch-up maybe I'll be able to relax a little.

I did take a guilt-laden ten minute break from work today to make hummus. Thanks to The Kitchn, which recently clued me in to the secrets of emulsion, the traditional batch I made today is lemony and silky-smooth. I may fail at academia, but at least I can make tasty snacks.