back to school

i'm wondering if now that i have tenure, is it cool for me to spout off regularly about animal rights and veganism? hee. i'm just kidding, of course, but in all honesty that nagging "don't do this, don't say that, it might come back to bite you in the butt" thought process will probably dwindle now that i feel more like an established grownup and less like a freaked out grad student.

i'm not the type to be militant or in-your-face about that stuff anyway, so it's probably a moot point, but with school starting tomorrow, the thought just popped into my head.

in related news, i've started telling my family and friends about my tenure, and it's still very bizarre to say it out loud. so far, four family members have cried upon hearing the news, which in turn made me cry, which was kind of cathartic. my cousin had the cutest reaction so far--her eyes widened like crazy, she flapped her arms a little, and she said, "oh my god you WHAT?!?" and then she started crying. she's so animated; it was adorable.