last week before school starts
I've been keeping fairly busy. As you may imagine, I've been spending time away from my computer due to a few circumstances:
1) my desk is a mess--the kind of mess that needs organizational paraphenalia. I've been through it as many times as I can. The truth is plain. I need an office. We live in a 300 sq. ft. apt. Not a chance. When school starts I'll move some stuff to the space I have there, which will help...some.
2) My computer sits on the edge of my desk with a phone line that barely reaches, so spending any length of time on the internet requires me to be at a funny angle which most likely will result in cramped wrists, neck, and back.
3) Spending any length of time on the internet on my computer is not likely. We have the cheapest dial-up service out there, and I can't for the life of me manage to keep a connection. I get kicked off about every 3 min. Very frustrating. Chris's computer keeps a connection, so that I where I presently sit.
4) The weather has been grand. We thoroughly enjoyed a delightfully cool weekend. Near record lows for August. The weather is still nice, though not cool. The humidity has been down, wh. makes it feel like normal summer up North or something. Evenings have been cool on the porch. It's so unusual for August in Louisiana that I'm just sort of enjoying it yet waiting for the other shoe to drop.
5) I've been sitting in the library working on my syllabus for the class I'm teaching this fall at a local university. It's my first class all to myself (i.e. that I'm not a grad assistant for), so this means my first syllabus...more complicated than you might think. I'm sure once I've written a few syllabi I'll have established my policies and procedures for myself, but at this point, I'm thinking it all through from scratch. Not to mention outlining the course, and sketching out lectures for myself, so that I can have some direction for the course.
6) uuuuh...I have these...uuh...papers that I need to write from a while ago. My #1 advice for grad students: don't get into paper debt. I picked a very manageable, quick topic for one though....I'm giving myself 2 more weeks to have a respectable draft.
7) With the help of my trusty side-kick husband: cleaning house, organizing budget, stocking larder. (more like I'm the side-kick...but who's counting?)
8) Yesterday I went to get my haircut. Wretched experience. I decided not to go back to Supercuts, because even though it's cheap and it's a cut, it is not super. I went to another place nearby that takes walk-ins and gives a student discount. I told the guy what I wanted (basically what I had but with the 2 months growth trimmed). I came home. It was all wrong. So I went back and asked him to reconsider a few points, which he did very graciously. It's tolerable now, but still not great. Parts shorter than others where they should be even. But it's as good as the guy can get it. It's so frustrating! What do I have to do to get a good haircut?? I tried the "just don't get a haircut and grow your hair out" remedy in the spring, resulting in the permanent ponytail look. *sigh*
Okay, so that's what I've been up to.
We had quite a bit of company last week. I want to get some recipes posted, becuase we sure had some yummy vittles.
Comments
I wish I could give you some of our walled in garage for your office. We have so much space that is not quite good for anything but office, play area, art studio space. Plus we don't have the furniture to fill it. I know how you feel about haircuts. I haven't paid for a hair cut since 2002 maybe 2001. I have started cutting it myself. Joel and I, our first Christmas married, my mom got me a haircutting kit for me to cut Joel's hair. After 5 years of doing so, I cut my own, even the back. My hair is a bit wavy so it's forgiving. Mine is always above my shoulders because the pony tail thing sucks. Give it a try! I mean, when you've lived with your hair super short, what's the worst that could happen?
Posted by: katiek | 18.08.04 16:25
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Ha! I used to cut my own hair. I just quit. I don't know...didn't have good scissors etc. I may start up again, because what I can afford for a haircut isn't much worse than what I can give myself. My mother-in-law took me to a good place for a haircut and when I told the guy I cut it myself he gave me a funny look...
Posted by: jeannette | 18.08.04 17:02
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oh, just reading what you are gearing up to do makes me exhausted. several people are trying to encourage me to get my mba, but i don't think i have the energy or the tolerance for another student loan to do it.
oh, thought that i was going to be in NO next week, but I'm not. oh well, someday our paths will cross again. i am sure i will be in NO in the next month or so. i promise to call.
B
Posted by: beth | 18.08.04 23:45
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Oh, Beth, this is nothing compared to your jetset life. :) No actually, I feel quite relaxed compared to semester in full swing.
I wouldn't get involved in an MBA until you feel the drive and can no longer advance in your career without it. You need "the drive" to get you through any kind of grad work. Because it's hard enough to keep up the pace, so that if you enter the program with your feet dragging, it'll be no fun. However, I could see taking one class here and there and just the right amount of stimulation. Ah well. Seems like you've done enough changing of circumstances for awhile, though. You should take it easy!
I don't know what business programs are like, but I'm convinced that there's no reason for anyone to actually pay for grad school. There's always some way where someone should pay for you...whether it's your company (if you're in any kind of corporate setting)...or the university itself (if you're in a humanities or research-based discipline).
Posted by: Jeannette | 19.08.04 09:45
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Oh, I agree about the whole MBA thing. At the moment, I am not ready to take that plunge and you are right, there are too many new things in my life and I need to slow down. But, I am tempted to take one class just to see how it is. I don't think that it would actually boost my carrer at the moment, but it would not hurt. And, if I ever decide to leave this job, it would add a little kick in the resume.
Posted by: beth | 19.08.04 14:15