I've decided (with the help of Sunshie and Kristina) to change my jargon for my "minion" to my "ward". It seems far more appropriate.
Off to climb and go fishing!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Overload. Meltdown.
So rather than doing the productive things that I need to do, I am watching 6 Feet Under and playing Words with Friends.
For the first time in grad school I'm so overloaded that I feel a bit like I've shut down. I'm trying to prepare for the class I'm teaching, which starts on Aug 23. Then there's this whole slew of shit I have to do for that as well, like get a TB test, get a social security card, set up my email account and an online site for the course...
Then my minion apparently cannot be taught for some reason. I'm all out of ideas for why she can't do labwork. She's been watched making reactions by several people, and still her results suck. I'm completely vexed and out of ideas.
I had a job interview for a position in Las Vegas as a state biologist. It was over the phone but it went really well! I have no idea what's going to happen, since I can't start until December of January due to teaching the class.
Forget about finishing my dissertation or the side project I've been trying to do....wow there was just a really moving scene in 6 Feet Under. I'm so easily distracted. I blame the internet.
Yeah...and there's the garden that needs to be watered, especially since my garden partner is in Mammoth for her field season. Uuuggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so overloaded.
Time for some serious triage. What to take care of first?
For the first time in grad school I'm so overloaded that I feel a bit like I've shut down. I'm trying to prepare for the class I'm teaching, which starts on Aug 23. Then there's this whole slew of shit I have to do for that as well, like get a TB test, get a social security card, set up my email account and an online site for the course...
Then my minion apparently cannot be taught for some reason. I'm all out of ideas for why she can't do labwork. She's been watched making reactions by several people, and still her results suck. I'm completely vexed and out of ideas.
I had a job interview for a position in Las Vegas as a state biologist. It was over the phone but it went really well! I have no idea what's going to happen, since I can't start until December of January due to teaching the class.
Forget about finishing my dissertation or the side project I've been trying to do....wow there was just a really moving scene in 6 Feet Under. I'm so easily distracted. I blame the internet.
Yeah...and there's the garden that needs to be watered, especially since my garden partner is in Mammoth for her field season. Uuuggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so overloaded.
Time for some serious triage. What to take care of first?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
My friends are awesome
Thursday, June 23, 2011
oof it's been a while
So it's been a while since I've actually written. Probably because I'm very busy. In a good way.
I'm loving this summer - the weather, picking fruit, foraging, cooking, baking, hanging out with friends, etc. I've stopped to marvel a few times at how happy I feel right now. Is it strange that it's strange? I'll be biking around Davis in the heat and think "wow this is really nice. I LOVE this." I sound like I'm high!
Anyway, my latest obsession has been picking fruit at this place called Impossible Acres just west of Davis. Most fruit is 1.99 a lb. So cheap! So now I have a crapload of jam. Apricot, Bing cherry, marionberry, boisenberry...mulberry (which we gleaned from a tree in a park in Winters). What is it about picking things that is so satisfying? No clue. But my friends are the beneficiaries of this (strange? natural? primitive?) habit, so everyone wins.
I do have a canning injury now though. I was using jar grabbers to grab a jar out of boiling water and my finger touched the water. I jerked my hand back and flicked boiling water in my eye. Hurt like a bitch and I found some hydrocodone left over from my MS flare 3 years ago. It doesn't hurt now, but I look like I got punched in the face. Once again I have attained new heights of sexiness - it's truly a talent. It was EXXXTREME canning, if I do say so myself. I think the apricot jam is going to be really good.
Tonight I'm going to a pig roast at someone's house (they shot it). My friend is also way into foraging. We got some beta on where/how to find really big morels. Hopefully we'll make it up to the Sierra this weekend and score. I think I'm going to make more elderflower sherbet. That reminds me - gotta go out and get more elderberries.
I'm also starting to go to Column of the Giants. Pretty fun climbing - I like the angle of the stuff on the left side. It's a long drive, but I found a solid partner who I can meet in Jamestown, reducing behind-the-wheel time.
I'm not sure if I mentioned that I got the teaching position at American River College. Class starts mid August so I have a lot of work to do. I've been attending this teaching seminar at Davis that's simultaneously given me a lot of ideas about how to teach and overwhelmed me with how much people think about teaching. Hint: it's a LOT. I'm not going to have time to think about this stuff! Between lecture and grading and organizing and all that stuff, how much time will I have to think about dualistic, multiplistic and relativistic learning? Not much I think.
Last night we packed up the moving van for Karrigan, who's relocating to Kansas after getting a PhD at Davis in Ecology and a law degree from Stanford. I'll be sorry to see him go. He's been a very good friend. On the bright side, he gave me his deep fryer, so now I can make donuts (without just using a dutch oven - temperature control of the oil is the hardest part).
In another new development, I have a minion at work, who I'm training in molecular techniques. It's interesting, and is an eye opener to how long I've worked here and how efficient I am (at least relative to a beginner). It's strange having someone report to me, and look to me to tell them what to do. Very weird. I actually have to have something for her to do...all the time, or else she doesn't know what to do with herself. On the bright side, she can generate a lot of data because she's not distracted by writing, doing rerun, organizing a class for fall semester, applying for grants, data analysis, rock climbing, canning and baking. So that's good.
Back to Column Friday/Saturday.
I'm loving this summer - the weather, picking fruit, foraging, cooking, baking, hanging out with friends, etc. I've stopped to marvel a few times at how happy I feel right now. Is it strange that it's strange? I'll be biking around Davis in the heat and think "wow this is really nice. I LOVE this." I sound like I'm high!
Anyway, my latest obsession has been picking fruit at this place called Impossible Acres just west of Davis. Most fruit is 1.99 a lb. So cheap! So now I have a crapload of jam. Apricot, Bing cherry, marionberry, boisenberry...mulberry (which we gleaned from a tree in a park in Winters). What is it about picking things that is so satisfying? No clue. But my friends are the beneficiaries of this (strange? natural? primitive?) habit, so everyone wins.
I do have a canning injury now though. I was using jar grabbers to grab a jar out of boiling water and my finger touched the water. I jerked my hand back and flicked boiling water in my eye. Hurt like a bitch and I found some hydrocodone left over from my MS flare 3 years ago. It doesn't hurt now, but I look like I got punched in the face. Once again I have attained new heights of sexiness - it's truly a talent. It was EXXXTREME canning, if I do say so myself. I think the apricot jam is going to be really good.
Tonight I'm going to a pig roast at someone's house (they shot it). My friend is also way into foraging. We got some beta on where/how to find really big morels. Hopefully we'll make it up to the Sierra this weekend and score. I think I'm going to make more elderflower sherbet. That reminds me - gotta go out and get more elderberries.
I'm also starting to go to Column of the Giants. Pretty fun climbing - I like the angle of the stuff on the left side. It's a long drive, but I found a solid partner who I can meet in Jamestown, reducing behind-the-wheel time.
I'm not sure if I mentioned that I got the teaching position at American River College. Class starts mid August so I have a lot of work to do. I've been attending this teaching seminar at Davis that's simultaneously given me a lot of ideas about how to teach and overwhelmed me with how much people think about teaching. Hint: it's a LOT. I'm not going to have time to think about this stuff! Between lecture and grading and organizing and all that stuff, how much time will I have to think about dualistic, multiplistic and relativistic learning? Not much I think.
Last night we packed up the moving van for Karrigan, who's relocating to Kansas after getting a PhD at Davis in Ecology and a law degree from Stanford. I'll be sorry to see him go. He's been a very good friend. On the bright side, he gave me his deep fryer, so now I can make donuts (without just using a dutch oven - temperature control of the oil is the hardest part).
In another new development, I have a minion at work, who I'm training in molecular techniques. It's interesting, and is an eye opener to how long I've worked here and how efficient I am (at least relative to a beginner). It's strange having someone report to me, and look to me to tell them what to do. Very weird. I actually have to have something for her to do...all the time, or else she doesn't know what to do with herself. On the bright side, she can generate a lot of data because she's not distracted by writing, doing rerun, organizing a class for fall semester, applying for grants, data analysis, rock climbing, canning and baking. So that's good.
Back to Column Friday/Saturday.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Graduation photos!
Andrea's husband Brian took a bunch of photos of the graduation ceremony. They made me smile.
I wasn't all gung-ho about walking in the ceremony, but I'm so glad that I did. We all look so happy!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
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