Let's update this list.
Books I've read this year (not in exact order):
Spring:
-?
(Really? None? Sad.)
Summer:
-Man Walks Into a Room by Nicole Krauss
-Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
-The Managed Heart by Arlie Hochschild
-Elsewhere, USA by Dalton Conley
-The Pecking Order by Dalton Conley
-Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho
-Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
-Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
-Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Fall:
-The Help by Kathryn Stockett
-Then Came You: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner
-More Than Just Race by William Julius Wilson
-Divergent Social Worlds by Ruth D. Peterson And Lauren J. Krivo
-Genes and Behavior by Sir Michael Rutter
-To be updated as the year progresses... Though I don't have high hopes for the last two months.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Goals
I think it helps to send things out. Out into the abyss. The great unknown. The world of ears. The hearts of your beloved. (These aren't all the same thing.) If I don't send it out it's easier for me to push it down, justify why I don't or can't have it. Acknowledging that I want it makes it easier for me to work for it. And I think there's power in the abyss. I don't think The Secret or Laws of Attraction are at work per say but I think saying it aloud increases the power that "it" has. That then increases the effect that it has on you and your decision making.
In an effort to push myself towards these things I present to you, my goals. (Note that some are large and ambiguous. That's probably better than having only specific, little goals.)
Short term:
-Present at ASA in August. The one in Denver, to be specific.
-Get to visit Nebraska for about two weeks (at least one and a half full weeks) this Christmas break.
-Defend my thesis successfully.
-Pay back parents for loaned money.
Long term:
-PhD
-Job at a nice University.
-Lose the last 20 pounds.
-Wedding, house, child, child, child, dog.
What are you sending out?
In an effort to push myself towards these things I present to you, my goals. (Note that some are large and ambiguous. That's probably better than having only specific, little goals.)
Short term:
-Present at ASA in August. The one in Denver, to be specific.
-Get to visit Nebraska for about two weeks (at least one and a half full weeks) this Christmas break.
-Defend my thesis successfully.
-Pay back parents for loaned money.
Long term:
-PhD
-Job at a nice University.
-Lose the last 20 pounds.
-Wedding, house, child, child, child, dog.
What are you sending out?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Feelings
This semester is kicking my ass. Kind of.
I'm getting much better at managing my time. I feel like I understand more than I ever have before. I'm doing a lot, and I'm getting it done.
I could have added qualifiers to all of those statements. But I didn't. I'm working to encourage myself and talk positively about myself without contradicting my earlier statement before I've even finished a sentence.
Instead of saying "I'm getting better at managing my time, but I've cut out some things I really miss" it's just "I'm getting better at managing my time." It's not a big change but it's enough to keep me going.
I've needed a cheerleader a lot this semester. I often tell Chase "I can do it" just to hear him echo it back to me. He's started encouraging me by saying "Go go Icallo" which is a play off the phrase "Go go buffalo" from Idle Hands. It's amusing.
I'm taking ONE class next semester. I'm taking a teaching course too but it's much more like a non-intensive seminar so it doesn't really count. I've got a month and some change left with this load. Then I'll be done with this four class crap. I bet I can do it. I can get there.
I signed up for my course load and work load thinking that I'd slacked last spring when I should * have finished my thesis and wanted to prove to myself that I could do a lot, all at once. I wonder if that was a good tactic. Pushing myself to my limit to see what my limit was/is. I suppose we'll find out.
In the meantime I'm going to go read a book for class tomorrow.
*According to my standards. According to the grad department I have until this December to finish and defend it. So technically I'm not behind schedule.
I'm getting much better at managing my time. I feel like I understand more than I ever have before. I'm doing a lot, and I'm getting it done.
I could have added qualifiers to all of those statements. But I didn't. I'm working to encourage myself and talk positively about myself without contradicting my earlier statement before I've even finished a sentence.
Instead of saying "I'm getting better at managing my time, but I've cut out some things I really miss" it's just "I'm getting better at managing my time." It's not a big change but it's enough to keep me going.
I've needed a cheerleader a lot this semester. I often tell Chase "I can do it" just to hear him echo it back to me. He's started encouraging me by saying "Go go Icallo" which is a play off the phrase "Go go buffalo" from Idle Hands. It's amusing.
I'm taking ONE class next semester. I'm taking a teaching course too but it's much more like a non-intensive seminar so it doesn't really count. I've got a month and some change left with this load. Then I'll be done with this four class crap. I bet I can do it. I can get there.
I signed up for my course load and work load thinking that I'd slacked last spring when I should * have finished my thesis and wanted to prove to myself that I could do a lot, all at once. I wonder if that was a good tactic. Pushing myself to my limit to see what my limit was/is. I suppose we'll find out.
In the meantime I'm going to go read a book for class tomorrow.
*According to my standards. According to the grad department I have until this December to finish and defend it. So technically I'm not behind schedule.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Absence
I haven't posted in months. I'm trying to decide if I should ignore it or note it and apologize. But it's my blog and I shouldn't have to apologize.
Whatever. Here are a few things I like:
-Smart students
-Jackets for Georgia's winter.
-This waterfall. It's maybe my favorite set of waterfalls ever. (Chase and I visited it this weekend and I can't wait to go back.)
-Blogs that post things that make me nervous and push me as a student.
(I'm taking lots of classes this semester, working semi part time, trying to get my thesis defended, and trying to relax in between those things, please give me a break for being silent.)
(Oh hey, I guess I decided to apologize for my absence and ask for your patience and understanding!)
Whatever. Here are a few things I like:
-Smart students
-Jackets for Georgia's winter.
-This waterfall. It's maybe my favorite set of waterfalls ever. (Chase and I visited it this weekend and I can't wait to go back.)
-Blogs that post things that make me nervous and push me as a student.
(I'm taking lots of classes this semester, working semi part time, trying to get my thesis defended, and trying to relax in between those things, please give me a break for being silent.)
(Oh hey, I guess I decided to apologize for my absence and ask for your patience and understanding!)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Summer's Ending
It feels like classes start tomorrow and the daily naps will no longer be allowed. Even though I've got three weeks til that is reality.
Since getting back from vacation (4 days near the beach in North Carolina) and spending the last week moving and packing, I feel like my work ethic has slid into a coma and though I'm trying to coax it back to life, it's reluctant. I've only finished two books since the beginning of the month, even though I should be rounding on four this weekend. I haven't been writing for my thesis, though I had a really good talk with a classmate about it and feel like it's not insurmountable and I've been doing even less statistical work.
I'm going to save the new pictures of our place for the next entry, after we have everything fully unpacked and looking nice. Right now we've about about 85% of our stuff unpacked and organized but the rest is just strewn around the rooms it will eventually belong in.
I meant to post vacation pictures just after I got back from North Carolina but my sister had the majority of the good ones and I wanted to wait until I had those.
So without further ado, my vacation:
Sarah flew down from Nebraska on Wednesday and we spent the evening driving up to North Carolina. We spent the night at my uncle's Army friend's house (he's a good, safe guy, no worries) and then headed up for the last 2.5 hour portion of the trip before 8am on Thursday. After stopping to get a picture with tobacco plants (we've never seen a tobacco field before), we got to our cousin's house around 10:30 and were greeted with lots of hugs and kisses and screams. :)
My cousins are 4 and a half and 2 and a half and my aunt is about 7 years older than I am so it's really easy to hang out and visit and not feel like I'm stuck with relatives. My uncle's in the military. He's currently stationed on a boat in the Mediterranean for a longer-than-average deployment. He left in March and will be back... as far as I know... around February. Oh, and my older cousin (a year younger than me) recently moved out to North Carolina to live with them for a bit, so we got to see her too).
On Thursday we went out for lunch and then walked around the town they live in. It's cute and old (300 years last year!). After our afternoon out we came back home, napped, and then played at a playground near their house. They live in a cute development area that a golf course runs through. It's quite nice.
On Friday we got up and left for the beach around 9am. We were about an hour from the beach and the kids choose to ride in our car so that we could spend extra time together. :) Towards the end of the trip I was grateful that Sarah was riding with me so she could entertain while I focused on driving. (Kids get annoying.) After the beach we stopped for pizza and then headed home for naps and showers. That evening the kids got a babysitter and the adults headed out to see the new Harry Potter movie. (Woohoo!)
On Saturday we headed back to downtown and perused the Farmer's Market, gathering supplies for lunch. After salads for lunch and snacks for dessert we headed back out to the beach, this time not having quite as much fun in the sun because the waves and undercurrent were much stronger. We stopped by Chick-Fil-A for a short supper and then headed home for the evening.
Sunday was more laid back than the other days. We had planned to leave Sunday afternoon to make it home before dark that night but didn't get off to as quick of a start as I'd hoped. We left our cousin's around 3pm and made it home around 10:45 which wasn't toooo bad but was later than I'd expected. We spent the pre-3 hours hanging out, lounging around and resting up from a weekend that had been so much fun.
I LOVED my cousins so hard this visit. The last two times I'd visited they'd been a little too little and a little too rowdy for me to fully enjoy them but this time was different. Not even 20 minutes after we'd arrived and I'd sat down, my younger cousin climbed up in my lap and spent the next while singing me nonsense songs. And every morning after I'd gotten out of bed but before the day had started, the older cousin would cuddle in my lap, asking me to pretend he was a baby. This involved me rocking him, feeding him, and commenting on how adorable he was. :)
Since their dad's away right now I think they're a little more sentimental than normal. He's deployed before but they were younger then and probably didn't understand (or notice) the big difference in their lives. Now that they're more aware, it's easier to see how they're affected. Each of them has a blanket that has a bit of their daddy's love in it and they'd each offer their blankets to me randomly, telling me that I could have some of their dad's love. :)
And who can forget about the silly things kids say?! Adi, my younger cousin, could never seem to say my name when someone asked who I was but after Sarah told her I was a princess (something Adi's kind of into right now) my name became Princess. I have to say, it wasn't a horrible nickname. :) Towards the end of the weekend, Julian, the older cousin, started calling me Princess Jessica.
Julian and his family have a Jeep Wrangler Limited and they often drive without the windows or doors on. When we were getting something out of my Honda Accord Julian asked me if I ever took my doors off. It caught me a bit off guard but reminded me how cute kids are at this age.
Vacations should never end. :)
(P.S. It was really good to see Melinda and Tori too. They reminded me how much people can love me, something I sometimes forget living all the way out here in Georgia.)
Since getting back from vacation (4 days near the beach in North Carolina) and spending the last week moving and packing, I feel like my work ethic has slid into a coma and though I'm trying to coax it back to life, it's reluctant. I've only finished two books since the beginning of the month, even though I should be rounding on four this weekend. I haven't been writing for my thesis, though I had a really good talk with a classmate about it and feel like it's not insurmountable and I've been doing even less statistical work.
I'm going to save the new pictures of our place for the next entry, after we have everything fully unpacked and looking nice. Right now we've about about 85% of our stuff unpacked and organized but the rest is just strewn around the rooms it will eventually belong in.
I meant to post vacation pictures just after I got back from North Carolina but my sister had the majority of the good ones and I wanted to wait until I had those.
So without further ado, my vacation:
Sarah flew down from Nebraska on Wednesday and we spent the evening driving up to North Carolina. We spent the night at my uncle's Army friend's house (he's a good, safe guy, no worries) and then headed up for the last 2.5 hour portion of the trip before 8am on Thursday. After stopping to get a picture with tobacco plants (we've never seen a tobacco field before), we got to our cousin's house around 10:30 and were greeted with lots of hugs and kisses and screams. :)
My cousins are 4 and a half and 2 and a half and my aunt is about 7 years older than I am so it's really easy to hang out and visit and not feel like I'm stuck with relatives. My uncle's in the military. He's currently stationed on a boat in the Mediterranean for a longer-than-average deployment. He left in March and will be back... as far as I know... around February. Oh, and my older cousin (a year younger than me) recently moved out to North Carolina to live with them for a bit, so we got to see her too).
On Thursday we went out for lunch and then walked around the town they live in. It's cute and old (300 years last year!). After our afternoon out we came back home, napped, and then played at a playground near their house. They live in a cute development area that a golf course runs through. It's quite nice.
On Friday we got up and left for the beach around 9am. We were about an hour from the beach and the kids choose to ride in our car so that we could spend extra time together. :) Towards the end of the trip I was grateful that Sarah was riding with me so she could entertain while I focused on driving. (Kids get annoying.) After the beach we stopped for pizza and then headed home for naps and showers. That evening the kids got a babysitter and the adults headed out to see the new Harry Potter movie. (Woohoo!)
On Saturday we headed back to downtown and perused the Farmer's Market, gathering supplies for lunch. After salads for lunch and snacks for dessert we headed back out to the beach, this time not having quite as much fun in the sun because the waves and undercurrent were much stronger. We stopped by Chick-Fil-A for a short supper and then headed home for the evening.
Sunday was more laid back than the other days. We had planned to leave Sunday afternoon to make it home before dark that night but didn't get off to as quick of a start as I'd hoped. We left our cousin's around 3pm and made it home around 10:45 which wasn't toooo bad but was later than I'd expected. We spent the pre-3 hours hanging out, lounging around and resting up from a weekend that had been so much fun.
I LOVED my cousins so hard this visit. The last two times I'd visited they'd been a little too little and a little too rowdy for me to fully enjoy them but this time was different. Not even 20 minutes after we'd arrived and I'd sat down, my younger cousin climbed up in my lap and spent the next while singing me nonsense songs. And every morning after I'd gotten out of bed but before the day had started, the older cousin would cuddle in my lap, asking me to pretend he was a baby. This involved me rocking him, feeding him, and commenting on how adorable he was. :)
Since their dad's away right now I think they're a little more sentimental than normal. He's deployed before but they were younger then and probably didn't understand (or notice) the big difference in their lives. Now that they're more aware, it's easier to see how they're affected. Each of them has a blanket that has a bit of their daddy's love in it and they'd each offer their blankets to me randomly, telling me that I could have some of their dad's love. :)
And who can forget about the silly things kids say?! Adi, my younger cousin, could never seem to say my name when someone asked who I was but after Sarah told her I was a princess (something Adi's kind of into right now) my name became Princess. I have to say, it wasn't a horrible nickname. :) Towards the end of the weekend, Julian, the older cousin, started calling me Princess Jessica.
Julian and his family have a Jeep Wrangler Limited and they often drive without the windows or doors on. When we were getting something out of my Honda Accord Julian asked me if I ever took my doors off. It caught me a bit off guard but reminded me how cute kids are at this age.
Vacations should never end. :)
(P.S. It was really good to see Melinda and Tori too. They reminded me how much people can love me, something I sometimes forget living all the way out here in Georgia.)
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Status Report
Books I've read this summer (in order):
-Man Walks Into a Room
-Eating Animals
-The Managed Heart
-Elsewhere, USA
-The Pecking Order
-Veronika Decides to Die
-Hunger Games
-Catching Fire
-Mockingjay
Yaye reading! P.S. My Kindle rocks. You should buy one, really!
I've got stats to do this weekend, two articles to finish today, and progress to make. I can do it. I will! (And then I'll drink and be merry.)
-Man Walks Into a Room
-Eating Animals
-The Managed Heart
-Elsewhere, USA
-The Pecking Order
-Veronika Decides to Die
-Hunger Games
-Catching Fire
-Mockingjay
Yaye reading! P.S. My Kindle rocks. You should buy one, really!
I've got stats to do this weekend, two articles to finish today, and progress to make. I can do it. I will! (And then I'll drink and be merry.)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Improvements
Have I mentioned my summer goals in here yet? I don't think so. Let's review!
1.) Write for 10-30 minutes (at least) each day. EACH. DAY. This includes Sunday. This means no breaks. Unless something dire comes up, and it shouldn't.
2.) Read a book a week. (So far I've read two books. I'm on schedule with when I started, which was a week after summer started. That means if I have extra time I want to squeeze in an extra book.) I'm almost done with my third one. I'm breaking them down into sections so I don't overwhelm myself. (The current book is 40 pages a day, which is doable.)
3.) Read an article a day. This one's lofty and not really happening yet. I've read three articles this summer! That's way less than one a day. (And this is a weekday only goal.)
4.) Do an hour of stats a week. I haven't done any yet but I'm really only 2-3 away from my goal. I'm planning on going into the office to work on this tomorrow. That's also been my plan all week so hopefully it'll actually happen tomorrow.
5.) Easy, medium, and hard. A professor suggested I have one of each of these to work on each day so that I can break from one and still work on something else to be productive. This goal isn't as easily defined so I can't really fail at it, as long as I do something for the day. So far my writing's been my "hard" and the others just kind of work themselves out.
I bought a book (this one!) to help me write. It's titled Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day and while it's not exactly targeted towards me, I'm finding it helpful. The key points (thus far) are as follows:
- WRITE! (every day)
- Write first. (write before you do anything else)
- Don't focus on what you're writing (at first) just work into the habit of continuously writing.
- Try to get addicted to writing. Find out where you like to write, when, with what environment (music playing, at the coffee shop, home alone, etc).
- Build up to writing more and more every day. Start with 10-15 minutes and move forward from there.
- After you get addicted, set a goal (page goal, hour goal, idea goal) for each day and work until you get there. I think I'm going to work for the page goal. The author says a 3-6 page a day goal is good.
- The goal at this step is just to WRITE. The 3-6 pages might end up getting trashed, but they'll get you thinking about the ideas/etc that will form your work.
- Develop a zero draft. This draft won't be shown to anyone but might include some things that could be "right or wrong."
- Build from the zero draft to your first draft.
I've taken a break from the book to work up to my zero draft and my first draft. So far I'm just working on writing consistently and allowing myself to write without criticizing it. One of my big hang ups is thinking that everything I write is crap. Hopefully this will help kick that out of my head.
I'll build on this next time, I just wanted to write this down. Let you know how it's going.
1.) Write for 10-30 minutes (at least) each day. EACH. DAY. This includes Sunday. This means no breaks. Unless something dire comes up, and it shouldn't.
2.) Read a book a week. (So far I've read two books. I'm on schedule with when I started, which was a week after summer started. That means if I have extra time I want to squeeze in an extra book.) I'm almost done with my third one. I'm breaking them down into sections so I don't overwhelm myself. (The current book is 40 pages a day, which is doable.)
3.) Read an article a day. This one's lofty and not really happening yet. I've read three articles this summer! That's way less than one a day. (And this is a weekday only goal.)
4.) Do an hour of stats a week. I haven't done any yet but I'm really only 2-3 away from my goal. I'm planning on going into the office to work on this tomorrow. That's also been my plan all week so hopefully it'll actually happen tomorrow.
5.) Easy, medium, and hard. A professor suggested I have one of each of these to work on each day so that I can break from one and still work on something else to be productive. This goal isn't as easily defined so I can't really fail at it, as long as I do something for the day. So far my writing's been my "hard" and the others just kind of work themselves out.
I bought a book (this one!) to help me write. It's titled Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day and while it's not exactly targeted towards me, I'm finding it helpful. The key points (thus far) are as follows:
- WRITE! (every day)
- Write first. (write before you do anything else)
- Don't focus on what you're writing (at first) just work into the habit of continuously writing.
- Try to get addicted to writing. Find out where you like to write, when, with what environment (music playing, at the coffee shop, home alone, etc).
- Build up to writing more and more every day. Start with 10-15 minutes and move forward from there.
- After you get addicted, set a goal (page goal, hour goal, idea goal) for each day and work until you get there. I think I'm going to work for the page goal. The author says a 3-6 page a day goal is good.
- The goal at this step is just to WRITE. The 3-6 pages might end up getting trashed, but they'll get you thinking about the ideas/etc that will form your work.
- Develop a zero draft. This draft won't be shown to anyone but might include some things that could be "right or wrong."
- Build from the zero draft to your first draft.
I've taken a break from the book to work up to my zero draft and my first draft. So far I'm just working on writing consistently and allowing myself to write without criticizing it. One of my big hang ups is thinking that everything I write is crap. Hopefully this will help kick that out of my head.
I'll build on this next time, I just wanted to write this down. Let you know how it's going.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Blah
I've got a plan for being productive over the summer.
I want to: read a book a week, an article a day, write for 10-30 minutes a day, and work (part time) 20 hours a week. I'm finding the first and last of my goals easily attainable. I've got lots of free time and it's too hot to enjoy being active outside most of the day so I'm doing well with my reading and working. Well, reading of books anyway.
I like that I'm reading a story. That I'm having a conversation about a topic. It feels like a long documentary. It's enjoyable.
I've got a mental block when it comes to writing and reading articles. I'm afraid that I won't have anything valuable to say. That when I write, my work will be disputable and elementary and worthless. That the argument I want to make has been made before and better. That I have nothing new to bring to the table. That I'm good at reading and learning but bad at creating and growing.
I'm going to be in my third year of grad school soon. I remember coming in to the program and meeting all of the then third years and being impressed with how much they knew, how productive they were. In your third year here students take a teaching prep course. I'm really excited about the idea of teaching but feel like I'm pretending to be knowledgeable enough to scrape through school.
I feel like a fraud. I do really well in my classes but I can't do the research (well) on my own. I know this is a hurdle I've got to mentally overcome but I'm not there yet. I haven't mustered up the strength to push through this insecurity.
I want to: read a book a week, an article a day, write for 10-30 minutes a day, and work (part time) 20 hours a week. I'm finding the first and last of my goals easily attainable. I've got lots of free time and it's too hot to enjoy being active outside most of the day so I'm doing well with my reading and working. Well, reading of books anyway.
I like that I'm reading a story. That I'm having a conversation about a topic. It feels like a long documentary. It's enjoyable.
I've got a mental block when it comes to writing and reading articles. I'm afraid that I won't have anything valuable to say. That when I write, my work will be disputable and elementary and worthless. That the argument I want to make has been made before and better. That I have nothing new to bring to the table. That I'm good at reading and learning but bad at creating and growing.
I'm going to be in my third year of grad school soon. I remember coming in to the program and meeting all of the then third years and being impressed with how much they knew, how productive they were. In your third year here students take a teaching prep course. I'm really excited about the idea of teaching but feel like I'm pretending to be knowledgeable enough to scrape through school.
I feel like a fraud. I do really well in my classes but I can't do the research (well) on my own. I know this is a hurdle I've got to mentally overcome but I'm not there yet. I haven't mustered up the strength to push through this insecurity.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
New URL, Same Inattention
Happy June!
So, here's the deal. My blog was created using blogger but it was created using an account I don't use much anymore (ica.29@hotmail.com) and I couldn't change it so that it would be associated with my regular Google monopoly of goodness. That was annoying. In an attempt to line up all my eggs in my basket, I've moved all that stuff to this new address, now associated with the email address I use almost exclusively now (jessicaseberger@gmail.com).
I can't promise I'll update more but I will not have to finagle my way into my blog account to post so here's to hopes and dreams.
So, here's the deal. My blog was created using blogger but it was created using an account I don't use much anymore (ica.29@hotmail.com) and I couldn't change it so that it would be associated with my regular Google monopoly of goodness. That was annoying. In an attempt to line up all my eggs in my basket, I've moved all that stuff to this new address, now associated with the email address I use almost exclusively now (jessicaseberger@gmail.com).
I can't promise I'll update more but I will not have to finagle my way into my blog account to post so here's to hopes and dreams.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Ebbs and Flows
Things around here are busy this week. It goes in waves... a week of nothing, a week of everything. It's life.
From Sunday until this morning we hosted a prospective grad student. I look back on my recruitment fondly and was excited to be able to host someone. I didn't host anyone my first year because I was one of the 3 people in charge of recruitment and had other responsibilities. I (sadly) didn't get to spend as much time with my recruit as I would have liked but the time together was good. She talked about her research interests, her past, her education, all of the normal stuff, and it made me happy. It's not the stories she told; I think I just liked the reflection aspect of recruitment. It was nice to get to look back from where I've come. See how much I've grown. How jaded (in some regards) I've become and smile at the thought of innocent Jessica.
I spent the weekend cleaning and relaxing and the last two days hurrying to get stuff done. I took a nap today between classes and switched from my glasses to contacts before going back to school. After I left Linny stole my glasses from the coffee table and showed them some love. She chewed the ear pieces up pretty well but the lenses look pretty good. There are only one or two scratches. I wonder if it'll be easier to get new glasses or just new ear pieces. (I'd get new glasses here. Ashley's gotten a pair from here before and they were less than $20 when all was said and done.)
I got home from school tonight and took Linny for a long walk to make up for the lack of attention lately. It rained all weekend and then we were busy yesterday so it's been a few days since she had a good walk. We walked for over an hour and then went to the cemetary for 20 minutes and she ran all over there. She's been pretty low-key since we got home though so I think she's good.
We'll see. Nothing (of mine) is safe with a pup in the house. It amuses me... I don't think she's ever chewed up anything of Chase's. And she lays by me when we're both on our computers. But she cuddles more with Chase. But I don't like cuddling as much as he does. It's interesting to see her preferences.
I used to spend Tuesday nights watching The Biggest Loser and Parenthood but we don't get NBC anymore so I've got to find something else to do. I thought about reading and ended up here. Reading's overrated anyway.
I think I'll watch last week's House online. I "deserve" a break anyway... especially if I want to get through the rest of the week.
P.S. Would you like me to recap my spring break trip?
From Sunday until this morning we hosted a prospective grad student. I look back on my recruitment fondly and was excited to be able to host someone. I didn't host anyone my first year because I was one of the 3 people in charge of recruitment and had other responsibilities. I (sadly) didn't get to spend as much time with my recruit as I would have liked but the time together was good. She talked about her research interests, her past, her education, all of the normal stuff, and it made me happy. It's not the stories she told; I think I just liked the reflection aspect of recruitment. It was nice to get to look back from where I've come. See how much I've grown. How jaded (in some regards) I've become and smile at the thought of innocent Jessica.
I spent the weekend cleaning and relaxing and the last two days hurrying to get stuff done. I took a nap today between classes and switched from my glasses to contacts before going back to school. After I left Linny stole my glasses from the coffee table and showed them some love. She chewed the ear pieces up pretty well but the lenses look pretty good. There are only one or two scratches. I wonder if it'll be easier to get new glasses or just new ear pieces. (I'd get new glasses here. Ashley's gotten a pair from here before and they were less than $20 when all was said and done.)
I got home from school tonight and took Linny for a long walk to make up for the lack of attention lately. It rained all weekend and then we were busy yesterday so it's been a few days since she had a good walk. We walked for over an hour and then went to the cemetary for 20 minutes and she ran all over there. She's been pretty low-key since we got home though so I think she's good.
We'll see. Nothing (of mine) is safe with a pup in the house. It amuses me... I don't think she's ever chewed up anything of Chase's. And she lays by me when we're both on our computers. But she cuddles more with Chase. But I don't like cuddling as much as he does. It's interesting to see her preferences.
I used to spend Tuesday nights watching The Biggest Loser and Parenthood but we don't get NBC anymore so I've got to find something else to do. I thought about reading and ended up here. Reading's overrated anyway.
I think I'll watch last week's House online. I "deserve" a break anyway... especially if I want to get through the rest of the week.
P.S. Would you like me to recap my spring break trip?
Thursday, March 24, 2011
I know...
It's been a month since I last posted.
I don't have much I want to say today but I'd like to share two pictures with you.
April 10, 2008
and
March 16, 2011
I don't have much I want to say today but I'd like to share two pictures with you.
April 10, 2008
and
March 16, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Brain Dump
This one's gonna be pretty short but I just wanted to write a few things down.
It's been pretty wonderful here the last two weeks. Most days are in the 60's and it hasn't rained in at least that long. I was SO SICK of the cold, winter rain. I would MUCH RATHER have snow than the rain that we get. It blows and it's wet and it takes forever to get warm again. And if it was juuust a bit colder, it'd be snow and the wind wouldn't be a problem! /whine
I think the weather does a lot for my mood. I've been really motivated lately to get out and do things. I haven't felt as overwhelmed as I was a few weeks ago and I'm (arguably) more productive now. I've got a 20 page essay to write this week so I'm not really even thinking about my thesis but... it'll get done.
I've decided I want to run a 5k before it gets too hot here. I'm thinking about March 19th but I don't know if I can train to be able to run the whole thing by then. I went for a run yesterday and it was easier than I remember it being. (The p90x was probably to blame for the ease.) And I need to remember to lift weights more often.
Chase and I are trying to be conservative with our money right now. I'm pressuring him (a lot) to get a job and unless he does, we're not going to be able to move in the fall. That would REALLY bum me out. I spent Friday night applying for jobs for him. I have more motivation than he does to get a job (which is frustrating) but right now it just matters that he gets a job. Sigh.
And paper time. Happy Sunday!
It's been pretty wonderful here the last two weeks. Most days are in the 60's and it hasn't rained in at least that long. I was SO SICK of the cold, winter rain. I would MUCH RATHER have snow than the rain that we get. It blows and it's wet and it takes forever to get warm again. And if it was juuust a bit colder, it'd be snow and the wind wouldn't be a problem! /whine
I think the weather does a lot for my mood. I've been really motivated lately to get out and do things. I haven't felt as overwhelmed as I was a few weeks ago and I'm (arguably) more productive now. I've got a 20 page essay to write this week so I'm not really even thinking about my thesis but... it'll get done.
I've decided I want to run a 5k before it gets too hot here. I'm thinking about March 19th but I don't know if I can train to be able to run the whole thing by then. I went for a run yesterday and it was easier than I remember it being. (The p90x was probably to blame for the ease.) And I need to remember to lift weights more often.
Chase and I are trying to be conservative with our money right now. I'm pressuring him (a lot) to get a job and unless he does, we're not going to be able to move in the fall. That would REALLY bum me out. I spent Friday night applying for jobs for him. I have more motivation than he does to get a job (which is frustrating) but right now it just matters that he gets a job. Sigh.
And paper time. Happy Sunday!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Ten True Things
1. I sometimes steal blog post subjects from this journal website I like to read.
2. I was up early working on school stuff and since I got home at 1:30 (to wait for UPS!) I've been slacking. I figure I put in 6 good hours already today and have two articles to read tonight... it'll even out. After catching up on tv from last night I treated myself to a nap and EVER SINCE I WOKE UP I've been jamming out to Blink 182. So for the last 2.5 hours it's been Blink's greatest hits up in the hizzy. Check it yo.
3. I made this goop for supper tonight. It's macaroni, hamburger, cream of mushroom soup, and peas. Easy-peasy, not-so-nutritionally-awesome, haven't-had-since-(probably)-living-at-home goodness. I haven't made it before because I feared Chase wouldn't like it but he does! Mikey likes it!
4. This beautiful calendar now lives above my desk, a bit to the right, and inspires me often. I feeeeeel it.
5. If you have a dog, you should get him/her a cow hoof. Linny loves hers more than any other toy. It smells a bit, but the hours of silence are worth it. And they last MUCH longer than most toys. (There's a lot on the internet about how they're sharp and can nick a dog's bowels so... take this with a grain of salt. But Linny loves them.) We also like antlers for her.
6. I've stopped doing p90x for now. I don't have the time/energy to devote to it every day. I'm still doing some of the workouts throughout the week but I'm not following the schedule. It's something I'd like to do and really like the workouts, it just is a bigger investment than I'm looking for right now.
7. Hey! We just made it back to the first Blink song I listened to tonight, we've come full circle. :)
8. Chase still doesn't have a job. You should all nag him and convince him to try harder. There's only so much I can do/say.
9. I need to find a job for the summer! And a place to live! And finish my thesis! And I get a 20-page assignment tomorrow that's due in a week! And Chase needs a job! I might be stressed a bit, overall.
10. Last night as Chase was getting in to bed he woke me up from a dream. Apparently I was giggling out loud and Chase wanted to know why. In my dream I was a high school or grade school student and I'd made fun of one of my classmates and they'd replied and then everyone else laughed at the student I'd made fun of because what they'd said was really foolish. Apparently I'm a bully in my dreams! BUT! It was really amusing to wake up giggling. :)
2. I was up early working on school stuff and since I got home at 1:30 (to wait for UPS!) I've been slacking. I figure I put in 6 good hours already today and have two articles to read tonight... it'll even out. After catching up on tv from last night I treated myself to a nap and EVER SINCE I WOKE UP I've been jamming out to Blink 182. So for the last 2.5 hours it's been Blink's greatest hits up in the hizzy. Check it yo.
3. I made this goop for supper tonight. It's macaroni, hamburger, cream of mushroom soup, and peas. Easy-peasy, not-so-nutritionally-awesome, haven't-had-since-(probably)-living-at-home goodness. I haven't made it before because I feared Chase wouldn't like it but he does! Mikey likes it!
4. This beautiful calendar now lives above my desk, a bit to the right, and inspires me often. I feeeeeel it.
5. If you have a dog, you should get him/her a cow hoof. Linny loves hers more than any other toy. It smells a bit, but the hours of silence are worth it. And they last MUCH longer than most toys. (There's a lot on the internet about how they're sharp and can nick a dog's bowels so... take this with a grain of salt. But Linny loves them.) We also like antlers for her.
6. I've stopped doing p90x for now. I don't have the time/energy to devote to it every day. I'm still doing some of the workouts throughout the week but I'm not following the schedule. It's something I'd like to do and really like the workouts, it just is a bigger investment than I'm looking for right now.
7. Hey! We just made it back to the first Blink song I listened to tonight, we've come full circle. :)
8. Chase still doesn't have a job. You should all nag him and convince him to try harder. There's only so much I can do/say.
9. I need to find a job for the summer! And a place to live! And finish my thesis! And I get a 20-page assignment tomorrow that's due in a week! And Chase needs a job! I might be stressed a bit, overall.
10. Last night as Chase was getting in to bed he woke me up from a dream. Apparently I was giggling out loud and Chase wanted to know why. In my dream I was a high school or grade school student and I'd made fun of one of my classmates and they'd replied and then everyone else laughed at the student I'd made fun of because what they'd said was really foolish. Apparently I'm a bully in my dreams! BUT! It was really amusing to wake up giggling. :)
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Spring!
It's been 70ish the last few days and looks like the weather's going to stay nice for at least a week... I'm declaring Spring HERE! (And if the cold weather comes back, I'm not talking to it.)
In the last two weeks I've spent almost everyday (at least 8 hours of it) at school so I rebelled yesterday and spent the day at home. (In addition to being at school, in the last 10 days I've gone to 7 presentations that are at least an hour long, and most of the time are an hour an a half long. UGH.)
I borrowed a carpet cleaner from a friend and spent yesterday cleaning the living room and hall. The carpet is almost dry and I'm trying to convince Chase that we can rearrange and make things look fresh but he's skeptical. It feels like we just moved in: everything's clumped in the dining room area and Cisco's claimed the top of the fridge as his.
As further proof that spring is here, the other day Linny and I went on a walk to the cemetery nearby and found the loveliest daffodils! Chase, Linny and I went back this afternoon and I took a few pictures.
We're going out for a friend's birthday in about 20 minutes and I can't wait! There's a place around here that has beer tours on the weekends from 5-7 and they've got a nice courtyard that we'll set up our chairs in and listen to some live music while enjoying the weather. After that we're heading out for supper and I'm excited about that too. Food!
Tomorrow I've got to refocus on school, I have a presentation this Wednesday that I really need to focus on, but until then, SPRING!
In the last two weeks I've spent almost everyday (at least 8 hours of it) at school so I rebelled yesterday and spent the day at home. (In addition to being at school, in the last 10 days I've gone to 7 presentations that are at least an hour long, and most of the time are an hour an a half long. UGH.)
I borrowed a carpet cleaner from a friend and spent yesterday cleaning the living room and hall. The carpet is almost dry and I'm trying to convince Chase that we can rearrange and make things look fresh but he's skeptical. It feels like we just moved in: everything's clumped in the dining room area and Cisco's claimed the top of the fridge as his.
As further proof that spring is here, the other day Linny and I went on a walk to the cemetery nearby and found the loveliest daffodils! Chase, Linny and I went back this afternoon and I took a few pictures.
We're going out for a friend's birthday in about 20 minutes and I can't wait! There's a place around here that has beer tours on the weekends from 5-7 and they've got a nice courtyard that we'll set up our chairs in and listen to some live music while enjoying the weather. After that we're heading out for supper and I'm excited about that too. Food!
Tomorrow I've got to refocus on school, I have a presentation this Wednesday that I really need to focus on, but until then, SPRING!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Saturday Afternoon
Chase and I headed over to The Olive Garden this afternoon, after I'd gone on a jaunt with Linny and some friends. We went on a non-Valentine's Day date, because boo, Valentine's Day makes me slitty-eyed. (In an angry kind of way.)
We had salads (I added my drink-lemon to the leftovers.)
I had pasta e fagioli
and Chase had chicken parmagiana. He didn't eat much of it so we brought it home for leftovers (for me)!
We don't like taking pictures together when we go out, but I like taking one of each of us. We've got a collection of these. :)
(Chase gets a haircut tomorrow! I just get homework.)
We had salads (I added my drink-lemon to the leftovers.)
I had pasta e fagioli
and Chase had chicken parmagiana. He didn't eat much of it so we brought it home for leftovers (for me)!
We don't like taking pictures together when we go out, but I like taking one of each of us. We've got a collection of these. :)
(Chase gets a haircut tomorrow! I just get homework.)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
On...
On Weight -
I started P90X with my sister and it's kicking my ass. It's hardest to get myself motivated to do the workout, but the workout itself is pretty enjoyable, as far as workouts go. I've lost almost 6 pounds, though I feel like I've lost more. My muscles are tighter (my under arm jiggle jiggles less)and my clothes fit nicer.
I read an article for class yesterday about weight loss and body image and it really messed with my mind. AND THEN I went and listened to the author discuss the article and work that it came from for another two hours. Total mind fuck. After it was over I went home to Chase and cried. The article was about men and women who had lost at least 20 pounds and had kept it off for at least three months. The subjects had to have been overweight or obese before losing weight but ended up in the normal weight range. Among other things, the author found that even after individuals lost weight, they had a hard time changing their body image to match their new identity. Another topic that was discussed at length was why individuals chose to lose weight. Responses ranged from wanting to look good for a wedding to wanting to be able to move easier to "needing" to lose weight after an embarrassing event. And lastly! we touched on the body's control system and its maintenance of a certain weight despite the dieter's actions.
So to recap, I got to think about body image issues, why I wanted to (or do want to) lose weight, and what my body wants me to weigh. BLAH. Chase made me feel better though, bringing me back to ground after my journey into my head. Blah. Ashley and I went to see The King's Speech after that and I think I'm over it for now. But still, it's an issue that's been on my mind a lot.
On Linux -
She's been getting hairier and hairier lately. We've wanted to get her groomed for the last two months but have been putting it off. Well! She was groomed on Wednesday and Chase and I are still trying to get used to her new coloring. She keeps getting lighter and lighter as she gets older. My baby's growing up!
Before...
And after!...
On School -
My thesis work is going slower than I initially thought. I had to change my question and the variables I'm looking at because my initial model didn't pan out. My work should be easier this time around but there are a few variables I haven't been able to figure out yet and I hate asking other people for help so often. All this work makes me feel really bad at research. I understand that a lot of it's in my head and I just need to DO STUFF and work through the unease but it's hard. I spent the first year of grad school feeling like I didn't know as much as everyone else and trying to find my place in Athens and as of about April I thought I'd gotten it figured out. I'm going through a bit of a existential crisis again and it's tired. My defense mechanism when I feel vulnerable is to ignore, avoid, or hide from the issue so I've got to push myself to NOT do those things. I watched this video today and it made me feel a bit better. I'll be okay, it's just hard to grow.
On this blog -
I haven't felt very awesome lately. I haven't posted on Facebook or Twitter or here and have a hard time finding my words worthy. I worry about being another one of those girls/guys on Facebook. The ones who post nonsense. When I don't have much to say, I don't say much.
This isn't to say things aren't good. Just that some of the things that impact how often I post online aren't as good as other things. :)
On good things -
I'm enjoying the benefits of being healthy.
I'm walking Linny in addition to doing p90x (3 or 4 times a week).
Linny's cute and fun.
Ashley and I have been out exploring (we went to a cute state park a few weekend's ago). (Pictures of it are on Flickr.)
Chase and I are doing well. We went on a date Friday night and it's been nice to spend quality time with him lately (and we watched a movie tonight)!
I'm learning in school. Even if my thesis isn't all roses and sunshine, it's still going well.
On the super bowl -
Tomorrow we're going over to a friend's house to watch the game and eat unhealthy goodness. It should be lots of fun.
I started P90X with my sister and it's kicking my ass. It's hardest to get myself motivated to do the workout, but the workout itself is pretty enjoyable, as far as workouts go. I've lost almost 6 pounds, though I feel like I've lost more. My muscles are tighter (my under arm jiggle jiggles less)and my clothes fit nicer.
I read an article for class yesterday about weight loss and body image and it really messed with my mind. AND THEN I went and listened to the author discuss the article and work that it came from for another two hours. Total mind fuck. After it was over I went home to Chase and cried. The article was about men and women who had lost at least 20 pounds and had kept it off for at least three months. The subjects had to have been overweight or obese before losing weight but ended up in the normal weight range. Among other things, the author found that even after individuals lost weight, they had a hard time changing their body image to match their new identity. Another topic that was discussed at length was why individuals chose to lose weight. Responses ranged from wanting to look good for a wedding to wanting to be able to move easier to "needing" to lose weight after an embarrassing event. And lastly! we touched on the body's control system and its maintenance of a certain weight despite the dieter's actions.
So to recap, I got to think about body image issues, why I wanted to (or do want to) lose weight, and what my body wants me to weigh. BLAH. Chase made me feel better though, bringing me back to ground after my journey into my head. Blah. Ashley and I went to see The King's Speech after that and I think I'm over it for now. But still, it's an issue that's been on my mind a lot.
On Linux -
She's been getting hairier and hairier lately. We've wanted to get her groomed for the last two months but have been putting it off. Well! She was groomed on Wednesday and Chase and I are still trying to get used to her new coloring. She keeps getting lighter and lighter as she gets older. My baby's growing up!
Before...
And after!...
On School -
My thesis work is going slower than I initially thought. I had to change my question and the variables I'm looking at because my initial model didn't pan out. My work should be easier this time around but there are a few variables I haven't been able to figure out yet and I hate asking other people for help so often. All this work makes me feel really bad at research. I understand that a lot of it's in my head and I just need to DO STUFF and work through the unease but it's hard. I spent the first year of grad school feeling like I didn't know as much as everyone else and trying to find my place in Athens and as of about April I thought I'd gotten it figured out. I'm going through a bit of a existential crisis again and it's tired. My defense mechanism when I feel vulnerable is to ignore, avoid, or hide from the issue so I've got to push myself to NOT do those things. I watched this video today and it made me feel a bit better. I'll be okay, it's just hard to grow.
On this blog -
I haven't felt very awesome lately. I haven't posted on Facebook or Twitter or here and have a hard time finding my words worthy. I worry about being another one of those girls/guys on Facebook. The ones who post nonsense. When I don't have much to say, I don't say much.
This isn't to say things aren't good. Just that some of the things that impact how often I post online aren't as good as other things. :)
On good things -
I'm enjoying the benefits of being healthy.
I'm walking Linny in addition to doing p90x (3 or 4 times a week).
Linny's cute and fun.
Ashley and I have been out exploring (we went to a cute state park a few weekend's ago). (Pictures of it are on Flickr.)
Chase and I are doing well. We went on a date Friday night and it's been nice to spend quality time with him lately (and we watched a movie tonight)!
I'm learning in school. Even if my thesis isn't all roses and sunshine, it's still going well.
On the super bowl -
Tomorrow we're going over to a friend's house to watch the game and eat unhealthy goodness. It should be lots of fun.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
New Year's Eve (2006-2010)
Here's a collection of how I've spent my New Year's Eve's since I had my own digital camera (and coincidentally, since Chase and I met).
2006
Chase and I spent the evening at Liesal's house in Kearney, playing cards and drinking.
And we wandered around the next day, amidst the fun ice storm that coated Nebraska.
(This also happened.)
2007
Mali and I went to a hockey game that evening but I can't remember what happened after that. Hmmm. (Chase and I had broken up at this time.)
2008
Dating again, Chase and I spent the evening at a hockey game (again!) with Sarah and Tori and then Chase and I went back to my apartment and hung out for the rest of the evening. Based on the pictures I have, we watched tv and then took silly pictures of ourselves. (How exciting!)
2009
For the end of 2009 Chase and I spent some quality time with family and friends at (yet another) Hockey game and then went to Liesal's grandma's for games and the countdown to midnight. I don't have very many pictures of the after party, but the hockey game was fun. (Chase spent most of the game away with Moody and friends so he's not in most of my pictures.)
This year, to end 2010, Chase and I spent New Year's at a friend's in Georgia. We hung out with Ashley and Billy (and Linny) and played cards and had some wine. And we were sure to share the joy of the new year with Cisco when we got home. :)
I like looking back at the past through pictures. I enjoy pictures much more than written words. Here's hoping you do too. :)
2006
Chase and I spent the evening at Liesal's house in Kearney, playing cards and drinking.
And we wandered around the next day, amidst the fun ice storm that coated Nebraska.
(This also happened.)
2007
Mali and I went to a hockey game that evening but I can't remember what happened after that. Hmmm. (Chase and I had broken up at this time.)
2008
Dating again, Chase and I spent the evening at a hockey game (again!) with Sarah and Tori and then Chase and I went back to my apartment and hung out for the rest of the evening. Based on the pictures I have, we watched tv and then took silly pictures of ourselves. (How exciting!)
2009
For the end of 2009 Chase and I spent some quality time with family and friends at (yet another) Hockey game and then went to Liesal's grandma's for games and the countdown to midnight. I don't have very many pictures of the after party, but the hockey game was fun. (Chase spent most of the game away with Moody and friends so he's not in most of my pictures.)
This year, to end 2010, Chase and I spent New Year's at a friend's in Georgia. We hung out with Ashley and Billy (and Linny) and played cards and had some wine. And we were sure to share the joy of the new year with Cisco when we got home. :)
I like looking back at the past through pictures. I enjoy pictures much more than written words. Here's hoping you do too. :)
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