3-26-11

 

Wrote all day. Actually finished my paper for NARST. It's not perfect, and it's not publishable as is, but it's done enough to present at a conference. What a lot of work. Squirt cooked dinner, I watched Freakanomics on Netflix, and called it a night.

 

Looked out the window before going to bed and for crying out loud- it's snowing. Freakaweather.

This day on 3-26

2007
2010

3-25-11

Had a long coffee "meeting" with a colleague today- a very productive and enjoyable use of two hours.

This day on 3-25

2007
2010

3-24-11

Up before dawn for a classroom observation, rushed off for my MRI, home for lunch and then up to the office for an hour to gather some stuff, then a trip to an elementary school to show a teacher how to use my curriculum, home by 4, dinner, and then... I did not work. I did not work. I lay on the couch talking with my son for over an hour and we just talked and talked and I snapped this photo with my iPhone to remember the moment as he was looking out the window above my head and we were philosophizing together. I want to remember this moment.

This day on 3-24

2007

3-23-11

 

Telephoto lens... peering out the front door.

I had a disturbing dream last night that my mother adopted me and I met my birth mother. She was a dumpy looking middle aged woman with scraggly hair. She looked like a mess. I asked her why she gave me up for adoption and she said it was because she wanted to get tenure and couldn't raise me too. I asked if she ever had any more children after me and she ran into the bathroom crying. She said she never had any more children because her career was more important. It obviously distressed her.

I think I am that woman and the child I have given up is my "life." I want my life back. All I do is work work work...

At least I keep up a daily photo blog. That's something.

This day on 3-23

2007
2009

3-22-11

 

IRB meeting, group advising, responding to all sorts of emails from students, ranking 9 papers for a best paper award, teaching my night class (where we played with solar cars), and Dan taking the bus up to school to have dinner with me. Tiring day.

This day on 3-22

2007
2009
2010

3-21-11

I went to see Daniel Pink speak this morning to a group of about 1000 teachers in a mega church. I've never been in a church so huge- it was like a stadium. It was a complex with a gym and a cafe and two stories of seating with three projection screens. Wowzers. Those folks sure are tithing. Anyhow, the speech was pretty good.

 

The highlight of the day by far was lunch. Squirt brought back our favorite pizza and bagels from C'ville. Aza came over for her piece for dinner.

 

 

Oh, and I got my solar car kits today. Gonna play with them in class tomorrow night.

 

Ran. Worked on a paper for AERA. Full day tomorrow.

This day on 3-21

2007
2009
2010

3-20-11

 

First day of spring, 2011. I wanted a balanced day and decided to garden, sew, and work on my paper. So, I pruned the lavender shrub by the driveway and the sage bushes in the back yard. Then I took in two more pairs of pants, so now I have four that fit me. Picked some flowers, cooked dinner, and then worked on my paper. It's almost done. I have to work on the conclusions and implications section and incorporate a bit more literature. Ran this evening.

This will be a busy week of teaching, observing students, going to appointments and meetings, etc. Tomorrow I'm going to hear Daniel Pink speak here in town. That should be interesting.

This day on 3-20

2007
2008
2009
2010

3-19-11

Note to self: It's OK to stay in bed all morning when you have a migraine. It's OK. Just do it and don't give yourself a hard time. You don't have to be productive every waking minute. You can take time out to just heal. Remember that next time. It will get better. It always does.

It got better.
I went to the store, went to another store, and another and another and came home with thread, a seam ripper, kombucha, a shower curtain, a frame for a painting, and some Kroger supplies.

Set to work taking in two pairs of pants. The benefit of losing 10 pounds is getting to take in clothes!

 

Sewing is not for the faint of heart. It's picky, exacting, frustrating work. But I did it and now have two more pairs of slacks to wear to work that fit me.

 

Dan helped me hang the shower curtain in Squirt's bathroom. It's a masculine fabric and does a nice job covering the whole shower. Matches the paint colors well too.

 

And then there was the moon! We missed the moonrise because we were enamored with having dinner and conversation with Dr. Phred and his beautiful wife. We had such a good time- such fun, good, authentic people- and stayed out past my bedtime. However, when I got home I just had to capture some photos of this moon. Big, bright, beautiful behind the trees.

This day on 3-19

2007
2009
2010

3-18-11

 

Bloodroot. Beautiful but toxic. Living in a symbiotic relationship with bees and ants to pollinate and spread and cultivate the seeds.

 

Vinca. Fast growing, spreading, invasive. Contains alkaloids that cure cancer.

Yin Yang.

Day two of a two day migraine- hoping it goes away after a night of sleeping with the sound of rain on the roof. Searching for the yang (the sunny spot) for the yin (dark place shaded by the mountain) I endure through migraine.

This day on 3-18

2007
2009
2010

3-16-11

 

The day started off dark and overcast. I took pictures out my window with my telescopic lens of birds in far-off trees. "Look at da bird in da tree over dere!" as my kids would say. (!)

 

The day got more interesting for Dan, who replaced a busted water pipe with a new one he had to solder into place with a blow torch in the crawl space under our house. How did the water pipe burst? Uh... somebody used the hose outside and forgot to let the water out before it froze. Oops.

 

The day got much prettier and brighter. I went out to lunch with two colleagues to a place called Windy Corners. It was really good and such a nice treat to get away. This is my Cornelian Cherry Dogwood blooming.

 

And here is one of our unusual tulips blooming in the back yard next to the fig tree.

I'm up to page 17 single spaced on my NARST paper. This is one I really hope to publish, but it's a bit out of my area of expertise and I'd love to find someone with a special-ed focus to co-author it with me. I just hope I'm barking up the right tree and forming valid conclusions.

This day on 3-16

2007
2009

3-15-11

Squirt gave me a ride to school after he finished his big project (only a draft...) and was on his way to visit Bosnian Kaos #3 (the one on the right) in Virginia. I wish I could tag along. I sure miss those boys. Kaos #2 is still in England and should be back this summer. I think the Texan Kaos is back in Virginia, not sure. I'm sure those boys have something planned for this summer...

Miss March and I were twins today. I like when that happens. We were interviewed today about the lab we direct, and just hung out a bit. I walked home because the buses don't run their regular routes during spring break.

This day on 3-15

2007
2008
2009
2010

3-14-11

 

They speak, these cookies. They say, "lemony yummy" and "mmmm minty chocolate" and "caramelly coconut"! And I say, "ok! Be right there!" My trick is to always leave at least one in the box so it doesn't look like I polished off the whole thing. Of course, I do have help. I'm sure Squirt is a midnight cookie monster.

Spent all day on this rainy Monday writing. I'm getting tired of it. I did manage to run before dinner, and then cook a healthy meal. This evening, more writing in store, I'm sure.

3-12-11

 

 

Gardening is a dangerous hobby. Today I had to perform surgery on myself (left handed at that) to remove a large splinter that penetrated my right thumb while I was pulling some dead foliage. You know I'm an odd bird because the first thing I did upon running into the house, was to grab my camera and photograph the thing. Then after cutting my skin open and washing out the wound, I had to photograph the pesky splinter.

Beautiful day outside. Ran for the third day in a row. Slept last night the BEST I've slept in weeks and weeks. Must buy more kombucha- I polished off my supply today. Trying to write this week. So much to write: four conference papers and a book chapter on my to-do list.

3-11-11

Today, on the other side of the world, 1000 souls departed this place in one fell swoop. I grieve for the pain, loss, worry. The edges of tectonic plates are beautiful places to live, but dangerous. When we build tall structures, oil refineries, and nuclear power plants along them, it is foolish. Nature is powerful. Tectonic plates move. Period. Easy for me to say, here in the relative safety of the Bluegrass.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, here in the Bluegrass, we have our first daffodil bloom in the yard today. Lenten rose blooms just in time for Lent, and white crocuses.

3-10-11

 

The day started out dark and gloomy, but I got up and ran anyway. Drank my kombucha and ran. In the rain with my hoodie over my head.

 

Got to school by bus and thought I saw snow on the way. Had some meetings, did some stuff, not terribly productive but at least I wrote some and submitted an abstract for a conference. Touched base with some students. Advised a student.

 

Took the bus home and it was definitely snowing. Dan, bless him, baked a chicken for dinner so that was waiting at 5:30 for me with my mud-caked shoes, freezing because of all days to wear a skirt, I wore a skirt today. Guess I was under the impression it was spring already. Wrong.

Decided not to work after dinner. Read. Snuggled in bed all cozy-like. Drinking herbal tea. But I just had to blog about this crazy SNOW!

3-9-11

Today started out early with a meeting which required me to get up before the sun. I don't like that. At least there were two boxes of donut holes at this meeting thanks to Miss January and Mags. After this meeting I had a nice chat with Dr. Phred and then a visitor from Auburn came to talk with me about being on an advisory board for the College of Engineering there. Pretty sweet. Or, maybe she just wanted money... hmmmm...
After that, an IRB meeting, and then lunch with two colleagues (thanks guys!) Anyway, my day ended early due to an afternoon cancellation and I came home and was extremely unproductive the rest of the day. Aza came over and we had dinner with her and watched Survivor.

It is raining hard.

I think I should start running again. Like as in really. Really. No, let's re-phrase that. I want to start running again. I am going to start running again. Tomorrow I will run.

3-7-11

OK, here's the game. It's your turn to write an entry for my blog. Here is the photo I took today. What is the story? Prize for the most entertaining one.

3-6-11

Dan and I went for a long walk late this afternoon after a day of writing. Then, on the way to Whole Foods to grab some dinner and do some shopping my sister Sakura calls to tell me that this drink, kombucha, has really helped her migraines. We always do our medical research trials in tandem, so you know what I bought at the store. I will drink some in the morning.

3-5-11

I decided that I needed to spend the day working on my paper for NARST. I analyzed data and got into the writing. Really, I spent all day on this, from 9am to 8pm with a break for dinner. Finally, I feel like I'm into the work and have hope that I'll be able to finish it by the end of the month. This evening Dan and I watched a strange movie called The Ripley Game.

I want the new iPad. I don't need it. But I want it. So many of my colleagues have them, and I don't know how they use them for work except to take notes and have instant access to the Internet. I wish somebody would convince me that an iPad helps with productivity so I can justify purchasing one with some of my slush fund money.

3-3-11

The first crocus is a good sign of spring. We have bulb greens all over the yard and I can't wait to see what they will be.

Today I observed two of my students teaching and it was really fun to be in elementary classrooms. I feel more proficient at this each semester. This evening I interviewed candidates for our masters degree program, and feel like I have a good sense of that job too. I've learned so much in my almost two years here.

Tomorrow is a writing day. Tomorrow I'm going to stay home and work on my NARST paper. I'm going to be disciplined.

3-2-11

Aza and I spent the morning shopping for Jes to get her things on her wish list and cheer her up. We had fun doing it, and took the box to the Post Office. Hopefully she gets the care package by Friday. She's going to love some of the surprises we tucked in there!

This afternoon I had my annual review. It was awkward because my new department chair is my friend, but the review went well and I came away with some good suggestions and some good compliments too.

Dan bought a big shop vac for all the ginko seeds. We ended up with something like 8 lawn bags full of them. When I got home they were on the curb in front of our house waiting to be picked up. Oh well, no ginko farm for us this year.

3-1-11

March is finally here. Perhaps things will be turning a corner now that the long winter is almost gone. Today I had an appointment with my endocrinologist, used my new Livescribe pen at a meeting, had a nice long chat with my new mentor from another department (Let's call him Dr. Phred) and taught my evening class with a guest speaker from U of Wisconsin. It was a good day. I had a good day.

This picture is of some branches I cut off a tree that fell into our back yard from our neighbor's yard. We lost half the tree, but I got some nice willow branches off it.

2-28-11

There is a knock on my bedroom door. It is 5:30pm.
Me: yes? Come in..
Squirt: Mom, what are you doing?
Me: lying in bed
Squirt: I can see that. Are you going to cook dinner?
Me: no
Squirt: When are you going to run?
Me: run? Run? I can barely get up, how am I supposed to run?
Squirt: if you don't get up I'm going to have to drag you.
(He takes my iPhone off my lap and says...)
Squirt: you can't have this back until you run.
(He walks out of my room)
I get up, put on my sweats and walk downstairs. He is at the kitchen table putting on his running shoes.
Me: What are you doing?
Squirt: Taking you running.
We ran together around the block twice.

I love my son.

2-27-11

 

Dan hung some pictures today because we had to rearrange pictures in our house. Here are the two that are now in my office. It's nice to not stare at a blank wall. Nice view! I've had a really rough weekend and hope things get better soon.

2-24-11

Tonight I ran/organized a Family Science Night for over 100 kids and their families at a local elementary school. I had 15 student helpers and a couple graduate students and even my colleague Miss March helped out. It was a complete success. I wish I could post pictures of it here, but I really can't. But I did take this picture of a structural challenge kids had.

2-22-11

Today we officially became the new Dept. of STEM Education!

2-21-11

 

Met a former student at work today who is going to teach my curriculum to her elementary students. I lent her everything I had. It was good to be passing on this curriculum, and I plan to watch her teach it this week or next. Little kids saving penguins should be really fun to watch! Worked on the Science Family Night some more, chatted with colleagues, came home and found Dan in the back yard raking up THESE. Millions and billions of ginko seeds. I helped him for about an hour and then we went grocery shopping and out to eat. We filled three huge lawn/leaf bags with these seeds and have only harvested them from about 10th of the area where they are. Anybody want to grow some ginkos? We have seeds. You can start a forest with them. Seriously.

2-20-11

 

Transcribed more video, worked on masters redesign, worked on my syllabus, and got happy that Dan was coming home. He came home with a gift. Isn't it beautiful? Painted by a friend of ours in Charlottesville. It's called Mountain View Farm. It was very good to have him home. Oh, and he also brought Bodo's Bagels. Aza came by to enjoy one after work. Also a treat, as usual.

Called my mom this evening to wish her a happy birthday. She turned 77 today.

2-19-11

 

Got up, made brownies, tea, and lemonade, cleaned the house, and got ready for students to come over for a poster making event. We made about 12 posters and then I finished up the remaining 6 after they left. These are for an event we are doing at a local school on Thursday. Transcribed video, and then watched Waiting for Superman again. What a very compelling movie.

2-18-11

 

 

Where is home? From the comfort of my ergonomic desk chair I can watch a live webcam of my "hometown" Auburn, Alabama, a place to which I moved at age 13 and then proceeded to grow up, marry, graduate, and leave. I watch from afar and grieve for the trees, but also for my loss of place. I am not there. I have not lived there in 25 years. But I can close my eyes, and get in my old yellow '75 VW Rabbit and drive around town with the windows down and smell the warm red-clay-magnolia air, hear the shrill of the cicadas, and navigate as if there is a compass in my head. I can feel myself go up and over the railroad tracks on College Street. I can wind down Chewakla Drive. I can pass Glenn Dean and decide whether to take Dean over to the OA Highway, or shortcut across from Kroger. I can be there. I can be "home" in my head when I close my eyes.

Then, from the comfort of my ergonomic desk chair, I can get on Googlemaps and using street view, drive down my street where I live. I can see people, cars, trees that have been cut down, and the house where I live before I lived in it. I've lived here almost 2 years. The GoogleMap truck must have came before that, because the ginko tree out front was never that small when we moved in.

Which is home? What am I doing here? Why does my heart physically ache when I type those words? I am lost.

On an entirely different, but perhaps related thought, I watched Waiting for Superman tonight and afterwards I got to thinking about how I'm getting my students when they're seniors in college. They have not had the best educational backgrounds. They come to me with such deficiencies in math and science. I think, what can I do? These students are graduating. And then the small voice tells me, no. They are just beginning. I'm reaching down to the very very beginning to make a difference. I get to change the teachers, if they let me, before they even have the opportunity to teach the small children. I can catalizye. I have a lot to learn, and a big job to do, if I'm to do it well.

And then, we still have that problem of not feeling "home" and "grounded" and somehow that crazy poison man has poisoned me too.

Dan, I know you told me to go to bed, that I was too tired to be up any more, but I just had to get this in writing. I'm going to sleep now. Come home soon, I miss you. I am only home when you are with me. You are "home" to me.

2-17-11

 

My heart is breaking for the Toomer's Corner live oak trees. They were poisoned by a crazed criminal. I'm watching the university try to save them via live video feed.