Busy busy busy...

Just an update: I'm busy!

Teaching 15 face-to-face credits on top of TAKING 10 doctoral credits 1.5 hours away was a bad call. Not that I'm freaking out or anything because I'm totally not, but I need to make a mental note that I should be teaching as many credits as possible ONLINE! Although online teaching requires more "busy" work, I'm not required to hole-up on campus (aside from office hours of course...) for significant chunks of my day.

I'm hoping for some schedule changes for Spring 2010 - more online teaching. We'll see what my lowly standing in my department will yield me in terms of that. :)

New Toys, New Schedule, New Perspective

New Perspective Bit

I'll admit that I'm a spaz. I'm a stereotypical first-born child with Type-A Personality. I want what I want WHEN I want. Patience is not a virtue I endorse nor do I believe that delaying gratification makes you a "better" person. Delay until I'm dead? No thanks. That being said, I'm going to TRY (I might and likely will fail miserably...) to function better when things don't go my way. Not only do I have double-whammy threats to my future cardiovascular health (bad genes and the worst of all personality types), but I also really want to make sure that I don't make the upcoming school year worse on our long-distance relationship situation. He's got another year there and I'm here. That's the way it is. I won't get to see him when I want to. We're both super busy. That's it. That's the way it is. Summer was awesome and now it's not summer anymore. That's the way it is. Whining and worrying and catastrophizing and over-thinking isn't going to expedite the ideal situation. So...wish me luck on this new endeavor. I'm going to need it.

New Toys Bit

I got a new TV, new laptop, and a new phone!!!! The TV (32" LG) has been on my list for a long time and I am very happy to finally be a member of the 21st century. The iPhone was kind of on the list for a while. It has, thus far, been pretty nice having my work email and calendar updated in a portable fashion. Now (and maybe this isn't the best thing) I'll always know where I need to be and when I need to be there which will probably be a life-saver this fall... Also, my new laptop (a Sony Vaio...it's red) is pretty effing sweet. My old one was the victim of an unfortunate accident (the perpetrator will remain unnamed) and the power cable got ripped out of the motherboard. I called a few places for repair estimates and got laughed at a few times...so I took the money I would have spent to repair a two-year old laptop and put it toward the new one. Needless to say, but I really enjoyed spending my first "summer-class" paycheck. Now I return to reality and spend the other two paying off my credit cards! It will be an amazing feeling to have $0 in credit card debt.

New Schedule Bit

The new perspective I need to take will likely make my first semester/year as a full time instructor AND a full time doctoral student bearable. I simply can't let myself get stressed out over things that I have no control over...I'll have PLENTY of things I do have control over to stress out about. Here's my schedule this year: Monday I have class in Mankato. Tuesday I teach all day at RCTC. Wednesday I have class in Mankato. Thursday I teach all day AND have class in Mankato. Fridays I have "off", but I use that term loosely. I don't think I'll have much time to greet myself coming and going. I'll have all the usual work I have during the school year PLUS three classes worth of doctoral level work! Some would call me crazy and I'm starting to think they're right. However, I can't really say "no thanks" to a free doctorate degree. I love my job.

One year...

Ryan and I celebrated one year "officially" together this past weekend! I was surprised with beautiful flowers at work and when he came to visit, he surprised me again with tickets to a musical! We saw A Musical of Musicals: The Musical at the Rochester Civic Theater and I was 100% impressed by the local talent. We had such a nice night, sitting front row, just laughing at the ridiculous spoof of musicals. After the play we headed to Newt's and split a yummy burger. Friday and Saturday we pretty much just chilled around my place...although we DID spend a bit of time shopping for a new TV! I can not wait until I'm back from Michigan so I can actually go buy it! One of my favorite parts of the weekend was the few hours we spent outside on a blanket both working on our respective projects. I need to finish my second grad class from the summer and he needs to work on his thesis. He had to leave this morning and I am a little bummed about it. I won't get to see him this weekend (stupid MI) and he has two friends' bachelor parties the next two weekends. I'm sure we'll budget the time, but it's quickly becoming the "work" year and I know that means our time together will be limited to weekends. On top of that, we're both going to be crazy busy this year: He's finishing his master's thesis and I'm starting a graduate program in Mankato.

Anyway...this has been the best year of my life and I'm looking forward to many more! I can't even describe how nice it is to finally have Ryan in my life. I've been waiting for him for a long time.

Back at it...

For those of you keeping track, my summer officially ended on Monday. I am NOT complaining...that would be asinine. I had just shy of 2 months off. I'm actually feeling pretty good about being back in work mode. I'm finishing up some work for the two random graduate classes I'm taking through MSU-Mankato (Civil Liberties and Social Problems) and feel very productive in my office at work. Once I'm done with most of that, I can get to work revising my lectures for my fall classes at RCTC. In the meantime, I'm teaching two sections of General Psychology.

My plan with the money I'm making from these extra credits: Pay off debt! The advice I'm getting from my home-owner friends is going to help, as is (I hope) the advice from the Financial Planner I'm meeting with on Tuesday.

All this is in preparation for the upcoming fall semester (and subsequent 5 semesters!) when I'll be both teaching AND earning an Ed.D full time. I'm pretty excited, but am pretty confident that I'm going to lose my mind - although some would argue that I already have! :)

Well...back to work!

A few days of bliss...

Ryan and I just returned from a few glorious days at his family's cabin up north. Let me tell you that starting your day looking out over the lake with coffee and a good read (for me...Harry Potter) doesn't lose out to anything. Anything. I was telling Ryan that I could live in that area with zero question. Maybe in a few years...there IS a MNSCU school up there... Hrm...???

Anyway...we went on a couple canoe excursions and got attacked by dragonflies when we attempted a "shortcut" through the lily pads (Tsetse Flies!?). Bad call. Other than that, we caught some fish (and released some fish...so don't worry!), had a fire, made S'mores, watched movies, went in to town for some shopping and Rafferty's, and just generally enjoyed each other's company. For me, that was the best part. :)

Pictures up soon...I need to get my laptop fixed. :(

Best Week Ever!

This has been the best week EVER!!! Here's what went down:

1. I got offered a second summer class to teach at RCTC! Barring any further class cancellations, I will be teaching 8 credits this summer netting me close to $10 grand in additional income. Whether I teach one or (hopefully!) two, I'm buying myself a new TV and a Wii.
   
2. I got accepted into Minnesota State University Mankato's doctoral program in Educational Leadership! I will start my doctorate (it's an Ed.D, not a Ph.D program...) this fall!! Although my career in academia is still very much in its infancy, I am discovering that I love pretty much everything about education BUT the discipline I teach. Don't get me wrong...I adore psychology and love it when I can really get a student thinking differently about something, but the responsibilities I get most excited about at work are those OUTSIDE the classroom. I love working on program/curriculum development and assessement stuff. I really see myself moving in to administration at some level and/or consulting with colleges on their assessment programs. Also, the Ed.D will allow me to teach in an education department at a 4-year school. Lastly, there's nothing saying that I need to change careers at all. I can continue teaching psychology as long as I want (please give me tenure!!)...which is something I do want to continue. Long story short, this degree will open up some additional opportunities that I am very much interested in for the future. I may or may not take advantage of those opportunities, but they're there.
3. The weather has been beautiful and I've been out on my bike bunches.
4. I get to go to DBQ this weekend and see all my friends and family.

Peace out!

Summer!

Teaching has got to be the greatest gig in the world. I finished up my semester a couple weeks ago (even though I STILL have a student trying to NOT fail...too bad so sad. Do the work DURING the semester! Pulling the "I paid for this class..." card is NOT going to work with me. *sigh*) and have comfortably slid into summer break. This year is a little different than last though...instead of the WHOLE summer off, I technically really only have about a month and a half. I know, I'm sure you're weeping for me. :) I actually have a pretty full summer. Here's what's on my plate:

• I'm finishing up my duties (hah! "duty") with a hiring committee.
• I will be traveling to Dearborn, MI at the end of July for a major conference and have several meetings between now and then.
• We have at least 3 weddings to attend before the fall. I think this will pretty much mean that ALL our friends are married so we should be of the hook with weddings for QUITE a while.
  
• I will start taking two additional and random graduate classes at Mankato starting the end of June.
• I will be teaching a summer class starting in July.
• I will know next week whether or not I got in to an EdD program at Mankato starting in the fall.

Needless to say, I like to keep busy. Somewhere in the midst of all this nonsense I need to find time to spend with my honey. The summer is really the only time during the year that we get to spend any "real" time with each other and that's even looking less promising now.

Also...Ava and I moved into a super cute little apartment much closer to downtown Rochester last week. As far as I see it, Summer 2009 is off to a thrilling start and is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. Is it fall yet? :)

So Lucky...

About 5 more full weeks until summer break and it can't come soon enough. Waiting all week to spend my weekends with Ryan is just getting more and more painful. It's such a let-down when we have to part on Sundays. That being said, I need to express how lucky I am. I got a call on Thursday from my doctor saying I had to go in for an additional procedure and some additional tests (this being my first health "issue" kind of freaked me out...) and I called Ryan as soon as I hung up with the doctor. I was pretty much in tears and, as he was already on his way to Mankato for class, Ryan let me know that he would be here that evening. He had to rearrange some meetings and would show up with nothing for the weekend, but he would be here with me and for me. I can't even express how nice it was to have him here. He came with me to my appointment and just made the rest of the day special. He means the world to me and I honestly don't know what I'd do without him.

Oh...and Happy Easter! Time for me to go eat more candy! :)

Iowa!!!!

I am so proud to be an Iowan today:

Marriage Equality!!!

ONE WEEK!!!!

ZOMG!!! ONE WEEK!!!! OPENING DAY!!!! CAN. NOT. WAIT!!!!!

A Public Service Announcement...

There are some terms in this world that, because they are not fully understood, are frightening. One of these terms directly affects me and my ability to build relationships with people. The term? Atheist.

Now. When people get to know me as an individual, this term is rarely an issue. This post is NOT for those of you who haven't bothered to get to know me as an individual. This post is for those of you who already know me and might not fully understand what I believe and how this affects the kind of person I am. This post is also for others who might be struggling with their own faith or lack thereof.

I was raised in a Catholic home and was a practicing Catholic through college. I taught Religious Education during college to 1st graders and then to the 10th grade Confirmation class that led me to become the Confirmation Leader at the Church of the Nativity for two years. I will never claim to have been the most devout Catholic, but I tried for a very long time to believe what the Church taught me. Despite all this religious education, I still had questions. Even as a child. I would ask why all the other religions were "wrong" and the answer, "Because they are..." never quite satisfied me. I also struggled with certain absolutes of the religion of my upbringing and wondered why most of the Catholics I knew only followed some of the rules some of the time. It wasn't until I left for graduate school that I really started to re-evaluate my thoughts on my faith.

I tried desperately for a very long time to believe in something and didn't decide on my current worldview without a great deal of reflection, discussion, and learning. I started attending the Unitarian Universalist church and the question of "Why" persisted. I dabbled in other religious expressions and the question of "Why" still remained. I thought that to NOT believe in something was to make life meaningless. It wasn't until I REALLY started to rationalize my own personal philosophy (after much reading and discussing and thinking) that I realized that I DID believe in lots of things...even if a "god" wasn't among those things anymore. I also realized that a lack of faith can inject a great deal of meaning into my life and it filled a void I feared I was going to lose when I lost religion.

Today I am MUCH more agnostic than militant atheist (even though those jerks get ALL the press!). Do I believe in God? Not really. Do I know with any certainty that there is/isn't a God? Nope. Do I "believe" in being a good person? Absolutely! There are certain guidelines that any decent person must adhere to. Honesty, Kindness, Empathy, Trust, Acceptance, Love, etc... Some would call these Christian values which is fine. If I am the first agnostic person to proclaim that I have Christian values I'm totally fine with that.

What meaning is there to life from an agnostic worldview? LOTS! For me, this life is the only one I'm sure of, so I need to make it the best it can be. I need to make my mark through kindness and generosity now... I need to experience as much as possible now... I need to be a good person...now. I still want to do all these things even without the promise of eternal reward. My most frustrating moments are those when I am judged to be a horrible person just because I believe in one fewer God than most. Most days, I believe I behave in what most would consider very "Christian" ways. I no longer take my morals and ethics from religion, but my morals and ethics are still there and are still very strong and include compassion, love, trust, honesty, kindness, sacrifice, and acceptance.

What if I'm wrong? Well...I was baptised Catholic so I'll just hang out in Purgatory for all eternity so I've got that going for me. :)

Getting ready...

Pitchers and Catchers (this means Yadi!!) report to FL on Saturday to start Spring Training! Baseball season is right around the corner...YES!!! I downloaded my Cardinals app. to my Blackberry and have my #4 jersey dusted off and ready to go...I'll probably wear it Tuesday to class. I 100% wish I had the funds to take a quick Spring Break trip to Jupiter, FL and watch my Cards in the sun! Anyway...the countdown to Opening Day is on!

Stella is so grounded...

I'm starting to think that the drive from Worthington might be out to get me. Last time I made the trek, a giant ice missile almost killed me. THIS time I decided to leave during the day, while it was warm, and drive much closer to the speed limit than I am accustomed to (recent news has informed me that tC drivers are the 2nd biggest assholes on the road behind H2 drivers evidenced by the tC being the 2nd most pulled over vehicle on the road...). ANYWAY...all my precautions got thrown right out the window when I got a flat tire somewhere about 30 miles outside of Worthington! GAH! I immediately call my roadside assistance, who sends a nice man from Worthington to come put on my spare (I was NOT crawling around in the wet...no way no how). As he is doing this, a nice young man from the gas station I was stranded at (apparently Lakefield, MN is a real place...) comes out and accosts the old man about "stealing their work". Shit. All was well however because the old man was the young man's grandpa! WTF rural Minnesota!? Really? After all was said and done I was on the road about 90 minutes after calling my roadside people. On top of that delay, I had to drive 55 the entire rest of the way back to Rochester. Overall time for a one-way trip from Worthington to Rochester? 5 hours! Double what it normally takes me cruising nicely at 80. *sigh* Sorry Ryan, but I will NOT be making that trip again for a few weeks. :P

Ava wears clothes like a champ!

So last weekend I bought Ava an awesome new pirate shirt for her visit to her new friends Sadie and Sam...the shirt got wrecked during playtime (I think dogs might be more destructive toward clothes than infants...) so I'm glad I got a picture!

Missile Strike!

There I was, being extra careful given the cruddy roads, driving down I90 when a giant ball of ice/snow/and lord knows what else comes flying off a semi and rocks the front end of my car! Anyway...after a loud scream and an "Oh Shit!" I continued on my way back to Rochester. I call my insurance immediately and spoke with a sweet claims adjuster named Gabby who kept calling the ball of yuk a "missile"! Long story short, I take Stella in tomorrow to get fixed. Hooray for insurance and for my mommy who is going to spot me the deductible. Why does this crap ALWAYS happen to me!?!? Anyone?

Routine...

My Christmas break was awesome due mostly to the fact that I could finally spend my holidays with someone who has never once caused me to question whether or not I want to be with him. I honestly have not enjoyed my holidays this much since I was a kid...I'm so glad to have that joy back. We went caroling with his family, spent some time with my family/friends in Iowa, and partied it up with friends in Chicago over New Years. It's going to be a crazy busy semester with lots of things up in the air, so the time with friends was perfect.

Also...I got A's in both my graduate classes! I will officially be making the big bucks at school once transcripts get sent and HR does their job...which could take forever considering my previous experiences with HR. My confidence in their ability to do their jobs is low.

Anyway...now that the delight of the holidays is over it's time to get back to some semblance of a routine which for me this semester means working Tuesday-Thursday. :) I'm really going to need to find something to do with myself with my free time.