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. :(
Jun 17, 2009
Jun 4, 2009
Best Week Ever!
This has been the best week EVER!!! Here's what went down:
- 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.
- 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.
- The weather has been beautiful and I've been out on my bike bunches.
- I get to go to DBQ this weekend and see all my friends and family.
May 30, 2009
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:
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? :)
- 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.
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? :)
Apr 12, 2009
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! :)
Oh...and Happy Easter! Time for me to go eat more candy! :)
Apr 3, 2009
Mar 30, 2009
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. :)
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. :)
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