I have decided that somewhere along the line I became one of those fucking people I hate.  I work a lot.  Yeah, my "on-campus" time is pretty low, and I admit, I was 100% scarce over the summer, but I do an awful lot of work at home.  Grading, answering emails, writing, etc.  I even agreed to give up half of my fucking weekend to attend a seminar Thursday thru Saturday.

It has got to stop.  It winds me up and I don't have any me time.  The TiVo is proof enough.  In the last 6 months it's just loaded up over and over again.  Hell, I never watched the last 8 episodes of House last season!  Yeah, you read that right.  House.  I want to catch up before we get going again.  And I have almost a whole season of Painkiller Jane and The Riches to finish.  I've seen maybe two episodes of each.

I haven't crocheted in months.  It took me weeks to get the camera sent off to Sony for the recall repair work.  I barely keep up with my calendar.  If I don't get something scheduled right away, I miss it.  My brain feels 10 steps behind.

I have a story I'd like to write, but I can't get up the motivation to put it down and it keeps rattling around, waiting for me to get to it.  I hope it doesn't get stale.

So I've decided that work is going to stop following me home.  Grading I'll do, but I am not going to check email or worry about assholes or agree to do anything outside of business hours anymore.  It fucks me up too much.

Maybe I'll even be able to blog again on a regular basis.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:32 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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It's awfully funny how our lives go through these cycles. When you're busy, it gets worse, when you're not busy nothing happens for weeks.

And by now, busy is an understatement. Both of us are teaching full time, GMT back at his High School, me with a 5 unit biology class (double lab periods!) which adds up to about 9 hours a week in class. I am also the chair of a couple of active committees, and I serve on several others. As it's the beginning of school, everyone is trying to get all their meeting ducks in a row and it's taking a lot of time.

I'm supposed to attend a seminar Thursday- Saturday, and all I want to do is go out with my friends on Friday night, as we're all supposed to have dinner at one of our friend's places.

Oh, and I got asked to work on a paper with one of my colleagues. It's actually very interesting, and as it's Public Health research, not too time consuming. Also a field I'm keen to get some insight into. So I'm working on research again, too.

And then there's homework to grade, papers to read, and my own field of research to deal with.

And I'm supposed to clean house, do laundry, be a pleasant hostess, and occasionally go out for a fun time???? Fuck that. Something has to go. Lately it's been the cleaning. Not that the house is a pigsty, mind you, just messy. And there are a million unfinished projects we need to work on.

I do love most of my job. I love my students, and I love working with them. I'm just maxxed out. The motivation is toast at the moment. I notice I haven't been doing a hell of a lot of blog reading, and those of you who see me in their email often probably have noticed a drop off in the volume.

No, I'm not going anywhere, just ratcheting back a bit for the forseeable future. Real Life Intervenes.

I didn't intend to write that last paragraph, it just kind of came out of my fingers Ouija-style, so I guess I'm going to go with it. New content probably every couple of days, some funnies, Mutterings, Fred, that kind of thing, but if you want the serious analytical stuff, then Sorry, but we're fresh out.

Until then, I'll be lurking in your comments.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:47 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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1 Sometimes there's just not enough time in the day -- or the week!

Posted by: Ith at September 25, 2007 05:48 PM (sPo8B)

2 Wow, that's one full plate my friend!

Posted by: Amanda at September 25, 2007 05:50 PM (n12Tn)

3 Totally understandable. Tie a knot and hang on! We'll be lurking in YOUR comments. Heh.

Posted by: Margi at September 26, 2007 12:31 AM (wpu3a)

4 I'm right there with you. This semester is killing me. And it's only the fifth week. Sheesh.

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at September 26, 2007 06:21 AM (+MvHD)

5 Do what you have to do; real life comes first! We'll still be here, stalking you through our readers.

Posted by: pam at September 26, 2007 06:52 AM (l6NIn)

6 Well, try and find the time to come and tell us what happened at that meeting.

Posted by: Stacy at September 26, 2007 09:44 AM (92p8H)

7 Full plates all around it seems!

Posted by: oddybobo at September 26, 2007 04:10 PM (mZfwW)

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We had decided a while back that what we wanted for our birthdays (5 days apart) was a Wii. But as most of you know, they are in scarce supply, and we had no idea when they would be shipping, or even if they would be in stock come November. To this end, we've been saving our pennies.

Well, Saturday afternoon, we made a quick trip to the local Tar-zhay, and on our way over to the Halloween section, we decided to duck into the Wii aisle on a whim. There were 7 white boxes on the bottom shelf of the case. Yep, they were in stock. Just in, too, according to the guy working there. Long story short, when we left the store, there were only 6 white boxes in the case. And the price was $50 less than what we were seeing them for previously. Woot!

So we spent basically the rest of the weekend proving that 30 year olds don't have teenage bodies anymore. Did I mention my right arm feels like I spent too much time on weights at the gym? But it was hella fun and I totally see how Wii could be a part of anyone's exercise regimen. Especially the boxing game in Wii Sports. That's quite a cardio workout, holding up your arms and punching...

Honestly, though, my favorite part is that I'm actually pretty good at some of this. Unlike games with the traditional controllers.

So I probably won't be around much this week....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:49 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 260 words, total size 1 kb.

So let's take a minute to mourn the passing of the greatest mime ever, Marcel Marceau.

Marcel Marceau, the world's best-known mime artist who for decades moved audiences across the globe without uttering a single word, has died aged 84.

The Frenchman's extensive tours and appearances on camera brought his silent art to people around the world. His comic and tragic sketches appealed on a universal level, with each audience interpreting his performance in its own way.

"Mime, like music, knows neither borders nor nationalities," he once said. "If laughter and tears are the characteristics of humanity, all cultures are steeped in our discipline."

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:38 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I did get SOME sleep.  Between about 3:30 and 6.  I got out the door about 10 minutes later than I wanted to, but other than that, so far so good.  My changes in the group project were well received and the meeting was ok.

But Good Lord I need to sleep. I'm not sleepy or anything, but I can feel a headache building and I don't have a hell of a lot of pep in my step.

BTW, the termite symbionts were a BIG hit in class, even if the lab did run over.  That's ok.  We'll finish up on Thursday.  Yay. Less stuff for me to plan/ set up/ worry about it working then.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 02:20 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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is it that on the nights I NEED to get some sleep (aka Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights) I just can't? And other nights I'm good?

Seriously. It's 2:30. I need to be out the door by 6:45 or I'll never get to class on time. Last night I was out at 12. Maybe because I slept in and then I napped during football. Which was not intentional. Although the sleeping in was planned.

So I'm doing exactly what they tell you NOT to do to sleep. Watching TV and using the computer. See, I need to distract myself. Otherwise I'll just toss and turn and listen to night noises and freak out.

I think I'm worried about work. I made a major change in a group project of my own volition and I suppose I'm apprehensive about the feedback..... Plus I have an important meeting after class for a symposium I got nominated to attend. And said group project, a grant, is due tomorrow. Not to mention I am teaching from 8 to 12 (lecture, then lab). Although the lab ought to be fun. It's the first time they get to play with microscopes and living organisms. Including spearing some termites to look at the symbionts living in their guts. Yummy.  And I signed up to run this show.

Oh, and if you have a minute, do pop over and give the lovely Helen some love. Poor girl is having pretty difficult false labor and feeling positively enormous (although she looks amazing!) and exhausted as she faces the end of her pregnancy and a possibly stressful week with family visiting.  She could use a good cheer-up.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 02:41 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Stolen from wRitErsbLock...

Tired of those same old 55 questions about me surveys? Well here are 55 I guarantee you've never answered.

1. Is your second toe longer than your first?
both of them

2. Do you have a favorite type of pen?
FREE!

3. Look at your planner for March 14, what are you doing?
eating Pi. DUUUUUH

4. What color are your toenails usually?
Red. Always red. For Rob.  He said I had nice feet.

5. What was the last thing you highlighted?
text.  Oh you mean with a pen?  Hmmm... probably transcripts during application season

6. What color are your bedroom curtains?
Actually, we don't have any right now.  We took down the crappy ones that were there when we moved in, but our room is in the back, so we don't need curtains and haven't replaced them

7. What color are the seats in your car?
Gray leather covered with brown fuzzy seatcovers with paw prints

8. Have you ever had a black and white cat?
Nope.  Can't live with a cat.  But I'm sure DH has.

9. What is the last thing you put a stamp on?
My mortgage payment.  Only thing I don't pay electronically, since those assholes at Wells Fargo would charge me FREAKING $10 for the convenience.  Kiss MY ass.

10. Do you know anyone who lives in Wyoming?
Yes

11. Why did you withdraw cash from the ATM the last time?
What is this ATM of which you speak?  I usually use Target or Trader Joes as an ATM.

12. Whose is the last baby that you held?
Hmmmm... Probably this guy that goes to my parents' church

13. Unlucky #?
not really.  I like 13.

14. Do you like Cinnamon toothpaste?
Blecccccch.  The Vanilla and Orange are rotten too.

15. What kind of car were you driving 2 years ago?
Ford Escape

16. Pick one: Miami Hurricanes or Florida Gators?
Florida teams are seriously overrated, USC TROJANS, bay-bee

17. Last time you went to Six Flags?
1997

18. Do you have any wallpaper in your house?
hell no

19. Closest thing to you that is yellow?
Winnie the Pooh on my mouse pad

20. Last person to give you a business card?
our business development guy

21. Who is the last person you wrote a check to?
the mortgage company.

22. Closest framed picture to you?
The Princess in the snow.

23. Last time you had someone cook for you?
two nights ago

24. Have you ever applied for welfare?
um, no

25. How many emails do you have?
more than a dozen

26. Last time you received flowers?
flowers?

27. Do you think the sanctity of marriage is meant for only a man & woman?
no

28. Do you play air guitar?
yes

29. Has anyone ever proposed to you?
yes. I suppose.  We did get married, after all.

30. Do you take anything in your coffee?
lots of cream, lots of Sweet and Low

31. Do you have any Willow Tree figurines?
Huh?

32. What is/was your high school's rival mascot?
Depends on which school you think of as a rival.... The Fresno High Warriors or the Roosevelt Roughriders or the Hoover Patriots or the Bullard Knights (Yankees)

33. Last person you spoke to from high school?
my husband

34. Last time you used hand sanitizer?
I don't use hand sanitizer.  It creates super bugs.

35. Would you like to learn to play the drums?
Hell Yeah

36. What color are the blinds in your living room?
no blinds.  The blinds in the kitchen are wood.

38. Last thing you read in the newspaper?
you mean the LA Dog Trainer?

39. What was the last pageant you attended?
you mean a beauty pageant or a school pageant?  I've been to school pageants.

40. What is the last place you bought pizza from?
Sadly enough, Pizza Hut.

41. Have you ever worn a crown?
Love my Tiara.

42. What is the last thing you stapled?
Packing slips and order confirmation

43. Did you ever drink clear Pepsi?
yeah,  it was ok.

44. Are you ticklish?
in the extreme

45. Last time you saw fireworks?
4th of July

46. Last time you had a Krispy Kreme doughnut?
When I was still living in NC

47. Who is the last person that left you a message & you actually returned it?
a student

48. Last time you parked under a carport?
our college apartment

49. Do you have a black dog?
Black and white, actually.

50 . Have you had your mid life crisis yet?
I hope not.

51. Are you an aunt or uncle?
yes.  To three

52. Who has the prettiest eyes that you know of?
my honey

53. What kind of soap or body wash do you use?
Aveeno sensitive skin with Oatmeal

54. Do you remember Ugly Kid Joe?
yes

55. Do you have a little black dress?
yes, but considering it little is a bit of a stretch.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 08:33 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 799 words, total size 5 kb.

I've started this post a thousand times in my head, each different, and yet what keeps coming back over and over is Tuesday.  It's Tuesday morning again.  September 11, Tuesday.  And I have go teach class.

September 11, 2001 was supposed to be the same way.  We were living in Chapel Hill, and a friend was visiting.  I had planned to take her to the airport in Raleigh before making my way to school to teach my lab section.  I didn't make that trip for almost three weeks.

I've told my story of that horrible day before.  That day that broke all of us inside.  That day that so many people are eager to forget, to push away the pain that makes it real, to scapegoat because that's easier than seeing the truth.

I think back a lot to how it used to be, how I used to be.  I was so different.  But something inside broke that day, sitting in my chair that I used to love, my big orange 1970's wing chair rocker, and watching people fall from the sky.

When I think back to 9/11/01, that's what I remember.  Not the buildings collapsing in a heap of ash, or the bright flash of a 747 hitting the side of the towers. Just  brave men and women choosing their own destiny, rather than waiting for the suffocating horror of flame and falling debris.  What a beautiful last gift to their loved ones: to know they didn't suffer, and that at the end, they were truly free.

Six years later, those images still haunt me.

But life goes on they say, and so must we. And here I am again.  Tuesday Morning.  September 11.  Only it's 2007 this time and I made it to school.  I taught my class and the lab that goes with it.  Had a meeting with my dean.  When I finish this, I'll make a cup of tea.

And yet, there's a part of me still sitting in that chair, unable to turn away from the news for weeks.  I left parts of me behind that day, and came away with something new.  Tougher maybe, sadder, more vigilant, and definitely PISSED OFF.  So pissed off I'm still mad today.

What makes me more angry though, are the ones who don't know, those who forgot, and the ones who seek to tarnish the truth through conspiracy theory and supposition.

The truth, my friends is this:  Evil exists.  We saw its hand on September 11, 2001, and still we feel its icy grip.

Forgetting this cheapens the memory of the ones we lost, the innocent, the heroes, and those left behind.

Yes, it's hard.  Staring evil in the face is the most difficult thing we can do in life.  Remembering who we've lost and what we've lost is just as hard.  But that doesn't excuse us from remembering, from hurting, from pausing every once in a while to think about what happened that day and vowing to never let it happen again.

There have been thousands of tributes, but I'll share with you MY favorite because it's message, in the end, is hope.

If the video won't work, click here.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:57 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I think a person's politics are defined mainly by which nutjobs piss them off the most.

   - Exgaucho Ben

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:04 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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For days like today.

No, really.  7am-7pm.  I'm going to have to move my office and share with someone else, and some dickhole in another program is using his status as faculty to piss on his students and make their lives miserable and it's my job to defend them.

It's a good damn thing my bartender doesn't drink.  They're stronger that way.

*Swear To Allah

UPDATE: Actually I left AFTER 7:30pm..... I ended up going home, eating, and crashing. Alky tonight :-)

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:43 PM | Comments (7) | Add Comment
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College Football's first Saturday of the year and I've got one of these babies blowing on me.  Yaaaaaah. I can dig it.

USC starts in 15 minutes.

FIGHT ON TROJANS!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 07:05 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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