Blog Archive

General Life Update

I survived the first week of the new semester teaching... I am teaching 3 nights a week and one morning and have an online class to teach plus one directed study. What makes this semester challenging is the differing number of hours... some classes are 4 hour sessions, others 2. There are 3 different named courses, so I must, at all times, be on top of my game with compelling lesson plans and lectures. Fortunately, I've taught Intro to Psych, Intro to Soc, and Work & Family Balance enough times that if I get busy in my other job -- Marketing Director -- that I have a bag of tricks from previous semesters. I do, however, like to change my course and tests each semester to keep it fresh.

I also am a week into my semester of dissertation research. I just submitted revisions to my proposal, which, hopefully, will pass through my mentor on its way to committee (of 3 scholars). I need this approval so the real work can be done. My literature review is nicely organized, and I've ascertained the tools for a national survey I will be conducting. I have a marketing plan in place, finances established for advertising the survey, plus a statistician I trust on a consulting basis to review my data structure and analysis. I made grand progress this weekend on writing and because of my enthusiasm for my topic (intimacy, passion and commitment in romantic relationships), it hardly seems like work.

I was in a funk part of Easter. For some reason this holiday struck me as difficult... broken family, no bigass dinner, my kids so not into the religious meaning of it all that it made me weepy. Strange... I rarely feel lonely, but I did yesterday. I miss my father, who, had he lived, would be celebrating his 67th birthday this coming Friday. And how he always looked forward to retirement to really pursue some of his creative talents. He's been gone 8 years this year and I still think of him daily... perhaps the greatest man who ever lived.

I have been looking at houses to purchase and find the whole landscape of financing, insurance and negotiating one giant pain in the ass. I'm close to scrapping the whole idea and going for one more lease year as a dreaded "renter," realizing that it just might not be my time yet. I have been living on a cash-only basis since last summer--the first time ever in my life--and it has been a fascinating journey. On the way home from the college late one night, I stopped by the cuban restaurant to pick up a late dinner for the kids and upon getting into my car, the battery was dead... it was 9 PM and I wasn't exactly in the safest part of downtown. AAA got me going and I had that whole bullshit of getting a new battery (very expensive!) and yet another unplanned expense. Oh, I know... shuh uh, right? This happens to everybody. Just more reason to make sure there is money aside for little emergencies.

Kelly spent her spring break with friends in Alabama (supervised) last week. She is going to Daytona Beach in a week for a cheerleading competition.

One of Kevin's female friends came over last night... she recommended him for a job at Game Stop, where she works and where most of Kev's money goes.... She brought hair cutting shears to cut his hair for his interview today. I so appreciated that! Leave it to a woman... even a very young one... to get a guy straight. I swear, if it weren't for women, men would wither away as slobs.

What's new with you?

2 comments:

Brenda said...

supervised? what fun is that?

doreenmary said...

Spidey! Kelly is SIXTEEN years old. I made sure a parent was there. You big spoofer.

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