Where to begin…

August 31, 2008 By

Well, we’ve survived the first week of school. After three days of suspense, the schedule is sorted out, the financial aid credited, the residency waivers done in both states. I’m really happy New Mexico grants the waiver for Fort Happy here. It dropped 2/3 off my bill and that’s awesome.

Things that are not awesome? The puddles. Apparently the weather missed the memo. It’s been raining quite a bit. Today I have standing water in my backyard. This is not good.

Forgetting my camera yesterday. We drove up to Las Cruces and the vistas of the mountains and clouds were really amazing. I cannot say often enough that New Mexico is breathtaking. The further north you go, the better it gets.

All in all, yesterday was a lovely day. I didn’t crack a book once. We drove up to the Farmers and Crafts market and easily spent the entire morning there. After breakfast at my health club (“My health club is the International House of Pancakes because, no matter how big you are, there will always be someone there who weighs at least a hundred pounds more than you will ever weigh.” – Lewis Black) which was just meh, the drive up to LC was uneventful. This in itself is a huge accomplishment.  I got a ten minute massage, some photographs,  a handmade knife for Sarge and we just had a very lovely day.  I am also back on yarn probation but it’s not my fault.  It’s the 60% off sale’s fault.  I’d post pictures but I don’t think you care.  But it’s beautiful.  Some Egyptian Cotton, some Merino and some amazing colors.  Now I need to find time to knit something with them!

Today I am commencing on a quest to find this mythical place.    I have heard of such things but never seen one.  I hope it doesn’t disappoint.

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First Impressions…

August 28, 2008 By

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q3TZRZ5Oso&hl=en&fs=1]

You are all dying – all five of you – to know what this PhD program is like.  Based on my first week, this song pretty much sums it up.

There appears to be two sets of people.  The cool kids and the douchebags.  There’s also the haves (funding) and the have nots (me.  Not Funded.  Only me).  And since I’m not funded, the douchebags have decided that I’m somehow inferior.  There’s this tier system too.  It’s like Hogwarts if Hogwarts totally sucked.  There are three of us first-year students.  One’s not a bad guy but he’s really closely aligned with a douchebag (a.k.a. the other first year student – he’s the “you buy the book and I’ll borrow it” type).  They’ve ostracized me because either A:  I’m the only woman or B:  I’m not funded so I don’t spend my days fawning over some PhD and their research.  Whichever reason fits, I think they’re both going to be in for a surprise when the rubber meets the road and the actual performance starts to matter.  When that day comes and I AM funded, I’m going to have a tremendous problem.  It will take all my willpower not to tell the esteemed professor to make his own fucking copies.   “Trust me.  It’s not hard.  You just punch in the number here and push the big green button. “  Or:  “Dude, there’s this thing.  It’s called the internet.  I think it’s going to be big.  You could try just posting the electronic versions and letting the students print them.”

Guess what haters!  I applied only to this program.  I applied WELL after the deadline.  I got in anyway.  The only reason I’m not funded is because I didn’t want to wait for it.  I don’t intend to spend the full four years in the program either.  It’ll be three max.  Take it to the bank.  If I can multi-task well enough to get it done in two, that’s an ideal state.  I’m not in the PhD program for the opportunity to kiss ass or politic.  I am going to fight hard to maintain my no-pretenses demeanor.  No bullshit, no way.  I will build a workable network and move on to a lovely faculty position at a teaching-focused university.  Oh, and I’m not in the wrong field because I strongly prefer teaching to research.  That, good sir, you can go fuck yourself for.  Research makes me a better teacher rather than an obsolete relic of a human being with dated hypotheses and inaccurate knowledge sending unqualified students to the world because you don’t give a shit.  Go write your damn book.  I need the kindling.

Otherwise, school’s great!  How are things with you?

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Good Morning!

August 26, 2008 By
Sunrise

Sunrise

I’ve been meaning to snap a picture for awhile now and just haven’t done it.  This is our view of the sunrise here in El Paso.  The colors are always so beautiful.  I needed the sense of calm this morning so I’m happy the camera was close by.  We face west so our back door gives me the morning sun which I love.  One of these days I will have worked up to taking my coffee and my laptop out on the patio and really enjoying the day.

The first day of school was pretty uneventful from the children’s perspective.  The Khan was very excited and extremely exhausted when he got home.  His adjustment phase is going to be rough.    For the older two, it’s just back to business as usual except for a scheduling mishap that I won’t mention here beyond one quick HOW THE FUCK DO YOU CONFUSE CHOIR WITH ART?  I asked for ART not Choir.  And now I fear it will be a pain in the ass to un-do.  Also, the senator is taking up the violin.  My ears hurt already.

But they clean up good!

First Day of School

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So Much To Write About…

August 24, 2008 By

So little time.  I’ve honestly resisted the urge to post for the past week or so because it wouldn’t have been pretty.  My frustration with academia on every level knows no bounds.  From the elementary school with the ridiculous supply lists (96 pencils, four boxes of crayons…you get the idea) to Her Majesty’s travails with her University.  Yes, I wrote to the Chancellor.  Yes, I bitched.  No it didn’t do any good.  It didn’t even make me feel better.  But we’re getting a handle on it and that’s something.  Factor in my own impending academic adventures – familiar with “Publish or Perish”? – and I’ve been a real bitch.  No, that’s not new, but thanks for being quiet about it.

So my classes started last week and I couldn’t get registered until the day before because I needed instructor signatures – which is bullshit.  Set up a control in your registration system that says “this student is in this program and can register for this course”.  Make that money you spent on SAP or Oracle or whatever pay off.  Don’t stick to the old ways and make it complicated.  Registering the boys for school was also, pardon my english, a cluster fuck.  Long lines, long waits and ludicrous policies.  “Honey, when I’ve had three MD’s look at that record and say their shots are current, I’m not listening to an RN say they’re not.  Especially when the last MD to review the record did so  two days ago.”  And don’t make me wait an hour for your ass while you enjoy using your positional authority to irritate the hell out of me.  Why can’t you register your kids online?  Develop a portal straight into the computer system.  Wouldn’t it be easier than having me fill out forms and you read my handwriting to hand-key information in the computer system?  You’re welcome.  That will be a $500K consulting fee.  It’s still a bargain.

Bullets:

  • If your computer system can’t keep up with the demand for basic functions like generating schedules, you need to update either the systems or the operators.  Getting schedules done six days later than promised is exceptionally poor service.  You look incompetent and probably are.
  • When I ask for a school psychologist, don’t send me to special education.  I know the difference.  If you don’t, you’re in the wrong profession.
  • If you don’t answer e-mails sent to a general address, get rid of it.  ALL e-mails should be responded to in 24 hours or less regardless of the address they’re sent to.  Many of the Queens and mine have been eaten in cyberspace this week.  This is not acceptable.
  • In a nutshell, PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE YOU EXPECT TO RECEIVE.  And in education, your customers are students, parents, staff and the community.  Yes, you have to make everyone happy.

With school cranking up and the pressure to start research already, I’m going to try to blog three days a week:  Tuesday, Thursday and probably Sunday.  Wish me luck.

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My New Favorite Song…

August 14, 2008 By

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAwhzoKiuYc&hl=en&fs=1]

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Ten Things…

August 12, 2008 By

Okay, sometimes I get writing ideas from here.  Other times I just don’t blog.  What can I say?  With six readers, most of them lurkers and me being a total comment whore, it’s hard to stay focused.  Today’s prompt is 10 Things I love about my spouse, dog, kids – whatever.  So I am going to modify that and talk about my most favorite thing about this time of year.  Back. To. School.

10 Things I love about Back to School:

1.  The children are out of the house.  All day.

2.  I don’t have to entertain them.  And keeping them off the crack video games is so much easier when they aren’t around them all day.

3.  I have a kindergartener this year!   They get so excited about everything and that is a blast!

4.  All new school supplies.  I even buy each of them a new backpack every year.  It’s like a fresh start!

5.  The excitement the kids have for about the first week.  The subsequent grumbling makes me laugh.

6.  Specifically new crayons.  I love them.  Crayons are a big old box of therapy and buying them for the kids means I get some too!

7.  New books.  I hate paying for them but I love the smell, the feel… and with me going back to school, I will get at least one!

8.  Anticipation.  New semester, new year, new teachers.  I’m mostly an optimist so I always hope for the best.

9.  New sports.  The guys are playing soccer this fall.  It should be fun.  And I will keep telling myself that until it proves otherwise.

10.  Fall is one of my favorite times of year.  I’d say it’s my very favorite but spring flowers and how much I hate winter give spring the edge by just a bit.  But I love fall and the beginning of the school year means fall is coming!  I hope that fall in Tejas and New Mexico doesn’t disappoint.

Now things I HATE about back to school:

1.  Back to School Shopping.  I love new supplies but I hate shopping for them.  What can I say?  The stress of it makes people rude and rude people piss me off.  As my fellow blogger Ian says, “the Universe hates bitches” and so do I.

2.  A feeling of impending doom.   I’m not a snob but after last year I don’t have a good feeling about the teachers.  Last year, the Senator’s teacher didn’t give homework because parents didn’t make sure it got done.  That’s not a reason to not give homework.  That’s a reason to retain kids in the fourth grade.  And, up in the north, we hear lots of bad things about school and standards in the south.   After middle school orientation, I’m feeling optimistic about standards but the Czar’s school is fifty years old and looks it.

3.  The wonder about whether the kids would be better off if I homeschooled them.  If I hate public schools so much, why bother?  Well, I haven’t found a non-religion infused curriculum for one.  For two, I have to work so how does that go with homeschooling?    I always hate myself for not doing anything more to keep them focused in the summer.  Maybe next summer will be the one I homeschool them for summer school to keep their brains free from summer vacation rot.

4.  Standardized tests and the fact that teachers teach to them.  The Middle School principal denies it but we will see.  I know both the Michigan district and the Wisconsin one definitely do.  It’s ridiculous.  Let’s all teach rote memorization rather than critical thinking, shall we?  Then we can wonder where our competitive advantage went.

5.  Parents.  Specifically PTA parents.  They drive me nuts.

6.  Fundraisers.  I’d rather just write a check than sell wrapping paper, people.  Let me do that.

7.  A special nod to helicopter parents.  Particularly those who have children on the same sports team as my son.  I want my kid to play too but you don’t see me being a bitch about it.

8.  Homework.  Specifically my own.  I have a statistics class this semester.  I haven’t had stats since 1999.  I hope they start slow.

9.  Morning battles.  Every year I try to get the kids adjusted to getting up and getting moving in the morning.  Every year I fail.

10.  What?  You really want 10?  Isn’t this nine enough? Okay, I hate that my classes start 8/21 and I haven’t been cleared to register yet.  It’s just paperwork, but I need my stupid student ID number to access the registration system.  AH!  The bureaucrazy of higher ed!

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Happy Meme-day! 10 Things…

August 11, 2008 By

I’ve been tagged by the lovely and talented Becca for this meme:

Think back on the last 15 years of your life. What would you tell someone that you haven’t seen or talked to for 15 years? How would you sum up your life? You get 10 bullet points. A list of 10 things to summarize about you. At the end of your list, tag 5 more people and send on the love.

Well, by my math 15 years puts me at August 1993.  I had been divorced about a year, just transitioned from working as a CNA (and several other jobs to pay my bills and keep my promise to myself to never take public assistance) to a job selling hardware at Sears because I was headed back to school and, as a marketing major (or so I thought) I wanted experience in my field.  I lived in the city I went to school in in a tiny apartment on the northside – just me, two kids and a few lonely roaches.  Here we go:

Little did I know I was a month away from starting this adventure.

  1. I learned a little education is a good thing.  A lot of education is (hopefully) a better thing.
  2. Over New Year’s 2004 – 2005 My mother in law taught me to knit.  I’ll never forget it.  it is one thing I can usually count on to help me CTFD.
  3. Sarge and I have seven amazing children even if not all of them believe they’re amazing.
  4. Three of those children are adopted.  Two directly from Russia and one from Russia via the foster care system.  His story’s in the blog somewhere.  Or check ASFK.  I haven’t updated lately but that’s because I’m a slug.
  5. We’ve lived mostly in Sparta and Tomah, Wisconsin but briefly in Grand Rapids Michigan.  Now we’re in El Paso, Tejas.
  6. Michigan was good at the beginning but the last two years really sucked.Especially when it came time to leave.
  7. I have become sort of a huge sports fan mostly because Ogre is.  I love my NHRA, Redskins and Packers football and, well, I’m just awesome at Fantasy Football.  But I will watch nearly any sport depending on my mood.
  8. I have a brown belt in Taekwondo.  I’d like a black eventually but it’s a question of time and prioritization.  Maybe when I’m fifty!
  9. Teaching at UW-L last year is the best job I’ve ever had with the greatest boss – hands down.
  10. The work associated with my PhD program is scaring the shit out of me.  But, I’m not a quitter so it will be done.  Not sure I’ll let it take four years, but it will be done!

So there you have it.  It’s probably lame, but no one tags me and leaves disappointed.  I will tag you just for reading my blog!  I can’t exactly identify that I have five readers but JP, Tal, Sarah, Barb and Illiane can have at it!  I’d tag Ogre and Ian but they’re too young.  Ogre’s would start when he was 5 and Ian at 4 and I don’t want all the Ninja Turtle stories.

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So How’s El Paso?

August 2, 2008 By

I get asked that question a lot lately and the answer is…

Nicer than I thought in some ways and a total pain in the ass in others. Despite claims by some that the housing here is “adequate”, it’s nice. We’ve got 4 bedrooms, fenced in yard, bigger kitchen than we had before and pretty nice next door neighbors. I’m not complaining about the weather. Sure, it’s hot, but it isn’t humid and the pools are free so there’s really nothing to complain about! Unless you want to hear about my sunburn. Even that’s not all that bad and it’s mostly my fault. We do need to get out and explore more but money’s been a little tight so we haven’t been able too. University teaching gigs are great but gigs like mine don’t pay in the summer and, well, I moved right? So I don’t have a gig anymore and that’s most definitely unpaid. It just kind of sucks a little toward the end of every month is all. It’ll get better. If I have to deliver pizza, it will get better. I also need to compel myself to get out of the house even when I don’t really feel like it. I don’t like to shop so I put that off until it’s a horrifyingly expensive trip and I just don’t get the idea of paying $4.00 a gallon for gas to just drive around. I am, however, looking forward to exploring the city. Really I am. Soon!

Otherwise, things are going well. We’ve got some friends we see quite a bit. Coincidentally they were at Fort McCoy while we were and their kids and the Khan were in daycare there but we didn’t really know them there. I’d given Mrs. EOD my phone number once in daycare because another friend (mutual) had told her about us and that we were headed here. We managed to connect down here and it’s been fun. We get together on Fridays (or have both of the Fridays so far) to make pizzas and B. S. and we take the kids to the pool and all that. It’s social activity that never happened at Fort McCoy. I missed it! And I’m cyberstalking Becca on Ravelry, Twitter, Facebook and her blog which feels a little creepy but I think we’ll manage to meet up this week and it’ll be less weird. I think.

I’m mostly unpacked, not even close to organized and doing a very little bit of knitting. This is what I’m working on. I plan to make several in various colors because my swiffer’s getting quite a workout on these linoleum floors with the dog hair and the dust.

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