I wasn't sure what to write about this week. I could write about how I've been feeling like lately that I'm burning the candle at both ends pretty hard, but my commitments are set for the semester, so I just need to get over that feeling and deal with it. So, in the spirit of positive thinking and not wanting to sound whiny, I thought I'd write about teaching.
I've never understood the phrase "Those who can't do, teach." Makes no freaking sense. To teach someone else something, you have to be able to understand your subject pretty darn well. I think there are huge misconceptions about teachers at any level. I can't really speak for K-12, but as a university professor, I very much feel like people think that we're a bunch of lazy, overpaid bastards who work 12 hours a week (12 hours is a full load in my department at ESU) and sit up nights thinking of ways to fail people. Let me enlighten you - I'm not overpaid, I could make far more in industry than I do now. If you broke down the actual workweek of most of my colleagues and figured out our average hourly wage, if would be ridiculous. Like, ridiculously low. So why do it? Because there's nothing else like it.
This semester has been crazy busy, to say the least, but it hasn't gone unrewarded. I've had some amazing moments. I have a Monday night hour in my A&P course, and since it's at night, we can go longer than 50 minutes if people want to. One night we were reviewing muscle contraction (which has a lot of steps) and I'd explained it about 4700 different ways trying to make them understand it (biology isn't just memorizing a bunch of crap, BTW, I really, really want people to understand what they're learning). Finally, the students looked at me and several of them started saying, OMG, we get it! And then started coming up to the board where I'd drawn things out and tried to explain it to me (and they were right). Have you ever explained something to someone and seen the lightbulb go on in their head? They're excited, you're excited. Pretty damn cool feeling.
I have about 55-60 people in my class, but I'm trying to learn all their names and one of my goals every semester, every class is that I want people to feel comfortable. I want them to freely ask questions, I don't want them to feel like they can't talk to me. This week in particular, I had a first. A student came to me asking about study tips, which happens a lot. We were talking, and they said that they felt like they knew the material until they saw the test, and then their mind went blank. So we talked about test anxiety and I gave them my best tips that I normally give everyone who asks. Then they asked if there was anything else. I NEVER bring up religion with my students, unless I've literally bumped into them at church and we comment on Father Rich's sermon or something. For one, I'm private about it, and two, I teach in a public university and I teach science, not religion. But I took a deep breath and told them that I didn't know what their religious beliefs were, but that in grad school I prayed before every exam I took. Nothing long or drawn out, just a short, 2 second affair asking for guidance and peace. Well, ok, and an A. :) The student smiled at me and said that they'd never really thought about doing that, but that their dad was a minister and they were religious and would definitely try it. I'm extremely open with my students about my medical history (I teach A&P after all!), but that was the first time I felt like I'd really shared something deep with a relative stranger. But I felt like I'd helped, and that was pretty cool.
So, it's a total cliche' to say that you do something (it's a joke on med school applications) "because you want to help people", but that really is a big reason I enjoy teaching. I love getting to know my students. I love seeing the lightbulb go on. And, let's face it, my multimillion dollar salary and my unbeatable, 12-hour workweeks don't hurt either. ;)
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Meet Bob's new friend - Bobette.
This week, I've told two or three colleagues that if I'm not a chain-smoking alcoholic by Christmas, it'll be a miracle. This fall is kicking my butt, but I keep telling myself, hard work, big rewards. And candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker. You know, for as much as I joke about drinking, I don't actually drink much, but it makes me feel better to talk about starting. You know, like some people say they're going to start a new diet? Start exercising? Me, I'm going to start drinking. Cheaper than a padded hospital cell. I can't complain too much. My schedule is nuts, but I'm not in the SAC office, having to be all touchy-feeling and pretending to be everyone's friendly neighborhood advisor. Woot!
Anyway, Bob got a brain (Bobette) on Monday. More specifically, I got a continuous glucose monitor. It took a year and three appeals to BCBS, but I got one. And let me tell you, it's fantastic. Fan-freaking-tastic. Seriously, life changing. So, this little gizmo has wires that I put in with a needle the size of a harpoon (amazingly, using the harpoon-gun-inserter-thingy, it doesn't hurt to put it in). These wires wet over the course of almost 24 hours with interstitial fluid and send signals to the transmitter plugged into it. The transmitterbeams me up scotty sends info to Bob, who displays a 3 hour graph and my current reading. So, by calibrating it periodically with fingerstick readings, it's pretty accurate. So far, it usually reads 2-20 points different from my meter, but that's nothing. It has algorithms that predict lows and highs, and I have alarms set to let me know when I'm low or (here's the amazing part) 15 minutes before I'm going to be low. The second night, I thought I had a fire alarm going off in my pajamas (it's LOUD) because Bob and Bobette decided that I was going to have an insulin reaction. My bloodsugar was 120 at the time, but I had double arrows pointing down. So I got up, ate a small snack and went back to bed. I got up the next morning with a bloodsugar of 100. People, do you know how amazing this is? Do you know what it's like to stumble out of bed in the middle of a great dream with a bloodsugar of 45, eat like you'll never eat again because all you want to do is feel better, then wake up higher than the Empire State building the next morning, feeling like complete crap? If Bob wants to scare the beejeezus out of me in the middle of the night to tell me to eat something now so I prevent all that later, I'm gonna listen. When I was pregnant with Ian, I had a reaction in the middle of the night with a bloodsugar of 32. I sweated so much there were drips on the kitchen floor. Dave got up the next morning and asked if we were attacked by bears because, strewn over the kitchen counter, were candy wrappers, Little Debbie wrappers, a peanut butter jar, a bottle of honey, half a loaf of bread, and some cracker remnants. Not kidding, even a little bit. Don't feel sorry for me for a second, though. I wake up. Not everyone does and I've known several people who have seizures because they don't wake up, so I consider myself damn lucky.
Mom pointed out something that I thought the second wonderful day with Bobette. "Your pregnancy would've been so much easier with one of those." Oh hell yeah. And the bloodsugar nazis recommended that I consider a pump. But at the time, I had no idea CGM was a possibility, I had hated my last pump, and I was a hot hormonal mess. I believe my reaction was to burst into tears and to ask Chris if that meant the nurses didn't think I was doing a good enough job on shots. Geez. I look back on my pregnancy with awe, wonder, and laughter. It was the best, most precious experience of my life, but damn, could I have cried a little less? For the record, I shut the door to my office one day and sobbed hysterically to Dave (who thought I was having a miscarriage or something) that "I had a freaking Ph.D. but I was hungry and didn't know if I could have a snack because my bloodsugar was high." I also cried because I had to eat a bedtime snack every night and I had gastroparesis really bad and was still super full from dinner that wouldn't digest (I believe that I was holding a corndog and making it soggy with my crying at the time). Everybody has their funny pregnancy stories. :)
But so far, this is seriously the most life-changing piece of technology that I own. I thought I could love no device more than my iPhone, but Bobette has knocked the iPhone down one notch. I feel so happy that BCBS decided to cover the cost because like all good medical technology, this ain't cheap. I feel like writing them a personal letter thanking them for realizing that Jesus was not going to give me a new pancreas no matter how much I prayed, exercised, or promised to stop eating potato chips. Just joking - I never actually promised anyone that I'd stop eating potato chips. Anyway, on to achieving my semester goals, like becoming a chain-smoking alcoholic, with Bob and Bobette. :)
This week, I've told two or three colleagues that if I'm not a chain-smoking alcoholic by Christmas, it'll be a miracle. This fall is kicking my butt, but I keep telling myself, hard work, big rewards. And candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker. You know, for as much as I joke about drinking, I don't actually drink much, but it makes me feel better to talk about starting. You know, like some people say they're going to start a new diet? Start exercising? Me, I'm going to start drinking. Cheaper than a padded hospital cell. I can't complain too much. My schedule is nuts, but I'm not in the SAC office, having to be all touchy-feeling and pretending to be everyone's friendly neighborhood advisor. Woot!
Anyway, Bob got a brain (Bobette) on Monday. More specifically, I got a continuous glucose monitor. It took a year and three appeals to BCBS, but I got one. And let me tell you, it's fantastic. Fan-freaking-tastic. Seriously, life changing. So, this little gizmo has wires that I put in with a needle the size of a harpoon (amazingly, using the harpoon-gun-inserter-thingy, it doesn't hurt to put it in). These wires wet over the course of almost 24 hours with interstitial fluid and send signals to the transmitter plugged into it. The transmitter
Mom pointed out something that I thought the second wonderful day with Bobette. "Your pregnancy would've been so much easier with one of those." Oh hell yeah. And the bloodsugar nazis recommended that I consider a pump. But at the time, I had no idea CGM was a possibility, I had hated my last pump, and I was a hot hormonal mess. I believe my reaction was to burst into tears and to ask Chris if that meant the nurses didn't think I was doing a good enough job on shots. Geez. I look back on my pregnancy with awe, wonder, and laughter. It was the best, most precious experience of my life, but damn, could I have cried a little less? For the record, I shut the door to my office one day and sobbed hysterically to Dave (who thought I was having a miscarriage or something) that "I had a freaking Ph.D. but I was hungry and didn't know if I could have a snack because my bloodsugar was high." I also cried because I had to eat a bedtime snack every night and I had gastroparesis really bad and was still super full from dinner that wouldn't digest (I believe that I was holding a corndog and making it soggy with my crying at the time). Everybody has their funny pregnancy stories. :)
But so far, this is seriously the most life-changing piece of technology that I own. I thought I could love no device more than my iPhone, but Bobette has knocked the iPhone down one notch. I feel so happy that BCBS decided to cover the cost because like all good medical technology, this ain't cheap. I feel like writing them a personal letter thanking them for realizing that Jesus was not going to give me a new pancreas no matter how much I prayed, exercised, or promised to stop eating potato chips. Just joking - I never actually promised anyone that I'd stop eating potato chips. Anyway, on to achieving my semester goals, like becoming a chain-smoking alcoholic, with Bob and Bobette. :)
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Motivation
I wasn't sure what to write about this week. Sometimes I think that I should use more pictures - they take up space and you can add a caption or two and be done with it, but I kinda like trying to be thought-y (that's probably not a word). Which is why this is turning into a weekly, not daily blog.
This semester, the fall semester, is always my toughest one in terms of commitments. I teach more than I do in spring, the lab coordinator gig is harder because I usually have a crop of new TAs starting to teach for the first time, and I'm usually tired from summer teaching. This fall I'm also a faculty senator (it REALLY, REALLY beats the SAC office - I wasn't bitter and angry after my first senate meeting; I was almost always angry after a session in SAC. So, I'm trying to make myself a little more of a priority in all this. Selfish? Maybe. But the ESU swimming pool is cheaper than therapy and more legal than killing everyone who frustrates me. (I sound like I have all this pent-up aggression - I really don't. I really do love my job.) In the past, 30 odd years, I can't say that exercise has been a priority. But I kinda dig this swimming thing. In fact, I might even be a little bit good at it. And I feel accomplished and justified in eating out for lunch if I get in my 1500m in 40 minutes. But, when things get busy I tend to drop stuff like this. Swim for an hour (including getting in and out of the pool)? But I could be doing x, y, z. Yeah, I could, and in the past, I did. Now, I've figured out that even more than exercise I need 40 minutes to myself.
But swimming is tiring sometimes, especially when you're upping your distance like I am this week. I have a waterproof iPod that I love a lot and I had a pretty good playlist, but it was feeling stale lately. So I loaded some new stuff on there for this week and boy-howdy, let me tell you it worked. 40 minutes to myself AND swimming to the Top Gun soundtrack? Yes, please. Seriously, try it. It doesn't matter what you're doing - you could be cleaning toilets, but if you do it to the Top Gun Anthem, you're suddenly wearing aviators and a flight suit and are a total badass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCTJmXrgsFg
I can backstroke to none other to this song. I'm pretty sure if I keep playing it as loudly as I do, I will be deaf by the end of the semester.
My other new favorite motivating song is Say Hey (I love you). This one is so catchy that I did my last 100m to it, got out of the pool, and started dancing while I was putting my gear away. I'm sure there are now several football players who were wondering who the crazy pale girl on the sidelines trying to dance was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehu3wy4WkHs
Some people are intrinsically motivated to exercise - healthy, feel good, blah, blah, blah. Me, I need stuff - the lure of a new swimsuit, new music, the ability to picture myself swimming with aviators on in a music video for the Top Gun Anthem. :) Hey, you gotta go with what works, right?
I wasn't sure what to write about this week. Sometimes I think that I should use more pictures - they take up space and you can add a caption or two and be done with it, but I kinda like trying to be thought-y (that's probably not a word). Which is why this is turning into a weekly, not daily blog.
This semester, the fall semester, is always my toughest one in terms of commitments. I teach more than I do in spring, the lab coordinator gig is harder because I usually have a crop of new TAs starting to teach for the first time, and I'm usually tired from summer teaching. This fall I'm also a faculty senator (it REALLY, REALLY beats the SAC office - I wasn't bitter and angry after my first senate meeting; I was almost always angry after a session in SAC. So, I'm trying to make myself a little more of a priority in all this. Selfish? Maybe. But the ESU swimming pool is cheaper than therapy and more legal than killing everyone who frustrates me. (I sound like I have all this pent-up aggression - I really don't. I really do love my job.) In the past, 30 odd years, I can't say that exercise has been a priority. But I kinda dig this swimming thing. In fact, I might even be a little bit good at it. And I feel accomplished and justified in eating out for lunch if I get in my 1500m in 40 minutes. But, when things get busy I tend to drop stuff like this. Swim for an hour (including getting in and out of the pool)? But I could be doing x, y, z. Yeah, I could, and in the past, I did. Now, I've figured out that even more than exercise I need 40 minutes to myself.
But swimming is tiring sometimes, especially when you're upping your distance like I am this week. I have a waterproof iPod that I love a lot and I had a pretty good playlist, but it was feeling stale lately. So I loaded some new stuff on there for this week and boy-howdy, let me tell you it worked. 40 minutes to myself AND swimming to the Top Gun soundtrack? Yes, please. Seriously, try it. It doesn't matter what you're doing - you could be cleaning toilets, but if you do it to the Top Gun Anthem, you're suddenly wearing aviators and a flight suit and are a total badass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCTJmXrgsFg
I can backstroke to none other to this song. I'm pretty sure if I keep playing it as loudly as I do, I will be deaf by the end of the semester.
My other new favorite motivating song is Say Hey (I love you). This one is so catchy that I did my last 100m to it, got out of the pool, and started dancing while I was putting my gear away. I'm sure there are now several football players who were wondering who the crazy pale girl on the sidelines trying to dance was.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehu3wy4WkHs
Some people are intrinsically motivated to exercise - healthy, feel good, blah, blah, blah. Me, I need stuff - the lure of a new swimsuit, new music, the ability to picture myself swimming with aviators on in a music video for the Top Gun Anthem. :) Hey, you gotta go with what works, right?
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Parenting - my thoughts 2.5 years in...
So, lots of people are having babies. Snooki, my friend Megan, one of my closest friends, Melissa, getting ready to have her second. Now that we've had Ian for 2 1/2 years and CPS hasn't been called once, I thought I'd share my thoughts on parenting - the good, the bad, and the ugly. My thoughts, my blog - if you disagree, feel free to keep that to yourself. :)
On Sunday, Snooki had her baby. I was pretty sure that the Mayans had their dates screwed up and that the world was supposed to end on this date, but we're all here, so I guess not. She's tweeted a lot, apparently, (I don't follow her on Twitter, I do read online tabloids) about how amazing her son is, how in love she is, how amazing breastfeeding is. Good for her. But what if having a baby isn't like that? What if that bond takes longer to form than a nanosecond? What if it's not like A Baby Story? Are you a crappy parent? It's taken me a long time to realize that this is one of the first dirty little secrets of parenting. Absolutely, I loved my child. Absolutely, I would have laid down my life for him from the moment I found out I was pregnant. But those thoughts of amazement, sunshine, and roses took weeks. Maybe months. When we brought Ian home from the hospital, Dave and I sat on the couch at one point looking at each other and saying "What the hell did we just do??" It was a lot of reality that we now had another human completely dependent on us. This wasn't a new puppy that we could leave alone for a few hours. This was real.
Now, I'm much more confident in my parenting. And Ian's more interactive. Another dirty little secret - not everyone enjoys the newborn stage. Yes, he was fun to dress up and didn't talk back. But I had NO IDEA what to do with him when we were alone and he was awake. There's a very good reason I work with adults all day - I'm not naturally good with kids. Now, though, we can play. We can talk to each other. We argue (he's 2!). Sometimes I win, sometimes I cave. Sometimes I sit back and think about how funny and charming he is and sometimes he's well, 2. And I have to admit (dirty little secret #3) - sometimes I miss our old life. According to parenting articles, Hallmark movies, and TLC, the moment your child is born you are supposed to utter phrases like "I can't remember what life was like without him/her." Guess what? Some of us remember. I remember what it was like to be able to have a lazy Saturday lounging around, doing whatever we wanted. I remember what it was like to work, guilt-free, because we were both workaholics. We had 10 years of marriage before we had Ian. Then again, when I have these thoughts, I remember that he won't always be so much work. That it's getting easier and easier to do things and go places with him. And that he brings a lot of balance to my life and I'm proud of the fact that when we're home he gets all of our attention until he goes to bed. I don't feel guilty whatsoever for not being a stay-at-home mom. I know that if I was I'd a cranky, resentful, crappy mom. I'm a better mom (God knows, not a perfect one) because I have my job.
Potty training is in full swing. No magic tricks or sage words of advice here. Some days are awesome and some days aren't. Two steps forward, one step back. He won't go to college in diapers. Or hopefully dirty underwear. For instance, today he was dry all day - not one accident. We were home, we'd used the potty no problem, then I needed to do a load of laundry and the water coming into the washer made him soak his underwear and pee on the floor. Oh well. We mopped it up and moved on. We handled potty training like we do most things around here - negotiation and a little bribery. The trick to negotiating is to let them think they've won something, when in reality you were going to let them do it anyway. Want to watch some Dora before daycare? AFTER we go potty, brush teeth, get dressed, etc. And by then there's 5 minutes left and I would let him watch for 5 minutes anyway, but he thinks he's getting his way. He's becoming a champion negotiator, though. One M&M for going potty? "Two" Want a bedtime kiss? "watch more Dora" He's not dumb - and it's hilarious when he uses the system against us.
We're done having kids. That wasn't a choice that was entirely freely made and it was a decision that was easy to make and took months to accept. But it's the clear choice given the 2+ year battle I've had with my eyes. Another kid isn't worth my vision. And several close friends with only children or who are only children have convinced me that Ian will not be a sociopath, a brat, or perpetually lonely. And now that we've accepted it, there are perks. It's easier to travel with him than if we had more. Certainly, there are financial considerations. I don't have to ever own a minivan if I don't want to. And it's kinda cool being the three musketeers.
So overall, parenting is great. I'm glad we had a child. He's an amazing little guy. Did I also mention he inherited my stubbornness? Yeah, there's been a lot of days lately where I feel like I never say yes and everything is one big fight, but then there are all those times that he wants a hug, a story, to play with me, and I realize that saying no doesn't make me the bad guy for too long. And yes, I remember EXACTLY what life was like before, but I wouldn't trade it for the now.
So, lots of people are having babies. Snooki, my friend Megan, one of my closest friends, Melissa, getting ready to have her second. Now that we've had Ian for 2 1/2 years and CPS hasn't been called once, I thought I'd share my thoughts on parenting - the good, the bad, and the ugly. My thoughts, my blog - if you disagree, feel free to keep that to yourself. :)
On Sunday, Snooki had her baby. I was pretty sure that the Mayans had their dates screwed up and that the world was supposed to end on this date, but we're all here, so I guess not. She's tweeted a lot, apparently, (I don't follow her on Twitter, I do read online tabloids) about how amazing her son is, how in love she is, how amazing breastfeeding is. Good for her. But what if having a baby isn't like that? What if that bond takes longer to form than a nanosecond? What if it's not like A Baby Story? Are you a crappy parent? It's taken me a long time to realize that this is one of the first dirty little secrets of parenting. Absolutely, I loved my child. Absolutely, I would have laid down my life for him from the moment I found out I was pregnant. But those thoughts of amazement, sunshine, and roses took weeks. Maybe months. When we brought Ian home from the hospital, Dave and I sat on the couch at one point looking at each other and saying "What the hell did we just do??" It was a lot of reality that we now had another human completely dependent on us. This wasn't a new puppy that we could leave alone for a few hours. This was real.
Now, I'm much more confident in my parenting. And Ian's more interactive. Another dirty little secret - not everyone enjoys the newborn stage. Yes, he was fun to dress up and didn't talk back. But I had NO IDEA what to do with him when we were alone and he was awake. There's a very good reason I work with adults all day - I'm not naturally good with kids. Now, though, we can play. We can talk to each other. We argue (he's 2!). Sometimes I win, sometimes I cave. Sometimes I sit back and think about how funny and charming he is and sometimes he's well, 2. And I have to admit (dirty little secret #3) - sometimes I miss our old life. According to parenting articles, Hallmark movies, and TLC, the moment your child is born you are supposed to utter phrases like "I can't remember what life was like without him/her." Guess what? Some of us remember. I remember what it was like to be able to have a lazy Saturday lounging around, doing whatever we wanted. I remember what it was like to work, guilt-free, because we were both workaholics. We had 10 years of marriage before we had Ian. Then again, when I have these thoughts, I remember that he won't always be so much work. That it's getting easier and easier to do things and go places with him. And that he brings a lot of balance to my life and I'm proud of the fact that when we're home he gets all of our attention until he goes to bed. I don't feel guilty whatsoever for not being a stay-at-home mom. I know that if I was I'd a cranky, resentful, crappy mom. I'm a better mom (God knows, not a perfect one) because I have my job.
Potty training is in full swing. No magic tricks or sage words of advice here. Some days are awesome and some days aren't. Two steps forward, one step back. He won't go to college in diapers. Or hopefully dirty underwear. For instance, today he was dry all day - not one accident. We were home, we'd used the potty no problem, then I needed to do a load of laundry and the water coming into the washer made him soak his underwear and pee on the floor. Oh well. We mopped it up and moved on. We handled potty training like we do most things around here - negotiation and a little bribery. The trick to negotiating is to let them think they've won something, when in reality you were going to let them do it anyway. Want to watch some Dora before daycare? AFTER we go potty, brush teeth, get dressed, etc. And by then there's 5 minutes left and I would let him watch for 5 minutes anyway, but he thinks he's getting his way. He's becoming a champion negotiator, though. One M&M for going potty? "Two" Want a bedtime kiss? "watch more Dora" He's not dumb - and it's hilarious when he uses the system against us.
We're done having kids. That wasn't a choice that was entirely freely made and it was a decision that was easy to make and took months to accept. But it's the clear choice given the 2+ year battle I've had with my eyes. Another kid isn't worth my vision. And several close friends with only children or who are only children have convinced me that Ian will not be a sociopath, a brat, or perpetually lonely. And now that we've accepted it, there are perks. It's easier to travel with him than if we had more. Certainly, there are financial considerations. I don't have to ever own a minivan if I don't want to. And it's kinda cool being the three musketeers.
So overall, parenting is great. I'm glad we had a child. He's an amazing little guy. Did I also mention he inherited my stubbornness? Yeah, there's been a lot of days lately where I feel like I never say yes and everything is one big fight, but then there are all those times that he wants a hug, a story, to play with me, and I realize that saying no doesn't make me the bad guy for too long. And yes, I remember EXACTLY what life was like before, but I wouldn't trade it for the now.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Another day, another semester. Wait, didn't I promise to write more regularly? Wasn't that promise made in JANUARY? Oops. I give props to the people who write the blogs that I read every day - it's hard to be thought provoking on a daily basis. Which is probably why some of the blogs I read photograph their bowl of oatmeal every single morning and call it a post. And then I go back every day to see if they ate anything different for breakfast. I digress. I'm sure no one was logging on here on a daily basis to see if I'd posted anything new. :)
But if you did miss my ramblings, I am going to try to do better this fall. I tell my students all the time that the only part of writing that I enjoy is seeing my name in the table of contents in a journal. And that's true, but blogging is different. It's a little bit of a release. And I like to think that I'm entertaining, at least a little bit. So what's on my mind tonight? Well, I guess I'll tell you what I did this summer.
Half my lab graduated. I got seriously sentimental over these guys - I had my first group pretty much ever where everyone got along, there was no drama, and I didn't have an ulcer worrying about them. Seriously some of the most talented, wonderful young people I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Two are at my alma mater, working toward their Ph.D.s in neurobiology and chemistry, one landed her dream job as a professor at a community college, one got into medical school, and two are staying on for their master's with me, which I'm so glad about. Even more miraculous is that two theses were generated and both students are still speaking to me! A first for me!
I taught summer A&P for the first time. Loved having 10 people in class, especially since they were a fun bunch. Co-taught cadaver lab (ok, really I didn't teach, I hung out and talked to the students). Really, those guys caught on pretty quickly to the fact that I 1) stink at dissection and 2) hadn't studied a lick to teach the class. "Should we cut that off, Dr. Bailey?" "Well, um, it looks important, we should probably ask Dr. Sievert." I need to hone my dissecting skills, for reals, before next summer. I "helped" my regular A&P students dissect their cats - it looked like someone went after them with a butter knife and a hatchet. NOT pretty. Oh well, I'm still the reigning histology queen at ESU, thank you very much.
I went to Baltimore for the annual TS meeting and had a really great time. Loved seeing friends, loved the science, loved seeing my students shine, and loved seeing my mentors. As a bonus, I got to go to NY for a couple of days and see my sister, brother-in-law, and impossibly cute nephew. We bonded over playing Angry Birds until he realized that I wasn't Mommy. He did love Crazy Aunt Lissa for running through the sprinklers at the pool though!
I also got back in the pool. Swimming is the only form of exercise that I'm good at, which sucks for anyone who has to see me in a swimsuit at the pool, but oh well. It's actually not pure, unending torture. I swim with fins and pretend that I'm a perfect hybrid of Michael Phelps and Gisele Bundchen. And then I get out of the pool and look in the mirror...one day. :) I've decided that swimming makes me a happier person and I'm going to take time to do it. And I just found a swimsuit on splish.com that has a skeleton on it that I have to have.
And now it's fall. I have some new undergrads, two returning/new grad students, and the gang that didn't graduate last year. I think it's going to be a great group, but we'll definitely need Betty for entertainment purposes at the Christmas party. A&P is going well so far - some fun people in there. In case you think I forgot that I have a son, I haven't. The Dictatortot is the subject of my next post!
But if you did miss my ramblings, I am going to try to do better this fall. I tell my students all the time that the only part of writing that I enjoy is seeing my name in the table of contents in a journal. And that's true, but blogging is different. It's a little bit of a release. And I like to think that I'm entertaining, at least a little bit. So what's on my mind tonight? Well, I guess I'll tell you what I did this summer.
Half my lab graduated. I got seriously sentimental over these guys - I had my first group pretty much ever where everyone got along, there was no drama, and I didn't have an ulcer worrying about them. Seriously some of the most talented, wonderful young people I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Two are at my alma mater, working toward their Ph.D.s in neurobiology and chemistry, one landed her dream job as a professor at a community college, one got into medical school, and two are staying on for their master's with me, which I'm so glad about. Even more miraculous is that two theses were generated and both students are still speaking to me! A first for me!
I taught summer A&P for the first time. Loved having 10 people in class, especially since they were a fun bunch. Co-taught cadaver lab (ok, really I didn't teach, I hung out and talked to the students). Really, those guys caught on pretty quickly to the fact that I 1) stink at dissection and 2) hadn't studied a lick to teach the class. "Should we cut that off, Dr. Bailey?" "Well, um, it looks important, we should probably ask Dr. Sievert." I need to hone my dissecting skills, for reals, before next summer. I "helped" my regular A&P students dissect their cats - it looked like someone went after them with a butter knife and a hatchet. NOT pretty. Oh well, I'm still the reigning histology queen at ESU, thank you very much.
I went to Baltimore for the annual TS meeting and had a really great time. Loved seeing friends, loved the science, loved seeing my students shine, and loved seeing my mentors. As a bonus, I got to go to NY for a couple of days and see my sister, brother-in-law, and impossibly cute nephew. We bonded over playing Angry Birds until he realized that I wasn't Mommy. He did love Crazy Aunt Lissa for running through the sprinklers at the pool though!
I also got back in the pool. Swimming is the only form of exercise that I'm good at, which sucks for anyone who has to see me in a swimsuit at the pool, but oh well. It's actually not pure, unending torture. I swim with fins and pretend that I'm a perfect hybrid of Michael Phelps and Gisele Bundchen. And then I get out of the pool and look in the mirror...one day. :) I've decided that swimming makes me a happier person and I'm going to take time to do it. And I just found a swimsuit on splish.com that has a skeleton on it that I have to have.
And now it's fall. I have some new undergrads, two returning/new grad students, and the gang that didn't graduate last year. I think it's going to be a great group, but we'll definitely need Betty for entertainment purposes at the Christmas party. A&P is going well so far - some fun people in there. In case you think I forgot that I have a son, I haven't. The Dictatortot is the subject of my next post!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Hey now, you're a rock star - K-INBRE 2012
Here's a recap of last weekend. Arguably one of the best weekends ever. I went to the K-INBRE Symposium in KC, MO. I went up Friday and Dave and Ian came up Saturday and we stayed until Sunday. Friday night was fun. I had a fun dinner with the students from ESU (God, I'm going to miss them when they leave!) and got a nice, beautiful hotel room all to myself. More importantly, I got a king-sized bed to myself. No one kicking me, no one tossing and turning = best. sleep. ever. And we were at a really nice hotel - the Westin Crown Center. Swanky!
After the poster session, we went to a dinner that I have dreamed about for two years. Dinner at the Melting Pot. I freaking LOVE fondue. I thought it would be a hit with Ian (all that cheese), but alas, he decided to be a major grouch. To be fair, the MP is not a quick dining experience and I think he was bored too.
The view from my room on the 15th floor. So pretty!
The pool. I would've brought my suit, had I known that this thing was heated and had a heated entrance and exit - so cool!
This symposium is an opportunity for K-INBRE peeps to get together and display their work. The program is extremely active at ESU and our students rocked it. One student gave an oral presentation and several gave posters. I was, ahem, an invited speaker. Which really means that they needed a regional scientist to give a talk and no one else said yes. Whatevs. I gave a talk to 100-200 people (I didn't count, but there were ~ 250 registered) and I did well. I got a few laughs. One prof from another school said that mine was the only talk he stayed awake the entire 25 minutes for. Now THAT's a compliment! I've never had people approach me at a poster session wanting to talk about my research. Talk about a great feeling. I might just get up the guts to give a talk another time. :) It's an amazing ego boost. It's also really rewarding to see our students do so well - I'm so proud to be from ESU!
Around 4, Dave and Ian arrived. They didn't go to my talk because we were afraid that since my talk was during Ian's nap time, things would go well. Of course, the first thing Ian noticed was the GIANT 3 story waterfall in the lobby area.
You know he's thinking "how can I quickly get my leg over this wall and get into that water?"
I am NOT going to smile, Mama.
But, in celebration of my successful talk and more importantly, 12 years with a wonderful person, I got champagne. Not sparkling wine, but the actual stuff from France.
I felt so fancy - it came in its own cute little bottle.
Was dinner romantic? Well, let's just say that Ian had reached his limit by the meat course and we brought back the chocolate to our hotel room. We took a cab there and back and on the way back, the cabbie misunderstood us and dropped us off at the wrong hotel. Which we didn't figure out until we were INSIDE thinking, hey, these aren't our elevators. Turns out there's Crown Plaza and Crown Center and they are NOT the same thing. Anyway, after breakfast at Panera, we headed home. Happy, tired, and feeling just a little bit like a rock star...
Friday, January 13, 2012
Well hello, spring semester...
So, when last I posted, Ian and I were in the middle of a visit to FL. We're back (no real news on the return - the rest of the visit was great, he did great on the plane). I do have to say, fly Airtran and pay the $49 to upgrade to business! Huge seats, 2 free checked bags, and great service. We double-scored because business wasn't full so we were able to get 2 seats and Ian had his own. Yay!
The week has been good. The most exciting thing that happened is that Ian broke his wrist. It's not terrible - in fact the only time he notices it is when we have to garbage-bag his splint for a bath. Until he figures out that he can splash even more water with it than he can with his free hand. And then it's all good. He gets a cast (mostly because he's a toddler, not because it's unstable) next Wednesday and I will post a pic. My students want to sign his cast, so I'm sure that will be fun. His x-rays are awesome, and I have to sheepishly admit that when they were showing them to me my third thought (after "it's not a complete break" and "oh good, it's not near the growth plate") was "wow, those are amazing! Look at the clarity! I must have a copy for A&P!" Ok, so I'm a mommy, but I'm still a professor. Anyway, our little daredevil should be fully functional in about 3 weeks, and it isn't bothering him in the meantime. At least he isn't an overachiever like me - when I was 3 or 4 I broke my arm and it had to be pinned and I damaged the growth plate. For him, no surgery, just garbage bags taped to his arm when he takes a bath.
So, I had a fabulous, much-needed break, but I came back to face the fact that I'm giving my FIRST EVER conference talk on Saturday. In front of probably 100-200 people. Did I mention that all the other invited speakers are from med schools and some are endowed chairs of something-or-other? The first time I saw the speaker bios, I wanted to throw up a little. But I've done my homework and I think my talk is sciency AND entertaining. Something I strive for. I hate boring talks. My student Brittany, assures me that my talk, peppered with phrases like "that's a hot mess" and "well, crap" isn't boring. I'll update after the talk. It's also mine and Dave's 12th anniversary (can you believe it!) Sunday, and we have reservations at the Melting Pot on Saturday. Needless to say, I'm more excited about the vat of cheese calling my name and the champagne than I am about my talk.
A&P should be good this semester. No good feel for the personalities in my class, but they laughed at my cheesy jokes Wednesday, so that gives me hope for the future. Today is lecture number two.
Anyway, for now I'm in the SAC office (I'll be sure to compile my best bits of wisdom that I dole out this semester), counting down the hours until 12:00. At least it gave me the opportunity to blog, since I didn't bring any real work over here with me, thinking that I'd be busy offering nuggets of life-changing wisdom. Or something. :) Happy Friday the 13th!
The week has been good. The most exciting thing that happened is that Ian broke his wrist. It's not terrible - in fact the only time he notices it is when we have to garbage-bag his splint for a bath. Until he figures out that he can splash even more water with it than he can with his free hand. And then it's all good. He gets a cast (mostly because he's a toddler, not because it's unstable) next Wednesday and I will post a pic. My students want to sign his cast, so I'm sure that will be fun. His x-rays are awesome, and I have to sheepishly admit that when they were showing them to me my third thought (after "it's not a complete break" and "oh good, it's not near the growth plate") was "wow, those are amazing! Look at the clarity! I must have a copy for A&P!" Ok, so I'm a mommy, but I'm still a professor. Anyway, our little daredevil should be fully functional in about 3 weeks, and it isn't bothering him in the meantime. At least he isn't an overachiever like me - when I was 3 or 4 I broke my arm and it had to be pinned and I damaged the growth plate. For him, no surgery, just garbage bags taped to his arm when he takes a bath.
So, I had a fabulous, much-needed break, but I came back to face the fact that I'm giving my FIRST EVER conference talk on Saturday. In front of probably 100-200 people. Did I mention that all the other invited speakers are from med schools and some are endowed chairs of something-or-other? The first time I saw the speaker bios, I wanted to throw up a little. But I've done my homework and I think my talk is sciency AND entertaining. Something I strive for. I hate boring talks. My student Brittany, assures me that my talk, peppered with phrases like "that's a hot mess" and "well, crap" isn't boring. I'll update after the talk. It's also mine and Dave's 12th anniversary (can you believe it!) Sunday, and we have reservations at the Melting Pot on Saturday. Needless to say, I'm more excited about the vat of cheese calling my name and the champagne than I am about my talk.
A&P should be good this semester. No good feel for the personalities in my class, but they laughed at my cheesy jokes Wednesday, so that gives me hope for the future. Today is lecture number two.
Anyway, for now I'm in the SAC office (I'll be sure to compile my best bits of wisdom that I dole out this semester), counting down the hours until 12:00. At least it gave me the opportunity to blog, since I didn't bring any real work over here with me, thinking that I'd be busy offering nuggets of life-changing wisdom. Or something. :) Happy Friday the 13th!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
War Chants and Chops
Ian and I have been visiting my parents since Saturday. We're having a great time, although both of us miss Dave. Ian's gotten to see his Uncle Cha Cha and Aunt Li Li (I told them they sounded like pandas). and it's so much fun watching Ian have a ball with my parents. Pop-Pop's tractor - not a hit like we thought it would be (too big and noisy). Pop-Pop's super awesome electronic piano with tons of buttons - big hit. I asked Dad whether that meant Ian was destined to be a musician and not a farmer. I'm sure the tractor will be cooler next visit though.
Today, Ian and I went to mine and Dave's alma mater, Florida State University. It's a great place with tons of history for the two of us. It's where we met, where I got my bachelor's and where he got his Ph.D. The 'Noles were the first football team I ever loved and it was the first college I ever wanted to attend. So to say it was pretty cool and just a little emotional to realize that I was walking our son through some of the same places that Dave and I walked many years ago was an understatement. Of course, phrases like "there's Mommy's old dorm" or "this is where Mommy and Daddy used to study together" or "this is where the Hari Krishnas used to annoy the evangelists" didn't have much meaning. But I hope to take Ian on a little tour of FSU every time that we come down and have him bleed garnet and gold too. And if we can afford the out of state tuition by the time he's 18, I'd love nothing more than to attend his college graduation in Tallahassee.
The campus has changed (duh) since I graduated in 1998 (dang, I'm old!). It's pedestrian now, and where the outer edge of campus was the recreation center, now there are buildings all around it. I didn't recognize anything between Doak Campbell (we parked in Egypt) and the Leach Center. There's even a new chemistry building, a med school, a new biomedical research building. And then I saw that the buildings I spent so much time in were still there and in use. Fisher lecture hall - site of so much organic chem angst. Dittmar - where I spent countless hours studying and hanging out with my friends and brothers in Alpha Chi Sigma. Dirac library - probably should've spent more time there. But the campus is absolutely beautiful. There's a new brick path that is just gorgeous. They haven't made the place into a concrete jungle - I saw more benches, trees, and flowers than I remember. Landis Green (popular site for sunbathing) has a beautiful fountain. So pretty, so much history.
Lunch was great. Dave's former major prof (who is also a good friend of mine) took Ian and I for some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. Very fun, albeit too-short lunch. I really would have loved to have caught up more, but John needed to get to work and Ian was reaching the limit to his good-boyness. He actually fell asleep before we got out of Tallahassee.
So that chronicles our visit so far. Apparently, I timed it just right this evening - I went to Walmart and the 6.85 pounds of edamame he ate at lunch exited. The grandparents had fun with that one. :)
Today, Ian and I went to mine and Dave's alma mater, Florida State University. It's a great place with tons of history for the two of us. It's where we met, where I got my bachelor's and where he got his Ph.D. The 'Noles were the first football team I ever loved and it was the first college I ever wanted to attend. So to say it was pretty cool and just a little emotional to realize that I was walking our son through some of the same places that Dave and I walked many years ago was an understatement. Of course, phrases like "there's Mommy's old dorm" or "this is where Mommy and Daddy used to study together" or "this is where the Hari Krishnas used to annoy the evangelists" didn't have much meaning. But I hope to take Ian on a little tour of FSU every time that we come down and have him bleed garnet and gold too. And if we can afford the out of state tuition by the time he's 18, I'd love nothing more than to attend his college graduation in Tallahassee.
The campus has changed (duh) since I graduated in 1998 (dang, I'm old!). It's pedestrian now, and where the outer edge of campus was the recreation center, now there are buildings all around it. I didn't recognize anything between Doak Campbell (we parked in Egypt) and the Leach Center. There's even a new chemistry building, a med school, a new biomedical research building. And then I saw that the buildings I spent so much time in were still there and in use. Fisher lecture hall - site of so much organic chem angst. Dittmar - where I spent countless hours studying and hanging out with my friends and brothers in Alpha Chi Sigma. Dirac library - probably should've spent more time there. But the campus is absolutely beautiful. There's a new brick path that is just gorgeous. They haven't made the place into a concrete jungle - I saw more benches, trees, and flowers than I remember. Landis Green (popular site for sunbathing) has a beautiful fountain. So pretty, so much history.
Lunch was great. Dave's former major prof (who is also a good friend of mine) took Ian and I for some of the best Chinese food I've ever had. Very fun, albeit too-short lunch. I really would have loved to have caught up more, but John needed to get to work and Ian was reaching the limit to his good-boyness. He actually fell asleep before we got out of Tallahassee.
So that chronicles our visit so far. Apparently, I timed it just right this evening - I went to Walmart and the 6.85 pounds of edamame he ate at lunch exited. The grandparents had fun with that one. :)
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