Rambling on…
So I haven’t really posted in a while, mostly cause I feel kinda … scattered? about what to write for now. Things have been really busy in the lab and elsewhere since the holidays, which has pushed me right back into the hectic schedule I was doing before Christmas. Which is fine, it just means less time for reflective blogging, so y’all are going to get the abbreviated version of my thoughts 
Christmas at home was great – lots of time with family, including my maternal grandmother, who stayed for about 2 weeks. We made (and ate) a lot of yummy food, attempted a HUGE puzzle (that was abandoned), watched a few movies, read a LOT. So it was very relaxing and restful. Got some great stuff, including some lovely sheets that are on my bed right now and some cool new music.
Since then:
I’ve started back to work. Work is…ok. My boss and I had a random conversation yesterday about my graduation timeframe, and I think we both agree that May is too early to get everything done, but that we’re both aiming for roughly this coming fall – so that’s good, and scary at the same time. I’ve got a departmental seminar to give, a possible talk at a large meeting, and a thesis committee meeting, all of which will happen in February. Not. cool. But the committee meeting at least does have to happen so we can figure out what they want to see me finish before I graduate, since that’s what I need to be focused on to finish up here.
I still need to get some teaching experience before I get a ‘real’ job, but I’m leaning a lot more towards taking a semester or two off after I graduate and teaching as an adjunct prof at one of the close-by colleges. I just can’t see myself being able to maintain my research load, while doing a good job at teaching and maintaining a healthy, sane personal life, so I think that might be the best, if not most time-efficient, solution. Plus it means I might not have to pick up and leave Winston quite so soon
Other, less important things – I’m gearing up for training for the Cooper River Bridge March 31st – I had initially wanted to run the whole thing (after running about 1/2-2/3 of it last year), but with my knee being wierd still, I’m just hoping to do at least what I did last year. So far, so good. And I’m really looking forward to that weekend – Becky found a great house that holds a ton of people, so we’ll be able to really spread out and enjoy ourselves!
I sold a bunch of my books (ones that I won’t evey re-read really) to Edward McKays last night (LOVE EdMcKays!) – I got $40 store credit, of which I quickly spent $25 on some CDs (CC’s Share the Well, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash) and Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, of which I’ve read parts, but now I can read the whole thing (my high school obsession with mythology rears it’s ugly head!).
Speaking of reading, I’ve been reading a lot since Christmastime – I read at least a couple books over the holiday week break at home, and I’ve been making an effort to read more in the evenings rather than watching stupid tv that just happens to be on at the time. I read Dogs of Babel, and I’ve now moved on to reading several books at the same time (which is probably not the best way to get through things, but I get bored reading only one book sometimes, especially non-fiction). I’m still working on Freddy and Fredericka and The Pact, but I’m really absorbed in Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (thank you Kari!), who was the New York Times restaurant critic in the 1990s (I think the 90s) – she has really great stories about the lengths she had to go to to write her reviews. I should be finishing at least one or two of those this weekend…
I’m hanging out with some friends this weekend, celebrating Alisa‘s birthday with dinner out tonight (at Bianca’s, yum!) and casual girl-time tomorrow – should be a lot of fun! So Happy Birthday Alisa – hope this year in NC proves to be even better than the last!
Aw thanks girl.