homeward bound

so i have been in texas since the 14th and it's safe to say that i'm really ready to be on the road home. :) it's not that i haven't had a good time here, because i certainly have. in fact, i didn't even get to see everyone that i wanted to see. but there's something to be said about sleeping in your own bed and just being back in your own routine with your usual stuff. i'm hoping that there won't be any students at today's conference so that i can head out tomorrow afternoon. usually they fax us the numbers but for some reason that didn't happen...the one time i really want to know. :) punks! maybe that means i don't have any? no idea!

not a lot of excitement lately. i downloaded a trial version of a new WinDVD and it works a lot better though is far from flawless. got a hair cut this morning. heard about a crazy thunderstorm that i missed in ABQ last night. have some tentative plans for tonight. finally ate at freebirds today which i realized i didn't do last time i was here (i know...blasphemy!). SO...it has been nice to be here and the weather wasn't even ungodly hot the whole time. love my texas friends for sure and miss them tons. but, i miss home too. :)

woo friday!

it's friday! woo woo!! :) feeling a lot better...its wacky how conversations until 4 a.m. can do that for ya. but they do. i'm in the office for a few hours today. got my students registered and figured out (again) that i will enjoy working with transfer students quite a bit. parents are a lot less stressed out with their students when they have a few years of college behind them already (most of the time...there are exceptions.)

not too much happening right now. got to catch up with friends for dinner last night and lunch today. good chat with my temporary roommate here. :) have a dinner meeting with my advisor tonight. might grab a beer later on with some people. got some plans tomorrow and sunday too. sticking around town which will be good i think.

in other random news...i really hate WinDVD. it sucks my ass. all i want to do is watch The Sopranos on my laptop and it freezes up every 9 seconds. i have one chapter of an episode to watch and couldn't get it done last night. any better programs or ways to fix piece of poop WinDVD? help me out computer gurus. :)

unexpectedly blah

hi friends....you ever just feel kinda down or tired or whatever and can't put your finger on the exact cause? i've been feeling that way lately. i suspect i know part of the issue, but mostly i should be excited right? i get to hang out with friends in texas for a while. i get to start a new job soon after months and months of waiting for that to happen. heck, i even ordered my aggie ring today which is super cool, right? and yet...blah. i think i'm sorta anxious to get back to my own stuff in albuquerque and i feel like i've been away more than i've been home lately. maybe that's it. i dunno...but i hope it changes. :)

say hi to the newest student program advisor

as of monday, i accepted the position i was offered here in ABQ. i think that this will be a job that i will truly enjoy and get a lot out of. the job i phone interviewed for seemed like it might give my new position a run for its money, but it turned out that they found a more qualified candidate. SO-that validated my decision a touch more...though for the most part i was already pretty certain that i picked the right job. i've been faxing all kinds of info so that my hiring paperwork can go through and i found out that HR has officially given their blessing. i also learned that i have permission to teach my classes in the fall since they won't interfere with the work day and new job. in other words, things are really falling into place. :) i speculated today how long it would take me to pay off debts if i live frugally for a while and continue teaching and working (yikes! dissertation!!!) and it would be mostly gone...other than massive student loan debt of course...in less than a year.

besides the money stuff, i'm just really excited to be back in an office. who knows..in a month i could be ranting about crazy office drama..but i'm going to think positive and relish in my excitement to meet new people and be a part of a new program that's designed to really help students. i can't wait to get started! my first day is july 5th, which gives me some down time to recover from the 12 hour drive back to ABQ and hopefully get my apartment organized and cleaned. but luckily it's not too long and i get to jump in soon. i can't even wait to see my cubicle...how lame is that?! :)

so, i will of course keep you posted about how things go. in the meantime, the texas trip is going pretty well. not too much advising excitement. getting to the rec in the mornings. getting to catch up with friends (which included fun times in houston with jeff this past weekend), which is always a good thing. it's been rainy and thus not quite 22138u1q32 degrees (yes i know there was a u and a q in there). its nice to be back. :)

triangles are NOT octagons

ags....let's talk about what a yield sign is. a yield sign is NOT a stop sign. it means you slow down and see if there is someone coming down the ramp or lane or whatever and you yield to them if they are in fact there. if no one is there, you go. you don't stop unless you will plow into said car in lane or ramp. no STOPPING! this is not hard. it's the difference between a triangle and an octagon. for your reference....

octagon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_sign

triangle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yield_sign

get it together and stop fuckin' around at 2818 and university. (this rant is probably also supported by mike who knows from experience that you need to differentiate between the two shapes.)

a relief for the uncertainty

i was telling mike the other night that i still didn't really feel like ABQ was home yet. the reason for that was that my world was still swirling in uncertainty. wasn't sure about the job stuff...not sure about crazy boy stuff...not sure when my dissertation stuff will be done. so basically, a lot of pretty major things in my life were unknown which created this sense of being unsettled. like at any moment i would have to pack up and move again. i'm very hopeful that that will now change. though the offer is still unoffical until it gets HR blessings, it looks like i will be taking a job at UNM soon. i'll finally have steady employment and won't have to wonder how i'm going to pay the bills at the end of each semester. i'm still waiting to see if i'll be able to teach, but all in all things are looking good. so though i still have uncertainty (boy..dissertation..etc), i'm hoping this chunk of financial stability will help me feel like i can truly settle in and call ABQ home. :) so as predicted in yesterday's blog post...more good news. now i'll hope for continued patience with the other mysteries in my life. :)

good vibes lead to good things

i had good vibes after my most recent job interview in new mexico...like i had just nailed it and i'd be hearing from them. i told mike that i hoped i would be calling him with job news this week. and guess what...i was right. i got a job offer for that position AND i have an interview for yet another position tomorrow. all my impatient waiting (contradiction?) has...i think/hope...paid off. :) the job offer is still unofficial and i'm working on negotiating a bit more money, so i'm not totally celebrating yet. but i'm hopeful that it will all work out soon one way or the other.

i think the position i was offered could open a lot of doors for me at UNM, which is mostly a good thing. the only bad thing is that i'm getting somewhat close to graduation and will be expected/encouraged to go on the faculty job market. not quite ready to think about that yet...or to think about moving away from ABQ already. (though i was given an interesting possibility by my unofficial graduate school mentor...more on that as it develops.) anywho...i'm happy to finally have an offer. it was a much needed boost to my self-confidence. a girl can only take so much rejection (HEAR THAT MEN?!?!...heehee).

in other news, i'm back in texas to finish up my advising obligation to the sociology department. i was dreading the long drive but found out its not so bad when you have an iPod of sweet music (like informer by snow). should be a fun couple of weeks hanging out with friends, advising, dissertation work (i have a plan!), and going to the rec regularly with sara. all very good stuff. :)

okay..i gotta get some sleep so i'm awake in the morning. more news soon.

:)

rain in duke city

it's been showering occassionally in albuquerque this week. it makes everyone pause for a second and look out the window with a touch of marvel. we haven't seen a lot of preciptitation in any form...rain, snow, sleet. so it's kind of nice to see. sunshine is great and everything, but every once in a while...you need to see some clouds, thunder, and lightning.

trying not to get my hopes up, but...

i found out through the grapevine that my references are being checked for the position interviewed for on friday. good sign right? :)

also...i'm heading to texas again in about a week to finish up my advising stint. i migrate there every two weeks it seems. not looking forward to the long ass drive, but should be fun. :)

cross your fingers

i had an interview on friday afternoon. i think that it went very well and would be a position that i would greatly enjoy. the official title is student program advisor, but specifically i would work with transfer students in their adaptation to life at the university. it's a position that requires academic advisor skills as well as student affairs stuff and it's a new endeavor which is always exciting. i hope to hear something very soon. they did all the interviews on friday and expect to notify people in the next week or so.

i will of course keep you posted but keep your fingers crossed that i hear from one of these crazy jobs soon.

p.s.- kate tip: don't try on suits the day of your interview while in the process of losing weight. totally demoralizing. yay for fun accessories. :)

"you don't go out looking for a job dressed like that? on a weekday?" "is this a... what day is this?"

i am unemployed right now, just like the dude from the big lebowski. in a way, it's nice to have some time to chill and get things done that i should have done long ago (like clean out my big closet and get organized.) i'm hoping to get some more work on my dissertation done now that class stuff for the spring is over. and i've been going to the gym more in an attempt to no longer be a freakin' slug. let's just say that my two weeks in iowa during the winter were not kind and things haven't improved in new mexico for some reason. so, i'm trying to finally reach my goal, since i have time. :)

i've always had a dream of doing nothing, but now that i actually don't have a job, i do not have the solace i would have expected. maybe you need to have some cash saved up before fulfilling that dream. :) in the meantime, i'm really really hoping that the job interviewed for at UNM will come through. or that the interview i have on friday goes well. i'll let ya know. and in the meantime, i guess i'll try to live the dream a little.

:)

junk

i keep getting weird junk mail in my school account with crazy subject lines. the weirdest one was tonight: panties response.

what does that mean? why would that make me want to open it?

ah well...time for sleep.

aggieland update

so, since some of you are aggies and might care, i thought i'd tell you about a few of the changes i've noticed while driving around town this week. all of them are restaurant related, but i swear i'm not totally food obsessed. :)

first up, new freebirds opened up on university near 6 where all the new stuff is going. there's also a linens n' things there too.

lanes has now morphed into a newer building and is called raising canes, but i think it's still chicken fingers. i haven't eaten there so i'm not sure about the scoop on that.

new c&j bbq place is opening on wellborn near southwest parkway.

deluxe diner has gone out of business. i guess their business must have dropped off after tim, wes, mike and other MOA guys left. :)

no more double daves on northgate. it turned into a bar. luckily there is a new DDs on george bush and texas.

amazingly the place that always switched between chinese food and mexican food on texas (cazadores or something) is still open! finally something has stayed in that spot.

texas avenue is still under construction. do not ever drive on it unless you want to swear at people...A LOT.

haiku still has awesome sushi. macalisters is still really busy at lunch time and they will ask you three times if you're done with your food even though you're not apparently. :)

so..some changes..some sames. overall a good trip so far which i'll get into more later. feeling ready to head back to New Mexico though. allergies are killing me and i miss my bed.

peace out ya'll!

crazy eHow

it's funny/ironic that eHow posted this tip today of all days: http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Over-a-Break-Up

i think i could write this one. :) which is a good thing, right? means i know how. i know eHow.

hangin' out in h-town

had a WONDERFUL weekend hanging out with my good buddy (and oldest friend) Jeff in houston this weekend. always good times with the cool bobcat. highlight of the trip was yesterday. slept in, hung out by the pool drinking shiner and getting a tan (almost), and then went to eat dinner for 3 hours at a fantastic restaurant with drinks following there. i'm just going to link the places we went and tell you what i ate. that will give you an idea of how full i am now and how much rec time i will need next week!

friday night- star pizza we had deep-dish half starbust and half jeff's OCD blend (pepperoni, mushrooms, extra sauce, light cheese i think) on wheat crust. very awesome pizza.

drinks at dean's credit clothing - pricey for the girl from ABQ but tasty all the same. definitely a nice ambiance and fun people watching (aka mocking).

saturday night- prego excellent food! we had a lot of appetizers like the pan-roasted lump crab cake, corn flour crusted oysters, potato gnocchi, and calamari. i had the smoked duck ravioli ( Smoked Duck Ravioli with port-soaked cherries, roasted pear, pistachios and white balsamic sauce) holy shit it was good. AND we had dessert too. i chose a chocolate mousse tiramisu. there was also, of course, lots of wine. excellent!

drinks at the lounge at benjy's they have an awesome outside patio where we enjoyed a few cocktails. i tried one of their specialty drinks which was delicious. definitely try the blood orange margarita if you ever go there.

just when i thought i could not eat any more food, jeff and i met his friend (and my friend too) heather at baba yega. delicious food and WAY too much of it. luckily jeff and i burned some calories walking around IKEA afterwards.

so, i had a great weekend and i'm anticipating a fast and furious week in texas before my return home.

southland in the spring time

(for you non-indigo girls fans out there, the title refers to one of their songs. boo-ya.)

so, i'm temporarily back in college station helping with advising in sociology. it has been really slow this week, but nice to be back in the blue office. i thought i'd be rusty on stuff, but i seemed to pick up where i left off five months ago. helped a few students and i'm attempting to put out a fire i inherited. fun stuff!

it is cool and weird to be back. this is the glorious time of year when the town is pretty much empty. i've been able to catch up on my girly maintainence. got my nails done and my hair fixed up. both are very nice now. i've been to the rec a few times attempting to make up for all the meals out with friends. not sure i'm breaking even on that.

overall, it's good. some of my buddies are gone this week, which is disappointing, but it has been great to see those who are in town. i was so focused on leaving college station that i didn't realize how homey it was. don't get me wrong, i'm happy with the move, but it's nice to be in a place that's almost entirely familiar. there have a been a few changes...places closed, new places opened...but all in all i know where the good dry cleaner, nail place, salon, etc is in town. i look forward to ABQ being that familiar.

in other news, i have a phone interview for a kick ass job at UNM set up for friday. cross all your crossable parts for me. this would be a fantastic opportunity and would allow me to finally get out of debt and have benefits again. woo woo! i will keep you posted.

i think i'm good at this

today i saw quite a few students who were either making-up tests or picking up their final papers and stuff. a lot of the students who were picking up stuff commented on how much they liked the class, asked me if i'd be teaching more, and in general had some good things to say about the semester. one of them was a non-traditional student and my class was her first one. she was so excited to find out that she got an A. her first A in an undergrad class as a full-time employee and mom of a college-aged student. :) i was genuinely happy as i entered 200 grades for my intro class to see that some of the students that have been showing up and working hard all semester did well.

i also talked with a student for about a half hour today. i never knew what to make of him in class. he always had this shitty grin on his face and sat in the back, so my impression was that he wasn't taking it very seriously. i was wrong. very wrong. he told me last week that his younger brother died unexpectedly and he was thus behind on things. today, he turned in missing homework and lamented that he only got a 92 out of 100 on his last test (which he took during a stressful time). just goes to show that some students really care and are willing to bust their asses. in fact, i wish more students were like him...rather than giving me some b.s. excuse when the fact of the matter is that they are just slacking, they work through a difficult time. i'm truly proud of that student and hope he is also proud of himself.

so, even though i still have lots of grades to calculate and will inevitably hear some gripes about grades, i can say that this has been a very positive experience. the more i do it, the more i think i'm really cut out to do this. the administrator/teacher/small college path seems to be the right fit for me...just as i've always suspected. perhaps that makes me a quasi-academic...but i don't care. :)

time for bed.

quick wit

a few weeks ago i was watching the HBO show big love with a few friends of mine. the show is weird and addictive and makes me want to get hbo for sunday nights only. at one point in the episode, a group of 4-5 high school guys are driving around in a wood-paneled station wagon and the driver...for reasons that i still struggle to understand...pulls out his wang and uses it to steer the car. if i remember right the boys ended up in an accident. what i do remember was an instant barrage of jokes from me and my friends.

b: "he was a little 'cocky' with his driving skills."

me: "well, he was driving a 'woody.'"

d: "it was a 'head'strong lane change."

we were all very proud of ourselves. as i think is clear that we should have been.

:)

commense wine drinking

today was a hectic day. so hectic that instead of grading tests right now, i'm going to bust open the botttle of gewürztraminer wine i bought a few weeks ago. my methods courses starte presentations about their research proposals today. overall, i was very happy with how they did, though the transitions from presentation to presentation could have been smoother. we were crunched for time though due to course evals and had some technical difficulties. i did learn that a video project will still work after taking a dive off of a desk. it was neat though to see that the students had such good ideas and they really pulled the projects together.

my office hours were also crazy today. lots of visitors wondering about grades, a few make-up tests, and a lot of grading to do. i'm sure there are not many undergrads who read this blog, but in case there are, here's a piece of advice to you. do NOT throw away homework or tests or anything you got a grade on until after you see your final grade. with TAs and crazy instructors all trying to keep track of shit, it is inevitable that mistakes will be made. and you will be a sad puppy if you find out that someone didn't enter a test grade for you and because of your expediency of recycling paper goods, we have no idea what your grade was. get a folder and put everything in that sucker.

i'm happy and amazed that the week is half over. next week will be a mad dash to get grades in and trying to find a freakin' job still. you guys are praying and crossing your crossable parts right? maybe profs will still fund me and i could just work on my dissertation all summer. doubtful, but maybe?

love yas!

not to complain yet again...but

okay, so i promise i will post a happier entry soon. but first i have to vent a bit. yesterday was may 1st and i forgot to pop by the office of my stupid apartment complex with my rent check. didn't figure it would be the end of the world, since hey....it's not even 24 hours later. i was totally wrong. i stopped by with my check to find out that i have to pay with a money order AND pay an extra TWENTY-FIVE dollars. maybe this is standard practice and i am just naive about such things. i did have a great landlord before who was very laid back (thanks mike). but still...even my last apartment experience was nicer about rent day than that...and they were stupid about most things. you had until may 3rd to pay before they started charging you extra and they still would take a check. it was a giant pain in the ass to get a money order, but luckily the post office people were very helpful and nice. anyway, the rant is mostly to talk about how stupid the policy of not taking a check is because of one day late rent. i mean for god's sake...they would take my check yesterday?! i was bringing them a check in person. what's the problem?!! it makes me anxious to get out of this building...though i would need a job to do that, huh?

rant over.

pray for employment for me soon!