One week down...

I hadn't realized that it had been two weeks since I last posted! 

My one "off" week went pretty well.  I did prep work for class, but didn't feel quite prepared.  I'm teaching a 6-week class this summer.

Last week was my first week of teaching.  It was mixed.  I thought I had prepared enough material for three days of class.  Instead, I lectured all the way through Monday AND Tuesday's class material on Monday.  Monday night, I expanded what I had originally planned on being Wednesday's material, and taught that Tuesday.  It went very well, and I was very happy.  However, I was now out of class material.  I threw together a slide set for Wednesday.  It was a disaster.  The lecture not only was short (the class periods are 75 minutes, and I only taught for 50 minutes), but I found myself reading the slides off the screen!  It was the great faux pas of presenting:  never just read the slides!  Thursday, I redeemed myself slightly--the class was 60 minutes, and I was back to presenting, rather than reading.

My sleep schedule was wonky, too.  I would go to bed at midnight, wake up at 4 am to prepare for my 9:30 am class.  Then, in the afternoon, around 3 o'clock or so, I would go home and nap for 4 hours, wake up, continue preparing for class until around midnight....rinse, repeat.  I lost all sense of normal time.  I would wake up from my mid-day nap panicked, thinking I had slept through my class.  Things that happened earlier on the on the same day, I believed had happened the day before.  

And yet, it was a good week.  I had burned a penny-sized hole in my carpet (a story for another time).  I went to Lowe's, looking for a carpet sample so I could cut a plug out of the sample and patch my carpet.  Lowe's didn't have sample sections of carpet there, but they called the manufacturer, and had them sent me a carpet square directly--at no cost to me.  I love Lowe's. 

For carrying lunch, I bought a food storage container from the Rubbermaid "Premier" line.  As someone who had been using the disposable Ziplock food containers, the Rubbermaid was a revelation.  It was actually sturdy, and the plastic was glasslike in how clear it was.  I used it for carrying black bean soup (yes, the same soup I wrote about in my last post).    

I finished up my leather project!  Expect photos of the purse revitalization project in the near future. 

For school, I bought new shoes, and for my upcoming summer trips, I bought a new camera.  It's a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35.  To go with the new camera, I took out a book from the library: Photography: The art of composition by Bert Krages.  

I still plan on using my current pocket-sized camera for most of my shooting, simply because it is much easier to carry.  Plus, I'm never been much of a technical person when it came to photography.  I guess I've always seen it as an art, and not a science.  An interesting point made by the book--I've read the first two chapters--is that artists don't spend alot of time arguing about tools, their pencils and brushes, but it is not uncommon for photographers to spend countless hours arguing about which camera is best.  At some point I really do need to get into the whole technical side of the art--but right now, I'd like to figure out the art side fo the art.  I have to be able to see first, right? before I start trying to get a machine to copy what I see. 

The exercises in the book are supposed to teach one how to see objects as points, lines, and shapes, and is based on theory from Betty Edwards book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain".  The first exercise in Krages' book:  photographing still points: Rocks.  This means that in the next few weeks, expect to see photos of rocks on this blog.  (The section of photographing points ends with points in motion: birds in flight, and moving balls in a sports game.  I then graduate to the section of photographing lines, starting with still lines: Forks!  Rocks and forks, I can't wait!)  But I guess that's the point (ha, ha) of having a person photograph common objects--it forces a person to see things they normally overlook. 

Anyway, one week down for teaching.  Five more weeks to go.  This will be a short teaching week for me, since on Thursday there is an exam. 

Happy Pentecost!        

The penny remains.

Summer starts

Last week was the last week of the semester.  I turned in my last paper on Monday, and then I mostly took the rest of the week off.  I got a haircut, watched "How to Train Your Dragon" (my first current generation 3D movie), and did heaps of laundry, as I put away all my winter clothes and took out the spring wardrobe.

Of course, last week, it was sunny, with temperatures in the high 70's, low 80's.  Today, it's dark and rainy, and in the 40's.  I had to turn the heat on, again, and I'm dressed in layers.

I had high hopes going to see "How to Train Your Dragon."  I had spoken with several people, and read reviews, all with positive things to say, and who said that the 3D was well worth it.  I enjoyed the movie--it was a cute, feel-good, kids movie.  However, the 3D did not agree with me--I found it uncomfortable to view, and in the end, I had a mild headache.  I was a bit surprised, as I had thought that this new generation of 3D had fixed the problem of nausea and headaches that the old generation red-and-blue-glasses type of 3D had been known to cause.  It might have been due to the type of 3D--I believe the type used in my showing was XpandD, and not the polarized RealD glasses.  I do know that when I put the glasses on before the start of the show and was looking around the theater, I noticed that it made it look like the sconces were flickering.

I hadn't cooked in a long time.  On Friday I made a chicken pot pie, and a black bean soup.  The soup was black beans, diced onions, and chopped tomatoes and potatoes, with a chicken broth base.  I had completely forgotten how fun cooking could be.

Once again, it was based off a Dean Ornish recipe.  Next time, I will add corn.

The end of semesters are always times when I feel open to possibilities.  For the summer, I'm thinking of working on my photography more seriously.  I think I'm going to get a book on composition from the library, and see if I can't photograph along with the chapters of the book.  And maybe...start posting twice a week again.

I'll be teaching my first class the first summer session.  Next week will be spent preparing.  And then I start the week after that.  I hope all goes well.

The penny remains.

Rainy season

It's begun to rain in Universtiy Town. Summer is close. I remember when I first came to University Town, it was late summer, and every time I needed to go out, it was raining. It was for the summers that I purchased a pair of "Aqua socks" type shoes for walking to school.

I apologize for not posting last week. I was working on a report. This week is not looking much better...it's the last week of school. I've got two reports and two presentations due this week.

Around April 9th or so, I started working on the cleaning and retouching of my handbag. I've got it cleaned with the Leatherique, and now I'm working on recoloring the discolored spots--I purchased Tarrago shoe polish in "Pastel Blue." I never realized they sold shoe polish in so many colors, but am very happy that they do.

Last week, buffing the polish into my handbag was something of stress relief. If I needed a few minutes break, I took a microfiber cloth, and just buffed. The shoe polish smelled very much like a strong hand cream, not like traditional shoe polish.

I'm still trying to get the color in some of the spots just right. I purchased a stamping ink--Colorbox pigment dye--from Michael's, and now I'm trying to find Memories brand dye ink. I've been taking pictures. I plan to put up the entire process in one post when I'm done. I'm happy the way things are turning out, and I'm happy that it's something of a long process--it gives me a little something to do, something to keep me interested, something to learn. I mean, there is probably an easier and faster way to do what I'm doing, but I like the feeling of accomplishment as I muddle along.

I did find this guide helpful: Restoring Damaged Leather Handbags & Products To Use. The guide recommended a shoe polish brand and a seller--I went to the seller's store, and though I didn't find the brand of shoe polish that was recommended, it was how I found out about the Tarrago brand of polish.

I received a very sweet anniversary card from my husband yesterday.  It's going into my permanent collection.

Other than that, I got a wireless keyboard: the Logitech K350. I'm using it now, with my laptop, and I'm finding it to be lightweight (the keyboard is resting on my lap, while the laptop is on a stand) and the ergonomic "wave" design to be comfortable.

Yesterday, I was making spaghetti, and accidentally knocked the box off the counter. It made a beautiful mess.

I thought it looked structural:

From underneath:

And the same, taken with flash:

The penny remains.

Procrastinating

My first Christmas after I started my PhD program, I purchased a couple of books on procrastination. It had never been a big problem for me, but that year, it was. One of the books was The Now Habit.  He gave an image of procrastination as being on a roof, and being told that you had to walk across a narrow board to an adjacent building.  Most people would be reluctant to do so.  Then, imagine that the building was set on fire--would you walk across the board now?

That image of procrastination helped define what I was feeling--fear of failure, fear of the unknown, and at the same time, trapped by deadlines, feeling like I was being forced to perform, like I lacked any agency for my own actions, like everything I did was an act of desperation.

It's a beautiful day out today.  It's sunny, with temperatures in the high 60's, near 70.  I've got homework to finish, stuff I'm going to have to bluff my through.  One homework assignment, a vitae (which I've never written one before), two proposals for class projects, and then the PROPOSAL--a draft of the proposal for my thesis.  I feel overwhelmed.  And instead of tackling them, I'm going to go to my blog, and write, and pretend, for a little while, that they don't exist.

It's been a decent week.  The weather's been the best.  People are out walking in their shorts and short-sleeves.  I went out cleaned my car, put rain repellent on the windows, did laundry, and repotted 2 of my 3 African violets.

I'm a little stunned that Easter is only two weeks away, but I look forward to it.

(The penny remains)

P.S.  I got a call from my husband.  It's snowing in Metro.  And here I am, thinking of opening a window, because my apartment is too warm.  Who switched our weather?

Ready for New Year's

Today (1 am, February 14) is the Lunar New Year, the year of the Tiger. I am ready.

This afternoon, I made preparations. I cleaned house, ushering out the old year, and making space for the new. I took out the trash. I shredded papers. I threw out old bedding. I took things out for recycling.

I drove to the recycling bin, to find that it was gone. I wandered confusedly around campus until I found another one. I dropped things off at the Goodwill.

I went to the store. I have everything for New Year's tomorrow--red bean paste and Mochiko for sticky cakes (nian-gao). I bought fish--Pacific cod. I have dumplings. I have cilantro, and five-spice powder.

I vacuumed, and swept, and dusted. I washed all the dishes (and I have no dishwasher). I cleaned the tub, the tile, the doors, the toilet, the sinks. I scrubbed the floor. I filed, put things away.

I showered, washed my hair, put on red pajamas. I turned the vent on in the bathroom, (instead of opening the windows and doors of the apartment), so that the old year could freely exit.

I am eating unbroken ramen noodles--long, for long life. I put on Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger."

I am ready for the New Year.

Happy New Year, everyone! Wealth and Long Life!

Return from Holiday

My last post, on December 5, was written at the beginning of the last two week stretch of the semester.  I was busy writing--I turned in 5 papers over those two weeks, and writing for "fun" (this blog) seemed to be beside the point.  The next two weeks, after the end of the semester, was spent on holiday with my husband in Metro.  The lack of posts from those two weeks were inexcusable.  However, I did have a wonderful time.

I have, however, returned to University Town.  School starts tomorrow, and I will return to my twice weekly updates.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, had good time with family and friends, and returned to work rested.  Thanks for bearing with me.

Since last time....

November:
It was Thanksgiving.  I made a turkey Wellington--crazy recipe because I'm really frustrated with turkey.  It turned out OK.  Then I flew home.

Flying home was great!  The first leg of the flight offered actual food!  Not $7 snack boxes, but free food--a box with wheat crackers, a little wheel of herbed Rondele cheese, and a package of sliced salami.  It included a small package of M&Ms, and another small bag of dried fruit.  That was before the drink cart came around with pretzels, and we were handed an entire can of soda.

Then, I was in Cleveland Hopkins International for the first time.  I remained only in one terminal, but it was nice and airy.  I liked how they placed the restrooms in the middle of the hall, with a corrugated metal half-pipe roofs--it made the terminal seem boulevard-ish.  The terminal even had an area for young children.  I people watched as I waited for my next flight, and it was a pleasant people watching--not staring into a tired crowd moving hurriedly back and forth in a long tunnel, as it can sometimes feel like in an airport.

The second plane was a bit odd.  Typically, on such flights, there are two seats on either side of the aisle going all the way back, where it opens to a small area for the flight attendants.  This flight, instead of being open in the back, had a back row that was 5 seats across.  That is, one person sat in a seat in the "aisle".  (I was seated in the last row, but next to the window.)

I was in good spirits when I landed.  It was about 6 o'clock, but dark my now.  I thought it odd that the car did not unlock when I tried to unlock it with my key fob...and that the light did not come on when I manually unlocked the car...and then that the car didn't start.

After a few frantic phone calls (I didn't have my AAA card, and couldn't reach my husband.  I called my in-laws, instead.), I got on the bus to go back to the terminal (there was a shuttle bus between long-term parking, where I was, and the airport terminals).  I stopped a couple that was disembarking to ask if they could give my car a jump.  They said that they didn't have a jump cable, but I said I did.  Only, when I looked in my trunk, turns out I didn't....Back on the bus.

My husband called me when I had arrived back at the terminal--his parents had contacted him, and he had called AAA for a service vehicle to be sent out.  My car got jumped, and I was on the way home by 8 o'clock.  I drove the 2 hrs home without incident.  The first thing the next morning, I was at Sears, getting a new battery put in.

The following week, I made two presentations.  That week also had the first day of hunting, and the local schools were all closed. I received an early birthday present--a clock radio docking station for my iPhone!  I'm very happy with it.  It's display, sound quality, and ability to pick up stations, are all better than my previous clock radio.  It looks pretty, too.

There were also strange weather reports.  It was 50 degrees and raining here in University Town in the Northeast, but I heard that it snowed back in southern Metro.

Finally, the penny remains.

Friday out and about

I didn't get a chance to drive around on Friday. It rained all day and it was dark by the time I left the pub to go home.

I was presenting a project that I had been working on since summer 2007. Every Friday the department meets and someone presents their research. It was my turn. I got to school with plenty of time before my presentation. I felt nervous, but also confident. I gave my talk, and wasn't bothered by any of the questions. I had several people congratulate me afterwards. But still...I don't want to think about it too hard. There were several times that I was asked a question my advisor(s) answered the questions for me. Were they trying to help me out in a good way? Or were they trying to help me out in the sense that I was fumbling so badly that they felt they had to step in to save me from myself? I don't know, and I don't want to think about it.

The last time I was before this group of people I was giving my oral defense for my candidacy exam. It was a terrible experience.

This presentation was different, of course. And the oral exam, well, it felt so long ago. But I wonder if that haunting feeling that I have now, this questioning of how I did, if some part of that unease didn't come from my sense of total failure that I had in the past.

In any event, I got good feedback,and spent the rest of the afternoon reading a paper that one of the professors suggested.

The happy hour was at a microbrewery/pub called Otto's. I don't drink, but I ordered their fish and chips. It was excellent--a large portion that was moist, and very flaky. The batter was well-seasoned, and not very oily. It came with a homemade tartar sauce with a strong kick of horseradish.

I don't normally use cash, but the restaurant grouped the bill, so I had to borrow money from a friend. The evening was good, but I left angry. One of the students had a bit too much and wouldn't stop talking, even after everyone had left. His ride, a female student, was waiting patiently for him to finish his glass, while he jabbered on about some class. And since I know that I wouldn't be comfortable if everyone ditched me while I waited for some guy to finish his drink--which he was taking his time to do--I hung around. Finally, the guy *I* was giving a ride to, stood up, put his arm around Mr. Slow and said "We should go." It wasn't late, and I didn't have other plans, but I was still annoyed.

It rained all night, and into Saturday afternoon. I love being inside and listening to the sound of rain.

The photo was taken on Thursday. I was attempting to do a color study, like a real-life color wheel: green, red, yellow, then behind them, blue, white. I don't think I succeeded. The composition looks unbalanced to me. Ah well, maybe my skills will improve enough that I can get a better picture next fall.