Some positive things

Okay, so I actually got some work done this week! Not nearly what I intended, of course, but I did manage to finish the little pedagogy article on Thursday, and the editor already responded very favorably toward ti. Ze suggested some optional revisions, but if I thought they were stupid, ze is ready to publish the article for the fall "as is." Yay for that weight off my shoulders. So I'm going to tinker with it and get hir something by Tuesday at the latest.

So far well behind what I had outlined for myself for this summer. I honestly had not anticipated how much energy and time it would consume to teach a summer class AND to spend about six weeks in a steady state of panic about summer finances. Last month seemed to be off to a decent start when we found out about the husband's job and I got some extra money, but then we didn't hear anything else about his job for weeks, and then I freaked out because I felt foolish for all of our spending in getting things for the house and getting things for ourselves that we had been putting off and putting off and putting off. And it looked like if the job were real that we were looking at a late August or September start date which didn't help with the financial issues at all. So I've really spent the last two weeks freaking out about that, pacing, sleeping, doing everything but work because work means sitting still and reading or writing which leads to reflection which leads to panic and anxiety and halts productivity. I made the husband call the new unit to find out what was going on, if he still had the job, if it really was real.

He starts next Wednesday which means two paychecks by September 1. Whew. Relief. I can pay our bills for August and September and we can still eat. I can't wait until the end of September when we both have paychecks and I can start trying to get us out of debt. Won't that be special??

I have six days left on the Whole30. I believe I have lost some inches because in the last 10 days I've been able to get into a skirt I haven't been able to wear in three years, a pair of pants that has NEVER fit, and shorts that I've not been able to wear in three years either. I assume I am shrinking, but I can neither weigh myself nor do my measurements until next Saturday morning, on Day 31. The exercise stuff is going amazingly, except in the past week I've given myself frostbite, I bruised my chest doing power cleans, I tore some skin off my hands practicing my kipping for my pullups, and yesterday, my brain wanted one thing and my body wanted another and I ate the box on which I was jumping, and now I have a sweet ass bruise on my shin and a cut. At least the injuries are going down in severity. The husband is worried though that the injuries will eventually cause suspicion and he'll be investigated. I told him not to worry that there were plenty of witnesses at the box who can attest to how I got my injuries. It's still wicked fun, and my injuries make me feel tough, even if it does mean I'm going to look like the quarterback princess at prom for my cousin's wedding in a couple of weeks.

While I had two ideas for my next two things that I wanted to work on, I think I need to switch my plans around. I need to regroup here, figure out a plan of attack for August, and then figure out how I'm going to get done what I need to by the time Winter Quarter starts. Part of that is going to involve getting my office space cleaned up. And honestly, now that the husband has a job, in theory I should be able to get more stuff done in the afternoons because he won't be home until about 6 most days I think, so that does give me a lot of time T-F to get stuff done without him distracting me.

Furthermore, my parents are coming in next weekend, so I've got to get some of that madness taken care of too in the guest room.

Oh, and I sent an email to my student with the incomplete, in which I copied both my boss and the registrar, explaining that if I didn't have the rest of hir work by yesterday, that since I had family obligations and trips planned for the next five weeks, I couldn't guarantee that I'd get to hir work in the most timely manner after yesterday, so if ze had to contest hir scholarship before the quarter started, I'd be able to get hir stuff graded before Monday if ze turned it all in, otherwise, I couldn't guarantee that I'd even be in the state to turn in the grade change form. The registrar responded very kindly to me saying that he "had my back," which was nice since he ended up on the shit side of the stick a few weeks ago, too. And lo and behold! Stu turned in hir work Thursday, which I promptly graded and immediately went to campus to submit the form! I'm done with Stu! Yay!!

Oy, I've got a long weekend ahead of me while the husband is at drill.

Misc. & Sundry Things

Okay, so maybe now I'm starting to freak out a little bit. I've not gotten nearly anything I wanted to get done this summer yet--including the self-imposed deadline for the small article. As the editor doesn't need it until the end of the month, well, here I am--I haven't looked at it since I wrote it, and now I'm 9 days away from having to turn that bad boy in, and I've made no progress. Because the J was supposed to be in class all day or at a job, well, now he's home all day, and while I love having him around, it's bad for my productivity. And it's not totally his fault. I mean, there's soooooooooo much stuff to do around this house! So much to clean, so much food to prep, so much organization to do, STILL boxes to be broken down, clothes to go to Goodwill. I mean, I could spend eight hours of cleaning a day and organizing and throwing stuff out and donating and whatnot, and I'd be occupied, seriously, for like three weeks. Next week though, I'm going to have to take the week off from housework and all things house related so I can finish the article and make some headway on my research here. I have to give myself a tiny bit of credit for just now figuring out how to order my own desk copies for my fall class.

It's July, and I haven't done anything really.

I keep saying, "But the house needs to be in order before fall; the house needs to be in order before fall," which is layered under "the house needs to be in order NOW" which thwarts my work, and all my great "reorganization" projects just leave half the place in greater disarray than before! Egads! Maybe what I need to do is devote today to the guest room  and the office and be done with it for good so I have no more excuse you know? I'm more of a mess than I like to think.

The J hasn't started work yet which is starting to stress me out because no one knows when he's supposed to in-process. The only thing keeping me from full on panic is a) he's not worried, and b) the people who got the jobs in the other units are all in the same boat, so at least three other people are limbo for their in-processing, too. With any luck though, he'll start at the next pay cycle. It sucks because if they push it off any longer, than he could have stayed in school. ARGH! Sometimes the military just makes me so freaking crazy!!

Outside of academics and the great reorganization/purging project of the summer of 2012, other things are going well. As I mentioned I bought new running shoes for the first time in a year and new work out shoes for the first time in 7 months. Yesterday I bought new work out clothes for the first time in a year as well! So now I have shorts to get me through an entire week of work outs and a couple of more sports bras. Last week I got into my mini jean skirt that I haven't been able to wear since 2010, and even then I only wore it once or twice. I tried it on in May and it did not fit at all, so that's cool. And it looked pretty good, too. CrossFit is going really well, although I fear that the trainer thinks I "like" him, which I'm sure he's aware that ALL the women there have crushes on him. However, I am almost always the last.one.there. I always do the "Ca$h Out" work out,* and I'm almost always the last one there finishing it. And then I have to stretch. It's the only thing keeping me from total body breakdown here.

But see, I see the box as a classroom. I thrive in classroom environments. And as I mentioned, the thing about the CrossFit box is that everyone who work outs there does the same work out as everyone else; we all work toward a common goal, and our times go up on the board. I am a teacher/coach/professor pleaser especially if it's a class I like, right? As I have competition aspirations, my behavior at the box is totally as one who is vying to be the teacher's pet. It's sad in a way I think, but it's also because even in the outside world, I struggle to be taken seriously. And right now, I'm like the least strong when it comes to Olympic style weight lifting than all the other females, and I HATE being last! And while we all compete against each other though, we're all very supportive of each other and what we all can accomplish. It's very symbiotic--bettering oneself betters the community and the bettering of the community betters oneself. And that's how CrossFit refers to itself--as a community. And it prides itself on fostering that community. It's service oriented, too believe it or not. Lots of people who quit their jobs to devote their time to CrossFit find some way to work CrossFit into some kind of community based non-prof. Anyway, you are all probably already sick of hearing me go on and on about this.

I have found though that it clearly is filling some kind of need/void though. I get to interact with people outside of campus, outside of my department, outside of academia. I get to do something that makes me feel really good and do that around other people who get it. And on the days I do get work done, I actually get a lot done because I feel better, I can focus, and I have more energy to do that stuff. For a while I don't have to be Dr. Maude, which isn't a bad thing at all, and granted, that is the largest part of my identity, but it's not everything. It shouldn't be everything all the time either I don't think. Anyway, this has all veered off from where I started the post, and as class is in a little bit on this Saturday morning, I should get going.

I think what needs to happen this weekend though is I figure out a schedule for the coming week and what I want to accomplish by the end of the week for work so I get that done.


Have a wonderful weekend all!


*it's the post work out work out where you drain whatever you have left in you.

Stuff to do!!

Um, yeah, so I've accomplished nothing in the way of work this week. Gah! We've been cleaning, shopping, organizing, and most importantly, CrossFitting! Yeah! And watching the games online--we have a Mac Mini and that thing is just so portable we move it to the den and hook it up to the t.v. when we need to watch something on-line.

So I have some awesome things first to report--on Thursday right I did my first unassisted handstand and couldn't do the rope climb. Yesterday I did THREE unassisted handstands, made movement toward a handstand pushup AND made it about 8 feet up the rope! Woo-hoo!

I've got to get some of this stuff around here organized and taken care of today though because I do have work to do (although truth be told right now all I want to do is hang out at the box). So today I've got to do some food prep and finish with the kitchen stuff. I've got to finish moving the DVDs to their new home and get one of the bookcases into the bedroom so I can move the spare desk into the office and temporarily house the microwave stand there until there's room to move it to the guest room to make room for the chest freezer. We've got to get boxes broken down and into the trash for pick up tomorrow and get the clothes for goodwill in the car to bring them tomorrow too (conveniently located near our CF box).

My student who has the incomplete and who complained so loudly with hir father to anyone over me who would listen (and who has received two emails from me reminding hir of what needs to be done, how to submit, etc.) has YET, after all that freaking grief on Monday, to turn hir work in. Apparently contesting hir scholarship isn't really that big of deal now since it's clear it's not my fault that ze can't contest it. But I freaked out on Thursday when the Assistant Dean called me at home after 5 because I thought that it was about this student. Turns out it wasn't. More pretty good news--there's this week long program for H.S. students at the Uni that's funded by a large national grant, and part of that "camp" is that they watch films relevant to the topic of the camp and then have to discuss the films in the context of what they've learned that day. I guess usually someone from the English department is asked to do this (so I don't know why they didn't ask the person who often does it), but anyway, this year, according to the Asst. Dean, I was his first choice/recommendation for this to the program director, and it pays $600 for three nights of work--I give a 5-10 minute intro to the film, watch the film with the kids, and voila, I get $200 per movie for that. Sweet right?! And I get to list it as service for both the university and larger community on my c.v. for tenure. I'm down with that. I would do it just for the money anyway (and I'm in town, and it's not that labor intensive, and we still don't know when the husband starts work, so I'll take whatever extra money I can get still). Anyway, I'm totally down with that.

My goal for this coming week, M-F is to read a book a day (come as close as possible) and write for at least 15 minutes and FINISH that other freaking article. The short one. The one I now haven't looked at for two whole freaking weeks!

With any luck, this is what next week's extreme research schedule will look like--three hours of reading in the morning, 15 minutes of writing, four hours of reading in the afternoon. At least. The husband will either have to read as well or find something else to occupy him. I need next week to jump start some getting work done here. It's mid July; I've accomplished nothing, not even the small article, and time is slipping away. It'll be September before I know it.

I don't want to get stressed out yet, but I'm almost at that point. Today, finish organizing/cleaning and all that jazz!

Have a great weekend everyone!

What a Crazy Wonderful Week!

So the J's job is official. We went and met his new unit on Tuesday, signed his initial paperwork, and now we're waiting for them to call to tell us when he need to report to the State Capitol for his PT test. As soon as he passes (which he will), they'll cut his orders and he'll start work. Giant relief there because while I was excited about his job, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and find out it wasn't real, or was going to fall through, or whatever, so until Tuesday, I was totally holding my breath. But now it's real. It'll be really real when we get that first paycheck.

I had also been waiting on pins and needles for my money to come in--the thing we were waiting to make us solvent for the remainder of the summer, and since it had been a week since I talked to the investment people and the check hadn't come, I was starting to think that was a joke/lie and starting to stress out. To be honest, I wanted to go shopping, but I was worried about August's bills and whatnot, too. And I need to have something put away for September, at least the first half, depending on when the J starts his job.

Now, the check finally came in, and we've been shopping. I can't say we've been irresponsible with it, and this is the thing about unemployment and underemployment and then finding out about employment and where it's hard to then be disciplined about paying off outstanding debt. All those things that we have been trying to save up for the past year which have been impossible to save for because you know, do you buy x or do you eat for two week is always the problem, has not been a problem this week. It hasn't been frivolous--we didn't go out and buy a whole new expensive entertainment center we don't need or a new kitchen dining room set or a $3k shopping spree (although, wouldn't that be nice!). Rather, we both finally got new running shoes after about 10 months*. I think we were both about a month away from having holes in the soles of those shoes. We replaced our blender with the Ninja! Really, my dream is to have a Vitamix, but I seriously can't justify that kind of money for that, not when I really also want the Dyson Slim Vac (hello, 1960s housewife anyone? I LURVE me some appliances!). Anyway, our current blender is about a decade old, gets used just about every day, but wasn't made to be used every day. We also bought a vacuum sealer for the food to help eliminate freezer burn, especially for the meats. My parents have had one for a really long time and they love it and say that it really helps keep things fresh and helps with the freezer burn. The other part of that equation was then buying a chest freezer, which we bought yesterday. One that might be a bit bigger than we need right now, but I think it's almost a necessity for us. Our freezer is so small (and we're not buying our own fridge until we have our own house), so it's impossible to buy bulk right now (like meats) and we buy a lot of frozen fruit, and sometimes those bags are too big for the freezer and the freezer door doesn't always close, which is a pain. Since we spend a lot of money on quality food, I don't want that to go to waste, so now we have a better system. The J would like to start canning. And by Christmas, I'd like to give a go at food dehydrating so I can make my own jerky and what not.

The J is also a big fan of cubicles for storage because you can get bins and stuff for them as well, so he's been wanting one for the kitchen for the tupperware because he hates our cabinet situation here. And then we got two more for the den for dvds so we can free up the bookcases for our books and get some more room in the office.

This morning I just ordered an item that I had been looking at in some form or another for almost four years (this isn't the one I saw four years ago--it's a fraction of the price, but has the same function). It's this. Actually, probably more than four years--I've been looking at something like this since my dissertation days, something I can slide up to me on the side so that I can take notes while sitting in my reading chair reading. And aside from ordering some food, we should be done with our shopping. And the Red Rocket is getting a haircut today too. I'm finally going to pay someone else to do it right and so I don't have to!

The other exciting/cool thing that's happened this week is on Monday (and we found out yesterday), a CrossFit box opened here in town!!!!!!! Oh happy day!! We went by and immediately joined!! I've been giddy with excitement since then! We went to our first class last night, and I was pumped! And then we're going to class this morning at 6 (I've been up since 4), and I couldn't sleep at all last night because I'm so excited!! I was going to use some money to buy some equipment, and while what we'll pay for a year's membership could get us our own set of stuff, now we get a trainer, we get unlimited access to the box and the equipment, and unlimited classes/training sessions. Plus, there's now way we'd be able to install rings or a climbing rope here or be able to purchase a rowing machine or GHD (glute & ham developer), so I think it's going to be awesome. And I really want to compete (I have a LOOOOOOOOOOONG way to go), so this will get me closer to that sooner. Plus, with a trainer, I'm going to see results much faster. So we are totally stoked about that!! Seriously!! We are now officially CrossFitters rather than people who do CrossFit because we now are part of an affiliate! Woot! We thought we'd have to open our own box someday or have a garage gym when we got our own house, but this is perfect. Plus, it's barely five minutes from the house! How awesome is that??!!

So that being said, I need to go get ready so I can get to class!! I haven't been this excited about an event since my wedding day!

*those of you who are runners might be cringing right now--in traditional running shoes, one should replace them every 3-4 months depending on mileage. We run in Vibram Five Fingers. Even with heavy mileage, we get away with buying a pair every 9-12 months, which saves us, combined, about $600/yr. We don't eff around with broken down running shoes.

Seriously Annoyed.

Argh!! I'm so pissed today at this stupid student who I granted an "incomplete" to--and the I only reason I did so was because the doctor from the counseling services called me and asked me to. Biggest mistake ever!

Here's what been going on in the last 1.5 weeks. Student has been sending one of the remaining essays to the wrong email and has been getting pissed off at me for not responding. Uh, yeah, it's the wrong email, so how is that *my* fault. Ze has also had hir father email my boss about my not doing my job--giving the student the assignments and what not. Um, yeah, stu had them (and they are on-line at that!) a good two weeks before the end of the spring quarter.

When Stu finally got the essay to the correct email, Stu notified me that I needed to grade hir work ASAP (yes, actually said, "I need this ASAP") because ze has lost hir scholarship over the incomplete. Not my problem. Now, if this were the last assignment that Stu owed me, I would have complied. But Stu still owes me another essay. Essay 5 is a take home final that asks the students to reflect on all of their writing and participation during the quarter. Essay 5 is contingent on writing Essay 4, but not contingent on receiving a grade for it. During the quarter, Essay 4 is due the Monday of Finals Week and Essay 5 is due that Wednesday, so NO ONE gets the benefit of a graded Essay 4. And the grade isn't necessary either. So Stu claims that I'm the one holding up hir work and that it's my fault that ze cannot contest hir scholarship because I'm not doing my job, which is what ze once again told hir father which is what hir father told my boss who now wants to know why I haven't made the grade change yet. Now, the tone of my boss's email was not one that was angry, but you could tell that my boss certainly thinks that I'm the one who has dropped the ball. Rather than asking me if the student has completed all of hir work, she assumed that the student had and has asked me to change the grade ASAP! What the fuck!?

Look, I think you should give me the benefit of the doubt in that I know how to do my job and if Stu had turned in hir work, it'd be graded. I think you should ask me first what the status of Stu's level of involvement is in hir responsibility before taking Stu's father's word for it that I'm costing his kid hir college education.

I'm not doing this shit again. You know, it'd be different, too, if Stu had been a good student throughout the quarter as well. But Stu missed like 8 days. And I'm going to drive myself nuts now going through my office tomorrow to find that grade sheet with all hir absences on it because I don't think that ze is passing the class, as hir grades stand now, with a C. And I need to have all of my ducks in a row, too, because if ze loses hir scholarship, then I'm going to have to spend the summer, dealing with this.

You know, this is so why I had my current boss at the bottom of my recommendations when she applied for the job full time. I feel quite confident in saying that I know what I'm doing and have shown that I know what I'm doing, and if I don't know something, I ask. I've given no one any reason to second guess me, and that's what this feels like. I'm just pissed that my boss assumed that my student was telling the truth about hir work without checking with me first. You know, the goddamn Spring AND Summer quarters are over! I'm officially UN-FUCKING-EMPLOYED for the summer. I should NOT have to deal with this shit. And no, I don't think dealing with bratty students who can't get their shit together over the summer is in my job description. Give me a year round paycheck and yes, I'll deal. But this is officially my time now. Plus, I think the student's grade should have been changed to an F by the end of the first summer quarter since ze didn't feel enough of a push to get hir work done in the extra 8 weeks ze's had since the end of the spring quarter.

ETA: While probably against my better judgment and my ethical principles, but for the sake of not having to deal with Stu or hir dad (who I found out sent a letter to the DEAN! COMPLAINING! that I was holding his kid's scholarship up!! what a douchebag), if Stu is close enough to a fucking C, I'm giving it to hir just so I don't have to deal with it and I'll let hir hang hirself in 102. I can't be dealing with grade challenges and shit all fucking summer, especially since my attendance sheet is in Home City. And this is totally my fault for having cut the student some slack in the first place during the quarter. Back to mean lady. It's not worth it. But I'm totally taking the easy way out here. This isn't a battle I can win. And I feel like I'm going to be undermined anyway since the dean is involved now. Punk ass motherfucker.

DONE!

DONE@!@!!!!!!!! Yes!! Yay!!!!

I was only going to spend an hour grading this morning. But hell, I got through all the rest of it in about 2.5 hours, and that included taking the time to feed the mutts and taking them on walks (which I needed to get out of the chair anyway).

Grades are calculated and submitted, with the exception of the one kid, who due to medical issues, I gave until Monday to submit the rest of hir work. Grades aren't due until the 11th. It would be nice if ze turned hir stuff in by tomorrow so I could actually really really be done, but as it's just two papers that won't need comments, I'm not sweating it.

I also have an incomplete, but I'm not looking at the essay ze submitted until I get the rest of hir work. Because if ze fails to submit essay 5, then I really don't want to have expended the energy going over the work. And I already explained to hir that during the quarter, no other student got the benefit of having the essay graded before the final essay and that essay 5 was only contingent on hir writing essay 4, not on it being graded. As I was kind enough too to grant the incomplete rather than the F for the quarter, I am irked that Stu is being demanding about my grading--"I need this ASAP!"-- well, if that were the case, then you should have finished the quarter on time. I know that's rude, but whatever.

Today, I think I'm going to veg on the couch and read for pleasure/work all day. It's mostly pleasure because it is stuff that I want to read which turns out to be stuff that I need to read, so yay! I also need to finish that little article thingy, but I'll work on that tomorrow or try to finish that bad boy up on Monday while the husband is at school.

I'm so excited that summer can now officially begin! And I'm even more excited that with any luck, I won't have to worry about *having* to teach over the summer again!

Some Good News!

I think I wrote that we are now able to pay our bills for the summer, right? I was able to withdraw the money from my supplemental retirement account from my old job. I know some of you might think that was a bad idea (when I mentioned it last year, making the withdrawal to buy a car, my aunt and uncle flipped out, and I didn't get the money), but it was just sitting there, not earning interest, not doing anything. Sure, I could have rolled it over (which I'm going to do with the account that I can't withdraw because that's just sitting there, too. What do I need $4k sitting in a non-interest bearing account for for 20 years?), but anyway, it would go a long way in helping us a) pay the bills we currently have, b) continuing eating through September, and c) and we thought it might help us pay off a couple of smaller outstanding debts (like $200 here, $350 there--they start to add up, yo). I called the company and a nice check was cut for me and mailed on Tuesday, so that should be here any day now. Just knowing that that's taken care of is HUGE, right? I thought I was getting both, but while the debt repayment portion of it might be on hold (the extra $4k would have taken care of everything!), what I am getting is certainly enough to get us through the end of September comfortably and still allow me to put a couple bucks away toward next summer so that I don't have to teach again in the summer.

This is all fine and great and helpful. Not ideal, but still, way better than where we were on Monday.

Plus, we'll have the husband's GI Bill at the end of the month. He still has another paycheck coming in from the Guard, and then he'll have three drill weekends (not a lot of money, but enough for food) to help out with, too. So we were making plans to go to Home City for a couple of weeks in between his summer quarter and the start of fall quarter. The husband had applied for four jobs almost a month ago. He found out while he was gone that one was filled. We heard from one of his Guard buddies who was a reference for him from his old unit that no one had contacted him about the husband, so we were like, "well, oh well. Let's go to Home City for a couple of weeks instead."

We're headed out the door to go check out this sale, and the J gets a phone call. Rather than conducting interviews for these positions, one of the units just put together a hiring committee and chose him! He got one of the jobs!! Not in the unit in our city (which would have been just about ideal), but this one is about 25-30 minutes away, and it's in an engineering unit, so as soon as the next rank up is open, he doesn't have to be a medic anymore!

Here's what this means: this is a full-time career like job that he will have until he decides to retire or quit. If something happens and the unit has to "downsize" (or whatever), then the Guard has to find him a job somewhere around here for his contract (I believe this is how this works). It means that his retirement is taken care of. It means that since it's a full-time guard job, we don't have to pay for our insurance! That's part of his benefit package!!* He'll make about as much as I do (has much more room for promotion and pay raises) which means that for the next year at least, we should be able to live off his paycheck and use mine to get caught up, pay stuff off, get out of debt! Could it be true?? I can't imagine what this will be like! He was so excited that he gave himself a headache yesterday and then slept in the den last night because he couldn't sleep. I love that he's excited about this. He's back in a unit that's more like his old unit in Home City (he really doesn't like the one he got transferred to, but would have been fine there if he were being paid full time). It also means that since his job is year round, we get a 12 month salary from some means now! I get my summers back for my own work! We get to have Christmas this year!** I mean, he was just beaming! He was bummed when he didn't get the one in his current unit because he thought he had the best shot there, and that would have sucked actually. 75 minute commute, one way, 4 days a week, at 7 am. The extra money we would have gotten for the housing allowance would have been eaten up in gas. So this is a much better deal here!

This also means that he might have to drop out of school. It also means that he might be able to transfer to the uni 30 minutes away and try to take night classes or something, like if he can take a 4:30-6:30 type class. I know he wants his degree, but at least for this career move, he doesn't need it. It's not going to increase his pay or his rank or anything like that. He's too old to go to officer's school, but I know he wants to finish. We'll keep working on that.

This is the first time that we will both have had two good jobs while together and be in the same city! The last time we were both gainfully employed was because he was in Afghanistan. And then that brief time last year, but he was still in Home City. But now, we're both employed in the same city! And we get to live together and both work! And his job isn't a temporary fix to a larger problem!

We don't know when he starts yet, but he goes in Tuesday to fill out his paperwork, sign his contract and all that jazz, and we'll find out when he starts. It actually may not be until September, but since he gets paid twice a month, even if that first paycheck is Sept. 15th, you know that's fine.

I should be able to finish losing the weight now, right? That major financial burden is gone. I haven't slept as good as I have last night in a really really long time.

I think the thing that we are most excited about is that it feels like finally we get to live adult lives. Like we won't be living like students or financially irresponsible people (which is why we're in the mess we're in actually in part--part is unemployment which has nothing to do with irresponsibility, don't misunderstand my position here). I mean, we may be able to "settle down" in a year. This academic year then is about gaining financial stability, paying shit off, not being stupid. I'm cautious about being too excited about living an adult life, but it's been a looooooooooong time coming for the both of us, so we'll see. But I hope he doesn't start until August 15th, so he can finish this quarter and go to my cousin's wedding with us.

We spent yesterday celebrating by doing nothing but lounging around and enjoying each others' company.

*I hate to say how cheap our insurance is already. Truth be told we have no idea how good it is either because we're both pretty healthy and haven't had to use it since we've been here with the exception of going to the eye doctor. So it could be that it's terrible, but I think we chose the more "expensive" one anyway to get the greatest amount of benefits. But it's still a fraction (seriously) of what the university offers. But, and I feel like I'm rubbing it in, it's going to be nice to get that money back though. 

**I'm not even talking about presents or anything either here. We spent all last Christmas fighting because of money, because I was upset that the husband hadn't been more on the ball with school, and because I was exhausted. I'm excited that this means that we won't be fighting over break about money. I don't care about presents. I care more about quality time not fighting with the husband. 

Ahhh, breathe...

Meh, yesterday I said I was going to grade for an hour today--sucka! No! I finished up everything that came in during my office hours yesterday before I left for the day. I will have to tinker at some point with the article I think today, but I've got cleaning and food prep to do. In any case, since I don't have to go to campus tomorrow (yay!), the plan now is to get up, work out, write/work on article for 30-60 minutes, grade what comes in today and tomorrow for an hour or two, and be finished with work by noon, and then enjoy the rest of the day. I'm supposed to go see this with a friend, so that will be fun.

Anyway, on the agenda for today is a cookout with a colleague-friend and cleaning up the place a little bit more (we did some yesterday). I will also work out. That's it. That's the whole plan for the day.

Because I have the remainder of the summer bills taken care of now, I can get the books I want! Yay! It may even mean that I can, if I meet my weight goal by the end of the summer, get some new school clothes (for the first time in a couple of years), and maybe some new glasses. I can't go crazy here because I need to try to pay off a couple of bills, but we have some breathing room right now which feels good. I'm hoping that the alleviation of the financial stress will alleviate some stress in general which will help with the weight loss goals here. I am still moving at a snail's pace. Actually, I think it's fair to say that I've plateaued. And after seven months of adjustments, making health and fitness changes and the like, a plateau is NOT where I want to be, especially since I've averaged only about 1/2 pound a week since the beginning of the year. Yes, I know slow and steady wins the race, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. Anyway, since our "diet," that is diet in the broadest sense of the word, food intake, is pretty clean as it is, we're going to make it squeaky clean for a month and do this thing here. The husband is on board which is super cool. And we're pretty much there, we just have some bad habits to break. I really really really want to break the sugar habit here, and I think cutting out the wine for a month is going to speed up some weight loss here just with the initial calorie deficit. So we'll see. It's going to be tough, especially the first two weeks, but oh well. If you're interested, you can read about it over here. The husband may be making guest appearances as well, so we'll see. But I don't want to bore anyone over here with this, so if you're interested, there it is.

I'm hoping that this will help me get a little bit closer to where I want to be by the end of summer because I do want to go shopping and get some new stuff because I think it's time to "re-invent" myself, my look. I haven't done that in a REALLY long time, like made a totally dramatic change, all over, full body, and I feel it's time. Especially since I've been hanging on to this weight for 7 years now. It's starting to go, it's starting to shape up, but I feel that it's time for a real change, you know?

I can't wait to truly be officially done with this article and the grading. I'm so ready to start on my next project that it's driving me nuts here! 

Well, I'm going to go enjoy my day with some reading and then my work out, and it looks like it will be beautiful and hot here today, so I can't wait! Happy 4th everyone! Enjoy your day off!

Almost Done!

Once again, the end is near! Like today is the last day that I need to return to campus! Well, I might have to sally forth up there one day next week to turn in an incomplete form, but other than that?! I'm FREE! I go up there today to meet with students who may need it (revisions are due tomorrow on-line and I gave a couple of them extensions on the essay due today because they need it, badly, and while they should have met with me last week, at least one has seemed to take to heart what I told her yesterday, so we shall see...).

Anyway, Oh Happy Joyous Wonderful Day!!

So today I'll grade as much as I can for about 3 hours, depending on how many students show up to see me at the last minute. Of course, you know I sat in my office all last week with little to do and no one came to see me then. So we'll see. But at 11:30, I'm done for the day.

Here's the plan for the rest of the week:

Work for 30-60 on the article tomorrow morning (I got a stay of execution--well, I set the July 1 deadline, not the editor. He actually doesn't need it until July 31, but I want this baby done, but it's good to know that I have time to play with now).

Grade for 60 minutes.

Thursday--work on article 30-60 minutes, grade for 60 minutes. And honestly, I'm hoping by Thursday that I'm finished with the grading. But we'll see. I'll just repeat that pattern on Friday if needed and then on Monday if needed.

While the grading does indeed need to get done, I'm not going to kill myself grading since this is the husband's week off, too (he starts class for summer on Monday), so I do want to hang out with him.
We also need to get his desk in working order and we need to clean the house up a bit here, too.

I'm starting to stress a little bit about money here because I thought I had everything under control, but as I'm working on bills, I don't know how we're going to cover the month of September. I'm really sweating that right now. Like really sweating it. I'm going to have to get creative here I think. Sigh. I can't think about that right now.

Anyway, we have lots to do this week! But I'm glad the husband is home because some of the stuff around here then will get done much faster, so maybe by Monday we'll be sitting pretty here.

I so hope I can plow through as many drafts as possible this morning. It'd be great if I could get all of essay 3s done this morning. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

ETA: The money stress may be over. Yay! I might could breathe, work, and relax now for the summer and get some shit done!

ETA: Yay! I've gotten all the essays submitted up to this point graded! Woot!

Writing Blues

I'm struggling with this damn pedagogy article that is supposed to be due today. I'm actually in my office waaaaaaay early to be working on it, but the truth is, I will have an hour in class while the stu's are working on their essays and then roughly another office hour after class to keep working.

Right now, the article makes my students sound like dullards, and I sound like an asshole.

So I will work on it for another 90-120 minutes today. Then I will email the editor (who I know, and I'm actually the one that set the July 1 deadline, not him), and ask for another couple of days. I think with maybe another week, like say until Friday, I can get this straightened out. But right now it's still just such a mess that it's causing some writer's block.

Wish me luck. I don't want to take too much longer with it because I need to get started on other things pronto. And I don't want this bad boy hanging over my head.