May 29, 2008

So, sometime last summer, I posted something along the lines of, “Hey, we’re thinking of moving to Chicago!” Well, that’s still a possibility. Actually, it’s likely certain, although I’m not one to count her chickens before they leap, or something like that. Basically, when I start job hunting next year, that’s where I’m looking. Scott already has some leads and is making connections with friends there who could give him some good recommendations.

We’ve been scouting out some properties, and last week we put down a reservation deposit on a pre-construction condo (in Logan Square, for those of you who might know Chicago). We’re going up there at the end of next month to look at the model unit, talk to the developer in person, and look at a few other properties in case this one doesn’t suit us. If it does work out, we’ll pay the rest of the deposit, and then put down our down payment early next year. So, the rest of this year is going to involve a hell of a lot of saving money. This place is going to be awesome, though. Green construction, high-end applicances, granite or Silestone countertops, super high-end bathrooms, balcony, and 1 block from an El stop. On a below-zero morning, that alone will make what we pay well worth it!!! The neighborhood itself is pretty cool; lots of great restaurants, diversity, mostly safe, and not too far from other cool places.

There’s a lot that needs to happen between now and two years from now (when we’d presumably be moving), but it’s going to be an exciting (and hectic) time. One complication is that we have our house here, which we’d of course try to close on as near to our Chicago closing date as we can, and our current income isn’t too swell (yay research assistant salaries), so what we qualify for now isn’t a whole hell of a lot, especially in a market like Chicago. There are things that can be done (which I won’t bore you with), so for now we’re doing our very best to boost our savings and stay the course with our budget as we’ve been doing for the past year.

If you’re the praying type, please send one up for us. If you’re not, that’s cool, too.

Comps (duh duh DUHN) May 25, 2008

I got my comps questions on Monday. I spent about 10-15 minutes reading over them, and freaking out. These questions are so broad and encompass a lot. I basically have 45-60 pages to write everything I know as it pertains to my area, broadly speaking. The second question is tailored to my area of research interest, so that makes it simultaneously easier and more difficult than the other questions. Easier in that I know this literature like the back of my hand, but difficult in that I’m going to have to figure out what all I want to include and what gets cut. This question, in theory, should serve as a springboard for my dissertation prospectus, which I think is just great. While I’ve ranted about issues in my department before, ultimately, the faculty really care about their students and they’re nice people. That means a lot.

A good adviser is like a good parent: the right balance of authoritativeness and warmth. When you need a fire lit under your ass, he/she will do it, but always with the best of intentions. When you need a little reassurance or a “hey, way to go,” they’ll give you that, too. In my former masters program, my adviser was like this, but unfortunately, she was about the only good thing going for that department. I’ve really lucked out to have had two good advisers looking out for me in my years of grad study. Never underestimate the power of your adviser: He/she can make you or break you.

This is going to be a long summer May 25, 2008

Riding around on the scooter is so much fun…until you stop. Then it feels like I’ve parked in an oven. Considering I have to ride in a jacket, pants, and real shoes w/ socks, it feels even hotter than it does when I’m in “regular” clothes. I drove to Publix and over to the library this afternoon and was just roasting by the time I got home. Thank goodness for high powered deodorant!

May 18, 2008

As usual, the end of the semester was hectic for me; ergo, I didn’t have anything interesting to blog about.

On Monday, I went to my usual running group. I biked there (3 miles one-way), ran 3 miles, and then biked home. I was really proud of myself for pushing my limits, and surprisingly, I didn’t get too exhausted. My ride home was very rewarding, and the other runners were super impressed with me for biking there and back. I felt pretty bad-ass!

Last Tuesday, I put an ad in the T News for my car, and by Friday evening, I had a verbal agreement with someone to buy the car. By Saturday afternoon, I had the money in hand and had dropped the car to the buyer. It feels awesome to have that behind me! I ended up selling it for $300 than I was asking, but I don’t feel ripped off. The car did have some minor issues, and I really was tired of driving it all over Creation to show it to potential buyers. I wasn’t nearly as sad to see it go as I thought I would be. As I become more comfortable with the scooter, I feel like it’s my real transportation, and I know I have the Civic if I ever need a car. It will be interesting to see how we live as a one-car family.

May 11, 2008

I’ve started running again. Sometime back in March I joined a women’s running group at Southern Sole that’s open to all ability levels (and even guys can join) and they have 3, 4, and 5-mile routes. You have people who are marathon runners all the way down to people who basically walk the whole distance. Even though I’m not nearly one of the fastest people in the group, it’s a great way to hold myself accountable when I know that people will wonder where I am if I don’t show up. Most of the time I only do 3 miles, although a couple of weeks ago (pre-accident) I did 4 miles. My first run post accident was this week and I only did about 2 miles. Now that I don’t have class on Wednesdays, I can commit to running as much as 3 times a week, 3-4 miles per time.

Some days, I have a buddy to run/walk with, but most of the time I end up doing it on my own because I’m doing a shorter route, and other people are training for races and want to do the 5 mile route. I really feel OK by myself, listening to the noises around me. I want to get one of those iPod armband things, but I may have to wait, since I have a number of things already laying claim to my money this month (motorcycle license plate, Mother’s Day, friend’s bridal shower, etc.).

Running has been a great way for me to discover my own physical abilities (and limitations). I was always afraid to push myself, but now I think nothing of running a mile or two and barely exhausting myself. Hopefully this summer will be kinder than last summer, and I may very well be up to 5 miles (or more) by my birthday. Once Robin (my friend that had a baby recently) gets back from staying with her parents, we can start running together again.

When it rains, it pours May 6, 2008

My aforementioned assistantship dilemma has been resolved. Here’s how it all played out…

I currently have a pretty decent gig in a lab that pays a monthly stipend (that-strangely-equals my take home pay from when I worked full time) and tuition. It isn’t super exciting, but hey, it pays the bills and doesn’t require a lot of work on my part. I decided I wanted to branch out and apply for a teaching assistantship for next year, so that I could get at least 1 year of teaching experience. Given the funding situation, the people in the department asked me if I could do a split assistantship where half of it comes from my current gig and half comes from teaching a section of a course. No problem.

Then, I get presented with an opportunity (one might say ‘an offer [I] can’t refuse’) to work with an academic mentoring program where there is A LOT of potential for research, personal growth, curriculum development, and even a dissertation topic. So then, I had a decision to make, and quickly.

Ultimately, after talking it over with a few people, I have decided to take this new opportunity and keep my current gig (officially 10 hours a week for each job). I will then drop the lab gig after next year and split my time between the mentoring program and teaching a section of an undergrad class in my department. Hopefully this will make me a more marketable job candidate (and a better person, to boot).

Great news! May 1, 2008

I have 83 completed responses. Eighty-three. Quatre-vingt trois. And I was only hoping for around 60-70 TOTAL. It’s looking like I’m going to collect about 100 this semester alone, and then another 100-200 in the fall.

Also, it appears that it’s raining assistantships, at least in my little world. I have three different opportunities, all of which are great. I will have to decide over the next week or so how I want to play this.

Wow….