Random News
Today was my last day of teaching classes. SO SO HAPPY!!! By the end of the semester, the professors are cranky and tired, the students are cranky and tired, and everyone just wants it to be over. I've got two days of presentations for the student interns I supervise, and then finals to give on the 18th and 19th. Lots of stuff to grade for sure, but I am in the home stretch, and so looking forward to summer. I am hoping for an ultra-productive summer in terms of my research agenda, but I am also hoping to finally get to doing some fun things I've had to put off...like finding a place for fencing that's close to me, novels I've wanted to read, visits to friends, etc.
Speaking of my job, I've received some good news recently. I passed my 4th year review, which is a kind of "mini-tenure" review. It started in September...the departmental personnel committee, the college personnel committee, the Dean, and the Provost all review my files for progress in three areas: research, teaching, and service. I knew the process was going OK, but I got the final word from the Provost last week. I have a lot to do to secure tenure (my tenure decision year is in 2-3 years), but it's nice to have one hurdle behind me. So yay me!
Last week what I thought was random patches of poison ivy got worse. My arm was very swollen, and I was very uncomfortable, so off to my primary care doc I went on Thursday. Apparently I had some kind of allergic contact dermatatis, and I am happy to report that after use of a topical steroid cream, it seems to be retreating.
I feel a little less disgusting...
We have made some progress on our tiny, but overgrown back yard. That's because my dear friend Carla, otherwise known as THE SLAVE DRIVER, came over on Saturday afternoon. Tim and I thought she was just going to go with us to some nurseries to get ideas. But oh no...we ended up with some actual plants. Go figure. Then we got back to our house, at which point Tim thought he was going to get to take a nap. But not on Carla's watch. We ended up pulling up hostras, and lots of random overgrown God knows what. I pulled up an enormous root, which came along with what looked like a decaying human finger, but Tim thinks was a decaying caterpillar. Much less interesting. We found a few Matchbox cars buried in our yard. We planted herbs and tomatoes, phlox, and johnny jump ups, adding that onto the numerous perennials that were already there. Then Carla decides we should mulch...off to Home Depot for 8 bags of mulch and oh, some begonias. We planted some more, mulched, and cleaned up all the brush. And finally, our gardening day was over at 9pm. Next on the list is edging our front walkway path on both sides, mulching the beds on both sides, and oh yeah, cutting down most of our hedges and some tree branches in the front of the house.
God help us if Carla comes back over anytime soon.
Speaking of my job, I've received some good news recently. I passed my 4th year review, which is a kind of "mini-tenure" review. It started in September...the departmental personnel committee, the college personnel committee, the Dean, and the Provost all review my files for progress in three areas: research, teaching, and service. I knew the process was going OK, but I got the final word from the Provost last week. I have a lot to do to secure tenure (my tenure decision year is in 2-3 years), but it's nice to have one hurdle behind me. So yay me!
Last week what I thought was random patches of poison ivy got worse. My arm was very swollen, and I was very uncomfortable, so off to my primary care doc I went on Thursday. Apparently I had some kind of allergic contact dermatatis, and I am happy to report that after use of a topical steroid cream, it seems to be retreating.
I feel a little less disgusting...
We have made some progress on our tiny, but overgrown back yard. That's because my dear friend Carla, otherwise known as THE SLAVE DRIVER, came over on Saturday afternoon. Tim and I thought she was just going to go with us to some nurseries to get ideas. But oh no...we ended up with some actual plants. Go figure. Then we got back to our house, at which point Tim thought he was going to get to take a nap. But not on Carla's watch. We ended up pulling up hostras, and lots of random overgrown God knows what. I pulled up an enormous root, which came along with what looked like a decaying human finger, but Tim thinks was a decaying caterpillar. Much less interesting. We found a few Matchbox cars buried in our yard. We planted herbs and tomatoes, phlox, and johnny jump ups, adding that onto the numerous perennials that were already there. Then Carla decides we should mulch...off to Home Depot for 8 bags of mulch and oh, some begonias. We planted some more, mulched, and cleaned up all the brush. And finally, our gardening day was over at 9pm. Next on the list is edging our front walkway path on both sides, mulching the beds on both sides, and oh yeah, cutting down most of our hedges and some tree branches in the front of the house.
God help us if Carla comes back over anytime soon.
posted by Redheaded Chick at 7:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home