Gus Wants to Know

IMG_3601, originally uploaded by lclea.

My dog Gus is fairly smart and occasionally wonders about the ways of the world. This week he’s wondering if we (the state of IL that is, although I could mean me and him), shouldn’t just ask Bill and Melinda Gates for the 10 billion to bail our sorry asses out. I mean, they seem to be in a giving mood and heck we could name the state after them. Illinois is hard to pronounce anyway. So, if you’re listening Mr. Microsoft, the state of Gatesia is waiting. Pony up!

Wee Forest of Christmas Trees

Wee Forest of C_Trees, originally uploaded by lclea.

Papers are done and for the most part, my research is suspended until after the first of the year. Oh, I’ve got plenty to do, don’t get me wrong. I can work on the class I’m teaching this spring, or cross some t’s on the grant application we are turning in on the 23rd (don’t there people have any concept of holidays?). So let’s say I’m done-ish. Regardless, I’ve taken a little time to do some holiday baking. I went all out, watched It’s a Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas, the Doctor Who Christmas special (I will miss David Tennant). It is a whole Christmas-palooza. Maybe it was too many rum balls, but I thought it would be fun to try Bakerella’s Christmassy cake balls. I ended up batting about 500. As you can see I made the Christmas trees, which all in all ended up pretty good. I also attempted some snowmen, and they were  hot mess.  They didn’t want to stay on the lollipop stick. Don’t know why, but these candy covered cake ball thingies were fun to make. Enjoy my little forest.

Oh the one thing I forgot, I need to transport these wee beasts back to Rockford…3 hours in the car, sigh. Wish me luck.

A Breakup Note…

Dear Lovie-

I think it’s time we had a talk.  I can remember the good times, the Super Bowl, Urlacher, scoring Cutler, ah those were the days, the days of promise.  But we didn’t win the Super Bowl, Urlacher got hurt and Cutler… I just can’t talk about that.  Sigh…  It’s not me, it’s you.  You’re a one trick pony and baby that trick has been done.  I think it’s best if I see other coaches.  I have my eye on Mike Shanahan, hell he could reuse all his Denver gear and just switch out the logos.  But I digress, this is just between us.  It’s not working anymore, I’m sorry.  I’m sure you can find another job with some unsuspecting team (stay away from Illinois), but until then we really should go our separate ways.

XOXOXO

—Every Bears Fan on the Planet

PS.  Yah I know the season isn’t done, go ahead and go, it won’t matter.

Fading Fall

Dark Aspen, originally uploaded by lclea.

It pretty much feels like we are hip deep in fall and as in all falls changes are coming. I’m a planner, I like to plan and line up my ducks and make lists, all the good planner-y stuff. I hate having my pretty little ducks all lined up to discover I need to fit in a fat goose. So far I’ve had a pretty mellow fall, and yesterday I was presented with a pretty different option for the spring. I would start my independent study which means doing some of my own research and convincing people to let me work with them. I also might help teach a course I helped create last spring. It would involve a lot more work than I’d intended, but it feels right. I have to resist my duck rowing list making side that resists change, since if I listened to it I would still be working for a company that didn’t value me in a job going nowhere. I think I’ll let them duke it out for a little while and let it sink in.

I love fall, but hate change what’s up with that?

My Luvie

My Luvie, originally uploaded by lclea.

This is my little cutie, Gus. He’s a bundle of energy and loves to play and sass the neighbor dog, Zoe (it might be a misdirected crush). He isn’t part vampire, he just has issues with keeping his teeth in his mouth. I told him today he’s working on his own PhD, Pretty Happy Dog. I think he’s got it down.

Baby Bun

Baby Bun, originally uploaded by lclea.

We had a visitor this spring. Actually we had several little visitors. A mama bunny decided our yard would be a good place to build a den and give birth. Now this is a yard that must reek of terrier, so I think we can question her good judgment. This “joyous event” must have happened in the couple of weeks Gus and I spent up north with my folks in between spring semester and summer. We returned to these little buns all over the place. You couldn’t turn around without bumping into a bun.

Thus began the Summer of the Bun, and we will refer to this summer.  There is more to share , but for now, enjoy the bun.

My First Tomato

My first tomato, originally uploaded by lclea.

Isn’t this the cutest little bean? I really wanted to have my very first garden this year. I come from a family of farmers on both sides, and I really should be able to do this right? I mean how hard is it to grow things? I have had very successful herb gardens in the past and while I may have a sketchy past with indoor plants, I was pretty sure I could grown a mean tomato.

So I get some heirloom plants in four varieties and plant them. Then I remember that A. new plants need a lot of water and attention, and B. I am commuting back and forth all summer (teaching 2 college courses in Wisconsin and doing research in Champaign). Needless to say I have been crazy busy all summer, and it has made me a neglectful blogger and gardener. When I was here I watered and tended like mad, but when I was gone, the little plants were own their own.

The fates were rather kind and while they aren’t the massive plants some of my neighbors have they are bouncing back from a week and a half of good care. I planted some Sungold cherry tomatoes and they are really sweet and delicious. There are some Brandywine and Green Zebra Tomatoes coming and some flowers all the plants, so we are heading in the right direction. Yah! With any luck and with this crazy summer weather I will have some tomatoes by the first frost.

But until then, isn’t this the prettiest little tomato-ette, you’ve ever seen?

Free at last

IMG_0442, originally uploaded by lclea.

Well sort of. As of 2pm today, I completed the first year of my PhD program. How does it feel you may ask? Unexpectedly good.

Really really good. Now I’m not lounging all summer, I’m commuting 6 hours a week teaching in WI and working down in the cornfields of IL doing interviews, but with classes, I’m done. At least until the fall. Will I be writing any paper? No no papers. All the writing is done for now and it feels good.
Have you ever thought of getting a PhD? Well neither did I. If I had been asked when I was in high school if I would voluntarily go on to school beyond college, I would have slapped you and then laughed in your face. Well, that might me an overstatement, but I could never thought beyond my MSW that was the end of school for me, after all  I hated school.

Pause for dramatic irony
I do remember a prof. when I got my MSW encouraging us. He said he was at best, a “B ” student and was then working on his PhD. I paid very little attention. I just wanted the MSW and wanted to move I thought I would get licensed and do therapy with families. Life however intervened and people encouraged me to move on and do better. I was told I was wasting my talents and could do more. Now here I am working on my own PhD. One year down, 3 to go?
Right now, I feel like I am on summer break for the first time since high school. I’m going to enjoy it.

Right this second?  I’m enjoying a really great Kim Crawford Savingnon Blanc.  REALLY  NICE.  If you see it, buy it and sip it.  Welcome to summer!

I absolutely shouldn’t be blogging

IMG_0730, originally uploaded by lclea.

I should be writing or interviewing someone or something, but not blogging, let’s just get that clear up front. Anyhoo, right now I’m at 4, I have one paper turned in, both of my major remaining papers written except the findings and the revisions. I can almost start to see the sun coming up, but not quite. I cannot quantify the joy I will feel when I get this all done. I have gotten better about not waiting until the last minute to write everything, but I swear on a stack of Bibles next semester I will be better.
Anyway, 4-ish to go and I can tackle all the stuff that’s been on hold for the last week.

33 and counting

IMG_2729, originally uploaded by lclea.

I am at the place on one of my papers that I like the best, the last page, the conclusion. Don’t laugh, I’m not done just because I”m on the last page, far from it. I still need to review it, proof it, add the bib (some, thank you Refworks, is easy and some I add by hand), but I’ve slogged through bulk of the writing and now I get to say my peace. I get to bring it all together and make all the elements  appear seamless. I get to create that ah moment (not aha moment, please don’t sue me Oprah), where the reader sees the path I’ve taken them on and make all the connections I want them to make. This is why I write, it’s all about the last page baby. Oh and you can see by the title, I’m no where near completely done.