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.

Writing Countdown

IMG_0219, originally uploaded by lclea.

I’m just getting going with a writing marathon that will last the next 6 days. I have at minimum 45 pages left between a few papers. I’ll post updates through the next few days. Please excuse odd posts and strange grammar.

45 and counting.

enjoy tulip

Quit Hatin’ on the Cornfields

Sky, originally uploaded by lclea.

Ok enough of the winter. Now that it seems like spring has finally gotten its act together it’s all good. In my last blog I poked fun at where I’m living saying it was in the middle of a cornfield. That’s a complete exaggeration, I live right next to a cornfield (huge difference). The upside is I have great views out my back windows. No Walmart or Target to mar my view. I get pretty awesome sunsets, but where it rocks is when we are gettin’ some weather. This is the last storm that blew in two days ago and it literally blows up and marches across the fields. Nothing is better than cracking open a cold one and watching the action.  I love this picture, you can just tell something’s coming. So all in all, cornfields aren’t too bad (besides the occasional critter, rouge farmers and distant mooing, but I digress).

Oh what am I doing posting when I should be crazy at the end of the semester, you ask? Well, my dear this is called procrastination. Let’s see how many blogs I can crank out before May 15th.

The one reason I’m glad I moved from Colorado

Cold Colorado, originally uploaded by lclea.

Some places in Colorado got over 4 feet of snow yesterday whereas here, it was 70 degrees. Unfortunately, in a few days I’m sure the snow will be gone and it will still be, well, Colorado and I will still be living in a cornfield. sigh…

Why the world needs S’meeps

Every year it happens.  Easter comes rolling in with its pastel sugar soaked goodness and yeilds the beginning of spring. Yah!   It also however, brings with it the harbinger of the holiday, Peeps.  I’ve never liked Peeps, there I said it.  It is possibly the underlying fear that the unused peeps just get recycled every year, either that or they taste gross.  That being said, they do look very festive in a Easter Basket.

Then I learned about s’meeps.  It is basically if s’mores and peeps had a baby.  It is possibly the best idea ever.  Who doesn’t like s’mores, and the peeps don’t have get tossed into the landfills and where they’ll hang around forever like styrofom.  The only glitch is umm, well someone apparently told the Peeps (see the picture above).  Check out both the recipe below and follow the links below to get in on the fun.

Happy Easter and don’t go waistin’ those Peeps!

L

S’meeps

- makes 4 s’meeps -

Adapted from Peeps: Recipes and Crafts to Make with Your Favorite Marshmallow Treat by Charity Ferreira.

Ingredients

4 Peeps (1 package)
4 graham crackers, separated into 8 halves
Four 1-ounce squares semisweet or dark chocolate (depending on preference)

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350°F.

2. Place a 1-ounce square of chocolate on 4 of the graham cracker halves. Top each chocolate with a Peep. Say your goodbyes.

3. Put your Peep sacrifice laden graham crackers on an aluminum foil covered tray and pop them in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Watch them carefully as toasting Peeps can turn into burn victims beyond repair in the blink of an eye. Vigilance!

4. Once the Peeps are toasted to your liking, take them out of the oven and squish them with a graham cracker half. Feast.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/04/how-to-make-smeeps-smores-plus-peeps-easter-candy.html

http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/04/photo-of-the-day-peep-liberation-front.html

We need a little spring…

tulip, originally uploaded by lclea.

For some reason spring is having a tough time rolling itself out of bed this year. Blame it on the groundhog, or climate change or whatever, I’ve decided to push it along a little. Granted for me spring brings a lot of writing, but it also holds the promise of summer, and warmth and lower electric bills and no classes, all good things… In fact I propose spring is all good (except for some pesky flooding, sorry Fargo). Bring on the spring, I could use it right this very minute.

Guess the Ghost

Ghost, originally uploaded by lclea.

I just love Ghost signs. They are like a little peek into the past. I also love the way they just last. I doubt when people initially painted some of these advertisements really thought they would still be around so many years later. Whenever I see one and I have a camera handy I try to take a pic. This is one I took, at some point, guess where it is…

Top 10 Things I’m Over

gus tongue, originally uploaded by lclea.

10. Endless presidential news conferences, town halls, confabs, reports to Congress:  STOP TALKING AND JUST FIX THE COUNTRY

9. The Illinois budget, Oh sure let’s open up Lowden State Park for the 18 people who live in Oregon, and I guess we don’t care about  the universities, organizations and businesses that the state can’t pay

8. 8, 8 I forget what 8 was for

7. The glamor of “Green”, its everywhere, every magazine, every commercial, suddenly we’re drowning in green. I wonder how much resources are used up promoting the green?

6. The massive Sasquatch government cover up–the truth is out there

5. The Edge’s hat, is it really that cold everywhere?

4. The Bush bashing, he’s out, it’s over, move on people

3. Chain restaurants that are destroying the rich food culture in our country namely the small locally owned restaurant

2. Two and ½ Men, seriously how is this show still on the air?

1. Winter