Some Art Saturday

Another lovely landscape from the National Gallery of Scotland. I'd rather escape into this painting than to do the grading and other work that I have for today... sigh.

Landscape with Tourists at Loch Katrine
John Knox, 1810
National Gallery of Scotland Online Collection

Doomed to Small College Town?

As the semester's end draws near*, I feel a bit like reflecting on the academic year. I go up for tenure in the fall** and should be in good shape, but I still need to develop my list of external reviewers and revise my dossier in the next couple of months. As I approach this process, I have mixed feelings about some things. Do I want to spend the rest of my career here? The thought of being tenured is VERY appealing, but do I want to spend the next 20 years or so with these people? In this town? There are certainly worse things, but it's also not anything that I am excited about.

I sometimes wonder if I have a 5-year itch. I haven't lived in any one place for more than 5 years since I moved from my first home town at age 10. I lived in Junior High Midwest Suburb for 2.5 years, then 5 years in West Coast High School Suburb Place, then 4.5 years at Party School College Town, 4 years in Master's City, 2.5 years in PhD City, 2.5 years in LD-Diss Town, and now I've been in Small College Town for almost 5 years. Would I feel the same way about any place I had gotten a tenure-track job? I sometimes wonder. But, I also think that I wouldn't mind the annoying things about my job (as much) if we lived somewhere we really liked (like near my family or somewhere with great weather). Maybe we would still be fed up- I don't know. Of course, there is always the possibility of NOT getting tenure and having to leave. Would Small College Town look better if I couldn't stay?

There are actually some pretty good things going on for next fall here. I get a course release to do some research with a grad student who I already know and is hard-working. There are students interested in taking my upper-level classes in the fall. There's a good chance that I will get a smallish grant with a colleague I work well with. There are also still the annoying things & department politics.

So is it just the 5-year itch or am I really dissatisfied?

scientiae carnival

*We actually have 4 more weeks, but I will be gone for two of them AND it's so warm outside it feels like it's almost summer!
**Unless another job pans out, which is unlikely but not totally out of the realm of possibility.

Interesting job search developments

One straightforward one:
They have requested letters from my referees at the most recent application (I guess it needs a name- how about Mountain U? It's in a beautiful mountainous place.)

One strange one:
This morning there was a missed call on my cell phone from the search committee chair at dream job. No voice mail left on my cell phone. No e-mail today. No call today. The call was really late last night, so I thought maybe he dialed and then realized what time it was here and quickly hung up, but the lack of follow-up is odd. Maybe we meant to call someone else! After all, there are many candidates now! I could e-mail and ask, but I figured I would just wait a day or two to see if he contacts me. I am hoping to NOT hear anything from them for a couple more weeks so that I can get an idea about Mountain U...

The plot thickens....

Otherwise, I have a headache. I sent off the revision that wouldn't go away and the proposal revision to my collaborator, finished a study guide for the next chapter I am teaching the fresh-people (without completely reading the chapter!), started organizing slides for tomorrow's class. All after today's field trip. I wish I could post photos- the kids were very fun and cute- and I don't usually get too excited about other people's kids! I need to finish the slides and have a plan for tomorrow's class (video anyone?- I can't really do that as I will be missing 5 classes in the next few weeks as it is!). I was also supposed to write that lab exam for next week, so I can go over it tomorrow with TA. It might not happen, because (as I said) I have a headache...

If anyone wants to help me speculate about the strange phone call, feel free. Maybe I should ask Dr. Medusa to do a reading!

Trailer Tuesday

In honor of Chaser's cool 1980s trailer...



My brother and I watched this movie every day one summer when we were in teens (we had taped it from HBO). Before the movie, we probably saw this too:

Just a quickie

Am I really going to read that next chapter in the new textbook I am using this semester?

Let's see:

• it's 10:00 PM,
  
• I'm tired,
  
• I was at school for over 9 hours today
• I am going on a field trip with D's class tomorrow (which is why I am working now!)

OK- I'll start reading it. It will be less work for me to do tomorrow afternoon and evening, when I also need to write a lab exam! At least I did what I needed to do on the accepted paper that won't quite go away and the latest proposal...

I'll try to do a substantive post soon!

Some Art Saturday (also late)

I missed last week, but here are some photos from Henri Cartier-Bresson. We have a calendar of his photos hanging in our home office this year. I always love his city photos- especially of Paris.

Roman Amphitheatre, Valencia

Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1933

Henri Matisse, Vence
Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1944

Trailer Tuesday (5 days late!)

Just catching up.... I saw this one on DVD recently. It was really good.

I need a list!

It's another work-at-home day. I've exercised, finished lunch*, am now deciding where to begin. I think I will shower first, then tackle these items:

1. work on research for conference
2. make key to grade labs
3. grade labs
4. read next chapter for class & make study guide

I also need to finish our taxes, but need to get info on unreimbursed professional expenses from work.

Nothing else exciting to report. D went back to school today, so I have not excuse to be lazy. Plus- time is ticking away for those conferences...

*I cooked a tasty stir fry of bok choy & tofu, with garlic, tahini, sesame oil, sesame seeds, & tamari. I need to write it down so I can make it again- yum!

Actual student e-mail & my response

Dear Dr. N,
I had e-mailed you about my grades on the lab exam and the last lab we were given back. You then gave my e-mail to TA and had him/her respond. S/he did and was a lot of help. I finally talked to him/her about them ---day in class and at lab and you stated clearly that my answers were incorrect. However, my problem is not about getting the 4 points back for what I did wrong. My problem is the fact that my answers are almost identical to another person's answers and they recieved full credit for them. I am not willing to give the name of this person, they should not be penalized for a mistake, but I am merely trying to bring to your attention the issue I'm having with the grading in this class. It is very inconsistent and believe it or not, 4 points will help in the end. Someone is unfairly receiving credit for incorrect answers.

specific questions removed

I feel that this issue could be cleared up easily, however, this is not the first time I've had an issue with the grading. I'm just really confused as to how certain things are graded and what the format for grading is.

I don't have time to come into your office hours due to classes, so I felt an e-mail was the first step to solving this problem. I appreciate your taking the time to read this and hope we can figure something out.

Thanks,
Student

Student:
I am not willing to second-guess TA on his/her grading. I have a TA for this course because I don't have time to do all the grading myself and I trust his/her judgment. Any time s/he has concerns or questions, s/he consults me and I am very comfortable with this arrangement. If you feel it is worth your time to compare your answers to others, that is your business, but I am not going to change grades based on it. It may be that the other student also had the incorrect answer and that TA missed it. It could also be that the other student used slightly different wording that was clearer than the way you wrote it (even if it seems the same to you). If you want me to look over your answers again, bring the exam with the questions marked explaining why you think your answer is correct (and saying that someone else had the same answer is NOT a valid reason) and I will do that. However, there is always a chance that I will disagree with TA's grading and end up taking off more points (I'm sure s/he is more lenient that I would be).

Dr. N

Poor, sick, little pumpkin...

At least her fever is gone...
I spoke too soon: it was 102.7°F when I got home.

My shitty morning day

It's a good thing that I got to come home early, because during the four hours that I was out of the house this morning, a bunch of annoying things happened.

1. Early this morning D wakes up with a fever and tummy ache
   
2. 8:30 I arrive at my office to find that it is STILL over 75°F even though the thermostat is turned to 60°F. (I called twice about having it fixed over the last two weeks).
   
3. 8:35 Find a voice mail from the building services people saying that they had addressed the work order about the office being too cold. They calibrated the thermostat, so it should be working now.
4. 8:37 Discover that cover (which must removed to adjust temperature) has been locked, so I am now unable to turn the damn thing down to a reasonable temperature.
5. 8:39 Open windows and point fan to suck in cool air from outside (it was about 40°F outside)
6. 9:00 Upper level class
   
7. 10:30 Frantically go over today's lab with TA
8. 11:25 Exam review in freshman class. Annoying students who always talk during lecture are talking again. I stop and look at them and say "do you have a question?" No. "Well, please stop talking."
   
9. 11:26 Students are talking again (just quieter). "I can still hear you," I say. We weren't talking. "OK- I guess I am just hallucinating, then."I am sooo sick of these people. H thinks I should tell them to leave. Any opinions?
   
10. 11:55 Find email from editor that there are still several changes to make to the accepted paper. List attached.
    
11. 12:00 While packing up to come home, so that H can come in for a meeting (since D is home) I get a NASTY paper cut on my left pinky (I never realized how much I use that finger for typing, btw) Blood starts pouring out immediately. I take 5 minutes of searching my purse before I find a band-aid.
12. Oh yeah- it's raining today, too.
13. ETA: I just received a notification from NSF that a pre-proposal has been 'discouraged'. This is the the third year we were going to submit the thing- it was encouraged both other years and almost funded last year. WTF???
    

OK, I am thankful that none of these are serious, but jeez! What a fun first Monday after spring break!

Addy complains...

Last night I had a dream that dream job offered the job to someone else, but I was there and trying to find out where I went wrong. How depressing. I'm not really holding out a lot of hope there, but it will still be a bummer if I get a ding letter.

I am feeling the end-of-spring-break panic this morning. I need to do laundry (in progress), exercise, plan lecture, review a lab (I had to revise it, because a website I usually use is DOWN!), work on writing an exam, THEN drive to further-away airport (75-minutes) in less Major City to pick up a job candidate. Why? Because nobody else volunteered and I was asked. H is coming in on a flight at the same time, but he already had a ride home, so I wouldn't have had to drive up there. I really think I do more airport runs than anyone else in the department- and our closer airport is about an hour away. I wouldn't mind as much if today wasn't so hectic already. God damn it, I should have just made something up and said I couldn't do it. I'm not even on the search committee... Crap- only about 6 hours until I need to leave. I better get busy...

cold + dreary = no motivation

What happened to the sun? And the warm weather? Oh yeah- I don't live in Southern California, even though the last few days felt like it! It's only reaching the 40s today and it's raining and dark. blah... H left early this morning for a conference, so I'm on my own for the last few days of spring break (since D is in school this week). I thought this would be a great time to crank out some work, but I am feeling tired and unmotivated this morning. It must be the weather. I hate it when it's unseasonably warm, because the inevitable return of "normal" weather only feels that much worse when I was wearing flip-flops and cropped pants the day before. I guess I need a list to hold myself accountable for something today...

1. read articles/chapters for conference research
2. shower
3. pick up music from D's piano teacher
4. stop by post office to mail job application
5. look for that student letter in my office
   
6. have lunch with friend from work
7. more work on conference research- look at data? more reading?
8. try to ignore dirty house and resist vacuuming until this evening or tomorrow
9. pick up D from school bus

I'm sure items #1 and #7 will be mixed with blog-reading and possibly napping (I tossed and turned all night and got up early with H). Can you believe March is half over already?? When did that happen?

ETA: Completed items are in green italics. Do you notice a theme here? I did everything that was NOT work-related! I also made an easy list, because most of things were not really hard or even requiring much effort. #3 is only partly finished because I need to go buy some sheet music tomorrow (one piece was missing). I took the afternoon off and watched Bob Roberts. I also sent off the final revised version of the paper. Tomorrow will have to involve some work on #1/#7, because it is sadly the last day of spring break. I also need to start working on some of the teaching tasks that I've been putting off all week... sigh.

Spring Break Update

Of my original list, I have accomplished everything I was supposed to do on Monday. Revising the paper was much more time-consuming than I imagined. I ended up doing additional analysis, then I wrote all the response to reviewers comments, etc. My co-authors are really on the ball, so we'll probably send in the revisions tomorrow (less than a week after getting the acceptance!). So it's certainly time well spent for a spring break! I thought I would be spending more time on the new research (for the conference next month), so that will be my plan for tomorrow. I am also going to have lunch with a friend, send off that application (I finished that one last night), and stop by my office to find a letter from a student (I hope that's where it is!)

I haven't been too productive in the afternoons, but I also don't feel like I've actually had a break- which is bad. Maybe if I am productive tomorrow, I can take Friday afternoon off and watch (or see) a movie. Or something. We'll see.

It's so warm here the last couple of days that I've got the ceiling fans on upstairs! Crazy March weather- I hope it doesn't snow this weekend like they're predicting. All of my bulbs are starting to emerge- I hope they bloom before I leave town for the conferences!

Thanks to everyone who posted comments about my job decision. I am feeling at peace at about now. I was explaining to one of my colleagues how the job would have meant that I was 45 minutes from my grandma's, a 6-hour drive from my mom's, and a 6-hour drive from my brother's. He said "and a 4-hour plane ride from your husband." That pretty much sums it up. I am still holding out some hope for dream job, but it could be the same agonizing decision all over again if I get an offer.

Job Application Question

OK, blogosphere, here's a question for you:

I am sending out one last application (don't they have a late deadline?). In their ad, they only request a letter, vita, & list of references. I usually include publications and sample teaching materials, too. I emailed the search committee chair two weeks ago to see if they really just wanted the bare minimum or if they were happy to receive additional materials. I have not heard back. I have posted sample teaching materials on my website and already had pubs there (and I have mentioned this in my cover letter), so do you think I should still include one or two articles with my application? I don't want to annoy them if they really just want what they ask, but I hate to have such a thin file deciding my fate!

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Trailer Tuesday

I watched this on one of the movie channels (HD) a couple weeks ago. Quite disturbing. H was so pissed off at the adulterer, that he couldn't even watch it after the first hour! Jonathan Rhys Meyers was lovely to look at, though...

Music & moods

Since Seeking Solace and B* are trying to cheer themselves up with music, I thought I would share what I've been listening to today. I've been wallowing in reflection with a tinge of regret, since I officially declined the job offer today. After the phone call, I did some repetitive statistical analysis while listening to The Jesus & Mary Chain's Stoned & Dethroned. I used to have the CD, but lost it and Yahoo! recently added it to their Music Unlimited. Dirty Water is probably my favorite:

F--- with me, and I'll f--- with you. Isn't that what we're supposed to do...

Then I listened to Third Eye Blind's How's It Going to Be. I bought that CD right before I moved out of Adopted-Home State ten years ago and Stoned & Dethroned was a grad school favorite a few years earlier. Sigh... I know I made the right decision, but it's still sad.

Boring List Post

It's Spring Break and I need to get some crap done this week. With last week's job distractions I was just doing the minimum to keep my classes going. This week needs to be different. This week I need to:

1. revise the accepted paper- I've already got feedback from co-authors (very dedicated students!), so I need to address the issues that are beyond their level of knowledge
2. submit an application for another job- I'm still holding out hope for dream job, but this place could easily become the *new* dream job
3. related to #1, I need to do some additional analysis to present at one of next month's conferences
4. totally unrelated to 1, 2, or 3, I need to get some analysis done on some new research for the other April conference- it would be great if it could also become a paper, since I now have NOTHING in review
5. toward the end of the week, I will have to start thinking about teaching again- I need to grade some labs and assignments, write an exam, read the next chapter in the text for my 1st-year class, prepare/revise lectures for both classes

Today, I will work on this sub-list:

1. work on the paper revisions they're not done yet, but I've made some progress. I am still doing some additional analysis to include- this will also be helpful for #3 above
   
2. call interview #2 and decline the offer (I have to wait until afternoon because they are three hours earlier than we are). I'll be glad when that is done see post above :(
3. work on the job application- I need to take a slightly different angle to promote myself as the specialty they are looking for. I am actually in the right area, but I'm not sure if my record reflects that adequately or not. I didn't get to it yet, but maybe tonight I will work on it.
   
4. walk on the treadmill- I missed Saturday because of the blogger meet-up, so I can make up lost exercise this week! DONE! (55 minutes of walking & movie-watching)
   

OK- now I have a to-do list for all the blogosphere to see- no slacking off now! Have a great week, everyone.

Blogger Meet-Up!

Yay! I had my first blogger meet-up yesterday! H, D, & I drove to Capitol City of neighboring state to meet Dr. Brazen Hussy & Abitrista (whose previous blog name was much easier to type!) They were just as fun and nice in person as I had imagined from their blogs. I won't repeat everything that Dr. Brazen Hussy mentioned about the meet-up, so here are some other observations:

• At lunch, D observed that three of us were wearing glasses. Only she and my non-blogging husband weren't wearing them- coincidence?
• I wonder if Brazen noticed the lead deposit in my right foot. They followed us from lunch to the museum and I noticed I had to slow down to avoid losing them.
• The weather was rainy in the morning, but the sun came out by the time we arrived in Capitol City- it was a great day to be out and about.
• It was great to get out of Small College Town AND go somewhere different! They have a pretty cool art museum there, too.
  

Three bloggers, a non-blogger, and a little pumpkin...
Guess which one is which?

We all got along splendidly and spent plenty of time criticizing the U.S. government, organized religion, & all-things conservative. We'll definitely have to do it again!

Some Art Saturday

I saw this painting today, but I can't tell you the name of it because you might Google it and figure out where I was! Blogger meet-up details to follow tomorrow...

Vincent van Gogh, 18XX

Job Decision 2007... continued

My meeting with the dean was fine. S/he was MUCH more encouraging than my chair was (does this even seem logical to anyone?) The icing on the cake was that I had ANOTHER paper accepted yesterday! I'm third author, because it was a collaboration with two students, but it's still another pub- that makes one beyond expectations for my department (so, there!) We need to make minor revisions, but I should have three papers published in 2007- I never thought that could happen. Of course, now I have nothing in review... guess I better get busy! I have to call the job offer dean on Monday and turn them down. It will pain me a little, but if it was meant to be, then things would have worked out for H, too. I'll still be waiting to hear from dream job in a few weeks (although I'm not totally optimistic). There's also one more application to send out next week.

I'll try to do a Some Art Saturday post later....

Yay- It's Spring Break, too!

Trying not to go crazy

So I accomplished almost nothing yesterday- I downloaded and printed out a couple of articles and thought about the research I want to work on, but basically nothing got done (other than spending an hour on the treadmill and doing some laundry). I talked to my step-dad for probably an hour on the phone. He doesn't think that any arrangement that involves splitting up our family is a good idea- I have to agree, but it doesn't make it easy to turn down a job that I would actually like to have! I suspect that meeting with the dean will NOT make my decision any easier, but I think it's a good thing to do anyway, so that I have all the facts (or perception of the facts) before making a final decision. I've never turned down a job before- when I got the offer for my current job, I had already had two interviews that didn't turn into offers. Of course- I didn't have ANY job at that point, so my options were limited if I turned down any offers.

On a positive note- I am very excited about having my first blogger meet-up tomorrow with Dr. Brazen Hussy & Arbitrista! I'm sure pictures of feet and backs of heads will follow...

Job Decision 2007... the saga continues

I am still deciding on the job offer. One fear I have is that I will turn it down and then NOT get tenure here. Some new developments in my decision-making process:

• I met with my chair to discuss my prospects for tenure
• I made an appointment with my dean to discuss my prospects for tenure
• I heard back from job interview #1 (the dream job)- they haven't made a decision yet! I won't hear for at least a few more weeks! While, this doesn't exactly make me feel that I made as much of an impact as I'd hoped, I was told that I am still being considered.

Basically, I'm not ruling anything out at this point. I have to decide on the offer from interview #2 by early next week, so I'll have to see what the dean says about tenure issues. My chair was not exactly encouraging (even though I've met all requirements) and didn't even try to tell me why I should stay- maybe that's a sign in itself. In the mean time, I am supposed to be preparing for some conferences. I have the next week and a half to ignore teaching and just do research (we have spring break next week), but I am TERRIBLY distracted, as you can imagine! Arrrghhh!

I'm taking wagers on how much research I accomplish today.

Trailer Tuesday

I started watching this on the treadmill this morning. I saw it once before about 7 years ago, so I don't remember the details very well. It's a great movie to watch while exercising because of the great music! It should get me through three walking sessions!




In other news... the job offer pondering continues...

Thanks!

Thanks for all of the cheerful comments, everyone! I'm feeling a bit deflated because I probably won't be able to take the job, though. As I said in another post- I don't see how it would be worth splitting up our family (and this isn't the "dream job" that talked about it- it's a good one, though!) As much as I would LOVE to live in that part of the country, I just don't see it being possible. I'll take my full week to decide, though. Maybe tomorrow I'll be telling you how it will be just grand when I take D out to Adopted-Home State and leave H here, but my gut feeling is that I'll have to pass it up. I should also mention that there are other drawbacks to the job offer: the pay is barely more than I make now (and it's MUCH more expensive to live there) and the teaching load is significantly higher. There aren't any prospects for H either, unless he leaves academia. Maybe I'll have have some grand revelation about how it could work... I'm sure H and I will talk about it more- he's willing to do the LD-thing, but is also unimpressed by the $.

More streams of consciousness to follow, I'm sure....

Thanks, bloggy friends!

After writing it off...

...I got a job offer today!

Now the hypothetical conversation with H becomes reality... I'm trying to enjoy the moment and not worry about logistics (but I already am!)

My husband is adorable

He is downstairs with D, watching this movie. He DVR'd it for her and is reading her the subtitles because she can't read fast enough to keep up yet. What a fun dad...

Don't worry- I'm OK.

I don't have it in me to be depressed for very long- I am thankful that I am like this, too! I'm feeling OK about the prospect of spending my career here in Small College Town- it's certainly not the worst place to be. Here are some good things about NOT getting job offers:

1. We don't have to move.
2. We will be financially better off (the cost of living is pretty reasonable around here).
3. We will move closer to Major City once we (hopefully) get tenure.
4. I will (hopefully) have only one more year as an assistant professor.
5. I can try to start some research in Adopted-Home State & make more frequent trips out there.
6. Maybe life will be a bit less stressful as an associate professor (that is- IF I get tenure!)
7. H, D, & I all have each other!

We had a nice trip to the Indian buffet for lunch today, followed by a stop at Trader Joe's. It's been snowing off and on, but not sticking to the ground. I sure hope spring arrives sooner rather than later- I've been freezing this winter! I'm still feeling a little bitter- we will be attending a conference in one of the cities where I interviewed next month. I wonder how agonizing it will be thinking that we could have almost lived there! ;( ... and it's an awesome city.

ETA: See comments- Dr. Brazen Hussy brought up a few good points & I responded!

Some Art Saturday

This pretty much sums it up...

The Scream
Edvard Munch, 1893

Random Bullets of Bummer

• I gave D $10 to spend at the school book fair today. She came home with a toy and a pen (which are already in the garbage!) and NO BOOKS.
• H & I made plans to attend a talk on campus this evening. We had to negotiate roadside rivers and torrential rain to get across campus, only to find the lecture completely packed. There were no places left to stand, even! So, we just came home.
• I have been yelling at D all afternoon for being rude & disrespectful (here and at school). I don't know what punishment will convince her to behave.
• Still no phone calls from Adopted-Home State. I think I have completely given up hope.
  
• I really don't want to stay here.
• Bummer.
  
• I'm fighting another migraine.