Top Ten List for Travel

Top Ten Things I Love About Travel

1. No one wakes me up at 6 AM to ask for waffles.
2. No cooking, no dishes, no laundry.
3. No students.
4. Time to watch TV
5. Room service
6. Airports with Free Wi-Fi
7. My IPod
8. Not having to attend all those meetings while I am away
9. People drive me around for a change.
10. Quiet time. (Sometimes I forget this exists).


Top Ten Things I hate about Travel
1. Always seem to be on the 6 AM flight.
2. No cooking, no dishes, no laundry, means more cooking, dishes, and laundry when I get back.
3. Students don't go into lab when I am gone. No data.
4. TV always seems vapid (especially the week before elections).
5. Room service adds 5 lbs, must hit the gym more.
6. Airport delays.
7. IPod battery.
8. Getting assigned lots of tasks in those meetings I didn't attend.
9. No idea what kids are doing in school, extracurriculars.
10. Miss family terribly.

Perspective

My life is always crazy and this is probably one of the most crazy, but at times like this it always helps to get some perspective. As I mentioned in my last post, my sister, Janus Prof just had a baby, so her life is definitely crazier than mine. In addition, a very sad thing happened last week that has really altered my view point about life in general. A friend of mine who was ~25 weeks pregnant went into premature labor. The baby died two days later. I went to the memorial yesterday. I just can't imagine how horrible it must be for them, and I can find no possible explanation for why this should occur.

In the scheme of things, it really doesn't matter if I get grant money or if my lab combusts in a beautiful panorama of flames. The most important thing is that my family is strong and that we are all happy and healthy. Things have been tough for me because I tried to do too much at the beginning of the term. I am backing off now and doing work @ work and home @ home and getting a little time for myself, and things are getting better. I am trying a different balance and maybe I won't get all the grants and papers that I wanted out, but the most important things (i.e., my family) will be taken care of.

Crazyness Strikes Again and My New Nephew I

Things are yet again crazy for me. Last week I had two proposals due on the 1st. I just got another rejection :( which means that I am all the more compelled to write more grants. In addition, I am teaching a new class, for which I have no lectures, and am not really pleased with the text, so I have been crazy busy trying to get that up and running as well. Right now I am finishing the lectures < 24 hours before delivery, so not the best situation to be in. I have miles of work piled up at home (wearing the last clean bra right now, so I guess tonight is laundry night), and last week a typical day consisted of teach, turn in proposals, office hours, girl scout meeting, violin lesson, dinner in car-take out, parents night @ kids school, frantically write lectures, shower, bed-late.

On the other hand, I was thrilled to hear that I have a new nephew!!!! I don't think she is up and posting yet, bet everyone please congratulate Janus prof on her new addition. Also, if any of you were breastfeeders, maybe you could offer advice, the little booger won't latch on.

I realize that despite how busy I am, it pales in comparison to the joy (and lack of sleep) that come with a new infant. I am just so darn excited. I won't get to get over there for a few weeks, but it really makes all my grant writing seem small and insignificant.