December 10, 2010

If words mean things, then all is lost


It's the end of the semester-it's funny how when you're entrenched in academic life, you base things on when semesters start/end rather than on things that really matter, like the new year-and things are finally starting to wind down, I think. The student evaluations are in, so I no longer have to be somewhat nice to them. Actually since moving from Nebraska to here I've been extraordinarily nice to my students. Must be something not in the water. You can tell it's been an especially trying semester as I've found myself listening to blink-182 to unwind in my office-stranger things have happened, though not many. It's probably the sophomoric humor that relates to my not-so-inner child and puts a smile on my face.

Right now I'm applying for a couple of fellowships. Pam and I are really hoping to get one of them, as they are renewable for up to four years and they pay about the same as the fellowship I had last year-it's a lot more than you get paid teaching a class. This will be nice for other reasons as well. Pam wants to go back to school, law school no less, and we do want to have kids eventually before we both get too old and body parts start to fall off, making us look like lepers without a pot of gold. With the fellowship Pam could go back to school and not have to work at the same time, which would help her do better. Plus there's always the fact that if we can save enough money we can withdraw it all in one dollar bills, roll around naked in it for a few days and then return it so that all of those christened bills flow into circulation. After I (eventually) graduate-I really do want to graduate one day, but not get a real job which is why I want to work at either a national lab or a university doing research-fellowships look awesome on your CV (resume) and can definitely help when trying to find a job. The only real drawback to either of these fellowships is...well...there isn't one. I don't have to teach and can focus on research, it looks good on my CV, there's more money and last but not least I don't have to teach.

My lab mate-the one who told me, "We're really lucky you're not a moron"-wants to go see Jackass 3D with me, and I really want to go too. It just shows that because you're working toward an advanced degree doesn't necessarily mean you've grown up (it's not stupid, it's advanced).

Life is good, in spite of all the cold and snow-ha! take that Jack Frost and your biting numbing cold that emanates from your cold cold heart of death into the soul of Michigan.

You can't tell it very well, but this is a picture of me throwing a tire swing at our dogs-they thought it was great fun.

2 comments:

Charlie Pulsipher said...

Words mean everything. They are the building blocks of perception. They define our world, all we do, say, even think. Words create the universe, not our dim lacking senses, but the sounds we hammer together to give reason to those senses. I love words Ü

The Zen Chemist said...

Excellent writing