A Little Breather

Good googly moogly, I've been busy.

You may have noticed my absence over the last few weeks; school started back.

You also may have noticed that I haven't been posting as much as I normally have over the last few months. Part of the reason is that I've submitted six (6) single author or first author papers since Nov. 30th. (That's a bit of an exaggeration because I started working on the first submission due on 11/30 in mid-October.) Nonetheless, the academics who read this blog just dropped their coffee cup all over their keyboards. For the rest of you, I'll just say "I've been working my a$$ off." (Should I mention the $1 million NSF grant due at the end of this month? Well, I just did.) Again in the vein of full disclosue, three of those paper submissions were conference submissions, so now I and my co-authors are working on moving them to journal submissions. Still, I'm pretty proud of how much work we've done in less than 8 weeks.

That doesn't mean I haven't been thinking of things to blog. Brilliant, witty blog entries that are hovering over my head waiting to be committed to word and fading because I can only keep so many ideas hovering over my head and right now the focus often turns to my research or my babymaking. How focused am I? I've made major improvements on my work with thoughts that spring before me when I wake up or take a shower. It suggests to me that my best work could come from more sleep and more showers! (Dave suggests the latter helps in babymaking, too)

Of course, there is also a level of tension that does not thrill me. I am always thisclose from a headache. For the last week or so, I get a headache every time I put on mascara. WTF, you ask? Apparently, my head is so tight that lifting my eyebrows to assume to proper mascara application position scrunches up my forehead muscles which sort of freezes my face in an unnatural position and gives me a headache. I'm ending each morning's toilette with 4 ibuprofen. Why not give up wearing makeup? See babymaking priorities above.

I still really don't see a break anytime soon. Fine. That's life as an academic with a fertility clock ticking loudly behind her.

I have started taking a meditation class at our church. The first session/practice was last night. I'll be talking more about that, but I'm really digging that already.

I leave you with this scene from Monday. (I need to stop this thought bubble from floating around the top of my head)

The Scene: A Somewhat Befuddled Professor at the front of the class trying to figure out the computer/projector set up.

SBP: Does anyone know how to work this thing?

Class: (murmur, murmur) No.

(SBP getting quite desperate, begins randomly pushing buttons on the podium.)

Suddenly, an Automated Female Voice says: Please wait. Your call is being connected now. Please wait. Your call is being connected now.

(SBP realizes she does not want to make a call much the less wait for such a call to be made and has no idea to whom said call is going. She quickly presses more buttons)

AFV: Please wait. Your call is being connected now.

A Disembodies Male Voice answers: Hello? Are you having problems?

SBP (trying to gain composure in front of her class): I'm trying to turn on the LCD projector and I can't figure out how.

DMV: Press the "on" button.

SBP: There is no "on" button.

DMV: There should be a red button that says "on".

SBP: OH! The one that says "System On"! (She presses it; the class points out they hear the LCD projector turn on)

SBP: Ok! Great! Now it's working. Thank you, disembodied voice that I do not recognize for helping me out.

DMV: You're welcome!

(A lengthening pause)

SBP: How do I hang up on you?

DMV: I'll do it from my end. OK, Bye!

SBP: Bye!

(A great deal of laughter from both the professor and the class as the incredibly enlightening and engaging lecture begins)