Save As, New Date

A version for every day of the week

I've spent most of today writing, save for a small break in the afternoon to walk to the craft store. (Because there are some days when I think maybe I would be happier being a craft blogger than a student). And while I write, I've learned a good trick to save every single version of a paper I've been working on. It's really quite obvious, and I'm not sure why I didn't use this method before. Each day I sit down to write, I type type type, then save-as, then the date. It's easy! Then I never have to remember which version I'm working on. I can't say that I actually go back and read any of the other versions, but it gives me some comfort knowing there are 20 different versions of the same paper.

A Large Loving Extended Family to Take the Homework Blues Away

I wish I was here. Morning walk in Joliet.

I had a moment of panic Friday night, realizing that it was, indeed,  Friday night. Having spent the last two and a half days in Joliet, I didn't get any homework done. I brought it with me, but didn't bother trying to do anything. I do not regret this decision, however it does make the remainder of this weekend less than ideal. So let me reminisce on the good times from Thanksgiving.

It was a fantastic and wonderful time. It was two and a half days of card games, laughter, 3pm pajamas, homemade cappuccinos, cheese disguised as broccoli (that would be a Midwestern casserole) eggnog, labradoodles, a turkey-trot, microbrews, spicy-fried chicken, Poor Boy sandwiches, seconds, and of course, Turkey (pass the dark meat). The best part about spending Thanksgiving in Joliet, though, was the absolute feeling of welcome and love I received. Thank you Pluth Family for giving me some time away and providing a remedy to homework blues.

The Night Before Thanksgiving (Extra Butterine)

Extra Butterine

There are certain family holiday traditions that I've been able to be a part of over the years as a result of being away from my own immediate family. This year since I stayed in the Midwest for Thanksgiving, I spent the holiday in Joliet, IL with a friend of mine and her family. Before I arrived I had asked, "So, how many people are there for Thanksgiving?" Thinking to myself probably 12. She replied, "About 50!" After my initial shock wore off I became really excited. 50 people for Thanksgiving! There are a few traditions that this family has, all of which I was able to share in. One of these traditions falls on the night before Thanksgiving, when almost all 50 (I think there were 35 for this event) go to a local restaurant called Merichka's and eat World Famous Poor Boys sandwiches. (yes you read that right, Poor Boy, NOT Po' Boy.) The secret to the deliciousness of these sandwiches? Butterine. Garlic Butterine. I'm not certain what this is, but I do know that it is lathered on the bread, and brought to the table in extra servings, and also can, once cooled, glue a water glass to the table. It is quite tasty, I must say. And it could be the reason that family traditions like this happen but once a year.

And... Scene.

Tucked inside the syllabus for my Proseminar class was a little diddy about choosing and reading a book and providing a review of said book. Most of us didn't see this bit until we were handed a summary of each book and asked to decide which one we'd like to read. And so, my cohort of 20 was divided into about 6 groups. I chose a book called "Unmaking the Public University." My book group friends and I decided it was a 4 out of 5 star book and we gave it a "suggested read" review. Each group also had to briefly present our summary of the book, and this happened last night. I loved my group. However, two of the 4 of us are performers. (No, not me. I mean, I have had to perform in the past, but those Seattle band days are like a memory and so no more forced performing for me, until now.) So instead of becoming talking heads and reporting out to the rest of the class with a dreaded PowerPoint, we, uh, did a skit. Yes folks, even doctoral students find ways to be creative given the time constraints we have. And I actually think it was less work than creating a PowerPoint and lecturing. I mostly said one paragraph and nodded my head the rest of the time. It was great.

It All Melts Away

A few pictures from the last week with snow. It's all gone now, melted away. I'm sure it will be back soon.

Silver Bells

One great thing about living in a small (very small) city is that when there is an event that takes place, it's so easy to maneuver even when it seems like there will be "so many people" attending. On Friday, the annual event, Silver Bells in the City took place, and it seemed a large proportion of Lansing was there. I would never really attend anything like this in my former city, ahem, Seattle, because there are so many obstacles to be able to enjoy such an event. Like parking, or too many people, or rain, or parking, or parking or parking or traffic traffic traffic. Here in Lansing, "traffic" feels like a Sunday morning (between 8am and 8:30am) in Shoreline. So getting out to downtown Lansing was a dream. And the entire city of Lansing didn't even really fill up the sidewalks, so I had a great view of the light parade wherever I was.

Silver Bells in the City is the annual ring in the holidays event. Their website indicated that there were "several reasons to brave the cold" and so we did. Light parade, tree lighting, the little shopping village (well, that was mostly just a half a block of kettle corn, but whatever), and the Bing Crosby Christmas tunes being piped through the lamp post speakers. These were all the reasons we braved the cold! Although we didn't make it to the tree lighting. I couldn't feel my feet anymore, so we left after the parade ended.

Scenes from the light parade

The Lake Effect

The lake effect Mitten State!

I'm obsessed with the lake effect, especially now that I live in the Great Lakes State, and I live only an hour and a half east of Lake Michigan. Well, I also live about an hour and a half from Lake Huron and, geez, about two hours from Lake Erie. So you could say that it's easy to be interested in the lake effect. The signs of the lake effect, however, drive my interest even more.

Last weekend, we went to Chicago to visit with some friends and get a little "big city" back in our blood. As we were driving through Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, there was quite a bit of snow. It's only about an hour from Lansing, where we had no snow. This stretch-way of snow piqued my interest in the lake effect. So I've done some research. Cold winds, moving across large (often warmer) bodies of water, scoops up the water vapor, freezes it, then drops it. So fascinating, right?!? By now we know that areas around Buffalo are experiencing a severe lake effect. Thankfully, Lansing is far enough inland that we don't get too much of the lake effect from Lake Michigan, although we do feel it a little. Grand Rapids, and other areas along the Lake Michigan coastline feel it, as do areas like Kalamazoo which is much closer to the lake. Thus, snow over the weekend in Kalamazoo. (I mean, we have it now, but they got a lot more).

This is Normal

They call him the shoveler

Yep. We got some snow. A lot of folks on campus know that I'm not from around here, so this week I've been asked a lot about "how am I holding up with this change in the weather?" I'm not quite sure how to answer that question, because I've been bracing for this kind of thing since I knew we were going to move here.

I've been preparing for this since March when I decided it was going to be Michigan State! Yes! Say yes to Michigan! Go Spartans! I knew the Midwest offered a different kind of weather, landscape, people. So I just decided that I would go along with it. And I have.

So when I get asked, "How you holding up?" or "Pretty different than Seattle!" I just say, "Yeah! Good!" and have a puzzled look on my face because, this is normal, right? It's normal to talk about long underwear and putting YakTrax on your shoes, and snow shovels, and the lake effect, and biking in the snow, and shearling lined boots, and The Salt Line. (You know, the place on your pants that gets stained because of the de-icer salt on the sidewalk).

There's nothing I can do about it now, I mean, I'm the one who chose MSU over...... oh San Diego. You are like a dream now. And this is normal.

Little Fixes

Hanging fruit basket and spices!

It takes time to make all the little parts of a home feel like home. There are so many nooks and crannies (especially now that I'm in a house) to squeeze some comfort into. The little adjustments that do get made always feel really special, and one small thing can make a huge difference.

This week, two little fixes happened in the house. The first was that the stairs were painted! Before this, there was ugly carpet, which sagged a little. I actually fell down them one night as I went to, er, get a glass of water. (Don't worry, I'm fine, but I had an awful bruise up my left ankle and shin, which caught my fall). Thank goodness I slipped backwards and not forward. So the carpet got ripped off, three stairs got fixed/replaced, and now they are painted! One more coat should do it, but I'm so relieved to have that nasty saggy carpet gone!

The second little fix was to the kitchen. Well, several things happened in here. The stove fan got a new pull chain (and got cleaned, the grating to the fan was super gross), a little area of the counter was made level (no more water pitcher sliding towards the stove!), a little shelf for spices was put up, and a fruit basket that once sat on the counter, was made to hang! The counter space now is so spacious. I, obviously, can't take credit for any of these things. But I can take credit for being so happy and excited about these fixes (especially the genius of hanging the fruit basket) that I gave the handyman a big kiss.

The Sound of Scraping

First snow of the season! I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, it justifies how cold it is. On the other, I know this is what the next few months will look like, and this is but one small taste. For now, it is quite nice. Our neighbor was already out shoveling (or rather, scraping) the sidewalk. And the attitude of most people is not one of extreme excitement like we do back on the west coast. You know, that buzz of "it's going to snow!" and people feeling giddy because flurries started. The attitude here is "Huh, well, it's arrived."

Our little house

The driveway out to the street

The Class Gave a Shudder

As I was sitting in my quant class today, I decided to quickly check the forecast because there were snow flurries out the window. And because the entire class gave a shudder. My favorite line from the weather narrative below? 1 to 2 inches per hour possible along with thunder.

 

Cozy Game Night

Yes that's eggnog!

On Sunday nights we often get together with our neighbors and play games. (Specifically, we play Settlers of Catan which is quite addictive). Last night we stayed in and played Backgammon in our back room which we have begun to turn into a cozy lodge. We put our woodsy furniture in there, and are adding some other things so we can complete the "reading lodge" room. It's really nice to have an extra space to stretch out and read, and we're having fun making the room distinct. A few more big things need to happen, like putting in the bookshelf against one wall, and installing an overhead shelf along another wall. Then we may add some tree mural or nature scape something or other. But I think it's coming along nicely. And who knew I would love faux fur pillows.

Our electric fire place, woodsy chair, and owl lamp & turtle lamp

Pencil Cases. They're not just for First Graders

I've been using an old plastic pencil case for the last few years, and the hinge where the top opens up is always popping off. Also, even though it's pink and it sparkles, because it is plastic it makes a rattling noise when I'm walking with my backpack on. It can be rather annoying. It also makes a loud click when I open and close it, so when I'm in say, my quant class and we're going over a computation and I really want my highlighter, I have to rattle the case out of my bag and then CLICK it open. And the person next to me looks at me funny for two seconds.

So, I decided to get a new pencil case. (And every time I say the words "pencil case" Kevin chuckles a little bit because apparently it's something that only first graders use. He's not alone in this. My classmate saw me get out my pencil case and said, "aren't those for first graders?") I would argue that pencil cases are a very effective way to stay organized. And this new one is far superior to my old one. Not only is it just a tad bit bigger (now I can keep my mini-stapler in there too!) it's soft and won't rattle. AND it accurately describes my state of mind.

Mind Over Matter

Sometimes it really is about mind over matter. This past weekend was an example of this. I spent most of it writing about organizational theory, and also sending and receiving encouraging texts and emails from the three other people in my reading group. (and by reading group I mean we split the reading for the week and take notes for one another, although I learned that we all do the reading anyway). Friday morning, the start to my three day, ten hours of writing each day saga began, I decided to lift my spirits with a little Gary Larson. We have the two volume book set of all of his comics and it's amazing how a few of his drawings can really put one in the right mind frame to write about the theory of a learning organization and individual cognition. And how amazing it is that this is the one that the book opened to.

Terrific Brain!

I've become increasingly good at stuffing my brain. Well, getting "good" at this skill wasn't hard to achieve since I wasn't very good at it at all to begin with. It's like earning a trophy for most improved player in kickball when you never played kickball at all, so of course you are most improved! If you can kick the ball at the end of the season and you couldn't at the beginning, what an accomplishment!

Not to diminish brain stuffing and my achievements here.

But my oh my, I'm really packing it in - reading a lot and trying to make it stick. This requires note taking and conversation. This is, however, different than "cramming" because the aim is retention. And when that retention is in place, a web of things learned starts to appear. And connections are made. And I feel inspired because I've not only learned, I can apply! And maybe for a moment I feel terrific and my stuffed brain takes a big deep breath.

And then, another paper is due.

Thank you Garth Williams for the perfect illustration. How did you know this was my brain?

My Other Pair of Pants is a Wool Blanket

Here's something interesting. A typhoon, a couple of thousand miles away near Alaska, will provide us with possible snow next week. I cringe at the words "polar vortex" but apparently, that is what is happening. Although I'd like to think "wow, that is truly amazing, that a storm that far away could push the jet-stream and create unusually cold temperatures in the midwest" I actually think, well, frankly, I don't think at all because this DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.  If it does snow, I'll post some pictures. Sigh.

Walking

I decided to walk to campus yesterday. It was a little drizzly, and I enjoy walking in a little drizzle more than I do riding my bike. It also gave me 40 minutes to clear my thoughts. Next week I have several things due and as Monday and Tuesday draw closer my stress levels go up a bit. I know I'll get everything finished. Again, my front-load mentality means that I'll likely be done with everything by Sunday afternoon. However the walking helps. All I hear are my shoes on the pavement, the squeak of my backpack, my breathing, and some drizzle pattering my shoulders (and then eventually my umbrella).

Here are some pictures I've taken on other walks:

I Don't Know What I Know

I thought maybe it was just me, but apparently this is a well known issue.

That Sinking Feeling

Yesterday I met with one of my professors to go over a paper draft that I am writing. I had received feedback from him, most of which I knew was coming. I remember thinking to myself as I turned in a first draft "I know there are some major things wrong with this, will he notice?" Duh, of course he did. I spent almost an hour with him going over my research problem and trying to fix all the issues in the paper. He's the type of professor at HALE that pats you on and back and says "this is terrible" at the same time. He's forgiving and as we were finishing up he said to me "I know that this conversation probably didn't get you any further along. I remember when I was doctoral student I would meet with my advisor and sometimes I'd leave his office more confused than when I walked in. So I know what you're going through. But you have to just start writing more. Don't get stuck just start writing." Although I appreciated that, I still walked out of his office with a big sinking feeling that I don't think I can do this. The intensity of it was disarming, making me lose my resolve to want to finish this paper. That sinking feeling comes and goes, and I know will be with me throughout my career here, however it really did feel like too much yesterday.

So, I walked into the main lobby area of the building and opened my computer and all the notes he had scribbled for me and began to write.

Shy Birds

Thanks Audubon and Bill Stripling for the photo

I grew up with Scrub Jays. Their call, a little bit of a screech, was part of the background music of my childhood. When I moved to Seattle, I was introduced to Steller's Jays, and was awe struck by their crest and iridescent feathers. Michigan hosts Blue Jays, who also sport a small crest, but have much more variation in their blue and white feathers. I love them. They are loud and vocal, and have several different types of sounds. They mimic, they cry, they call, they chatter. They screech. But they also seem to have a shyness about them. I can hear them (all the time!), however when I try to get close to have a look, they suddenly get really shy and hop way up in the trees and get quiet. I hear them all day long, then... I walk outside to have a look and they disappear.

Why so shy Blue Jay?