Birthday cake

I forgot to share this earlier. This was my birthday cake this year. Mmmm, ice cream!

Hoot at HuHot

Yesterday, I got a craving to go to HuHot so I corralled my friend Carmi and my sister Crystal into trying it out. Julie is out of town this week visiting her parents, so now is the best time for me to get my HuHot fix, as she is not as keen on the place as I am.

Anyway, while I'm in the line getting my second plate, I think I recognize someone on the other side of the line. I'm sure it is high-school French teacher both Crystal and I had, but it has been over a decade since I saw her last so I wasn't so sure. When I get to the grill I ask Crystal if she recognized her. I have to turn around to make sure I don't mess up the line at the grill and while my back was turned Crystal, being the not-so-shy person she is, must have said something to our mystery person, because they are engaged in that "Oh it's been such a long time"-type of discussion.

Our suspicions were confirmed that this really was our high-school French teacher, Mrs. Schrock. She's the wife of one of our state legislators and she was there with a small group of other senator's wives. After we finished our meals Carmi took off to run some errands so we sat with "Madame Schrock" and got caught up for over an hour. In her words, "What a Hoot!

What makes it even stranger is that her group had just been in Omaha at the children's care unit where one of Crystal's friends currently works earlier that day giving handmade quilts to some of the families there. Is it a small world? Oui, c'est un petit monde!

05.05.05

As some have already pointed out, today is May 5, 2005 or otherwise known as 05-05-05. What kind of magical, cosmic thing will happen today, besides thousands of bloggers mentioning that it is 05-05-05 today?

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yes, today is my birthday. I know because of the large amount of special "birthday" coupons in my email this morning! {grin} I'm 32 years old today for those of you keeping score at home.

Edit/Clarification: By birthday coupons, I meant coupons that say "Happy Birthday, come in and get a free burgar with purchase of another meal" and "Because it's your birthday, get $15 off your next purchase this month. You know, stuff like that.

Tenure stress

Julie sent me a link regarding some of the ways that university professors break down around tenure time. I can tell you, the stress is real and it is heavy. As some of you remember, I tried to go up early last year. I didn't get a favorable outcome from the library faculty vote, so I withdrew knowing I had another year.

This year is different. This is my "publish or perish", "do or die" year. If I don't achieve tenure, I have to find another job. That's the way it is. Now I could go on and on about this type of situation, but that's another post. What I want to talk about today is the stress.

The year before you come up for tenure is a year full of clenched teeth, of migranes, of nights not sleeping, of burning the midnight oil to get "just one more" publication out, to get the perfect summary of accomplishments, to make your vita even more appetizing. No matter how well you do your job, how many committees you serve on, how much research you have done - it is still over you all - the - time. On top of all this, you still have to do your day-to-day job, whatever it is. Have you ever wondered why there is the "absent-minded professor" stereotype? I believe this has a major part of propagating that one.

Some of your already tenured colleagues will try to help you out. Some will offer to put you on committees, or to do joint research. Others will give you pseudo-mystical advice about how to achieve that blessed state called, "tenured". Those I don't find as helpful. I appreciate the concern, but that's not that helpful.

How am I handling it? The best I can. I tend to try to avoid working at home, although I have stayed up late in my home office pounding out a draft of an article recently. I tend to escape via computer games and watching pro wrestling. Nothing like mindless entertainment to numb the stress in your life.

My family and friends have been great. Julie lets me slide on doing the chores at home, my parents & siblings keep encouraging me, my friends make me laugh and forget about the black cloud every so often. Without that support network, things would be very bleak indeed.

The pressure will double come October because that's when the paperwork will begin. External reviews, academic portfolios, letters of recommendation - trying to put together the best wrapping to my career so far. This will continue until late December when the first vote happens.

So, when I read about University professors flipping out, I am not surprised at all. Let's hope you never read about me going bonkers.