For as uninspired as "Wilted Greens with Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar" sounds, it makes an awesome meal. Especially with just a touch of crumbled bacon. Just smashing.
Reminder to self to tone down the garlic and red pepper a bit next time so you can taste the greens better, though.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
reading/location, clothing/money, vacation/weather
I've been reading more of late, after having gone months without picking up a book. I mean, certainly, I read every day even without the books, but not reading for the sake of reading, really. So now I've finished Indecent and gotten through all but the postscript in The Natural History of the Senses (and yes, that's a postscript, not an afterword, or so it's labeled).
I think it's the location thing. When I'm at home, there are a million other things to do. All this reading was done either at the club job (it's always a slow start) or at a diner I've been going to with relative frequency of late, mostly due to having errands in that area of town daily for awhile now.
Errands that mostly involve clothing: dropping off donations of my old clothing that I need to purge from my closet, and getting drycleaning and repairs done. Which ran me $100 in one shot, I might add, though that included a few suits and my old North Face jacket which desperately needed a thorough cleaning and some miscellaneous other pieces including a bunch of silk, some of which needed special attention.
It takes money to look professional. It takes money to do a lot of things, which irks me, but what are you going to do and all that.
On the up side, I've got a bit of vacation coming up (finally) after a conference I'm going to in Seattle, and I'll be taking the opportunity to stay there for a bit afterwards. And since Penn State's flying me out anyway, and coming back after that bit of vacation is actually cheaper than when I would have flown back, the flight's covered, at least. Minor victory.
And I scheduled my birthday and the day after off to enjoy Arts Fest. I don't usually take time on either, but I think I'll enjoy having the time for both. And now I'll be able to stop dealing with how I'm going to wedge in the time I have to either take or lose for awhile.
It's been stormy around here: a bit of a relief, actually, from the high temperatures we'd been having. During one of the more violent bouts that I Tweeted, a microburst occurred just a block or two away, taking out power lines and stopping traffic on one of the main arteries that runs beside campus.
And on that note, I have to run: one of my three meetings today starts in a few minutes.
I think it's the location thing. When I'm at home, there are a million other things to do. All this reading was done either at the club job (it's always a slow start) or at a diner I've been going to with relative frequency of late, mostly due to having errands in that area of town daily for awhile now.
Errands that mostly involve clothing: dropping off donations of my old clothing that I need to purge from my closet, and getting drycleaning and repairs done. Which ran me $100 in one shot, I might add, though that included a few suits and my old North Face jacket which desperately needed a thorough cleaning and some miscellaneous other pieces including a bunch of silk, some of which needed special attention.
It takes money to look professional. It takes money to do a lot of things, which irks me, but what are you going to do and all that.
On the up side, I've got a bit of vacation coming up (finally) after a conference I'm going to in Seattle, and I'll be taking the opportunity to stay there for a bit afterwards. And since Penn State's flying me out anyway, and coming back after that bit of vacation is actually cheaper than when I would have flown back, the flight's covered, at least. Minor victory.
And I scheduled my birthday and the day after off to enjoy Arts Fest. I don't usually take time on either, but I think I'll enjoy having the time for both. And now I'll be able to stop dealing with how I'm going to wedge in the time I have to either take or lose for awhile.
It's been stormy around here: a bit of a relief, actually, from the high temperatures we'd been having. During one of the more violent bouts that I Tweeted, a microburst occurred just a block or two away, taking out power lines and stopping traffic on one of the main arteries that runs beside campus.
And on that note, I have to run: one of my three meetings today starts in a few minutes.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Blue Band clips
These came up in conversation with my Dad, so I just want to link them here for him:
This is the Blue Band's version of Thriller that's been watched a ton. They're in "costume," so to speak: this version is far more about the choreography. Their rendition here isn't musically very good at all, frankly.
This version is far too short, but shows them off much better: the players themselves are actually dancing, and it's far more together musically.
Here's one made about all their different fashion appearances not so long ago (though I can't find the one I intended to share, I might add). Other finds: their trombone players just screwing around and doing a pretty good rendition of "Low Rider," a better view of one of their full performances, and the traditional entrance of the drum major.
This is the Blue Band's version of Thriller that's been watched a ton. They're in "costume," so to speak: this version is far more about the choreography. Their rendition here isn't musically very good at all, frankly.
This version is far too short, but shows them off much better: the players themselves are actually dancing, and it's far more together musically.
Here's one made about all their different fashion appearances not so long ago (though I can't find the one I intended to share, I might add). Other finds: their trombone players just screwing around and doing a pretty good rendition of "Low Rider," a better view of one of their full performances, and the traditional entrance of the drum major.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
jazz time
I've had "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" stuck in my head all day.
I've had an afternoon of being stressed out about various commitments, but being efficient enough to get them done. And it occurred to me (because of the song) that if I'm not enjoying them, I shouldn't do them. This is a hobby, not an obligation. Though in this case hobby becomes obligation, especially when either money's exchanged or someone's sending me something in the mail, assuming I'd also be sending them something. But the vast majority of the worst of it will be done after tomorrow.
I'm sure it means something for me professionally too, weirdly enough. I had the fortune to have a Friday entirely clear of meetings. Normally, I'd take that as a vacation day, since they occur so rarely, and that's the best time to do so, but there's far too much to be done for that to happen this past Friday.
But I got so much done. It felt fantastic. And that's why I sometimes go in on weekends, just to be able to get stuff done. I can't do it during normal business hours sometimes.
Jazz has been in my head pretty steadily for about a week. It started with my co-DJ-in-crime playing "Scatman" last Sunday. It's an old pop song with a jazzy bit to it, with the chorus repeating "I'm the Scatman." My co-DJ-in-crime questioned the lyrics, referring to the toilet humor definition of scat. I had to tell him about the other definition and what it was used for. Ever since then, my brain's been flipping jazz tunes out of the depths at me. It's as if my brain radio's gone entirely static except for the jazz stations. I should really just burn some to CD. That usually purges the problem right quick.
"Right quick," I might add, was picked up from a co-worker who moved up here from--Georgia? South Carolina? somewhere like that--the south, anyway, pretty recently. I'm working with him pretty closely these days and end up picking up his terminology. "Pull the door to" I never got until he explained it, for example.
In any case. Off to make some carrot ginger soup for dinner.
I've had an afternoon of being stressed out about various commitments, but being efficient enough to get them done. And it occurred to me (because of the song) that if I'm not enjoying them, I shouldn't do them. This is a hobby, not an obligation. Though in this case hobby becomes obligation, especially when either money's exchanged or someone's sending me something in the mail, assuming I'd also be sending them something. But the vast majority of the worst of it will be done after tomorrow.
I'm sure it means something for me professionally too, weirdly enough. I had the fortune to have a Friday entirely clear of meetings. Normally, I'd take that as a vacation day, since they occur so rarely, and that's the best time to do so, but there's far too much to be done for that to happen this past Friday.
But I got so much done. It felt fantastic. And that's why I sometimes go in on weekends, just to be able to get stuff done. I can't do it during normal business hours sometimes.
Jazz has been in my head pretty steadily for about a week. It started with my co-DJ-in-crime playing "Scatman" last Sunday. It's an old pop song with a jazzy bit to it, with the chorus repeating "I'm the Scatman." My co-DJ-in-crime questioned the lyrics, referring to the toilet humor definition of scat. I had to tell him about the other definition and what it was used for. Ever since then, my brain's been flipping jazz tunes out of the depths at me. It's as if my brain radio's gone entirely static except for the jazz stations. I should really just burn some to CD. That usually purges the problem right quick.
"Right quick," I might add, was picked up from a co-worker who moved up here from--Georgia? South Carolina? somewhere like that--the south, anyway, pretty recently. I'm working with him pretty closely these days and end up picking up his terminology. "Pull the door to" I never got until he explained it, for example.
In any case. Off to make some carrot ginger soup for dinner.
Friday, April 27, 2007
fresh
Just visited Tait Farm to do the CSA pick-up thing. And on the way back, over Nittany Meadow Farm, the masses of clouds had slices in them, allowing beams to come through. Gorgeous.
I picked up some mint and lavender plants while I was at Tait, and realized while walking back to my car that growing plants and fresh things make me happy. Not that I didn't know this before, but it was notable then.
Now, out of my monkey suit. Though this particular monkey suit garnered me two compliments today, and my hair at the meeting I wore it for garnered two more. This suit's one of my better combos: "spiffy," as J. put it minutes ago. It's got a very subtle pinstripe in coral, and a matching, almost shocking solid coral lining which you can see pretty well at my cuffs when I raise my hands or arms at all. I was amazed that I managed to find a matching coral blouse, but I managed to. It's a good look, if I do say so myself.
The hair's my new favorite 'do: my version of a French twist, the proper version of which always fails because I have too much hair. Instead, I get a bit of a knobby bit at the bottom, but it still looks decent for awhile--until I get too many flyaways, anyway. But the whole thing I've got anchored at two points, only one of which is usually visible. No bobby pins.
I got another appearance compliment earlier this week: the colleague in question called it my "mystery woman" look, for some reason. It's a long wool skirt, soft pink shirt, and funky/romantic jacket with slightly puffed shoulders. I like it quite a bit (picked it up at Target on sale: don't tell).
My project for this weekend is an annual tradition at this point: writing the Free Comic Book Day article for the guys at Comic Swap, to be put out in the Centre Daily Times next week. Deadline's Monday. I could say that it should write itself by now, but it won't. There's always something new, and I certainly have to change it up each year. I'm skipping the staff's favorite picks this year for that very reason, I think. But they've got a guest artist coming in, so there should be plenty of other things to cover.
Off to eat before people arrive here.
I picked up some mint and lavender plants while I was at Tait, and realized while walking back to my car that growing plants and fresh things make me happy. Not that I didn't know this before, but it was notable then.
Now, out of my monkey suit. Though this particular monkey suit garnered me two compliments today, and my hair at the meeting I wore it for garnered two more. This suit's one of my better combos: "spiffy," as J. put it minutes ago. It's got a very subtle pinstripe in coral, and a matching, almost shocking solid coral lining which you can see pretty well at my cuffs when I raise my hands or arms at all. I was amazed that I managed to find a matching coral blouse, but I managed to. It's a good look, if I do say so myself.
The hair's my new favorite 'do: my version of a French twist, the proper version of which always fails because I have too much hair. Instead, I get a bit of a knobby bit at the bottom, but it still looks decent for awhile--until I get too many flyaways, anyway. But the whole thing I've got anchored at two points, only one of which is usually visible. No bobby pins.
I got another appearance compliment earlier this week: the colleague in question called it my "mystery woman" look, for some reason. It's a long wool skirt, soft pink shirt, and funky/romantic jacket with slightly puffed shoulders. I like it quite a bit (picked it up at Target on sale: don't tell).
My project for this weekend is an annual tradition at this point: writing the Free Comic Book Day article for the guys at Comic Swap, to be put out in the Centre Daily Times next week. Deadline's Monday. I could say that it should write itself by now, but it won't. There's always something new, and I certainly have to change it up each year. I'm skipping the staff's favorite picks this year for that very reason, I think. But they've got a guest artist coming in, so there should be plenty of other things to cover.
Off to eat before people arrive here.
Virginia Tech tribute and email
I'm writing since Dad nudged me to post, and to share the following:
Here's the email we just got here in admissions regarding Penn State's Virginia Tech tribute during the Blue/White game last weekend. We'll be sending this on formally, but I thought I'd post it here as well:
The tribute he's referring to is on YouTube. You can watch one version (though there are others) here.
Here's the email we just got here in admissions regarding Penn State's Virginia Tech tribute during the Blue/White game last weekend. We'll be sending this on formally, but I thought I'd post it here as well:
To whoever reads this letter,
Hello, my name is [name edited for his privacy], and I am sophomore and student at Virginia Tech. I did not know of any other way to contact the university, so I decided to write this letter to you all in the admissions office. You do not even realize how much your tribute at the spring game has lifted our spirits. I am dumbfounded by your regard for the well-being of the hokie community. I was not present at the game, however, I was able to watch the proceedings later on youtube.com. A few of my friends attend Penn State University, and I have talked to them with regards to the spring game. I want to express, on behalf of the entire Virginia Tech community, our gratitude for your display of support. You all have exhibited, through your support of our school, the character of your university. Never would I have imagined that the students and alumni of Penn State would be wearing maroon and orange and even cheering "Let's go HOKIES!!!"
On behalf of the entire Virginia Tech community I would again like to express our sincere gratitude for the way you have lifted our spirits on campus. You all deserve praise for helping us through this catastrophe, and I hope that this letter has illustrated our thanks to you.
Sincerely,
Your fellow hokie
[name edited for his privacy]
(I give you permission to print this or publish it however you want. I just want to make sure that you all realize the impact that you have had on our school.)
The tribute he's referring to is on YouTube. You can watch one version (though there are others) here.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Thursday, April 05, 2007
weather, office change
On Tuesday, it was almost 80 degrees here. This morning, I found a dusting of snow upon leaving home. A dusting, sure, but still.
Just switched offices: new one's bigger, but the desk makes my wrists hurt. I'll be rectifying that shortly, though. It also suffers from the same heating problem my office-before-last did: it's longer than it is wide (three windows again!), so the heat builds up in it pretty quickly since the heaters run the length of the windows. It needs some work (like a paint job: there are nail holes everywhere), but I like it. And I have a staff assistant in my area now, which has both up and down sides.
Off to fix the desk situation.
Just switched offices: new one's bigger, but the desk makes my wrists hurt. I'll be rectifying that shortly, though. It also suffers from the same heating problem my office-before-last did: it's longer than it is wide (three windows again!), so the heat builds up in it pretty quickly since the heaters run the length of the windows. It needs some work (like a paint job: there are nail holes everywhere), but I like it. And I have a staff assistant in my area now, which has both up and down sides.
Off to fix the desk situation.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
yoga conference
I've been eyeing the Yoga Journal Grand Geneva Conference ever since I noticed its existence last night, while paging through Yoga Journal. Wish I could go, but it's a. expensive and b. falling at a really inconvenient time, work-wise. Hopefully they'll run it again next year: it's a good excuse to a. do yoga (and potentially expand my practice of it, as all I've got is from one teacher. she's fantastic, but I absolutely could be missing something) and b. visit family. And maybe by then I'll be able to afford it. :P
Saturday, March 31, 2007
career arc
Since I wrote this all up in an email anyway, I figured I'd share it here. The old friend I sent this to was asking about my route to my current job. There are a few edits for clarification, otherwise it's all intact.
Originally I was looking for writing in an academic context, preferably tech-related (but "soft" tech writing rather than "hard" tech writing--error messages rather than technical manuals). I'd also had some interest in academic advising, which is done by professionals at Penn State as well as faculty. Admissions is where I ended up.
Admissions counseling itself wasn't (I feel) the main thrust of my old job (it's technically only supposed to be less than a quarter of our jobs): it was more about marketing writing, really, and that was okay with me. I got to dabble in all sorts of things, which was also ideal for me. I eventually became the go-to person when it came to virtually anything done online--because really, I live it, and very few others in the office do.
The new job is as close to ideal as I think I'll get: a good combination of writing and tech, a lot of leadership and project management, a sprinkle of teaching (I'll also be running our internal training) and instructional design--and all of it circling around our use of electronic communication, which is where my interest really is. I'm working on our email communication, helping redesign our website, I've checked into student blogging (we're not going to do it), I've produced podcasts and videos. You get the idea. And there's more to come.
[Advice was dispensed here about stepping stones when it comes to careers.] The writing position I started in wasn't ideal, but it was getting there, and now I've pretty much gotten there. So yes, I'm absolutely happy with the way my career has shaped up thus far. Somebody going from Admissions Counselor/Writer to Assistant Director (in a new Assistant Director position, at that) in two years is absolutely absurd, especially at Penn State. So I'm pretty proud of it, actually.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Working late, Admissions meanderings
I'm tired, and just stopped doing more work stuff. In this case, poking about (and trying to sign up for) the Teaching and Learning with Technology Symposium, among other things.
As much as I leave my work at work a lot of the time, a lot of the time I don't. Not entirely sure where the healthy balance is there yet.
Also just read an email response from our head honcho (consider that shorthand for Executive Director/Associate Vice President*, both of which are titles he holds) telling me essentially that my work hasn't gone unnoticed, and that he and the rest of Admissions are expecting great things out of me, especially considering this new position and its new role. Admissions to this point has never had anything like this--one person driving and shaping the office's vision in how we communicate with students, tech-wise.
Though, I might add, it has desperately needed it.
And, as my former boss (now an equal) pretty much said today, I came in at a time when they were tech-hungry, and I filled a void, one they may not have realized needed to be filled. Though a college friend's worst insult comes to mind: "You fill a much-needed void." I know that's not the case here, but the thought still amuses me.
I need to stop thinking about work now. I have a forced day off tomorrow: one I have to use or I'll lose. I have a month of vacation saved up. A month. I could leave for that long. Technically. It'll never happen, and it kind of shows you how little vacation I've been taking (stretched thin? me?), but it's a pretty cool thought.
Work = off. Bath = now.
*Whoa. I just realized that technically, he's my grandboss now, at least for awhile. Freaky.
As much as I leave my work at work a lot of the time, a lot of the time I don't. Not entirely sure where the healthy balance is there yet.
Also just read an email response from our head honcho (consider that shorthand for Executive Director/Associate Vice President*, both of which are titles he holds) telling me essentially that my work hasn't gone unnoticed, and that he and the rest of Admissions are expecting great things out of me, especially considering this new position and its new role. Admissions to this point has never had anything like this--one person driving and shaping the office's vision in how we communicate with students, tech-wise.
Though, I might add, it has desperately needed it.
And, as my former boss (now an equal) pretty much said today, I came in at a time when they were tech-hungry, and I filled a void, one they may not have realized needed to be filled. Though a college friend's worst insult comes to mind: "You fill a much-needed void." I know that's not the case here, but the thought still amuses me.
I need to stop thinking about work now. I have a forced day off tomorrow: one I have to use or I'll lose. I have a month of vacation saved up. A month. I could leave for that long. Technically. It'll never happen, and it kind of shows you how little vacation I've been taking (stretched thin? me?), but it's a pretty cool thought.
Work = off. Bath = now.
*Whoa. I just realized that technically, he's my grandboss now, at least for awhile. Freaky.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Music, voice, and job developments
I ought to just commit to writing here after yoga every Tuesday, because it seems like I almost always have something in my head to put here afterwards. I blame the brain-expansion.
Normally I don't sing in the car. Today, however, I was belting out Splashdown's "Ironspy" both before and after class. I noted that afterwards was much stronger than beforehand: in that case, I suspect it's the navel work we did, which made me feel and use those muscles much more once I rediscovered them (as I do virtually every time I do yoga, I might add--but between times, I forget about them again. yet another reason to start practicing daily).
You may not know this about me, but when I was younger (starting when I was about eight), I took voice lessons for years. Performed a lot of Phantom and Les Mis when they were all the rage. But, of course, I realize now that I've nigh-forgotten the breath technique I learned then to support my tone.
Then again, there's probably a lot of random nonsense you might not know (Dad, you're an exception, of course). Like that I went to modeling school as well. I might add that I was far too young to do so--nor did I have the appropriate body type. But my mom put me through it anyway.
All this aside, I also realized that I no longer have the same memory triggers with music that I used to. Automatically, at least. Perfect example: Splashdown I first got intensely interested in when I was dating N, so logically one should conjure memories of the other, right? Not so much anymore.
I think it's that I've achieved enough emotional balance that music no longer acts as an immediate trigger. I can let my mind drift to it, but if I don't want to or don't think of it, I don't. On the one hand this is a very good development--certain songs no longer upset me. On the other hand, it's not so great--some of those triggers are what made me enjoy the song in the first place.
As an abrupt left turn, I need to call Uncle Len tonight. Hopefully I'll remember to after this. I also chatted with my ex-grandboss over this past weekend, and as a mental note I need to remember to email him after the Windows Media Player-friendly version of the podcast is up. I don't know what to call him in here anymore, since he's no longer my grandboss. Perhaps just by his initial, as I do most everyone else, which is P. His initials are P.S, which prompts the joke that if he ever created his own university, its shorthand would also be PSU. It was good to talk to him again: hopefully that'll continue now that I won't be seeing him virtually every day at work.
Speaking of work, it's official (to me, anyway--paper signed and all: the announcement has yet to go out to the office, but that'll happen soon enough). That really important day this past Friday? Was my interview for the assistant director position that had opened up in our office. I'm now an Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions: I believe my internal title will be Assistant Director of Electronic Communication, meaning I'll be managing any online delivery of information/messaging, internal and external. Which is, I might add, something I've been doing (much of, not all of) anyway, though as only a small part of my former job's description thus far (I've been going above and beyond, as is my wont with things that interest me). It's exciting: new office, new title, new salary, new conferences, new responsibilities, new opportunities. I've been getting management advice from friends and mentors, some of it coincidental, some of it after they found out. I'll do fine, I know I will: I've been doing this stuff already, quite frankly going outside the limits of my job description to do so.
I'm looking forward to these changes, all in all.
Normally I don't sing in the car. Today, however, I was belting out Splashdown's "Ironspy" both before and after class. I noted that afterwards was much stronger than beforehand: in that case, I suspect it's the navel work we did, which made me feel and use those muscles much more once I rediscovered them (as I do virtually every time I do yoga, I might add--but between times, I forget about them again. yet another reason to start practicing daily).
You may not know this about me, but when I was younger (starting when I was about eight), I took voice lessons for years. Performed a lot of Phantom and Les Mis when they were all the rage. But, of course, I realize now that I've nigh-forgotten the breath technique I learned then to support my tone.
Then again, there's probably a lot of random nonsense you might not know (Dad, you're an exception, of course). Like that I went to modeling school as well. I might add that I was far too young to do so--nor did I have the appropriate body type. But my mom put me through it anyway.
All this aside, I also realized that I no longer have the same memory triggers with music that I used to. Automatically, at least. Perfect example: Splashdown I first got intensely interested in when I was dating N, so logically one should conjure memories of the other, right? Not so much anymore.
I think it's that I've achieved enough emotional balance that music no longer acts as an immediate trigger. I can let my mind drift to it, but if I don't want to or don't think of it, I don't. On the one hand this is a very good development--certain songs no longer upset me. On the other hand, it's not so great--some of those triggers are what made me enjoy the song in the first place.
As an abrupt left turn, I need to call Uncle Len tonight. Hopefully I'll remember to after this. I also chatted with my ex-grandboss over this past weekend, and as a mental note I need to remember to email him after the Windows Media Player-friendly version of the podcast is up. I don't know what to call him in here anymore, since he's no longer my grandboss. Perhaps just by his initial, as I do most everyone else, which is P. His initials are P.S, which prompts the joke that if he ever created his own university, its shorthand would also be PSU. It was good to talk to him again: hopefully that'll continue now that I won't be seeing him virtually every day at work.
Speaking of work, it's official (to me, anyway--paper signed and all: the announcement has yet to go out to the office, but that'll happen soon enough). That really important day this past Friday? Was my interview for the assistant director position that had opened up in our office. I'm now an Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions: I believe my internal title will be Assistant Director of Electronic Communication, meaning I'll be managing any online delivery of information/messaging, internal and external. Which is, I might add, something I've been doing (much of, not all of) anyway, though as only a small part of my former job's description thus far (I've been going above and beyond, as is my wont with things that interest me). It's exciting: new office, new title, new salary, new conferences, new responsibilities, new opportunities. I've been getting management advice from friends and mentors, some of it coincidental, some of it after they found out. I'll do fine, I know I will: I've been doing this stuff already, quite frankly going outside the limits of my job description to do so.
I'm looking forward to these changes, all in all.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
daily triumph and big day tomorrow
My one, teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy triumph for the day. The student podcast I helped produce is up on iTunes (please note that you can only listen with iTunes for now: it's free, but we're working on alternatives).
Big day tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Big day tomorrow. Wish me luck.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
leavings
I'm freshly back from yoga, having those pleasant stretched pangs that let you know you've worked.
Today was grandboss's last day with us. Having that in the past tense seems weird--the time between his announcement and his departure seems to have flown past.
I can't even say I have mixed feelings about it, because I don't. I'm going to miss him. I looked forward to his face more than anyone's when I went to work. I mean, it's not like it's "goodbye, goodbye forever" or anything. He'll be over with WPSU doing more than just volunteering now. But it won't be the same, of course.
He had (has!) my respect, loyalty, support, friendship. And trust. Above all. And I enjoyed his company. And I just don't have that complete package with anyone else at work anymore, and certainly not to the same extent. He had more of an influence on me than anyone else I've ever worked with.
If he hadn't encouraged it, I don't think I'd be pursuing the path I am now. And without his support, I'd certainly have been cut off from a lot of things I enjoy about work.
When I told D. and S., S. immediately responded with "oh no! He's your advocate!" And that's true. He was. So not only was he someone I enjoyed working with, but he was someone in a position of authority that could make things happen when it came to my job.
And I'm going to stop there. Abruptly. There are things happening at work that I don't want to talk about yet, even if I could, which I can't. And this sounds horribly catastrophic, but it may be a very good thing. It may also be a very bad thing. Right now, I'm in a "time will tell" state.
Please forgive me if I'm scarce. Negotiating change takes a lot of my headspace, and I need every inch at the moment.
Today was grandboss's last day with us. Having that in the past tense seems weird--the time between his announcement and his departure seems to have flown past.
I can't even say I have mixed feelings about it, because I don't. I'm going to miss him. I looked forward to his face more than anyone's when I went to work. I mean, it's not like it's "goodbye, goodbye forever" or anything. He'll be over with WPSU doing more than just volunteering now. But it won't be the same, of course.
He had (has!) my respect, loyalty, support, friendship. And trust. Above all. And I enjoyed his company. And I just don't have that complete package with anyone else at work anymore, and certainly not to the same extent. He had more of an influence on me than anyone else I've ever worked with.
If he hadn't encouraged it, I don't think I'd be pursuing the path I am now. And without his support, I'd certainly have been cut off from a lot of things I enjoy about work.
When I told D. and S., S. immediately responded with "oh no! He's your advocate!" And that's true. He was. So not only was he someone I enjoyed working with, but he was someone in a position of authority that could make things happen when it came to my job.
And I'm going to stop there. Abruptly. There are things happening at work that I don't want to talk about yet, even if I could, which I can't. And this sounds horribly catastrophic, but it may be a very good thing. It may also be a very bad thing. Right now, I'm in a "time will tell" state.
Please forgive me if I'm scarce. Negotiating change takes a lot of my headspace, and I need every inch at the moment.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
cows at an Ag school
I realize that Penn State is, both historically and currently, an agricultural school (among other things). But it really does tempt me to go vegetarian when I drive in behind a trailer carrying two gentle, sweet-looking cows and I realize that the vehicle is turning into the driveway of the Meats Lab.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
yoga as practice, yoga as technology
I just got back from yoga, and am enjoying that stage where I can feel every muscle that worked, which provides me with an odd sort of loose-limbed grace. Combine that with one of two mental states that usually occurs thereafter--either so fully open and relaxed that I'm taking in everything all at once and feeling no need to process it, or so completely focused and energized that I often go back to work and bang out half of the day's tasks in an hour or two--and it makes for a very fluid drive home. I'm experiencing the former state today, though this time I was able to free myself from the urge that often accompanies it--that of not wanting to break that state and focus on anything. But at the moment, I have a keyboard at hand, and everything's fine. This focus is an easy one for me--though of course, I'm not entirely sure if it's an appropriate state for clear writing. We'll see, I suppose.
This semester I decided to change to taking this class twice a week, and I'm glad I did.
Tonight, after finishing savasana and wrapping class with a "namaste" given and returned, I did an impromptu sarvangasana--a shoulderstand. Since I was already warmed up, I didn't even hesitate: I pretty much rolled back and went straight up, no prop, no nothing. After my teacher realized what I was doing, she called out a couple of tips, to which I adjusted immediately.
I feel the need to mention here that when I first started, I hated inverted poses like this. The first class where we were to try them, I asked the forthright question of "do we have to do these?" Not being impertinent at all: it was an honest question of if they're integral to a yoga practice. I wanted a good reason before I subjected myself to them. I was afraid of tipping over and hurting myself--and not unreasonably so, I might add. But now I love these poses. They change your viewpoint, and not just at the time.
I've also been remembering the changed viewpoint of when I practiced on the roof of a building in Indianapolis at sunset. Very dramatic, very memorable. Loved it. On that trip as well as others, I had brought along my Yoga Paws--mitts and sock bits that simulate a yoga mat without having one with you--intending to practice wherever I went: rest stops and hotel rooms and parks and mountains and streams. I only remember actually practicing at one rest stop, and both that and the rooftop bit were done without the Yoga Paws. So while helpful, they're probably unnecessary. I'd rather do the yoga than take the time to hunt down the accessory, because if the hunt takes too long, I might not do yoga at all. At that time.
But as some teachers and publications might tell you, while you might be "doing" yoga during a class or a session, it does become a way of life. Your practice extends to the rest of your time, to one extent or another. Just on the way home, I found myself adjusting my shoulders and arms to drive optimally without constricting muscles that I tend to coil too much. I've found myself unconsciously doing yoga adjustments while drying my hair, doing the Down-Dog tilt with my head upside down. After a long trip, Dad and others have seen me go into Tree Pose, Cobbler's Pose, Mountain Pose.
I sat down and made a list of all the poses I knew off the top of my head one day. It was impressively long, and rather amusing to read. Just some of the animalistically-named poses are fun: Fish, Camel, Cat/Cow, Sphinx, Cobra, Pigeon. I love Pigeon. Some people hate Pigeon. But to be fair, there's a lot of poses I find challenging that others don't, and vice versa. But I digress.
For the last six days, my voice has come in and out. No reason that I can discern. Grand-boss says I sound like Lauren Bacall. We tried to figure out a modern equivalent that prospective students might understand and came up short. But my point is that I asked Christine for any tips she might have for such. She gave a few and told me to try one. I did, and instantly felt things clear. While it's not magic, as Arthur C. Clarke said: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Working with the loosest definition of the term, yoga (and jin shin-jitsu, which is also a bit of what she showed me) is then technology.
From a simple expression about returning home from class to yoga as technology in less than 800 words, even allowing for meandering. Welcome to my brain.
This semester I decided to change to taking this class twice a week, and I'm glad I did.
Tonight, after finishing savasana and wrapping class with a "namaste" given and returned, I did an impromptu sarvangasana--a shoulderstand. Since I was already warmed up, I didn't even hesitate: I pretty much rolled back and went straight up, no prop, no nothing. After my teacher realized what I was doing, she called out a couple of tips, to which I adjusted immediately.
I feel the need to mention here that when I first started, I hated inverted poses like this. The first class where we were to try them, I asked the forthright question of "do we have to do these?" Not being impertinent at all: it was an honest question of if they're integral to a yoga practice. I wanted a good reason before I subjected myself to them. I was afraid of tipping over and hurting myself--and not unreasonably so, I might add. But now I love these poses. They change your viewpoint, and not just at the time.
I've also been remembering the changed viewpoint of when I practiced on the roof of a building in Indianapolis at sunset. Very dramatic, very memorable. Loved it. On that trip as well as others, I had brought along my Yoga Paws--mitts and sock bits that simulate a yoga mat without having one with you--intending to practice wherever I went: rest stops and hotel rooms and parks and mountains and streams. I only remember actually practicing at one rest stop, and both that and the rooftop bit were done without the Yoga Paws. So while helpful, they're probably unnecessary. I'd rather do the yoga than take the time to hunt down the accessory, because if the hunt takes too long, I might not do yoga at all. At that time.
But as some teachers and publications might tell you, while you might be "doing" yoga during a class or a session, it does become a way of life. Your practice extends to the rest of your time, to one extent or another. Just on the way home, I found myself adjusting my shoulders and arms to drive optimally without constricting muscles that I tend to coil too much. I've found myself unconsciously doing yoga adjustments while drying my hair, doing the Down-Dog tilt with my head upside down. After a long trip, Dad and others have seen me go into Tree Pose, Cobbler's Pose, Mountain Pose.
I sat down and made a list of all the poses I knew off the top of my head one day. It was impressively long, and rather amusing to read. Just some of the animalistically-named poses are fun: Fish, Camel, Cat/Cow, Sphinx, Cobra, Pigeon. I love Pigeon. Some people hate Pigeon. But to be fair, there's a lot of poses I find challenging that others don't, and vice versa. But I digress.
For the last six days, my voice has come in and out. No reason that I can discern. Grand-boss says I sound like Lauren Bacall. We tried to figure out a modern equivalent that prospective students might understand and came up short. But my point is that I asked Christine for any tips she might have for such. She gave a few and told me to try one. I did, and instantly felt things clear. While it's not magic, as Arthur C. Clarke said: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Working with the loosest definition of the term, yoga (and jin shin-jitsu, which is also a bit of what she showed me) is then technology.
From a simple expression about returning home from class to yoga as technology in less than 800 words, even allowing for meandering. Welcome to my brain.
Monday, February 26, 2007
stadium ramblings
So on the way home from the mall today, after asking the good people of AT&T to look at my phone's battery--
(Which, as an aside, they could tell me nothing about. My first indication of something wrong was it dying unexpectedly on or prior to Valentine's Day and someone trying to reach me and quickly getting worried when I didn't answer and didn't return calls. I eventually figured that out when I reached work the next day to find voice mail at my number there. Kind of proves how much I check my phone, doesn't it? [As a note to the general public: I check my email far more often than I check to see if I've been called. If you can, try emailing before getting worried.])
I realized that you can see the stadium from the mall.
Let me repeat that. You can see the stadium from the mall.
Let me add that they're about four miles apart.
Given, the fact that it's a straight shot down the valley between the two may have something to do with that. And winter, so no leaves on the trees to block the view. Still.
I took it as kind of depressing, indicative of the tie between the area in general and the stadium in specific, both literally and metaphorically.
Admissions story time: recently, we got a caller who asked if Joe Paterno (our head coach, for those not familiar) had any sway in admissions decisions. I have no idea what the person who responded said, but the only commentary when it was brought up was that if the person was asking us, they certainly didn't have enough pull with JoePa to ask the favor in the first place. Even if it mattered. End of story.
Someone more enthusiastic about collegiate sports may have seen this as a good sign: an indication of the awe-inspiring colossus it's become around here.
I'm not that person.
I have boundless enthusiasm about some programs here. Others I'm less thrilled with. (Similar would be true of almost any institution I've been involved with, I might add.) On the up side, that means I should rarely become disillusioned--I'm quite realistic about the things I throw my weight behind. On the down side, some take it as cynicism. It's a tough call.
Speaking of cynicism, though: one current project is a two-disc mix CD set of songs that have been getting stuck in my head lately. One disc is the songs I can stand. The other I could go forever without hearing (and would, given my druthers). But because I'm just that kind, I'm passing both out together.
One could even think that speaks of balance. If they didn't know better.
(Which, as an aside, they could tell me nothing about. My first indication of something wrong was it dying unexpectedly on or prior to Valentine's Day and someone trying to reach me and quickly getting worried when I didn't answer and didn't return calls. I eventually figured that out when I reached work the next day to find voice mail at my number there. Kind of proves how much I check my phone, doesn't it? [As a note to the general public: I check my email far more often than I check to see if I've been called. If you can, try emailing before getting worried.])
I realized that you can see the stadium from the mall.
Let me repeat that. You can see the stadium from the mall.
Let me add that they're about four miles apart.
Given, the fact that it's a straight shot down the valley between the two may have something to do with that. And winter, so no leaves on the trees to block the view. Still.
I took it as kind of depressing, indicative of the tie between the area in general and the stadium in specific, both literally and metaphorically.
Admissions story time: recently, we got a caller who asked if Joe Paterno (our head coach, for those not familiar) had any sway in admissions decisions. I have no idea what the person who responded said, but the only commentary when it was brought up was that if the person was asking us, they certainly didn't have enough pull with JoePa to ask the favor in the first place. Even if it mattered. End of story.
Someone more enthusiastic about collegiate sports may have seen this as a good sign: an indication of the awe-inspiring colossus it's become around here.
I'm not that person.
I have boundless enthusiasm about some programs here. Others I'm less thrilled with. (Similar would be true of almost any institution I've been involved with, I might add.) On the up side, that means I should rarely become disillusioned--I'm quite realistic about the things I throw my weight behind. On the down side, some take it as cynicism. It's a tough call.
Speaking of cynicism, though: one current project is a two-disc mix CD set of songs that have been getting stuck in my head lately. One disc is the songs I can stand. The other I could go forever without hearing (and would, given my druthers). But because I'm just that kind, I'm passing both out together.
One could even think that speaks of balance. If they didn't know better.
Monday, February 05, 2007
cold!
The windchill here is -15 F. Remind me to write about how thankful I am for my serious down coat.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
weather, work
It's clear, beautiful and cold today. Nine degrees here. I see that it's seven where Dad is, thanks to Google being a helpful little monkey and showing it to me as soon as I open my browser.
I drove out to pick up CSA goods last night after work in blowing snow. Light on the highway, but you could barely (or in some cases, not at all) see the ranges. Mount Nittany I could see the eastern slope of, but the rest was entirely hidden. It's that sort of view that makes me love this place more in bad weather--I find that's when it's most magical in scenery, strangely.
I'm at work today, ostensibly running presentations, but we do have breaks between rushes of people, so I took a pause at my desk rather than standing all morning, eight to noon straight. I'll be back out there shortly, though.
I drove out to pick up CSA goods last night after work in blowing snow. Light on the highway, but you could barely (or in some cases, not at all) see the ranges. Mount Nittany I could see the eastern slope of, but the rest was entirely hidden. It's that sort of view that makes me love this place more in bad weather--I find that's when it's most magical in scenery, strangely.
I'm at work today, ostensibly running presentations, but we do have breaks between rushes of people, so I took a pause at my desk rather than standing all morning, eight to noon straight. I'll be back out there shortly, though.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
snow and squash
The sun's shining a lambent winter white through the clouds this morning, just over the mountains, hazy in the distance. We've had snow: piles of it, but intermittent, leaving us with less than an inch at a time. But it has finally stuck, and we find more each morning when making each trip in to work (and often back from work), hazardous with the stupidity of people not used to these conditions driving tons worth of steel and gas and combustibles.
Yesterday at 4:30 or so I ran into one of my colleagues leaving. Her husband is a meteorologist, and she told me that he had called and told her to leave work right then, since they were expecting a squall of white-out conditions between 5 and 6.
Of course, that was when I was leaving work. But right after I was told, I warned my next-door office neighbor here at work--the other writer, who's from New Jersey (south Jersey, as she states so emphatically). She just about panicked there in front of me. She hadn't had much experience with driving in snow: her area simply didn't get it much, and when it did, things just shut down because they didn't have the equipment to handle it. Then she came here for college, and didn't have a car here during her college career. It was only when she began working here (a year or two ago?) that she had to drive in snow.
If I could be so blunt, it's situations like this that contribute to the problem. It makes me glad I learned to drive in Wisconsin and had to learn how to deal with snow: at least now I feel pretty confident that I don't act like an idiot in it.
When I left, it was certainly snowing, and certainly slippery in spots, but absolutely nothing that should cause the tangle of traffic I had to deal with once I got to the main drag I was headed towards. People with plenty of room (and/or no one in front of them) cars and cars ahead of me (which I could see because of the hills around here) hitting the brakes hard whenever they felt the slightest bit of slippage, only making things worse for themselves. People so anxious to reserve their spot in the line of cars crawling along that they charge forward when the light turns even if someone else is fighting a skid during a right turn into their lane.
It made me late for yoga. I'm not bitter, just irked. Others were later than I, and I didn't interrupt since the instructor delayed for those who were stuck in traffic ridiculousness. Could be worse.
Snow aside, somewhere along the line, I got hooked on squash: it's become almost a comfort food for the winter--warm and sweet and filling. I blame our CSA for providing such awesome winter squashes, but we only get one every two weeks. I finally broke down and actually bought one from the grocery store yesterday--a butternut, and while it was good, it just didn't compare. I made my usual squash mess late last night: it'll probably last me a week, and I'll enjoy the heck out of it every time. It's basically cooked and mashed squash (is that redundant? mashed squash?), sauteed onions, toasted almond slivers, and ginger. I threw some carrots in last night's version, having remembered the fantastic carrot ginger soup from Stone Soup and how well that worked, and it worked in the squash dish as well. I think I'll continue to do that. The carrots and onions (as well as the squash, usually) all come from the CSA, and it's good to be able to put them all to a creative use.
Now I just need to figure out something to do with all the potatoes that we're getting. On the up side, I generally don't have to worry about them going bad.
Yesterday at 4:30 or so I ran into one of my colleagues leaving. Her husband is a meteorologist, and she told me that he had called and told her to leave work right then, since they were expecting a squall of white-out conditions between 5 and 6.
Of course, that was when I was leaving work. But right after I was told, I warned my next-door office neighbor here at work--the other writer, who's from New Jersey (south Jersey, as she states so emphatically). She just about panicked there in front of me. She hadn't had much experience with driving in snow: her area simply didn't get it much, and when it did, things just shut down because they didn't have the equipment to handle it. Then she came here for college, and didn't have a car here during her college career. It was only when she began working here (a year or two ago?) that she had to drive in snow.
If I could be so blunt, it's situations like this that contribute to the problem. It makes me glad I learned to drive in Wisconsin and had to learn how to deal with snow: at least now I feel pretty confident that I don't act like an idiot in it.
When I left, it was certainly snowing, and certainly slippery in spots, but absolutely nothing that should cause the tangle of traffic I had to deal with once I got to the main drag I was headed towards. People with plenty of room (and/or no one in front of them) cars and cars ahead of me (which I could see because of the hills around here) hitting the brakes hard whenever they felt the slightest bit of slippage, only making things worse for themselves. People so anxious to reserve their spot in the line of cars crawling along that they charge forward when the light turns even if someone else is fighting a skid during a right turn into their lane.
It made me late for yoga. I'm not bitter, just irked. Others were later than I, and I didn't interrupt since the instructor delayed for those who were stuck in traffic ridiculousness. Could be worse.
Snow aside, somewhere along the line, I got hooked on squash: it's become almost a comfort food for the winter--warm and sweet and filling. I blame our CSA for providing such awesome winter squashes, but we only get one every two weeks. I finally broke down and actually bought one from the grocery store yesterday--a butternut, and while it was good, it just didn't compare. I made my usual squash mess late last night: it'll probably last me a week, and I'll enjoy the heck out of it every time. It's basically cooked and mashed squash (is that redundant? mashed squash?), sauteed onions, toasted almond slivers, and ginger. I threw some carrots in last night's version, having remembered the fantastic carrot ginger soup from Stone Soup and how well that worked, and it worked in the squash dish as well. I think I'll continue to do that. The carrots and onions (as well as the squash, usually) all come from the CSA, and it's good to be able to put them all to a creative use.
Now I just need to figure out something to do with all the potatoes that we're getting. On the up side, I generally don't have to worry about them going bad.
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