Well, it is now completely out of my hands. I have done everything I could. I just have to sit and wait...and wait...and wait... (sounds like the beginning of Casa Blanca, huh?)
I've turned in my application packet for graduate school. They make their decisions in May. I'm going to try not to go MAD...
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
March Madness
No...this isn't about basketball. Have I ever mentioned how much I REALLY dislike rabid sports fans? But I digress...
It's been a busy month with all the birthdays and our 10 year anniversary. Plus we have been fighting a round of the flu in the household. We had one day where the three older kids were all throwing up at the same time...not fun.
Leslie and I haven't been able to get out to do anything for our anniversary. Between the new baby, sick kids, work, school, church callings, lack of money, it has been pretty impossible. It's kind of strange to think about being married for 10 years. It seems like a long time and a short time at the same time. (How many times can I use the word "time" in a sentence?) I suppose I could take this opportunity to reminisce about years gone by, but I'm not feeling particularly nostalgic at the moment.
I've started up yet another blog...this time it is an exercise related one. Although the name is "Water Blogged", you can see there has been a distinct lack of water thus far. The original idea was to use it to track my swimming workouts, scuba dives, etc. It might just end up being a place to write more random thoughts...who knows?
Tomorrow I mail off my application packet for graduate school. They make their decisions in May. I'll have to wait a whole month to find out if all the effort was worth it. Blech...
It's been a busy month with all the birthdays and our 10 year anniversary. Plus we have been fighting a round of the flu in the household. We had one day where the three older kids were all throwing up at the same time...not fun.
Leslie and I haven't been able to get out to do anything for our anniversary. Between the new baby, sick kids, work, school, church callings, lack of money, it has been pretty impossible. It's kind of strange to think about being married for 10 years. It seems like a long time and a short time at the same time. (How many times can I use the word "time" in a sentence?) I suppose I could take this opportunity to reminisce about years gone by, but I'm not feeling particularly nostalgic at the moment.
I've started up yet another blog...this time it is an exercise related one. Although the name is "Water Blogged", you can see there has been a distinct lack of water thus far. The original idea was to use it to track my swimming workouts, scuba dives, etc. It might just end up being a place to write more random thoughts...who knows?
Tomorrow I mail off my application packet for graduate school. They make their decisions in May. I'll have to wait a whole month to find out if all the effort was worth it. Blech...
Monday, March 12, 2007
Trial of Faith
Okay, a little religious moment here. It has always been my understanding that great and marvelous things happen only after what is usually called a "trial of faith." Again, as I understand it, that means that your faith is tested and if you weather it well, you are blessed with whatever blessing you darn blessed well need.
So...that's not how it happens for me. I get pissed off and good things happen. Go figure. Let me elucidate:
A few months ago I was unemployed. Couldn't get a job doing anything. Seriously. Not even as a janitor. At first I was depressed. Then I got mad. Really mad. Those that know me well (or think they know me) have a hard time imagining me getting mad - well, maybe my kids and wife understand. But that is not the point. I got pissed with a capital "P" (sounds messy, huh?) Being thus and duly worked up to yon dizzy heights, I went to a temp service (which I didn't really want to go to - bad experiences in the past). Within a week, I was working.
Example #2: This past weekend was a bad one for me. I had talked to quite a few people and became discouraged about graduate school. It all boiled down to not wanting to spend the time and money getting an advanced degree and then being stuck in the same place I was just a few months ago: Unemployed and mad. By Sunday evening, I had given up any thoughts of going back to school and resigned myself to a boring job for the rest of my life.
Monday morning while I was driving to work, I was thinking more and more about it and was getting madder and madder by the minute. When I checked my email at work, I had a message from a person who I used to work for at the library at WSU. Last week I had asked her for a letter of recommendation. This is a very small part of her reply:
This is from someone who is not the same religion as myself. I have to say that it is exactly what I needed to hear at that point. So I said to myself, "Screw it, I'm going to go back to school even if I can't do jack-squat with a MS degree. I just don't care."
Example #3: I had two of the three letters of recommend I needed. I had no idea where I was going to get the third. I didn't want to ask my current boss, but I would if it became necessary. I figured there was no way one of my old professors would remember me. Again, I started to get mad. After making the decision to go ahead and try for graduate school and then failing because I could only get two recommends would just about have broken me. So I looked up the email of a professor I had taken a few anthropology courses from and fired off a semi-beligerant email (okay, it really wasn't, but it sounded that way when I read it in my head). An hour later I get a reply:
Wow. Just...wow...
So there it is. Now, I'm not foolish enough to actually believe that good things happen to me because I get angry. But it is that anger that puts me in motion and gets the job done. I've spent so much of my life being the easy-going type guy and just letting things slide - taking a "meh...screw it..." attitude. I'm not saying that has suddenly taken a drastic change, but there it is.
Yes, I have been blessed. I'm just not sure I understand why or how.
So...that's not how it happens for me. I get pissed off and good things happen. Go figure. Let me elucidate:
A few months ago I was unemployed. Couldn't get a job doing anything. Seriously. Not even as a janitor. At first I was depressed. Then I got mad. Really mad. Those that know me well (or think they know me) have a hard time imagining me getting mad - well, maybe my kids and wife understand. But that is not the point. I got pissed with a capital "P" (sounds messy, huh?) Being thus and duly worked up to yon dizzy heights, I went to a temp service (which I didn't really want to go to - bad experiences in the past). Within a week, I was working.
Example #2: This past weekend was a bad one for me. I had talked to quite a few people and became discouraged about graduate school. It all boiled down to not wanting to spend the time and money getting an advanced degree and then being stuck in the same place I was just a few months ago: Unemployed and mad. By Sunday evening, I had given up any thoughts of going back to school and resigned myself to a boring job for the rest of my life.
Monday morning while I was driving to work, I was thinking more and more about it and was getting madder and madder by the minute. When I checked my email at work, I had a message from a person who I used to work for at the library at WSU. Last week I had asked her for a letter of recommendation. This is a very small part of her reply:
"I surely hope all works out well for you and your future studies. I can imagine that this must be a very challenging time in your life right now. But you know what they say about God, He never gives you more than you can handle. So there you have it, the measure of faith He has in you and your family."
This is from someone who is not the same religion as myself. I have to say that it is exactly what I needed to hear at that point. So I said to myself, "Screw it, I'm going to go back to school even if I can't do jack-squat with a MS degree. I just don't care."
Example #3: I had two of the three letters of recommend I needed. I had no idea where I was going to get the third. I didn't want to ask my current boss, but I would if it became necessary. I figured there was no way one of my old professors would remember me. Again, I started to get mad. After making the decision to go ahead and try for graduate school and then failing because I could only get two recommends would just about have broken me. So I looked up the email of a professor I had taken a few anthropology courses from and fired off a semi-beligerant email (okay, it really wasn't, but it sounded that way when I read it in my head). An hour later I get a reply:
"Of course I remember you! I'd be happy to write a letter of support for you and it would be very favorable."
Wow. Just...wow...
So there it is. Now, I'm not foolish enough to actually believe that good things happen to me because I get angry. But it is that anger that puts me in motion and gets the job done. I've spent so much of my life being the easy-going type guy and just letting things slide - taking a "meh...screw it..." attitude. I'm not saying that has suddenly taken a drastic change, but there it is.
Yes, I have been blessed. I'm just not sure I understand why or how.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Master of None
Well, I'm about 75% convinced to return to school to get a Masters Degree. The biggest obstacle is having to move...AGAIN. But, it would be necessary because there are no masters programs at the universities in the area that are even remotely interesting. As much as I hate to say it, I just may be moving back to Ellensburg to pursue a degree in Resource Management.
On the plus side, both Leslie and I enjoyed the few years we were there and still have at least one other family there that we are friends with...perhaps more. And...it's not a big, drug-infested city like we are living in now.
On the down side, we'd have to move...AGAIN. Finding a place big enough for all of us is getting harder and harder. The house we are currently in is certainly not ideal, but at least we are in it. A move back to college would most likely mean apartment living again (yuck), and once more struggling with finances while racking up another round of student loans.
Still, ya gotta do what ya gotta do...
On the plus side, both Leslie and I enjoyed the few years we were there and still have at least one other family there that we are friends with...perhaps more. And...it's not a big, drug-infested city like we are living in now.
On the down side, we'd have to move...AGAIN. Finding a place big enough for all of us is getting harder and harder. The house we are currently in is certainly not ideal, but at least we are in it. A move back to college would most likely mean apartment living again (yuck), and once more struggling with finances while racking up another round of student loans.
Still, ya gotta do what ya gotta do...
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