An Award? Me?!

Oh my gosh! I got an award for my blog! Wow! I'm touched and honored! Susan, at 30 Before 30 List, gave me this, my very first award! Susan's blog is one of my very favorites and yes, I did steal the 30 before 30 idea from her! If you haven't already done so, check out her blog!! She also has a side blog about books, which I also love to check out for her thoughts on recent reads. Thank you Susan!

I feel like I've won and Oscar and should give a speech... I'd like to thank my parents for being awesome, Canadian friend Steve for telling me to start a blog, my devoted readers, and I'd like to thank the people at Blogger, for making this all possible!

So, I'm supposed to name 7 things I love and then pass this list on to 7 other creative bloggers out there! I'm going to try to list a few things that you might not already know (for instance, it's obvious that I love my puppies but that's not going to be on my list), so here goes:

1. The Office (the TV show). I am basically obsessed with this show! I didn't really understand the humor until I started working in an office setting and I forced myself to sit down and watch a few shows. We've been together ever since! One thing I miss about my last job is finding and showing a clip at the beginning of our big meetings.... love that show.

2. My dream sheets. I have these amazing 500ish-thread count sheets for my bed that I absolutely love... and I got them for a great deal at an after Thanksgiving sale, which I think makes them even better! I wish I could find more of them at the same price because I wouldn't use anything else.

3. Sleeping in ... on a Saturday morning... in my dream sheets. Even better when I think it's a weekday for a split second and then realize it's a weekend!! Nuff said.

4. Jack Johnson music. He is on my "happy list"- the music I like to listen to when I'm in need of a pick-me-up. I just can't help but feel a little bit better when I'm listening to some Jack. Apparently I'm not the only one- Little Miss Maddie also loves Jack and her parents have often played a Jack Johnson CD to help soothe and comfort her. Way to go Jack!

5. Vanity Fair magazine. OK, sometimes I don't like the cover art (it's a little too revealing sometimes), but I do love the magazine. I think there is some very smart writing in there on a variety of topics and issues. I also love that the editor can be quite sassy at times!

6. NPR my primary source for news. I used to listen to NPR on the way to and from work every single day, but now my drive to work is so quick I really don't get a chance to listen to much! I need to start listening online, I think.

7. Cheese. I love cheese! Maybe this isn't a surprise (especially for those of you that know me well), but I love it so much it deserves to make this list! I am happy to be back in Wisconsin for easy access to really amazing cheese and, of course, cheese curds. YUM!

So now... I am passing this award for creativity to the following peeps:

Mogley G. Retriever at A Dog's Life, The Real Story

Farmgirl Susan at Farmgirl Fare

Mo at Fresh Eyes on London I love the photos on this site! It makes me want to go back to London sooo bad!

Jennifer Hess at Last Night's Dinner When I look at this blog, my mouth waters... even when I am not hungry at all.

Anna Kuperberg at SlobberSpace

Deb at Smitten Kitchen Again, yum.

And finally....

Kim at The Olson Occasional

Congratulations everyone!!

Ramblings

Hey'all, I know it's been a while since I've posted, but what can I say? It's been busy and hectic and I've been exhausted! I think I'm starting to get used to all these changes because I've not been dreaming of naps all afternoon.

I'm still enjoying my job and all the wonderful people out here... but I will confess, I was "homesick" the other day, which is odd because I'm not sure right now where "home" is for me. I saw a cool magnet once (I should've bought it) that said, "Home is where your dog is." A part of me agrees with that statement! I miss my puppies and want to be with them. I need to find us a home! Another part of me was missing Colorado and my peeps. Then the other part of me was just completely confused because I know that Wisconsin IS my home and I love being closer to family, Gina and Jason, and of course, Little Miss Maddie. I am taking steps to find a home and get my finances figured out, but it's slow going.

I'm also still trying to figure out what to add to my 30 Things list. It is still incomplete! What do I add? What else am I dying to do? I can't add any more books, that's for sure. I've lived alone... I've moved far away, I've gotten a pet... hmmm? What else can I do?

Keep Learning

I watched my March documentary last night- The Business of Being Born. I thought, spring, growth, babies, it all goes together! And NO, I didn't choose this documentary because I'm planning to have a baby anytime soon!

Anyway, what an interesting documentary! If I get a chance to teach another developmental or sexuality class, I would show parts of the film in class. It talks about how childbirth and care for new mothers and babies has really turned into a business that may not necessarily be the best thing for those involved. I was amazed to discover that 70% of births are attending by midwives in much of the rest of the world, but only 8% in the US (I think I got those numbers correct). Wow. I was also surprised to hear the mortality rates of the US compared to other countries (of course comparing hospital births versus births with a midwife). It was astounding. Interestingly enough, using a midwife is cheaper than the whole hospital/OB/GYN experience, and the statistics are good, so why is it that insurance companies aren't lining up to authorize and pay for these services? What's up with that??

The history of midwives and childbirth techniques were also shown- I can't believe some of the techniques they used to use- putting the women in a "twilight state" and then basically tying them into bed, so they wouldn't hurt themselves or others. Yikes. It looked more like torture, rather than childbirth!

The concept of midwifery is not completely new for me. I read a fantastic book, Baby Catcher, a few years ago, which taught me a lot. I actually had my students read a few chapters when I was teaching Child Psych. I also saw a midwife for my annual checkups and loved her! (I'm actually very sad that I will need to find someone new). So I've thought about the pros and cons of a midwife versus an OB/GYN... though I'm not sure I really want to do a home birth. Maybe a birthing center... any thoughts???

If you get a chance, I recommend checking this out, it was such an interesting film. If you've already seen it, I would love to hear what you think!!

Whew!

Remember last week when I was just ready to go? Ready to start seeing clients and helping people? Filled with enthusiasm and tired of reading employee manuals and completing paperwork?

Um... be careful what you wish for.

I'm really tired right now. I thought it was 4:00, but when I glanced at the clock, it was only 3:00! I thought, "My batteries in my new clock must be faulty." Nope. Every clock in this place said 3:00. Wow.

My schedule has filled quickly. I'm seeing the clients that our intern was seeing, so not only am I needing to establish rapport and do my own thing, I'm also trying to catch up quickly. And I'm beginning to see my own new clients, so I am starting to feel like I have information overload at this moment. I'm still feeling rusty, like I've lost my mojo! Urgh.

I know. It all takes time. And I'm still adjusting to all new colleagues, a new town, and trying to figure out my living situation, so I know it's a lot. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very happy here. I love the energy on a college campus and the awesome conversations I've had with my new colleagues. I love that people have been very welcoming.

But at this very moment, I'm suddenly tired. I actually spent a couple minutes daydreaming about snuggling in my bed with my puppies and taking a snooze. The weather is perfect for that ... it's rainy and cold here today... is it just me, or doesn't a nap sound good?

Movie Night

All right, I didn't go to see a movie last night- I was just too tired. But, I did go tonight! I saw I Love You, Man. It was so funny! I laughed so hard I nearly cried. If you don't know, the premise of the movie is that Peter (Paul Rudd) needs to try to make some guy friends and hopefully find a best man for his wedding. It wasn't a movie that required a lot of thought, but maybe that was exactly what I needed this evening.

So...Saturday night at the movies (opening weekend)- prime time date night, of course. And then there was me... ticket for one, please. But it was cool, really. I got my ticket - $9!!! When did movies get so expensive? I couldn't even use my new ID for the college and pass myself off as a student for a discount- it says "Faculty/Staff." Bummer. Anyway, I enjoyed the movie and being there by myself was actually pretty good. I'm not sure I'll go to the movies all the time now or anything, but maybe every so often... yeah, that would be good.

Yes! I can cross one item off my list!

The List: Movie Madness

I'm going to see a movie tonight! I've just decided! I'm not sure if I'll see I Love You, Man or Duplicity, but I will see something... and buy popcorn! It will be a nice way to celebrate the end of my first week at my new job. :-) And it just feels like a movie and popcorn kind of day.

I have no idea when I went to the theater to see a movie last. It might have been when The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe came out... that was a LONG time ago! It's high time I see another new movie. And I'll get to cross one thing off my list...

There is a movie theater close to Gina and Jason's house, but I'm half-tempted to drive to another theater, just to force myself to continue to get to know the area better. We'll see about that...

Check back later for a movie review!

Ready? Set... GO!

Starting a new job is always such a mixed bag. You need to balance learning so many new things, which is exhausting itself, with trying not to get bored learning procedure, completing HR paperwork, and getting all those necessary things set up (i.e., the phone, email, etc.).

I still love my job... but I'm ready to get going! Since the students are still on spring break, things are pretty quiet overall. Yesterday I was a part of an interview for a residence hall director, which was pretty cool- especially since I was on the other side of the process this time. Next week I will be on my own (without K-Dog, the boss) at another interview! Oh, and I will be on-call this weekend and at least part of next week. I will start a psych eval on Friday, so tonight I'm brushing up on a few tests I haven't administered for a long time, and tomorrow I will spend some time trying to learn a couple of new tests. Fun stuff. I've got clients on my schedule for next week- the intern is leaving and will be transferring her clients to me- so I am excited to get back to doing therapy again. Although I was told today that I need to start answering my phone and introducing myself to people as "Dr." That still feels so weird to say.

Maybe things are moving along faster than I thought...

In other news, I haven't done much house-hunting, except read a few ads in the paper and look online at a few houses. I need to get myself to a bank, but I probably won't be able to do that this week. I am getting a bunch of good information from my new co-workers about some possible areas to check. I'll keep you posted on all that.

Color Me Happy

I. Love. My. Job!

Today was my first day and even though I have a couple of blisters from the walking tour we were on all morning (I think I saw every meeting room on campus), I am tired and happy. It didn't feel like a first day at all. I know I've said this before, but I have felt so welcomed, wanted, and appreciated ever since I first contacted them about the position! I bumped into a couple of people that I met in January during my interview and they recognized me and warmly greeted me. I feel like I've been able to jump right in and joke around with people and I've already been asked what I think about assessment materials and scheduling packages and upcoming procedural changes. I hope and pray I've found my place.

Oh, and they bought a beautiful cushy leather chair for my office... it smells like new leather and I love it. I need another good chair which I'll actually get to help pick out. Yay! And I saw the mock-up for my new business cards... they forgot the "PhD" after my name! But as soon as she printed the mock-up she realized her error and said that would be corrected before the cards were ordered.

I've got a pile of paperwork (yes, more new employee paperwork) to fill out and a DVD to watch about the college, so I'd better get to it!

The List

My List of 30 should be renamed my List of 20. Apparently I am having a tougher time than expected thinking of things for this list. Why such a hard time? I mean, I know I've done a lot of things that I would include if I'd started this list when I was younger- like living alone, traveling abroad, getting a Master's degree, getting my PhD. Someone suggested that I still include those things, and cross them off right away, but I think that's kind of cheating. Don't you?

I've been asked, "Why have a list, Heidi? What's the point of writing it down anyway?" Good question! I've kept lists for a long time- educational goals, personal goals, shopping lists, favorite things lists, to-do lists, research ideas lists, and on and on. They serve a purpose and in some small way, make things a little more tangible. Lists help me organize my thoughts, hold me accountable and this list is pretty public, so I feel like I'm even more accountable.

But why now? Well, I've just moved to a new place, a new job, and finally finished up graduate school, which is the perfect time to start trying some of those things that I didn't get to do (or didn't have money to do) while in grad school. Also, sometimes I feel like the rigors of grad school (e.g., reading research articles, talking about research, writing your own research) have left me a little bit socially and emotionally retarded. I have often felt a bit cut off from current events, like my head has been stuck in the sand. Before I entered grad school I had lots of interests, could talk about a lot of different things with a lot of different people, and although I can still talk and relate to people... I don't feel like I've been able to foster those interests as much as I'd like. So that is why now is a good time!

Thus, I have decided upon another item for my List of 30! Gina and Jason read this magazine, Mental Floss, and were discussing a recent feature: The 25 Most Influential Books of the Past 25 Years. I checked out the list and decided to tackle these books... or most of these books. Here's the list, and a few of my thoughts about the books:

1. And the Band Played On - Randy Shilts
2. Maus- Art Spiegelman This is a graphic novel (cartoon) and I really have no desire to read it... so I'm taking it off the list!
3. Listening to Prozac- Peter D. Kramer
4. Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism- Temple Grandin I've wanted to read this book for a while. Dr. Grandin is actually a faculty member at CSU and I never got to meet her or hear her speak!
5. Nickel and Dimed- Barbara Ehrenreich
6. Into Thin Air- Jon Krakauer
7. The Satanic Verses- Salman Rushdie Not sure about this book... I'll have to look into it a little more before I decide if it stays on the list.
8. Middlesex- Jeffrey Eugenides Read it. Loved it. Recommend it!! Yay! One book complete!
9. The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho Tried to read it, couldn't get into it, not sure I want to try again.
10. The Easy Way to Stop Smoking- Allen Carr Not sure about this book either, though it might be a great resource for clients and health promotion.
11. A Perfect Spy- John le Carre
12. What is the What- Dave Eggers
13. On Writing- Stephen King
14. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle- Haruki Murakami
15. The Known World- Edward P. Jones
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone- J.K. Rowling Read it twice! Yay! Another book complete!
17. How Proust Can Change Your Life- Alain de Botton
18. The Bonfire of the Vanities- Tom Wolfe
19. Infinite Jest- David Foster Wallace
20. The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Milan Kundera
21. Beloved- Toni Morrison
22. The Handmaid’s Tale- Margaret Atwood
23. Freakonomics- Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
24. Eats, Shoots & Leaves- Lynne Truss Hmm, a book about grammar and punctuation? I'm not sure about this. More research needed.
25. The Tipping Point- Malcolm Gladwell I read his other book, Blink, isn't that good enough? Didn't really get much from it that I didn't already know, except maybe a few interesting conversational tidbits. Do I have to??

I guess that really leaves me with 24 of the most influential books of the past 25 years to read. Maybe a few less after I check those others out. Any suggestions about where to start (after I finish my current book, of course)???

Can I Do That??

We took my stuff to storage today. It didn't fit. So after cramming things into the first storage unit, I had to ask for a second unit (which was smaller). We finally got it all in there. It was bitterly cold and my face was numb by the end of the ordeal. I cannot believe I was in Colorado in 73 degree weather one week ago!!

I'm thinking about buying a house. Is that crazy? It feels a little crazy. But I'm sick of moving. I'm sick of not being able to do what I want (e.g., painting, landscaping, I can have my dogs). I'm sick of paying a lot of money for rent ... and not be able to do what I want! Grr.

So I find myself spending time looking at real estate online, and learning a whole set of new acronyms like WHEDA, FHA, and RESPA. And I met Ginnie Mae, who must be a distant cousin to Fannie and Freddie. And maybe I'll finally learn what escrow really means...

Am I jumping the gun here? Can I really buy a house? Me? Should I go out and buy a house-buying for dummies book? Does such a book exist?

I Made It!

Welcome to my first post from Wisconsin! I don't have much to say- I'm not going to bore you with all the details of a long drive in nasty weather. The dogs are doing OK... they're a little stressed and tired from the drive and first stay in a motel, but they'll be fine in a couple of days.

Since I'm staying with friends for a while, I will have to leave Montey and Lilly with Mom and Dad until I can find a place to live. I know they'll be in good hands, but I will miss my "kids." Luckily, I will be preoccupied with starting a new job, finding a place to live, and hanging out with Gina, Jason, and little Miss Maddie.

I guess that's all for now... I know this was short and sweet but I am exhausted! I'll keep you posted!

Moving Day...

Dear Diary,

Today is moving day... I can't believe it's here already. The truck is crammed full of stuff, the carpet is being cleaned as I type this, and the dogs ... well, the dogs are not sure what to do with themselves at the moment. We camped on the floor last night and since Lilly didn't have anywhere to sleep, she climbed into the laundry basket (like she used to do) and made herself comfy. What a goofball.

I'm full of mixed emotions today- happiness, excitement, sadness, hope, exhaustion. Colorado has been my home for a long time now. I've made some wonderful friends, laughed a lot, cried a lot, had many successes, learned even more lessons, had my heart broken, and I've loved. Oh, how I have loved.

I think Carrie Underwood sums it up pretty well:

I guess it's gonna have to hurt, I guess I'm gonna have to cry,
And let go of some things I've loved, To get to the other side,
I guess it's gonna break me down,
Like falling when you try to fly,
It's sad, but sometimes moving on with the rest of your life,
Starts with goodbye.

I know there's a blue horizon,
Somewhere up ahead, just waiting for me,
Getting there means leaving things behind,
Sometimes life's so bitter sweet.

It's funny how life works out... when I was 14 I came to Colorado on a trip with my sister and I fell in love with Colorado. It was magical for me. I told myself that some day I would live in Colorado, though as time went on, I wasn't sure when or how that would happen. Then, lo and behold, a graduate program caught my eye, and the rest is history. And now, I'm moving back to Wisconsin! To an amazing job at a college that I applied to as an undergraduate! Who knew!??

So, to my Colorado peeps, so long for now. This is not goodbye... Thanks for all the good times, your support, and most of all, your friendship.

To my Wisconsin peeps, I'll see you very soon!

Stay classy, Colorado!

Yes!

My baby girl dissertation is now out there in the world to fend for herself! I survived the Graduate School submission examination! Nacole made me promise to take a picture, so here she is, just before she went into her envelope! Sorry Nacole, no pink bow.

I had to buy new paper this morning, then run over to Office Max, then run back to campus, wait for "the verdict", and then take the approved copies over to the library. Whew! But I did it and it's finally out of my hands! For real! I'm so happy.

I got to spend a little quality time with some people from my Department, which was nice. I'm going to miss everyone there, but I promise to keep in touch! Oh, and I turned in my keys. You know it's final when you turn keys in...

Now I just need to finish packing...

Dissertation Nation

Well, it's official! I will be submitting my dissertation to the Graduate School tomorrow!! I've gone through all the revisions, the long checklist of formatting and printing rules, gotten the necessary cashier's check, filled out the surveys and the release form, so the only thing left to do is get it printed and turn it in! I tried to print my dissertation from home, but the darn printer left a smudge on the top edge of the pages and I'm afraid the Graduate School people will see that and send me away.

No, I'm not kidding, they look it over carefully before they accept it... here's a little 2-part comic from http://www.phdcomics.com/ to illustrate my point...

I love that all these people are lined up waiting for him to turn it in... Is it disbelief? Hope? It reminds me of a marathon or something... all those people cheering him and supporting him to the finish line...

A moment of sheer joy and jubilation as he turns his baby in... and then...

BAM!

the painful reality of "university specifications."

Which is why I'm going to have this puppy printed. No way a stupid smudge is going to get in my way! I've done the hard part, I guess someone else can do this one thing.
Besides, I still get to do the best part- submit it and be done. Forever! I might do a happy dance right there in the library!!

Keep your fingers crossed for me! I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow!

Hawaii 5-0

Aloha!

Today was a fun day infused with the Aloha spirit! I went to Okole Maluna with Nacole and Jason for lunch and had some amazing Hawaiian food! Nacole ordered an appetizer of Tako Poke, which is Japanese octopus.

Nacole loves octopus! I've had octopus salad in another restaurant, but not like this... this was mostly octopus and onions. And you could see the suckers!! That is where I draw the line! I tried one sucker-free bite (which was actually pretty good) but couldn't bear to look at those little suction cups. I was even going to take another bite, but realized it had a big ole sucker on it and accidentally flicked it out on the table! It scared me! I asked Nacole if the suction cups stuck to her teeth as she chewed them up... apparently they didn't.

Finally our meals came. I got the Kalua Pig (slow-roasted pork), which was SO good, I was sad when my food was gone! It also came with some lomi-lomi salmon and Haupia coconut cream pudding, both of which I've had before and love! Nacole also had pork, but hers was Lau Lau, which is served in taro leaves...also VERY good! Jason had some teriyaki chicken and even though I'm not a huge fan of teriyaki, this was so good I'd order it.

Why, oh why did I wait so long to try this fantastic place? I wonder if I can find something similar in Wisconsin? In order to embrace the Aloha spirit, I am making it a goal of mine to make Kalua Pig...albeit a haole (White person) version.

After our amazing lunch, we went to Nacole and Jason's favorite neighborhood fish/aquarium store to find some new fish for their tank. They had a lot of pretty cool fish, newts, frogs, water crabs, and eels (although eels give me the heebie-jeebies). So there I was, enjoying the beautiful fish, when I turned the corner. The fish guys had gotten some new fish and were introducing them to the water in the tanks, so there was this big 5-gallon bucket on the floor. There on the floor next to the bucket... was a fish. I wasn't sure if it was a fake fish, or a dead fish, or what, so I grabbed Nacole and asked her what that was on the floor. It wasn't moving... just laying there! She confirmed that it was a fish, and being a good citizen (and less bewildered and traumatized than me) went to tell one of the guys at the store. Here's the conversation:

Nacole: Hey, a fish got out.

Fish Guy: A fish got out?

Nacole: Yeah, a fish got out.

Fish Guy: Like...is it a goldfish?

Nacole: No, a big fish.

Fish Guy: Oh, OK, thanks. Would you hold this (he hands Nacole some box for another customer)?

So Fish Guy walked over and picked up the fish with both hands (it was big enough to hold in both hands), and dropped it back in the bucket and said, "Stupid fish, do you want to choose the floor or life? Stay in the bucket!" Then he told us to let him know if it happened again! I was slightly on guard the rest of the time we were at the store, but he didn't jump out again. Although I did have a close encounter with a cricket later.

Then, I met my favorite fish. I shall call him Hootie and he will be my blowfish. Doesn't he look happy?