11/2/11
10/31/11
Two.month.hiatus
It has been nearly two months since I posted. It is not that I don't have a story to share. I do. I have tons. I have been adding them to a list.. Some are even here in Blogger in rough draft form. But life got busy. The term got rolling. I was traveling. Classes needed to be taught. Excuse. Excuse. Excuse.
One of the things I remember most from grad school was this phrase: Write before you are ready.
It's message is simple, but extremely difficult to execute. You want to have all of your thoughts together. You want them all to be golden. But that isn't reality. You have to write. Some of it will be good. Some will be awful.
If it is writing that truly matters (i.e. the 10 conference submissions I am writing now) then you write and edit and write more and edit more and wind up with a completed product of which you can be proud (in this case hopefully by the December 19th deadline). If it is writing that doesn't determine your fate - like this blog- just write. Polish some. Post.
There is no excuse for not writing.
The reality is this: This blog is not a drain on my productivity. It is an outlet for my creativity. Writing this way frees my thoughts up for more academic writing. Writing begets more writing.
My issue is I don't like to write until the post is finished in my head. I don't like to "let posts go" until they are done. I need to get over myself. Time to write.
One of the things I remember most from grad school was this phrase: Write before you are ready.
It's message is simple, but extremely difficult to execute. You want to have all of your thoughts together. You want them all to be golden. But that isn't reality. You have to write. Some of it will be good. Some will be awful.
If it is writing that truly matters (i.e. the 10 conference submissions I am writing now) then you write and edit and write more and edit more and wind up with a completed product of which you can be proud (in this case hopefully by the December 19th deadline). If it is writing that doesn't determine your fate - like this blog- just write. Polish some. Post.
There is no excuse for not writing.
The reality is this: This blog is not a drain on my productivity. It is an outlet for my creativity. Writing this way frees my thoughts up for more academic writing. Writing begets more writing.
My issue is I don't like to write until the post is finished in my head. I don't like to "let posts go" until they are done. I need to get over myself. Time to write.
9/8/11
Looking over Marys Peak
Yesterday I left work around 4:30 with the idea that I was going to get my oil changed. It is due next week but my parents are coming to town and we are going to road trip around Oregon... so the responsible thing seemed to be getting it done before they get here.
Something happened on the way to the service center... I decided to drive to the top of Marys Peak instead.You can see this peak from Corvallis and it is the tallest in the coastal range. Going to the top has been on my summer bucket list and, after a day of feeling unproductive in the office, I thought it might be nice to check something off some list somewhere.
I learned something about myself. On the windy, switchback road to the top, my knees were getting a little shaky and my breathing was off. I had a thought: I think I might be afraid of heights. I know I don't like ladders and rock climbing is not on my wish list anywhere, but this was a new sensation. It is weird that it was as powerful as it was yesterday. Coming home from Missouri each Christmas, I would race over the Appalachians between Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC, at 65 mph (sometimes in the snow). It has never really phased me. But that was Interstate 40 and it is 2-4 lanes wide. This was a winding, tree-lined road that, in places, was really only wide enough for one car. It shook me up a little, I won't lie.
I stopped along the road to take a few pictures and catch my breath.
Once you get to the parking lot at the top, you are above the treeline.The view was worth the shaky-kneed drive. There is a bit of hiking across a field along a service road to reach the actual peak (4,097ft above sea level) and I made the trek.... still in my sandals and dress clothes from work (being impulsive has its down side).
After hiking the service road/trail up to the top, you are rewarded with panoramic views of the coastal range, the Willamette valley and, on a clear day, all the way to the Pacific. This was not a clear day, but great all the same.
Something happened on the way to the service center... I decided to drive to the top of Marys Peak instead.You can see this peak from Corvallis and it is the tallest in the coastal range. Going to the top has been on my summer bucket list and, after a day of feeling unproductive in the office, I thought it might be nice to check something off some list somewhere.
I learned something about myself. On the windy, switchback road to the top, my knees were getting a little shaky and my breathing was off. I had a thought: I think I might be afraid of heights. I know I don't like ladders and rock climbing is not on my wish list anywhere, but this was a new sensation. It is weird that it was as powerful as it was yesterday. Coming home from Missouri each Christmas, I would race over the Appalachians between Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC, at 65 mph (sometimes in the snow). It has never really phased me. But that was Interstate 40 and it is 2-4 lanes wide. This was a winding, tree-lined road that, in places, was really only wide enough for one car. It shook me up a little, I won't lie.
I stopped along the road to take a few pictures and catch my breath.
Once you get to the parking lot at the top, you are above the treeline.The view was worth the shaky-kneed drive. There is a bit of hiking across a field along a service road to reach the actual peak (4,097ft above sea level) and I made the trek.... still in my sandals and dress clothes from work (being impulsive has its down side).
After hiking the service road/trail up to the top, you are rewarded with panoramic views of the coastal range, the Willamette valley and, on a clear day, all the way to the Pacific. This was not a clear day, but great all the same.
This was my favorite... a shot as I turned around to head back down.
9/7/11
Finding my focus
My focus is gone.
It is one of my strengths. In fact, on StrengthsFinder, it is my #4 strength.*
But it seems to be gone and I am not sure why.
I have some theories:
Perhaps it is because my back is angry right now and sitting for any length of time just wears on me. I get up to stretch and relieve the aching and I cannot seem to jump back to the same place.
Perhaps it is because the to-do list seems to grow, not shrink lately and the freedom I need to focus and not flit between projects just doesn't seem to be there.
Perhaps it is because there is no space in my life right now. I need to make room so I can have a profound workday.
I read a post recently about Getting Focused and Concentrating.(read it here) My new goal is to turn off the music, close the email, make a shorter (daily) to do list and get my focus back.
*My Strengths are Achiever, Deliberative, Learner, Focus and Competition.
First Beaver Game
I went to my first Beaver Football game on Saturday. I wish I could say a good time was had by all - but I would be lying. There is nothing fun about losing a non-conference game to a Division I-AA team, in overtime. I am bracing myself for a Beaver bloodletting in Wisconsin this weekend. I am, however, ridiculously excited that college football season is here. And, lucky for me, I can also root for my Missouri Tigers and the NCSU Wolfpack.
Currently Anticipating: A visit from my parents - arriving on Saturday and staying for a week!
Currently Dreading: Finalizing a mini-grant summary report by Friday. Ugh.
Currently Enjoying: A taste of summer in Oregon and reeling in the 90 degree temps.
Currently Anticipating: A visit from my parents - arriving on Saturday and staying for a week!
Currently Dreading: Finalizing a mini-grant summary report by Friday. Ugh.
Currently Enjoying: A taste of summer in Oregon and reeling in the 90 degree temps.
9/6/11
Worshiping the wrong way
I saw this on Michael Hyatt.com and was challenged enough to share it. I am willing to admit this is sometimes me. What about you?
9/2/11
Some of this week's favorites
I have been spending quality time with my Google Reader. I am down to only 180 posts or so which is major progress. Here are some of my favorites:
As someone who always feels over committed, I enjoyed reading Being Spread Thin Is Not Sexy by Caitlin Muir.
This photo series from MSNBC made me chuckle out loud.
I always enjoy the 'Don't Be That Guy' posts from Tyler Stanton but I really enjoyed the College Football Fan edition (You geeky conference types will also like the conference version of DBTG from Bryan Allain. Good stuff.
I am digging into the archives on Jeff Goins' site which is all about 'Writing'. It was a good addition to the Reader.
As someone who always feels over committed, I enjoyed reading Being Spread Thin Is Not Sexy by Caitlin Muir.
This photo series from MSNBC made me chuckle out loud.
I always enjoy the 'Don't Be That Guy' posts from Tyler Stanton but I really enjoyed the College Football Fan edition (You geeky conference types will also like the conference version of DBTG from Bryan Allain. Good stuff.
I am digging into the archives on Jeff Goins' site which is all about 'Writing'. It was a good addition to the Reader.
8/31/11
Adding Pages to the blog
I recently spent some time adding Pages to the top of my blog. (If you only follow this blog through an RSS feeder, you might have missed them) They are works in progress, but I am a list maker by nature, so it seemed like a natural thing... to make lists.
There is a list of all the things I have read and want to read.
There is a bucket list.
There is also an about me page (definitely still under construction).
Those of you that know me well, how would you describe me?
What is on your reading list?
What is on your bucket list?
What else do I need a page about?
There is a list of all the things I have read and want to read.
There is a bucket list.
There is also an about me page (definitely still under construction).
Those of you that know me well, how would you describe me?
What is on your reading list?
What is on your bucket list?
What else do I need a page about?
8/25/11
Columbia will always have a place in my heart
They say you can't go home again. The same is true for going back to places where you have been a student. You can't go back, but you can visit. And last week I did just that. I went back to visit friends in Columbia, Missouri, where I spent 3 years as a PhD student.
I took off at 2:30am Wednesday and headed to Portland for a 6am flight. After a small layover in Salt Lake City, I made it to Kansas City. And, what do you do when in Kansas City? You find BBQ.
We found Oklahoma Joe's. It is in a converted gas station on the Kansas side of KC.
The menu is great and the food was amazing. I had a simple pulled pork sandwich with a side of life-changing fries. The only thing left on the tray were the pickles.
This was the first of many diet de-railing stops. In the course of 4 days, we visited Shakespeare's, D. Rowe's, Addison's and Andy's Frozen Custard. We grilled steaks one night and I had a lunch at the HyVee Grocery Store (Only the best for me)! I do miss the comfort food of the Midwest but living in Oregon sure makes dieting easier.
I watched two movies... in the theater. Went to see 'The Help' with Claire on Friday afternoon (I had read the book back in June). I went to see '30 minutes or Less' with Jonathon on Saturday afternoon. I haven't seen many movies in the theaters lately so this was quite the splurge.
To top it all off, Claire and I spent a lazy Saturday afternoon watching the Lifetime Movie Network's 'Stranger in My Bed'...a truly mockable flick that made for some entertaining viewing. We even managed to predict some of the lines.
Columbia is a great town and I enjoyed my time living there. I truly did. But for me, the people made my experience. Many of the people who made Columbia so special have moved away to Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma, Utah, Hawaii, Nevada, Texas, South Dakota, and elsewhere. But most of my Thursday Office Night Crew still lives there- for another year at least. And, despite all the places I went, amazing food I ate, and movies I got to see, the best part was spending time with Jonathon, Heidi, and Claire. Love you guys!
8/23/11
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