My life is a soap opera

My life is a soap opera. Not in the My-cousins-fiancée-was-married-to-an-oil-tycoon-who-was-actually-her-own-half-brother kind of way. Nope. My life is a soap opera in the you-can-not-follow-it-for-months-and-pick-right-back-up-where-you-left-off kinda way. Seriously - It used to amaze me as a child. I would get sick and spend a day at home from school with my mother watching As the World Turns - and nothing had changed since the last time I was sick.

I haven't blogged in a while and, if you are perceptive you have already figured out, you haven't missed much. But, just in case, here is the recap since my last actual post:

• Numerous students have defended and are going to receive their Master's from this department. Some of them already have jobs. The others will soon.
• I have Skyped with a ton of friends in an attempt to not feel alone and disconnected.
• We are almost done with the term. I give my final on Wednesday. Graduation is this weekend.
• I went to the Chinook Winds Casino with friends on May 21 to watch Joel McHale. Hilarious!
• I went to Coeur D'Alene Idaho for 5 days for the National meeting of the American Association for Agricultural Education. The conference was good. I presented two papers from my dissertation research. The chance to see mentors and old friends, while making new professional connections, was priceless.
• I booked plane tickets: home (for the 4th of July and the family beach trip), Denver for ALE in July (two accepted posters to present), and Columbia in August to see friends I left behind and have missed terribly.
• I hosted my book club's discussion of 'The Glass Castle' - I recommend it to anyone.
• I held a focus group (the last qualitative component of a year long mini-grant funded study). Glad to have data collection behind us and ready to start writing.
• We held interviews for the fledgling CAS/COF Leadership Academy. We admitted 10 students who will start their experience next fall.
• My class finished their team service projects. We had a beach cleanup, a softball/T-ball tournament for the Boys and Girls club, clean up of a community garden that donates its food to the food bank, a group made jam and jelly for the food bank and a group put on an adoption event for the local humane society and got a dog adopted. Two other groups went and worked with local high school students by implementing some leadership activities. It was a proud moment.
• Watched the season finale of the Office.... summer long cliffhanger. :-(
• Advised students for fall term. That seems never ending.
• We set a date for our faculty retreat: June 29-30.
• I spent my Memorial Day holiday vegging - I put together a puzzle while I watched 'Easy A', 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo', and '127 Hours'. Good day.
• The weather has finally turned in Corvallis. We had our first 80 degree day this past weekend so I went with friends and looked at the Peonies and Irises. (That will be its own blog post because there are lots of photos.)
• I have enjoyed the view out my window....blooming rhododendrons everywhere.
• I got in a mood and rearranged my office. Not quite done but I like it.

There. All caught up. Now I don't feel guilty about not blogging and can get back to posting regularly.