Fall...

Transitions are tricky times... the leaves are coming off the trees, the weather is changing drastically and things are a bit unsettled.

Super-mom is now officially off to Florida for the winter, just in time.

My students are starting to realize that their past work is limiting their future grades -- and that they still have a lot to do.

I'm probably catching a cold -- which sucks, but once you've had chemo, a cold is nothing...

Packing it up...

... my dissertation materials, that is.

My home office has been a shambles for a while... I realized how long it's been a mess when I saw that my desk pad calendar started with August 1 (btw, the first time FB and I had coffee was noted there... hmmm).

So, I cleaned up and packed away my dissertation paperwork. It feels good.

I left out my current project on cyber warfare, but the rest of it is in a box in the corner -- where it belongs.

I also reviewed my feminist epistemology paper from a few years ago -- I'm presenting it at a faculty brown bag next week -- and I was happy to see that the argument actually makes sense, even three years after I submitted it to fulfill Ph.D. requirements... YEA!

Funny how things wok out...

I had dinner with someone who needs a psuedonym..

For now we'll call her New Girl... she's a new member of our department... and she's pretty cool.

She's from another part of the country -- and she's loving the fall leaves.... she's also looking forward to winter, which is refreshing around here.

Last night we had Vietnamese food -- (our server was the restaraunt owner's daughter -- and a former student who remembered me from 6 years ago :) .

Afterward, we saw an intersting philosophy lecture at a local SLAC -- which got us thinking and talking on the way home..

Perhaps the best part is that I found out that NG loves, loves, loves to write logic problems. I hate, hate, hate to write logic problems -- but, I don't have a problem writing logic text. We agree that the current logic books suck -- so, I think we're going to end up writing a logic textbook together...

What's actually pretty cool is that NG has a bunch of logic problems already written -- so, I suppose I can start writing while she finishes her dissertation... hmmmmm....

A fun, relaxing Tuesday...

.. so far I've:

gone back to bed for a nap
texted with my buddies
graded some on-line quizzes
sent an e-mail, but haven't checked my school e-mail..
read some blogs and facebook
met FB's parents and watched him bake an apple pie
played with some dogs
shared a subway sandwich with FB
drank a chi tea latte fusion

FB is doing some business now -- and after a while we're gonna go workout...
then, maybe a burger?

not a bad way to spend a Tuesday ---eh?

On conferences, workouts and life...

A good friend/colleague and I went to a local big-idea conference. It was lots of fun to go, listen to the best speakers and just think and learn. It wasn't in either of our "fields", but we kept finding interesting things about both the presentations and the presenters... lots to think about.

At the conference I met a really fun old-friend of my colleague.... I eventually told her that I had a mastectomy, pointed out the breast form and she asked to touch it... it cracked me up... nobody else has done that...

I've also joined a gym -- the same gym as FB... he's been working out for a while and persuaded me that I really do need to join him -- so, I did. It should be fun --and he'll keep me on track.

Today FB is coming my direction to talk to someone at BNCC about their program. I know he'll be a good fit in it... and I hope he's settled on doing it. It would be a postitive move in his life -- and in the end I know he'll be fantastic at the job.

I'm also stunned that I'm about half way done with the on-line grading stuff for my hybrid class... we're in week 7 of 13... can you believe it? There's more at the end... for some stupid reason we have a 16 week semester... plus final's week... (who thought that up??) -- but, so far I've been caught up on grading all along... which is pretty impressive given how much I've been out of town, playing and generally not paying attention to work :).

Breast Cancer Awareness Month....

Yikes --- for someone with breast cancer, it's a long month.

Frankly, I've had two years and 5 months of Breast Cancer Awareness.... the rest of you are only aware of it in October, lucky you...

I'm aware of it every day, in my pjs I'm lop sided -- in my bra, I can feel the breast form... yep, aware.

I look in the mirror and see the thin hair at the front where it will never come back after chemo... yep, aware.

I feel my left thumb -- where there is a little bit of permanent numbness due to chemo... yep, aware.

I have a clean PET scan report on my fridge.... yep, aware.

I have a lovely oncologist and his nurse's number in my phone... yep, aware.

I have annother check up with my oncologist in January... yep, aware.

Go ahead and do all the fundraising stuff you want, please -- if it helps you, do it. Buy stuff with pink ribbons if you really think part of the proceeds go toward helping breast cancer research. Run, walk, crawl sing or do whatever you want to do to ward off the demons of breast cancer...

I contribute in personal -- very personal -- ways. I was part of a drug study to see if the drug worked on non-metastisized breast cancer. I give individual advice to folks in my life who are struggling with it -- I'm kind of the breast cancer spokeswoman in my circle of friends and students - they come to me when they need to understand, when they need to have something helpful to say to someone they are close to. I do this all year long...

It would be easier, much, much easier for me to spend some cash and buy stuff with pink ribbons on it... and, frankly, I'm very glad that most of you don't have the kind of personal experience with the disease that I have.... so you can't contribute like I do.

Honestly, I'm glad there's a great lobby for my disease. I'm glad there's a fantastic marketing campaign for my disease. I've benefitted from those efforts both directly and indirectly -- and I'm grateful -- don't get me wrong... but, the month of October is long and full of breast cancer talk in the media etc.. and it's a constant reminder of my disease -- that it could come back and kill me.