So, this was supposed to be 5K weekend (the Jingle Bell Run). Note the "supposed to be." Clearly a higher power had different plans for me and my family.
The furnace (or a very vital piece of said furnace) broke at my parents' house yesterday morning or early afternoon- and temperatures here aren't much above freezing (outside- during the day) as it is. Rather quickly, after the repair guy said that it would be Monday at the earliest to get it fixed or a new unit installed, my mom got a hold of someone who thought they could get it done today. So we packed up some things (and the dog) and went to my grandparents' house. Thank goodness they live in town and had room for us.
When I went to bed, I held out hopes that it would be above freezing when we were supposed to run. And then it was 28 degrees instead- and felt even chillier being amongst the downtown buildings. In other words- we skipped the race and picked up our t-shirts (since we'd preregistered) and left. Besides, we weren't sure when the people who were installing the new system were going to be at the house (turns out, we wouldn't have made it by running anyways).
I'm so glad we didn't run- my ears were frozen just after the 15 minutes walking from the car to the registration site and back to the car!! And wouldn't you know- I saw one guy in shorts and a few people in capris. Craziness I tell you! So, I'll try again when it's warmer. I'll even try harder to follow the Couch to 5K plan than I did this time around. At least I gave it a try, right?
We made it back to our house at 11am- and it was down to 46 degrees inside (a whopping 10 or so degrees warmer than outside). So my mom and I huddled under several blankets with a heater on either side of us while we watched tv. We kept ourselves quite warm that way! And by 1:30 or so, we had heat working again, and at 9pm or so, we were finally back up to feeling warm enough to turn it down!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
I sound like a commercial.
So, my thesis is now turned in to the Graduate Studies office. Hip hip hooray!
And I've turned in my questionnaire that served as round 2 for a job. And I will turn in another application no later than tomorrow evening- with plans to turn in another in a week and a half.
So now that all this is accomplished.... "what are you going to do next?"
I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!
Nope. Not joking. Not in the slightest. I sound like a commercial. You know the commercials. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about...
That's the classic version. But after seeing this- this is now my favorite:
Adios amigos, I'm going to go chill with Mickey and Minnie for a week. And then enjoy Thanksgiving and decorating for Christmas!!! And basically not worrying about thesis for at least one week, but hopefully both weeks.
And I've turned in my questionnaire that served as round 2 for a job. And I will turn in another application no later than tomorrow evening- with plans to turn in another in a week and a half.
So now that all this is accomplished.... "what are you going to do next?"
I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!
Nope. Not joking. Not in the slightest. I sound like a commercial. You know the commercials. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about...
That's the classic version. But after seeing this- this is now my favorite:
Adios amigos, I'm going to go chill with Mickey and Minnie for a week. And then enjoy Thanksgiving and decorating for Christmas!!! And basically not worrying about thesis for at least one week, but hopefully both weeks.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Advising
This could not have come at a better time. I'll just offer this out there with no comment.
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1248
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1248
Monday, October 26, 2009
Need a photographer?
So, this weekend, I took pictures for my cousin's engagement portraits. It just reminded me how much I love photography and photography sessions. Plus they pointed out that I could do photography as a side job, especially if I had more experience.
SO...
If anyone is interested/ needs pictures done (portraits/ candids/ whatnot)... give me a call. I'll give you an hour, free of charge, with the understanding that I can use the pictures for a portfolio. Other than that, you have full access to them. I'll post them to Shutterfly, so that way you can order what you want. You will also be able to download full-res from there.
The only catch is that if you've got to live near me or visit me.
If you want to see examples of my work, let me know and I'll send you to my picture website.
SO...
If anyone is interested/ needs pictures done (portraits/ candids/ whatnot)... give me a call. I'll give you an hour, free of charge, with the understanding that I can use the pictures for a portfolio. Other than that, you have full access to them. I'll post them to Shutterfly, so that way you can order what you want. You will also be able to download full-res from there.
The only catch is that if you've got to live near me or visit me.
If you want to see examples of my work, let me know and I'll send you to my picture website.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
NTHP conference
All this week, I was in Nashville for the National Trust for Historic Preservation (hereafter referred to as NTHP) conference. I've got to say, it was definitely in the top 2 of my favorite conferences (and helped me better understand the connection between HP and the other public history fields). So I'm going to share some of my favorite moments here (in no particular order).
1. "My Place Matters" program: NTHP is going with a campaign called "This Place Matters" and so going along with that planned a kids program called "My Place Matters." Basically, I was asked to lead/ co-lead 2 classes of 5th graders from a Nashville school around the block surrounding the public library and tell them the history of the buildings and get them to sketch what they saw (which didn't require sketching the buildings if they didn't want to). My first group had one of the most fantastic teachers ever, plus a parent chaperone that actually did her job and still made time to tell me some cool places to go to in Nashville. My second group (well, that's the one I co-led) had a girl who could be a pretty awesome artist someday. I got to tell that group about Tennessee's suffrage history in conjunction with the Hermitage Hotel. In case you all didn't know (because I sure didn't before last week), the hotel was headquarters for both suffragists and anti-suffragists. At the time, only men could enter through the front entrance- women had to enter on the side. Well, one of the girls in my group says "But that's not fair!" And I said that I agreed with her. And so she thinks about all the Civil Rights things she's heard in the morning session, and says, "It's like what they did to the black people before Civil Rights!" I was pretty darn proud. And will tell everyone I see about that moment.
2. Seeing places I'd never been inside before: the Arcade, the Ryman(!), War Memorial Auditorium, Downtown Presbyterian (one of the best examples of Egyptian Revival anywhere), the downtown public library, Miss Mary Bobo's in Lynchburg.
(Windows at the Ryman)
3. The people: Ok, so I get starstruck (if that's even the right word for this) easily. For instance, I was sitting 8 rows from the stage when Laura Bush was presented an award for all her work with preservation. I don't care what your political beliefs are, it was still pretty cool to be in the audience with a former first lady (see image of the back of her as she's leaving the stage below). We were treated to performances by the Fisk Jubilee Singers and Dave Berg (a singer/songwriter who has written such country hits as "Stupid Boy" and "What Kind of Gone," which he performed for us, among others- I got reprimanded for videoing his performance. Oops... so I won't post it). I got to hear talks by Bill McKibben (author/ environmentalist) and Dame Fiona Reynolds (President of the National Trust in the UK) I got to shake hands with John Lewis, a Civil Rights activist and current Congressman from Georgia. Dr. West also took the grad students picture with him. I got to see Dr. Spencer Crew, who was my Maymester professor this year, and he gave Heather, Liz, and I hugs and asked how we were doing. Then when the NTHP president (Richard Moe) came up to talk to him, he introduced us to him (again, more hand-shaking). I got to work pretty directly with the Senior Education Planner for the NTHP for the My Place Matters program. All in all- these experiences don't happen that often, let alone all in one week.
(If you look at the image on the left, the man at the podium is Richard Moe, the president of NTHP, and the people walking away are Laura Bush [in the front] and John Nau. The other picture is of MTSU students with John Lewis.)
4. Thesis issues worked out: You know what's awesome about conferences? My thesis advisor is typically there. Which means it's one of the most reliable places I can find him. And with thesis due to the graduate office in 3 weeks, it was kind of necessary. So thesis crisis is now averted (for the time being), and I also got to talk to him about jobs.
5. Jack Daniel's tour: Yes, I'd been to Jack Daniel's before. But I wanted to hear it from a different angle. Besides, my scholarship allowed for a free field session, and who is going to turn down all day at Jack's? So we toured, we got a tasting (which the public doesn't get to do because Moore County is dry), and we went to Miss Mary Bobo's which had fantastic food (and I'd never been there). Then we also walked around the square and went up to Jack's grave.
1. "My Place Matters" program: NTHP is going with a campaign called "This Place Matters" and so going along with that planned a kids program called "My Place Matters." Basically, I was asked to lead/ co-lead 2 classes of 5th graders from a Nashville school around the block surrounding the public library and tell them the history of the buildings and get them to sketch what they saw (which didn't require sketching the buildings if they didn't want to). My first group had one of the most fantastic teachers ever, plus a parent chaperone that actually did her job and still made time to tell me some cool places to go to in Nashville. My second group (well, that's the one I co-led) had a girl who could be a pretty awesome artist someday. I got to tell that group about Tennessee's suffrage history in conjunction with the Hermitage Hotel. In case you all didn't know (because I sure didn't before last week), the hotel was headquarters for both suffragists and anti-suffragists. At the time, only men could enter through the front entrance- women had to enter on the side. Well, one of the girls in my group says "But that's not fair!" And I said that I agreed with her. And so she thinks about all the Civil Rights things she's heard in the morning session, and says, "It's like what they did to the black people before Civil Rights!" I was pretty darn proud. And will tell everyone I see about that moment.
2. Seeing places I'd never been inside before: the Arcade, the Ryman(!), War Memorial Auditorium, Downtown Presbyterian (one of the best examples of Egyptian Revival anywhere), the downtown public library, Miss Mary Bobo's in Lynchburg.
(Windows at the Ryman)
3. The people: Ok, so I get starstruck (if that's even the right word for this) easily. For instance, I was sitting 8 rows from the stage when Laura Bush was presented an award for all her work with preservation. I don't care what your political beliefs are, it was still pretty cool to be in the audience with a former first lady (see image of the back of her as she's leaving the stage below). We were treated to performances by the Fisk Jubilee Singers and Dave Berg (a singer/songwriter who has written such country hits as "Stupid Boy" and "What Kind of Gone," which he performed for us, among others- I got reprimanded for videoing his performance. Oops... so I won't post it). I got to hear talks by Bill McKibben (author/ environmentalist) and Dame Fiona Reynolds (President of the National Trust in the UK) I got to shake hands with John Lewis, a Civil Rights activist and current Congressman from Georgia. Dr. West also took the grad students picture with him. I got to see Dr. Spencer Crew, who was my Maymester professor this year, and he gave Heather, Liz, and I hugs and asked how we were doing. Then when the NTHP president (Richard Moe) came up to talk to him, he introduced us to him (again, more hand-shaking). I got to work pretty directly with the Senior Education Planner for the NTHP for the My Place Matters program. All in all- these experiences don't happen that often, let alone all in one week.
(If you look at the image on the left, the man at the podium is Richard Moe, the president of NTHP, and the people walking away are Laura Bush [in the front] and John Nau. The other picture is of MTSU students with John Lewis.)
4. Thesis issues worked out: You know what's awesome about conferences? My thesis advisor is typically there. Which means it's one of the most reliable places I can find him. And with thesis due to the graduate office in 3 weeks, it was kind of necessary. So thesis crisis is now averted (for the time being), and I also got to talk to him about jobs.
5. Jack Daniel's tour: Yes, I'd been to Jack Daniel's before. But I wanted to hear it from a different angle. Besides, my scholarship allowed for a free field session, and who is going to turn down all day at Jack's? So we toured, we got a tasting (which the public doesn't get to do because Moore County is dry), and we went to Miss Mary Bobo's which had fantastic food (and I'd never been there). Then we also walked around the square and went up to Jack's grave.
(Our tour guide (Goose), Sign for Miss Mary Bobo's, and Jack's grave. It looks half completed because he died younger than he should have, and there used to be two chairs until about a month ago (they think stolen) for all the ladies who were so upset that they didn't get to marry him, so that they wouldn't have to lay on the ground.)
That's all I can type for now- I've had 5 days in a row being up before 6am, and haven't gotten to bed before 11pm yet!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Walt Disney World
My mother sent me this blog entry about my favorite ride at Disney World and its history- so I thought I would share:
Tomorrowland Transit Authority
Tomorrowland Transit Authority
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Couch to 5K
So, last December I had this crazy idea. I figured that since everyone around me was trying to work out or run a marathon (and I wasn't), that I would make a plan to run a 5K sometime in 2009. I even made it my New Year's Resolution.
So all year, I kept thinking, "Oh, I've got time. I'll start next week." Well, guess what, folks? It's October. And I gained just enough weight to make my clothes not all fit. It's terrible. So, I started the Couch to 5K plan last week, in hopes of doing the Jingle Bell run in December. I'm on week 2. I've got to say, I can tell a difference between last week and this week (I no longer want to die at 45 seconds, although at 90 seconds I really start to wonder about my sanity). So that's got to say something, right? So tomorrow I'll finish Week 2. Have no idea how I'm going to do Week 3 with the conference next week, but I'll figure it out.
And Dad, if you're reading this, start getting ready!!! Because it's my goal to jog most of the 5K.
So all year, I kept thinking, "Oh, I've got time. I'll start next week." Well, guess what, folks? It's October. And I gained just enough weight to make my clothes not all fit. It's terrible. So, I started the Couch to 5K plan last week, in hopes of doing the Jingle Bell run in December. I'm on week 2. I've got to say, I can tell a difference between last week and this week (I no longer want to die at 45 seconds, although at 90 seconds I really start to wonder about my sanity). So that's got to say something, right? So tomorrow I'll finish Week 2. Have no idea how I'm going to do Week 3 with the conference next week, but I'll figure it out.
And Dad, if you're reading this, start getting ready!!! Because it's my goal to jog most of the 5K.
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