Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Happy Anniversary IPG and HH

Today marked the 3rd year anniversary of the nuptials of IPG and HH. We celebrated by exchanging traditional anniversary presents. Leather is the 3rd year anniversary gift. And for those gentle readers of the blog with dirty minds...Brian...we exchanged G rated leather gifts. :) A pocketbook for IPG and a watch and sandals for HH. We celebrated by taking SD out to dinner. I explained to SD that it is the anniversary of when we became a family. So she was included too. Thursday SD is spending the night at a friends so we will celebrate on our own Thursday.

Monday, July 28, 2008

I am being shaken down by an 11 year old

I have often blogged about my marriage and stepdaughter and whether or not my Handsome Husband and I will procreate. Let me just spell out what has been going on around IPG's humble home lately.

I have an inquisitive mind. I look stuff up. I read a lot. I like to read non-fiction about information. When I became a stepmom I read a lot of books about being a step-parent. I am informed. I learn by doing sure...but when someone else's kid is on the line you want to do things right. (Can you tell I am a perfectionist)? Anyway, I have discussed at length my issues etc. with being a stepmom. But I have not really gotten to see what the challenges are first hand until recently.

First let me say that although I am as he affectionately calls me his trophy wife. I am neither some marriage stalking home-wrecker nor some 20 years his junior young thing. I am six months his junior, and while he was busy being married, having SD, and saving the world as a Marine. I was busy telling my parents I was studying hard at Auburn...not studying very hard, but getting good grades anyway! >:) The shenanigans I got up to at Auburn are for another time. But the point is that SD, HH, and I all have a great relationship. I have a good relationship with SD's mom, and HH and SD's mom get along pretty well too. The Brady Bunch we are not...but we do the best we can.

Somehow someone mentioned in front of SD that we might at some point in the ambiguous future decide to have an offspring of our own. Well she has become a bit obsessed. She talks about it on and on and on. I finally had to ban the word baby yesterday. We were out on the lake and SD was trying to pout because some old woman in church had the audacity to ask me when we thought it would be time to expand our family. She pouted about it most of the day even when she was in the boat.

Today she kept rehashing where the baby would sleep if we did indeed have a child. Over and over. It finally got to the point where I forbid the word Baby to be brandished.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Einstein

I didn't want to put these 2 important events in the same boring blog post.
SD leaves in 13 days. I always start this sad sad count down when it is time for her to go. Of course this is made even sadder when this will hopefully be the last summer she spends in Mississippi.

Now of course the house has to sell for us to move. But realistically we should be in Phoenix next summer. And today was the one year anniversary of my precious dog dying. It also happens to be my sister's birthday.

I realize this is short, but sometimes sad things can't be drawn out.

"Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo." H. G. Wells

I have been asked to write a brief column for a newsletter that is read by online adjuncts. I decided to tackle the topic of plagiarism.

Hopefully I can do this on a semi-permanent basis as I believe it would be something I would enjoy.
I have been going over my article in my mind prior to putting it on paper and I want to discuss several things that I have seen lately.

1.) I believe that SOME students HONESTLY don't know the rules. How large a percentage this is ...I am not sure. However I do think that some students do not know the rules.
2.) It can be a tough row to hoe for online faculty to actually even navigate the plagiarism system the university has in place. And sometimes the faculty do not get the support they need when they have a case of academic honesty.
3.) There are new tricks to the plagiarism game that students bent on gaming the system have discovered.
4.) In order for a student to plagiarize successfully they must actually have writing and grammar skills.
5.) Some miscellaneous thoughts.

The article is supposed to be 500 words. I will obviously be posting it here as well. :) However I think I can cover all those details in the word limit! :)

Wish me luck!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Latent Bubba

I married a man that was born in Hollywood, California. As far west as you can possibly imagine in the lower 48. Yet I packed him up and moved him to the gracious South. Here I ascertained a quality about my husband that it took rural Mississippi to unearth. He is a latent Bubba. Ladies and gentleman my husband the California Redneck. He likes to fish, hunt, grill, talk about football. He discusses lures, golf, drives a truck, plays church softball. Hangs out in the duck camp. He doesn't play golf well, but plays it quite a bit. Discusses types of rifles. Joined a hunt club. Watches NASCAR. Argues about the different types of BBQ sauce and the merits of each. He wears camouflage to work.

When discussing criteria for our new home. I listed the following as my criteria in Phoenix.

  • No further than 50 miles from SD
  • No further than 20 miles from ASU (where HH is likely to work)
  • On a lake that AT LEAST allows Pontoon boats
  • 4 Bedrooms and a loft/office/den or 5 bedrooms and at least 2.5 baths
  • Preferably in a neighborhood that has a community pool and tennis courts (I can live with out tennis, but would like a pool)
  • If there is no community pool a pool at the house would be nice, but I don't really want to have to take care of my own pool
  • Fireplace
  • Built after 1995
The real estate market in Phoenix is down on it's luck so these criteria should not be too hard to fill.

After looking over the list HH added. I want to live on the lake so I can fish in my underwear like I do here. NICE!!!!! So added to the list.

  • No further than 50 miles from SD
  • No further than 20 miles from ASU (where HH is likely to work)
  • On a lake that AT LEAST allows Pontoon boats
  • 4 Bedrooms and a loft/office/den or 5 bedrooms and at least 2.5 baths
  • Preferably in a neighborhood that has a community pool and tennis courts (I can live with out tennis, but would like a pool)
  • If there is no community pool a pool at the house would be nice, but I don't really want to have to take care of my own pool
  • Fireplace
  • Built after 1995
  • Enough privacy so that HH can fish in his underwear

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Is Now the time?

I have actually sooooooooooooooooooo much to say. I just haven't had time to do it all.

Only the highlights are going in this bullet point blog:

  • SD is getting Baptized on August 3
  • FBI recontacted hubby. Putting his application on hold until we get out to Phoenix.
  • HH got contacted by the ATF to test for a position in Phoenix.
  • Started looking at homes in Phoenix.
  • SD's birthday party is tomorrow! Tons of little girls spending the night at my home.
  • I was invited to write for a newsletter for online faculty. I am very honored, and think I will enjoy being a contributor.
  • 16 days until SD leaves. I am already dreading it.
  • My parents close on their house Tuesday.
  • NOTHING to report on the disseration

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Westward Bound

As each day passes I am becoming much more accepting of our inevitable move. I brought up all my fears in Sunday School this morning, and it ended up being an amazing prayer circle. It seems that everyone in our Sunday School has some heavy issues on their heart. I prayed for peace this morning, and I have been given it all day. SD will be getting baptized in 2 weeks. We are so proud of her. So it has been a BIG summer.

Here are some positives of moving to Phoenix. I will be on Mountain time and Pacific time so when I do my synchronous chats I can do them before my husband is home from work. It is a larger town so I can go back to teaching some face to face courses since I miss doing that!

I am going back to school and going to get a Masters in Healthcare when I finish my PhD. I am a life time learner, and just miss being in school. Plus I will meet some new people, and it will help me make friends. There is no harm in getting a degree from Arizona State. There is an Auburn Alumni club in Phoenix with 384 members! It should be fun to watch Auburn games with some Alumni!

I can buy tickets to lots of professional sporting events. Even though I don't care for any of the Phoenix teams...I can see Saints games, Braves games, Hornet games etc. I am close to the west coast so flights to Hawaii, Japan, Thailand, China etc won't be as far.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Unmentionable things

On Friday HH officially withdrew his application from the FBI. He decided to do it so he could be closer to his daughter. We will be moving to Phoenix in the spring of next year. He will be applying for jobs with Homeland Security and some other federal jobs out in Arizona as well as with ASU. I know it was a very very difficult decision for hubby but his daughter has to come first. I have been so upset about this I have not even been able to blog. This southern flower is worried she'll wilt in the desert.

A move to Phoenix means moving away from aging parents that might someday soon live very close to IPG. It means moving away from friends and family that have been the cornerstone of my life. Moving to Phoenix means moving closer to in laws that IPG might not care to have turn up at her house so often. It means leaving her precious otter, great grey crane, and quiet Mississippi mornings behind.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Random Post

If you know IPG even a little. You know she is quite the Classic Rock/Southern Rock addict. Anyway, I rarely listen to anything written after 1980. To be perfectly honest I would have given anything to have been around when all that music was written. For the most part I was not even ALIVE when most of it was written. I found this website today. http://www.rock-songs.com/ It has the top 500 classic rock songs of all time. I am going to buy my very own Ipod tomorrow and I am only going to put these 500 songs on it.

“"But I don't want to go among mad people," said Alice. "Oh, you can't help that," said the cat. "We're all mad here."” Lewis Carroll

Another check in the plus child side of life is the wonder they see life as. When did I lose that wonder? When did I become a cynic? (And really I am quite cheery). But I look at SD's face and the zest in which she approaches each and everyday. I want that again. That has to be one of the reason people have children...and dogs. :)

Here is a tip for that slacker Ph.D. student in all of you. If you know your adviser is going on vacation. Email him or her. Asking for a meeting when you know they will be gone. This way you look busy...but you are not hindered by such things as actually having to go to the meeting. Ha!

A Ph.D. is primarily an indication of survivorship. Exactly how I feel today. It isn't how smart I am. IT is how stubborn I am.

In other news...work is trucking although it has picked up a smidge. I have several classes going now that are keeping me on my toes. Although the natives were pretty quiet today!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

“The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.” Eugene Delacroix

Several things going today. First an imaginary letter to my students.

Dear students,

I ran your paper through turnitin.com and although it is cited; I still got a 90% match. Although it is against APA standards to copy and paste that much of your paper, and I don't think you used any critical thinking skills...it still is not plagiarism. But don't think I won't dock points for lack of original content.

Why oh why have I had so much problem with this lately? I need to get T-shirts printed.

SD was going to have a birthday party at either the paint your own pottery place here or the bowling alley. It was unfortunately not meant to be. So we have decided on a sleep over. We are going to invite her friends over to spend the night and have pizza and ice cream. The theme of the party is High School Musical. So...on July 25th there should be approximately 12 squealing 11 year old girls spending the night at my house. I think I should pull a sicky and stay at a hotel. Let HH figure it out. Or would that be too mean? >:)

SD asked me the other day why sometimes I call her my stepdaughter and sometimes I just say daughter. The differentiation comes with how well I know the people. For example among my friends etc. I say stepdaughter. However if we go into a shop or I am dealing with someone I don't know well I just say daughter. I don't feel like going into all my business with them. When I explained that to her she asked why I called her SD on the blog instead of just D. I had to think about it. For one, her mom occasionally reads this blog, and I think it would be disrespectful to her if I was bragging all over the place about my D when she is really an SD. Second, keeping a blog has been a way to keep my sanity through out the Ph. D. process and because it is like a diary it seems imprudent to represent information incorrectly. It seems more organic to call her SD. However I hope it doesn't hurt her feelings. She is very sensitive and it in no way reflects my feelings for her personally.

SD and I went to water aerobics today. She smiled and giggled the whole time. I wish I had a water camera that would let me capture that face. Her giggle warms up an entire room.

Two final agenda items...school...the life and times of a Ph. D. student taking a summer sabbatical is not as exciting as it might sound. Unless you are interested in reading about going to the pool, painting pottery, and attending library functions. If not ...then there is very little to report. I took two courses online that I didn't have to take but wanted to this summer. I didn't really tell anyone that ...HH knew, but not really anyone else. I just felt like taking courses. Maybe that is silly...I am not sure, but personally enjoy classwork, and feel like a bum when I am not in class.

HH are having a battle. Lines have been clearly drawn. I have commandeered the front of the house including the living room, office, guest bath, and guest bedroom. He has set up an embassy in the master bedroom. Neutral ground has been established in the dining room. The topic of the battle involves the purchase of a new car. All of our cars are paid off. They all work perfectly well. Why should we purchase a new vehicle? We don't need a new vehicle. But this happens... HH starts looking at trucks. Then he gets the truck fever to buy.

Enough! I am going to invade the kitchen. There is some Gatorade calling my name.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Back to the grind

I have two schools starting back this week. It is back to the grind for me. :( Man! I am going to be a busy bee again. Also the brief hiatus I had allowed myself from that little paper I have to write is now officially OVER. I gotta get back to it! :(

I have enjoyed my time off. For the first time in almost 3 years I get to be a person again. I have broken a fairly serious caffeine addiction that was a requirement to get through most of my days. Being a Ph.D. student is not all glamor like it sounds. Ha! There are times when you are overwhelmed and underfed. There are times when you eat Cheetos for dinner because you are too tired to move from your desk. My poor handsome hubby had to go retrieve me from my office at school face down in the desk of my statistics book. I was so tired I fell asleep face down on my text. My office at home looked like some sort of academic journal bomb went off there. There were papers and academic papers and heaven knows what strode all over the office. Finally that room is clean. That room looks like your normal home office. All evidence of the academic journal bomb has been organized and alphabetized on the shelf in chronological order. Amazing really...like a real person uses that office not the unabomber. I have almost ceased quoting journal articles when talking to everyday normal people like the grocer. That was a difficult habit to break.

This is something I am only putting on my blog, but I am already starting to miss my classes. I think I would really like to go back to school and get another masters degree. I would like to study health care administration. Every time I mention it to hubby he turns a deaf ear my way. I obviously have to finish my Phd first. Then ... after several years I would like to go back. I guess. I just like taking classes. I like learning. Deep down I am ready to finish so I can have my title. So that when people send mail to the house it can say "Mr. and Dr. X" haha!

I was going to make a separate post out of this all together. But I needed that break from work. I was working the whole time, but I had fewer classes so my work load was lighter. Now that I have had my break I feel refreshed rejuvenated and relaxed enough to finish the year out with a bang. It is part of what I caution other people interested in teaching online. You don't get weekends, you don't get holidays, you don't get vacations. You work 6 or 7 days a week every single week until the end of December. Then you usually have 2 weeks off. This is how it is, and how it goes. If you start feeling the burn in June...TOO BAD...because you don't have any time off until December. Whether you are in Costa Rica, at home or just sick you have to work. I personally don't mind, but down time like I have had over the last month gives me a breather that lets me make it to the end of the year. After all....all work and no play makes IPG a dull girl!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Forgot to put the Zoo snooze


The kids made a glow in the dark craft...an alligator mask!

SD brushing the goats at night after they are sleeping.

SD excavating for fossils at the zoo.

SD on a camel ride!

SD got to feed the Lorikeets!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Vacation wrap up and pics!


SD on her horse!

I am a barn dog!

SD fixing to get some shells!

Our boat made it to the island. She is sea worthy!

Some pics of the landscape!
We spent the 4th on a desert island!

Tubing on the river in South Mississippi!

SD on the boat!
This picture kills me! Her daddy is letting her drive the boat...but she is pouting!

SPLASH!
SD getting ready to swing out over the creek!
I love everyone's face in this pic!
This white alligator behind SD is 12 FT long!

You can't ever get a picture when all the kids are perfect!

The kids didn't believe this street performer was a "real" person!

A trip to the French Market!

SD on the street car in NOLA

SD at the aquarium in NOLA

Some pics...tubing and softball wrapping up June!






Boating on the Tenn Tom

Our friends Sam and Aaron
Shug
Handsome Hubby and SDBest Catcher in the world


Batter up!Stealing Second


Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Happy Birthday SD!!!!!!!!!

I am so blessed to have a wonderful daughter like you.
I am so blessed that I got to spend your birthday with you spoiling you rotten like the little princess you are!

Happy birthday sweet little girl!

Monday, July 7, 2008

Life Awaits

Although I have to get online to work when I am on vacation I don't like being online too much. :)

July 1 and 2nd SD and I spent the night at the zoo. It was an amazing experience we got to meet some of the animals up close and pet them. The zoo was closed to everything but our group. There were 16 of us, and we got to investigate the barn. We also go to ride the carousel and explore the zoo at night. It was great and SD thought the experience was amazing. The next day we got to see the zoo by daylight!

We came home on the 2nd and I had work to do! Then we left for our beach vacation. It was a hectic day on the 2nd to say the least. On the 3rd we arrived at our destination. We are staying at a friend's home. They live about 5 minutes from the beach, but the best part about their home is it is a working farm. SD has been getting up every morning taking care of horses and driving the golf cart...she loves it! There is a fruit orchard and she has picked blue berries, lemons, and figs!

On the 4th we took our boat to a deserted island off the gulf coast of Mississippi. It is amazing how wonderful a desert island can be. We are traveling with friends that have children SD's age so she has friends to share her experiences with!

On the 5th we took the boat out on the river for a full day of tubing. The kids loved tubing and the pictures I took were priceless! *Note to self update pictures on blog.

On the 6th the kids worked on the farm all day while the mom's relaxed (some!) The dad's headed home so they could go back to work. Such is the life of an online prof! Haha!

Today we spent the morning at the beach and the afternoon we will be at the creek. The kids are going to have so many stories to tell when we get home.

Tomorrow for SD's birthday we are going to New Orleans. She is going to a perfume factory and then we are going to have Cajun food. The French Market and Cafe Du Monde are also on the must see list! ;)

Wednesday is another beach day for us! :) Then Thursday we are going to take the boat out. (Not our boat, our boat went home yesterday). Friday we are going to Gulf Shores on the ferry to be at the beach once again. Finally we head home Saturday.

Work has been heating up. I have the rest of my classes starting on the 14th. So I have been preparing all weekend. I stayed up SUPER late last night working. I hate when I do that. But I want to enjoy the beach as much as possible. So I have to work at night...like a bat!

School? Nothing school wise worth mentioning. ;)

I miss HH already. He has only been gone 24 hours. He and all the guys are going to be taking the boat out today. I am sure they will have fun knee boarding and wakeboarding and what not.

IPG