Sunday, February 19, 2006

Sunday Boringville Times

It's been a while, I guess I ought to update.

I've been writing a lot, just not here. Trying to finish revisions on a manuscript and get that out the door, trying to polish up the intro for my dissertation, and trying to teach young minds how to do this writing thing.

The last has turned out to be an unqualified disaster. My teaching skills need some work.

The other two - well, they're just coming along at a snail's pace. But they're coming, so that's something. All of this is taking place in the midst of, and fitted around, a final experiment of broad scope. It's a time-suck if I've ever known one.

H and I are off to Austin on Thursday for his sister's wedding. Although preparations for the trip, as well as the thought of leaving in the middle of so much work are truly stressing me out, I am looking forward to getting out of town for a moment or two, and seeing what I hear is a great city. I'll have to post pictures of the fabulous dress I found to wear to the wedding... it's awesome, if I may say so.

I've been fretting a lot lately over the future outlook. It seems I may have this degree in the foreseeable future... I just don't know what I'll be doing with it. Should I give up the life we really like here in Seattle to pursue a teaching job wherever I can find one? Or do I settle for a less than stellar position somewhere around here where we can continue to live in this place we love? It seems like an easy choice, but it's really not. I really don't want to leave, but I could always go - become a great teacher, then come back when something opens up out here. Or I could stay here, get started, and hope like crazy that I'll be able to move up, should an openning become available. Mmrrrfff. It makes me muzzy and blue to think about.

I really do like teaching, and see it as a realistic career option. On the other hand, I'd also like to fling myself away from academia to pursue something *anything* else. I'd love to make yarn, or run a wee yarn shop or book store. I would love to be able to do something creative for a living... but fear that I would grow to hate it, which makes me too sad to contemplate; and that realistically, I'd never be able to succeed financially. *sigh* I've put off being a grown up for so long now... I just don't know what to do with myself.

I haven't had much of a chance to play with yarn lately. I haven't spun any in over a week, and my few minutes of knitting time here and there are being spent trying to finish up a little gifty for my about-to-be-wed SIL. Hope she likes it! As soon as that's done, I'll be back to working on my cabled vest. I lurve the Knitpicks Baby Alpaca yarn I'm using for it - soooo soft! I can't wait to get back to it.

Other than that, not much has been going on lately. Just a ton of work, and too little play time.