Getting Ready

So today is packing for my oldest to go up for her senior year at college. We’re packing all her clothes and whatnot to go up to Columbus.    Next time she moves we hope it’s somewhere permanent.  I’ll also see my middle one on this trip since she is coming across from Starkville to Columbus to help and see everybody.

I went to my college I’m going to work for yesterday and got trained in the computer system they use for gradebooks, attendance, etc.  SO that was useful time.  Got my parking pass and my staff  ID as well, so that was easily taken care of.  Just a lot of walking.  I’m hoping being out there will condition me to more exercigse and moving around.  We will see.

I’m going to start driving out to the college Monday so I can see what the traffic will be like and if I can get to class on time with it. I’m praying for grace in getting there, getting parked, and being in the classroom on time.  It’s going to be close but I should make it.  I hope.

SO much excitement to plan for.  I’m looking forward to it all.

 

 

To Write or Not to Write

I am kind of struggling with whether or not to continue to try to be an active writer.  When I went on disability, I gave myself a deadline of how much longer I would give myself to writing and “making it” before giving up and doing something else.

So that deadline is now here.  And I am no closer to “making it” than I was starting out.  I have a lot more words written since then, and I have published quite a bit of it in various markets.  But I’m nowhere near writing for paying markets and being a “professional” writer with my creative writing.   I still have my thesis to finish but I have no idea whether or not it will be marketable or salable by the time I do.  I could extend the deadline to when I have finished my MFA, but I’m not sure if that would do me any good to keep chasing after something.

I took this job thinking “This is a good Plan B.”  But I don’t know if Plan B is what God really wants.  It’s not what I REALLY want.  But I don’t want to just sit back and collect disability all my life.  All I can do is pray for doors to open whatever the right plan is.

 

Doctor Visit

SO I went to see Dr. Bishop this morning, and he was so pleased with my progress and getting a job and still going to school. SO that made me feel good.  I talked a bit about my concerns with my youngest child, and he said he would make a three-month appointment and see how that was doing.

I forgot to take any of my college stuff for my job so I didn’t do anything with that today.  I see Katrina tomorrow and will go either before or after that.  Get my ID made and my parking stickers.  I am still wrestling with the testing issue so I need to settle that out soon.

It’s always interesting to fill out the BASIC-32 whenever I go to the doctor  and see how my numbers have changed. I used to put down a lot of 2’s & 3’s ( moderate difficulty) then a lot of 1’s & 2’s (some  moderate difficulty).  Now it’s all 0’s and 1″s (minimal to no difficulty.).  It makes me proud every time I do it.

Hope everyone has a good rest of the week.  I know I will.

Orientation

So I went to New Adjunct Orientation last night at the college I am going to work for.  It was very nice; we had a nice meal and then orientation on various subjects–the computer resources, the library resources, requirements for syllabus, etc.  I still had some questions for my department head, but not nearly as many.  So we are working all of this out in the wash.

I need to take out time to go and get my ID and parking sticker and whatnot to start off.  I may do it tomorrow after I see Dr. Bishop.  Then I will be even more prepared to get going.

I saw Tillie today and she was excited about my new job.  She thought It represented a big step forward for me. I think it does, too.  Shows initiative and effort on my part getting what I want when I want it.  SO we will see how long I can sustain it.

I think I’m going to have to eat my words on something.  I always said that when my counselor reached a certain hourly rate, I would be miraculously cured.  Well, she went ahead and raised her rates to exactly that  this month.  But I can’t imagine continuing in my recovery without her.    I really don’t know what to do,  I will talk to Bob about it at lunch.

 

Trying to Wake

I am having such a hard time waking up. I guess I’m going to have to get out early and get a coke to drive to Jackson to meet Janie.  Or I’ll go to sleep on the way. A full week  and a half before I start teaching and I need to do better than this.

The earache turned out to be swimmer’s ear, so she got antibiotic drops for her ear this time.  Hopefully that will be the end of it.

I got my syllabus done and now need to work on my tests. I have no idea what to do for them.  I don’t want to write out long tests, and I don’t want to scantron.    I’m thinking about giving them an essay topic and letting them write a 500-word essay about it and grading it like a composition paper.  That would really be simple.  But I’m not sure that’s allowed.  I may ask the department head for a sample test and make my own to follow it.

My mood is holding up well even though I’m sleepy.  I am going to meet one of my MFA friends for lunch today, see my counselor tomorrow and my psychiatrist the next day, then another MFA friend for lunch Thursday.  So I have a nice busy week planned. Getting ready to give up a slow life for one a bit speedier.  But we will see how it goes. If I have too much trouble managing a 8 a.m., then next year I’ll just ask for a 9 a.m.  That won’t be hard.

 

Earache Again

My youngest has the earache again, so we are going to the doctor this morning.  We will see what is going on.

My oldest got cavities filled yesterday so that wasn’t any fun for her. But she handled it like a trooper and was still able to help with dinner last night afterwards so that was good.

Talked to my middle one last night on the phone for a bit.  She is enjoying the holiday before fall starts by hanging out with her friends and doing stuff with the school.

I got in my Harry Connick Jr. CD’s yesterday and am listening to them today,  Some old ones this time, not new recordings.  I’m enjoying the first one so far.  It just him on piano mostly–he does different things but this one is very bare and stripped-down.

I need to start moving faster in the mornings. I’m too sleepy.

 

Visiting the School

So yesterday  I went to see where I’ll be working.  Started moving early so I could gauge the traffic and get there and back early.  I took a GPS and could have found the college without it but had trouble finding the main gate.  I finally found it then drove past the building at least twice before I worked out where I was going. I finally found a parking lot then had to hike to the building.

But I walked in at exactly the time the head of the department of English so it was fortuitous that I got goofed around getting there. I recognized him from the website and introduced myself and all.  I got a tour of the department and a copy of the four-inch- thick book I’ll be teaching out of.  It’s a monster.  But It has most of the authors in it that I planned to teach so that is good. I get an office with other adjuncts and a mailbox this time so that is nice.

I’m really excited about doing this.  I hope I can do it.  I think it’s a good sign that I had the initiative to go our and hunt this down–shows that I’m not depressed and wanting to sit at home all the time.  I just hope I can do school with it too. But I’m not scared–I’m looking forward to it all.  My remission seems to be holding together, so we will see.