I have my head in two places at once --> or maybe they are actually one. I'm looking to the job market while at the same time focusing on doing a good job at the job I have. But either way, I'm career-focused right now. When I wake up in the morning, I feel energized at the possibilities of the day, but at the end of the day I am tending to feel like I didn't get enough done and I am trying to get up to speed to get to everything without any losses of time, but you gotta eat and you gotta sleep, ya dig?
I am writing about things that I'm happy about here. My sister is visiting right now with her husband. I have already attended the first seminar in the Fall 2012 Keck Seminar series. My student presented her poster at the Summer Research Symposium. I introduced myself to the ~80 new students I am teaching General Chemistry. My car is amazing. I love my doggies.
I am writing here about things that are upsetting me. My back is hurting again. I worry that I don't have the strength to do all the stuff I want to. Between running and biking and home-gym-ing it with my husband, I had trimmed off a few extra pounds. I wanted to be in shape when the school year started because for me, teaching is a very physically demanding profession.
My new classroom(s) are different sizes than the one(s) I had last year. In one of them, there is so much furniture that I can hardly walk around. In the other classroom, it's so spacious with staircases that I have to be very stable on my feet to walk throughout the space to pass out papers and interact with students 1-on-1.
What I wanted to write about today is the idea that I like to eat produce that is authentic (organic) and local just as much as I like to meet people of the same variety. I like a diverse mix of people, just like I enjoy a salad with a variety of things in it. I am brainstorming words that describe me (for the purposes of my job searching) and I would say Authentic is one big one.
I've spent time finding myself and my core values and I am genuinely myself. I am nobody other than what I am. I represent me. I would also say that I am a locavore. I love things that are locally grown or made. I love growing and making things using materials that can be found in my local area. If anyone is hiring, I am here in Glendale, locally.
The view from my handlebars... A glimpse into the mind of a working mom.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
complacent
I'm giving myself free reign today. It's a holiday. Technically. So I will begin working after my #madwriting session. I was thinking of a title for my post. Something short that would summarize my general state. I would say Complacent. I typed it in to dictionary.com and got some ideas for why my brain would have come up with that particular word.
The first definition that popped up said "pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied: The voters are too complacent to change the government." With synonyms: "smug, unbothered, untroubled."
I was thinking BINGO that is how I feel about many things in my life right now. I feel like there is a lot of noise in my headphones and it's my job to turn down the noise and turn up the signal. This is why I've been doing #madwriting more often, but in a private journal like Julia Cameron suggests.
But sometimes, it seems, you have to focus on the noise for a minute. Like acknowledge it during your morning pages and then it clears you out for more creativity and focus later in the day. I've been preparing for the academic year to begin for the entire month of August it seems and classes start tomorrow!
This is a bike-centered blog so I want to share some bicycle noise with you. I didn't make it out to some bike-related events in the area that I heard about and wanted to check out (or check-in to), but didn't want to (or couldn't afford to) spend the money, fuel, time, etc. devoting an entire weekend to a recreational pursuit. One: Festival of Bikes, Two: Tour de Lake Arrowhead, Three: Swap Meet, Four: Public Outreach. I guess I'm just not that into the lifestyle that I can devote a weekend to biking and forsake all other events.
Last weekend, we attended a Car Wash to raise money for John Morlock who we met through facebook. He is a veteran who rides in events with other veterans. He is part of an organization called Ride2Recovery that supports veterans who can be provided bicycles (with adaptations if necessary to accommodate any injury) to complete long (~600 mile) multi-day rides. The idea inspired me to stand streetside waving a flag for an hour in Burbank, while dear husband was soaping, washing, and drying cars with a group of young marines at the American Legion. We met another veteran Robert Kugler who also rides a Ride2Recovery-issue bike, who was there along with his wife Charlie. Both of them are from Nebraska, like me!
I encourage anyone who understands how awesome cycling is to consider how you might support the Ride2Recovery organization or participate in their events. I believe there is no better way to heal yourself than to train for and achieve an inspiring tour, especially if you are doing it with your friends (who become your heroes before you finally believe in yourself). I learned in the power of group cycling by riding with the Riverside Bicycle Club. There are scientific papers that show you can tolerate a higher level of pain when you are training in synchronization with others.
This is why I love group events, cycling or running. I'm so stoked to do the Color Run in San Diego. I think I'm more looking forward to it because it forces me to train (at least a little) and the actual event is all about having fun. To me, that's what fitness has always been about. I've spent many years punishing my body, trying to twist it into ridiculous positions and defy the laws of physics. I've fallen down from exhaustion in a dance studio, and I've fallen off my bike a few times. I think doing the color run will be less about competition, and more about being with my friend Sam, whether we feel like we want to walk or run to get through the course. I'll definitely post a report when we get back.
I have to spend some time on Clitoral Mass. I mean Critical Mass. It's one thing that I shout in my head at cyclists that I see not wearing helmets. It's totally silly that I shout in my head at cyclists I see with no lights on. I never want to go on group rides in Los Angeles because I hear that everyone's taking drugs and doing dangerous things. I heard someone always leaves in an ambulance. What kind of ride is that? Who wants to get together on a weekly basis and say, "hope I'm not the person who leaves in the ambulance on tonight's ride." Or maybe they say something like, "I'll never have a manuvering error when we're hammering through a densely-populated area at night on drugs and I'm 18-years old." I'm not that age anymore, so I just can't go on those rides.
In other bike-related news, I tuned up our old bikes to get to the Farmer's Market and the bicycle parking is off Central Ave now not on Caruso Ave. It's great to be able to lock your bike to a solid rack in the shade right next to the security office with cameras pointed at it. As my friend pointed out, if I were going to steal a bike, I would steal that new fixie over there. Well I love the bikes we have, and I hope we have them for a long time more.
Also, the little shop we got Mike's shoes & pedals for the Performance, and seat for the Trek has gone to new ownership. I love to support local bike shops, because how far do you want to have to walk if you get a flat near your house? If you don't support your local shop, you'll have to go all the way to a big-box retailer on foot (assuming your bicycle is your main mode of transportation, but who in the US would be in that situation?) Anyway, the new owner calls the shop simply Glendale Cycles and he is very calm and unassuming. He has a mountain bike, a road bike and a BMX bike for himself. He's had the shop just a few months now, but don't be afraid to go there if you are ever in the area. The phone number is 818 937 9440.
1053 words. #madwriting.
The first definition that popped up said "pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied: The voters are too complacent to change the government." With synonyms: "smug, unbothered, untroubled."
I was thinking BINGO that is how I feel about many things in my life right now. I feel like there is a lot of noise in my headphones and it's my job to turn down the noise and turn up the signal. This is why I've been doing #madwriting more often, but in a private journal like Julia Cameron suggests.
But sometimes, it seems, you have to focus on the noise for a minute. Like acknowledge it during your morning pages and then it clears you out for more creativity and focus later in the day. I've been preparing for the academic year to begin for the entire month of August it seems and classes start tomorrow!
This is a bike-centered blog so I want to share some bicycle noise with you. I didn't make it out to some bike-related events in the area that I heard about and wanted to check out (or check-in to), but didn't want to (or couldn't afford to) spend the money, fuel, time, etc. devoting an entire weekend to a recreational pursuit. One: Festival of Bikes, Two: Tour de Lake Arrowhead, Three: Swap Meet, Four: Public Outreach. I guess I'm just not that into the lifestyle that I can devote a weekend to biking and forsake all other events.
Last weekend, we attended a Car Wash to raise money for John Morlock who we met through facebook. He is a veteran who rides in events with other veterans. He is part of an organization called Ride2Recovery that supports veterans who can be provided bicycles (with adaptations if necessary to accommodate any injury) to complete long (~600 mile) multi-day rides. The idea inspired me to stand streetside waving a flag for an hour in Burbank, while dear husband was soaping, washing, and drying cars with a group of young marines at the American Legion. We met another veteran Robert Kugler who also rides a Ride2Recovery-issue bike, who was there along with his wife Charlie. Both of them are from Nebraska, like me!
I encourage anyone who understands how awesome cycling is to consider how you might support the Ride2Recovery organization or participate in their events. I believe there is no better way to heal yourself than to train for and achieve an inspiring tour, especially if you are doing it with your friends (who become your heroes before you finally believe in yourself). I learned in the power of group cycling by riding with the Riverside Bicycle Club. There are scientific papers that show you can tolerate a higher level of pain when you are training in synchronization with others.
This is why I love group events, cycling or running. I'm so stoked to do the Color Run in San Diego. I think I'm more looking forward to it because it forces me to train (at least a little) and the actual event is all about having fun. To me, that's what fitness has always been about. I've spent many years punishing my body, trying to twist it into ridiculous positions and defy the laws of physics. I've fallen down from exhaustion in a dance studio, and I've fallen off my bike a few times. I think doing the color run will be less about competition, and more about being with my friend Sam, whether we feel like we want to walk or run to get through the course. I'll definitely post a report when we get back.
I have to spend some time on Clitoral Mass. I mean Critical Mass. It's one thing that I shout in my head at cyclists that I see not wearing helmets. It's totally silly that I shout in my head at cyclists I see with no lights on. I never want to go on group rides in Los Angeles because I hear that everyone's taking drugs and doing dangerous things. I heard someone always leaves in an ambulance. What kind of ride is that? Who wants to get together on a weekly basis and say, "hope I'm not the person who leaves in the ambulance on tonight's ride." Or maybe they say something like, "I'll never have a manuvering error when we're hammering through a densely-populated area at night on drugs and I'm 18-years old." I'm not that age anymore, so I just can't go on those rides.
In other bike-related news, I tuned up our old bikes to get to the Farmer's Market and the bicycle parking is off Central Ave now not on Caruso Ave. It's great to be able to lock your bike to a solid rack in the shade right next to the security office with cameras pointed at it. As my friend pointed out, if I were going to steal a bike, I would steal that new fixie over there. Well I love the bikes we have, and I hope we have them for a long time more. 
Also, the little shop we got Mike's shoes & pedals for the Performance, and seat for the Trek has gone to new ownership. I love to support local bike shops, because how far do you want to have to walk if you get a flat near your house? If you don't support your local shop, you'll have to go all the way to a big-box retailer on foot (assuming your bicycle is your main mode of transportation, but who in the US would be in that situation?) Anyway, the new owner calls the shop simply Glendale Cycles and he is very calm and unassuming. He has a mountain bike, a road bike and a BMX bike for himself. He's had the shop just a few months now, but don't be afraid to go there if you are ever in the area. The phone number is 818 937 9440.
1053 words. #madwriting.