Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Before September Ends
The month of September has been productive and busy in many good ways. Progress has been made on several fronts although there are still existing frontiers out there to explore. That's part of the pleasure of being an academic.
On the personal front, the situation at Dad's house is much more stable. We no longer have to worry about personal possessions and toilet paper going out the door. Dad is also feeling like getting to various tasks in and out of the house that have been on his list for a bit. We gathered together as a family last night and enjoyed a nice dinner.
Today I'm off to work with grant teachers to discuss Westad's The Global Cold War. Westad is a prolific scholar and also impresses the teachers who attend his Gilder Lehrman Institute Summer Seminar for Teachers on the Cold War. Getting together teachers from diverse nationalities is always a good thing. They not only learn from one another, they are often surprised by how much they have even common even when they live on opposite sides of the world from one another.
On campus, the week can be encapsulated in one word - meetings. But that is a major part of my duties now. I'm still, however, doing my part to request agendas in advance so that we all know what we are doing and have time to think before discussions and, even more importantly, before voting. Most importantly, I enjoy helping colleagues achieve their goals even if they do not always realize it.
The weather has finally turned cool, at least in the evenings. The crisp fall air is quite enjoyable despite the rampant allergens surrounding us here in Kansas and the Midwest.
The new fall season actually has some interesting shows - at least more than one or two that seem to have been the limit in previous years.
There's my contribution to ensuring that this blog does, indeed, include tangents.
On the personal front, the situation at Dad's house is much more stable. We no longer have to worry about personal possessions and toilet paper going out the door. Dad is also feeling like getting to various tasks in and out of the house that have been on his list for a bit. We gathered together as a family last night and enjoyed a nice dinner.
Today I'm off to work with grant teachers to discuss Westad's The Global Cold War. Westad is a prolific scholar and also impresses the teachers who attend his Gilder Lehrman Institute Summer Seminar for Teachers on the Cold War. Getting together teachers from diverse nationalities is always a good thing. They not only learn from one another, they are often surprised by how much they have even common even when they live on opposite sides of the world from one another.
On campus, the week can be encapsulated in one word - meetings. But that is a major part of my duties now. I'm still, however, doing my part to request agendas in advance so that we all know what we are doing and have time to think before discussions and, even more importantly, before voting. Most importantly, I enjoy helping colleagues achieve their goals even if they do not always realize it.
The weather has finally turned cool, at least in the evenings. The crisp fall air is quite enjoyable despite the rampant allergens surrounding us here in Kansas and the Midwest.
The new fall season actually has some interesting shows - at least more than one or two that seem to have been the limit in previous years.
There's my contribution to ensuring that this blog does, indeed, include tangents.
Labels: administration, Cold War, fall, teachers, Westad
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