Kelly in Kansas

This rain is supposed to be snow!!!! I'm afraid we're going to pay for this in March when we want the 70 degree weather.

The 60 mph winds this morning were also interesting .. . .

Labels: rain, weather, winds

We experienced the very outer edges of the big storm today but it felt like the first day of fall. Instead of being a warm, steamy rain, it was a cool fall-like rain. And I am certainly ready! I love living where we have four seasons. All I wish for is a little more snow but I certainly can go places to find that at the appropriate times of the year.

So far I am on top of everything at school even though a few students who are trying to jump ahead of the curriculum are creating a few issues we will get resolved so that it works out best for them. Our program is increasingly judged by the success of our graduates not only in obtaining full-time employment but also on their scores on the national exam required by the state. I wish there were more ways to help them understand how critical that is to our even maintaining a program to offer them.

I'm still overwhelmed managing some people issues with colleagues but know that, in the end, the truth will win out. It's a good thing that some cliches are true.

Labels: fall, graduates, program, rain, September, summer, weather

It's raining again but I am inside in a meeting most of the day so at least I'm not missing one of our rare sunny days this summer.

It's been a busy week but I'm almost caught up. Lots of encouraging other people to meet past due deadlines so we can move forward on a big project. It's always a challenge when you're not the only one involved in a project - as academics in the humanities, we're most used to working alone. That can be good and bad.

The weekend will be filled with yard work and housework since I'll be gone for two weeks almost solid and the rest of the summer will be one of being constantly on the move - but it should all be both challenging and fun.

And, Molly continues to make progress.

Labels: grants, Molly, rain, summer, work

OK, the rain and flooding is getting a bit much. We are truly saturated. And I guess I am losing more dirt - except for the weeds - at the farm.

On Tuesday, I headed to OK thinking there was a new dog there but their guidelines were a bit more complicated and she wasn't available until this morning and I couldn't go down there this morning. Plus, it's a long way to go if the dog isn't there. I will see if she is still online later today and maybe check that there were just lots of calls and no one actually came. I understand that the animal control facilities, esp. the high kill shelters, have no choice but to take the first-come, first-serve. I am learning a great deal about how rescue works and at least I'm trying to rescue a pup.

The good news is that there are obviously lots of eyeballs on Petfinder.

And don't forget the end of the semester grading that's also swamping me. . .

Labels: adoptions, dog, Petfinder, rain, rescue dogs

If only all the rain were snow . .. . . . I was able to get some outside work done and also relieve some stress in the process yesterday and this morning . . . until it started sprinkling. I was hoping for one more good snow. What we're getting now is supposed to turn into a wintry mix tomorrow morning. We'll see what the roads are like. I decided to go ahead and stay at the farm and just enjoy the time. I was able to get quite a bit done on one project with only one slow-up before dinner when the internet was out for a little bit. (At least this connection is way more reliable than my Cox cable internet connection in town.)

I'm watching No Reservations on PPV. So far it's a good story. The main character is much like me but even more high strung . . . It would be nice to have a large storage cooler to walk into occasionally.

I changed out the wrong gas (with oil) from the 4 wheeler but still can't get it to start. I'll just have to keep trying and also do some internet searches to see what else I can do to work through the wrong gas. This is the time of year I use it most so it's frustrating - esp. when I'm trying to gather wood to burn - it's good exercise but takes a lot longer without the 4 wheeler.

I'm gradually conditioning myself to not be overwhelmed and the next step is to not let others demand so much of me - I already do that enough to myself. I'm trying to take one project at a time and instead of trying to get everything done every day to concentrate on one or two major tasks and consider anything else a bonus. Then, occasionally there are just catch-up days. I'm not going to volunteer to put together any more programs either. I have one I was asked to join, three I've put together and one at one of our big conferences I was asked to put together to be scholarly and teacher-friendly.

I'm really missing having a dog - esp. now that I'm learning to intersperse downtime as a more regular part of my life (ie not working every evening) but with two meetings so close together at the end of April, I will probably have to wait until then. That will give me a good amount of time to bond before my June meetings. If I don't find the right fit in early May, then I will wait until after I meet with teachers for the ten days in June when we do Kansas City and Chicago - esp. since I don't have someone who can dog sit anymore.

Labels: chicago, conferences, demands, Kansas City, meetings, rain, snow, work