It's Christmas day today. We have only three in the house today. Jeanette and Dave are at his folks house in Lowell. Nick flew to California last week, watched Sam graduate from the DLI, and then the two of them road tripped to Georgia, where Sam will be based. Amanda flew there the week before. We're driving there with everyone on Thursday, so we will have our family Christmas and New Year's celebration in Georgia on the weekend.
We had a lazy morning, sleeping in. I cooked brunch at noon, after we opened presents. I took a long walk this afternoon while Theresa sewed. While it hasn't snowed, it sure is cold today.
I'll be roasting a duck for dinner this evening. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.
Merry Christmas, peace on earth, and thanks for reading.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Reviewing My Preview
In January, I posted a "Year in Preview." Not predictions, just speculations about what would happen with me this year. Here's an update on the previews, which are listed in red.
I will get my first research study approved by the IRB.
This probably won't happen. IRB shot down my one proposal, and my second proposal can't be submitted until we move our unit to the newly remodeled space. I'll have to wait for at least 30 days after moving before putting the study together. Since the move has been delayed until the end of September, it will be November at the earliest before I can submit the proposal. Getting it approved by December is going to be iffy.
On the other hand, IRB did approve my poster presentation at a Spring research event as a quality improvement presentation. So I sort of managed to correctly speculate here.
I will go backpacking twice this year.
Unfortunately, I haven't gone even once. Now that it's already September, and my entire month is planned, the chances of getting out twice in October and November are pretty slim.
I will post at least twelve times to this blog.
I think this is post number eleven. This looks solid.
I will continue to think about writing a book about psych nursing but won't make any real progress.I have sort of made progress. Whether it's real or not will be more obvious after October.
I will not become a grandparent.
Amanda's due date is January 5. Or 10. As long as she doesn't go early, I got this one right.
I will travel to California once.
The trip is booked, I leave September 29 and come home October 8.
I will get an article published in a professional journal.
I received a request to contribute an article about teaching strategies for impacting the affective domain in January, and my article was published in March. Also, in April my poster on best practices for care of the patient with dementia was accepted and I was a presenter at a research conference.
So if my previews were goals, I'll need to go backpacking and work on my research proposal and my book. Since I simply guessed at things, I don't feel like I'm obligated, although being obligated to go backpacking isn't such a bad thing.
I will get my first research study approved by the IRB.
This probably won't happen. IRB shot down my one proposal, and my second proposal can't be submitted until we move our unit to the newly remodeled space. I'll have to wait for at least 30 days after moving before putting the study together. Since the move has been delayed until the end of September, it will be November at the earliest before I can submit the proposal. Getting it approved by December is going to be iffy.
On the other hand, IRB did approve my poster presentation at a Spring research event as a quality improvement presentation. So I sort of managed to correctly speculate here.
I will go backpacking twice this year.
Unfortunately, I haven't gone even once. Now that it's already September, and my entire month is planned, the chances of getting out twice in October and November are pretty slim.
I will post at least twelve times to this blog.
I think this is post number eleven. This looks solid.
I will continue to think about writing a book about psych nursing but won't make any real progress.I have sort of made progress. Whether it's real or not will be more obvious after October.
I will not become a grandparent.
Amanda's due date is January 5. Or 10. As long as she doesn't go early, I got this one right.
I will travel to California once.
The trip is booked, I leave September 29 and come home October 8.
I will get an article published in a professional journal.
I received a request to contribute an article about teaching strategies for impacting the affective domain in January, and my article was published in March. Also, in April my poster on best practices for care of the patient with dementia was accepted and I was a presenter at a research conference.
So if my previews were goals, I'll need to go backpacking and work on my research proposal and my book. Since I simply guessed at things, I don't feel like I'm obligated, although being obligated to go backpacking isn't such a bad thing.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Looking for a Fish Named God
When I was in sixth grade my teacher would read to the class every day after lunch. I don't know how long he would read. Maybe a half hour, maybe more. I can still remember some of what we heard: Oliver Twist, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Huckleberry Finn, and short stories from Poe, Harte, Twain, and many others.
When I think about these books and stories, I consider myself fortunate to have been exposed to some classic but controversial works. What sixth grader today reads, or even hears, The Lottery? Many things we heard have faded from my memory, but I can still hear Mr. De Young's voice painting pictures of Simon Legree, Calaveras County, the mean streets of London, or a murder mystery in Paris.
Which brings me to the title of this post. For some reason, I find myself looking for a fish named God. This may sound strange, but Mr. De Young is back in my head, 40 years later, reading a short story about a wise old trout, so elusive that the author has named him God.
Suddenly, for the past week, I'm remembering parts of this story vividly. I have no idea why this is coming back to me. I remember Mr. De Young describing the the community reaction to the use of God's name for a fish. Apparently this was edgy stuff in the early 1970s. I don't think I was all that upset at the time. I was hooked by the awe, amazement, energy, and visual imagery of the story.
I can't remember much about the story, but for some reason, and I don't fish much any more, I've got a fish named God stuck in my head. A simple internet search should help, but I'm striking out. There doesn't seem to be anything I can (easily) find about this fish story. I don't know the author, and I can't remember what happens at the end. I have trolled the internet looking for this story, but I'm getting skunked. (Wow, two bad fishing puns on one sentence. Sorry!)
Does anyone know anything about this story? Can anyone help me find this fish?
When I think about these books and stories, I consider myself fortunate to have been exposed to some classic but controversial works. What sixth grader today reads, or even hears, The Lottery? Many things we heard have faded from my memory, but I can still hear Mr. De Young's voice painting pictures of Simon Legree, Calaveras County, the mean streets of London, or a murder mystery in Paris.
Which brings me to the title of this post. For some reason, I find myself looking for a fish named God. This may sound strange, but Mr. De Young is back in my head, 40 years later, reading a short story about a wise old trout, so elusive that the author has named him God.
Suddenly, for the past week, I'm remembering parts of this story vividly. I have no idea why this is coming back to me. I remember Mr. De Young describing the the community reaction to the use of God's name for a fish. Apparently this was edgy stuff in the early 1970s. I don't think I was all that upset at the time. I was hooked by the awe, amazement, energy, and visual imagery of the story.
I can't remember much about the story, but for some reason, and I don't fish much any more, I've got a fish named God stuck in my head. A simple internet search should help, but I'm striking out. There doesn't seem to be anything I can (easily) find about this fish story. I don't know the author, and I can't remember what happens at the end. I have trolled the internet looking for this story, but I'm getting skunked. (Wow, two bad fishing puns on one sentence. Sorry!)
Does anyone know anything about this story? Can anyone help me find this fish?
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Music
I listen to music all the time in my office at work. I buy used CDs at thrift stores, online, and at stores. My iPod has over 65 GB of music packed inside. Plus, I make sure to listen to everything in my music library.
Every week I sync (synch?) my iPod to my iTunes library, then check for anything in my library that I haven't listened to yet. That gets moved to my "Unplayed" playlist, and I start shuffling that list on Monday morning at work.
This week my unplayed list had 119 songs. I got done listening to them about 6 this evening. I worked until 9. After going through the list, I went to one of my new CDs that I had really liked, and listened to it the rest of the time I was in my office.
That CD is "Love and Theft" by Bob Dylan. I really like Dylan, but I don't know much about his music. I know he's been a significant influence in American folk and rock music for as long as I have been alive, but I'm not full of Dylan trivia. Until I found "Love and Theft" at a Salvation Army store last week, I had never heard of this album. It might be a throwaway, contractual obligation, or one of his "worst" albums, something that was a commercial bomb that critics hate.
Doesn't matter. I was mesmerized by the bluesy sounds of the songs. The lyrics of "Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum" teased me. I didn't hear Dylan's usual nasal twang, it was deeper and huskier.
I think this means I need to dig up more Dylan music.
Every week I sync (synch?) my iPod to my iTunes library, then check for anything in my library that I haven't listened to yet. That gets moved to my "Unplayed" playlist, and I start shuffling that list on Monday morning at work.
This week my unplayed list had 119 songs. I got done listening to them about 6 this evening. I worked until 9. After going through the list, I went to one of my new CDs that I had really liked, and listened to it the rest of the time I was in my office.
That CD is "Love and Theft" by Bob Dylan. I really like Dylan, but I don't know much about his music. I know he's been a significant influence in American folk and rock music for as long as I have been alive, but I'm not full of Dylan trivia. Until I found "Love and Theft" at a Salvation Army store last week, I had never heard of this album. It might be a throwaway, contractual obligation, or one of his "worst" albums, something that was a commercial bomb that critics hate.
Doesn't matter. I was mesmerized by the bluesy sounds of the songs. The lyrics of "Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum" teased me. I didn't hear Dylan's usual nasal twang, it was deeper and huskier.
I think this means I need to dig up more Dylan music.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Words. Sort of
I love words.
I complete at least four crossword puzzles every day (which makes me a cruciverbalist). I play with words in my head, usually creating Spoonerisms. For the unenlightened, a Spoonerism is when you switch letters or sounds around in adjacent words. Supposedly there was a minister in England whose last name was Spooner who frequently misspoke like this. The famous example is when he introduced the "queer dean" instead of the "dear queen."
My brain creates Spoonerisms almost constantly. I often have to thop and stink so I don't way my sords wrong. But I also find that I Spoonerize syllables, so instead of "spoonerism" I sometimes think "oonerspism."
I suspect I'll be retoping to this turnic at pome soint, or at pany moints in blis thog. It's the thay I wink, so it's easy for te mo standunder bry mown ain.
I complete at least four crossword puzzles every day (which makes me a cruciverbalist). I play with words in my head, usually creating Spoonerisms. For the unenlightened, a Spoonerism is when you switch letters or sounds around in adjacent words. Supposedly there was a minister in England whose last name was Spooner who frequently misspoke like this. The famous example is when he introduced the "queer dean" instead of the "dear queen."
My brain creates Spoonerisms almost constantly. I often have to thop and stink so I don't way my sords wrong. But I also find that I Spoonerize syllables, so instead of "spoonerism" I sometimes think "oonerspism."
I suspect I'll be retoping to this turnic at pome soint, or at pany moints in blis thog. It's the thay I wink, so it's easy for te mo standunder bry mown ain.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Our Trip to Traverse City: Part Two
We spent Sunday doing a little shopping and sight-seeing, then headed for the Grand Traverse Resort about 4. The place was packed with families. A lot of people without power had moved in, complete with luggage carts filled with video games, computers, and other things you usually don't see in hotel lobbies (of course, I go to game conventions, I regularly see luggage carts stacked with boardgames rolling through hotel lobbies, so I really shouldn't talk).
The halls were crowded with kids running to and from the pool, or just running around being teenagers. It was not what we expected. We were told that the resort is owned by an Indian tribe, and apparently tribe members get a greatly reduced rate to stay. So when the blizzard knocked out power everywhere, families drove from all around to the hotel.
We were hoping to use the pool, but it was so crowded every time we checked it out that we decided against it. Plus the water looked pretty cloudy. On Monday the pool was closed, probably because at least one of the hundreds of kids using it created a biological hazard.
We spent some time relaxing and playing games. I taught Theresa how to play Saint Petersburg, and we played that five times. She really enjoyed it.
We ended up spending quite a bit of time away from the hotel, because it was so crowded. Unpleasantly crowded. So we explored Traverse City. We found six or seven thrift stores, we ate at some really neat restaurants, we found a kitchen store with some neat gadgets, Theresa found an awesome pair of shoes on sale, and we shopped at an eclectic mixture of artsy shops built into the basement of the former state psychiatric hospital, one of a cluster of massive brick buildings from the late 1880s.
We had a fantastic dinner at Aerie on Monday night, on the sixteenth floor of the hotel tower. We watched the sun set over Grand Traverse Bay from our table, while enjoying spectacular service and outstanding food.
We had a lot of fun, despite spinning off the road, the trouble with the power supply, and the crowded and noisy hotel.
Our trip ended up being a Great Adventure. Vacation Brain was right.
The halls were crowded with kids running to and from the pool, or just running around being teenagers. It was not what we expected. We were told that the resort is owned by an Indian tribe, and apparently tribe members get a greatly reduced rate to stay. So when the blizzard knocked out power everywhere, families drove from all around to the hotel.
We were hoping to use the pool, but it was so crowded every time we checked it out that we decided against it. Plus the water looked pretty cloudy. On Monday the pool was closed, probably because at least one of the hundreds of kids using it created a biological hazard.
We spent some time relaxing and playing games. I taught Theresa how to play Saint Petersburg, and we played that five times. She really enjoyed it.
We ended up spending quite a bit of time away from the hotel, because it was so crowded. Unpleasantly crowded. So we explored Traverse City. We found six or seven thrift stores, we ate at some really neat restaurants, we found a kitchen store with some neat gadgets, Theresa found an awesome pair of shoes on sale, and we shopped at an eclectic mixture of artsy shops built into the basement of the former state psychiatric hospital, one of a cluster of massive brick buildings from the late 1880s.
We had a fantastic dinner at Aerie on Monday night, on the sixteenth floor of the hotel tower. We watched the sun set over Grand Traverse Bay from our table, while enjoying spectacular service and outstanding food.
We had a lot of fun, despite spinning off the road, the trouble with the power supply, and the crowded and noisy hotel.
Our trip ended up being a Great Adventure. Vacation Brain was right.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Our Trip to Traverse City: Part One
1. The trip up
Remember how Vacation Brain won and we left Saturday? This turned out to be a Bad Idea, because parts of the northern lower peninsula of Michigan received up to 21 inches of snow Friday through Saturday. These parts included much of the area around Traverse City.
The freeway was pretty snowy, but didn't seem very icy. Theresa was driving, keeping a fairly steady speed around 50-55. As we passed the Big Rapids exit on 131 things got worse. We were no more than a half-mile past the on ramp the van began fishtailing. Theresa did everything right, but there was no recovery when traveling 50 miles per hour on glare ice. We ended up doing a 360 degree spin before leaving the pavement, and another 360 as we rocketed down the drifted embankment, coming to rest facing north (sort of) about 75 feet off the freeway.
After we said a prayer of thanks, I got out and saw that we had ended up between two incredibly unpleasant spots. About 75 feet behind us was a pond. About 75 feet ahead of us was a ridge with a stand of trees. The spot we went off the road was between the mile marker poles. We had spun twice while going 50 on ice, and had no suffered no damage while landing between two potentially deadly spots.
Theresa's new iPhone told us the nearest wrecker was 34 miles away. We called, and she told us we were out of their range. She tried to find a closer wrecker, but when I called the number she gave me, it was disconnected.
We tried to get the phone to help us, but Siri interpreted "I need a wrecker" as a request to find the nearest record store. I didn't realize Siri was old enough to even know what a record store was.
While we were being frustrated by technology (and trying not to call 911) someone stopped to see if we were Ok, then gave us the phone number to a local wrecker service. From memory. I was impressed. I no longer have the capacity to remember phone numbers, that's why I have contact lists on my phone.
30 minutes later the wrecker arrived. We were out after a 15 minute dance between our van and his winch, in which he used geometry to correctly pull us sideways up the hill in stages, moving his truck each time. It was fun to watch, and I don't think I was ever more happy to spend $85.
2. Saturday night in Traverse City
We finally got to Traverse City about 11:30. The trip up took us five hours, counting the hour in the ditch. In the summer this is a three hour trip. But there's no comparison. The fresh, deep winter show is incredibly gorgeous. We stopped once just to take a picture in the dark. All the pictures are on Theresa's new phone. I'll try to get them so I can post them.
As we drove down the main highway in town I commented that half the motels didn't have their lights on. I sarcastically asked what was wrong with these people, the town shouldn't shut down after 11. When we got to our hotel we figured out the trouble. Most of the town didn't have full power. The hotels were operating on generator power, they were sending power to the rooms to keep guests warm, not to the signs to get more guests inside.
Our room had a heater that worked, but the heater lacked both a fan and a thermostat. So we were cold when we got in the room, and added two extra blankets. Four hours later after the heater was on constantly I woke up feeling well done. Ridiculous that I would turn the heat off when it was under 20 degrees outside, but that's what I did. I was able to sleep another two hours before waking up for the day on Sunday.
More later...
Remember how Vacation Brain won and we left Saturday? This turned out to be a Bad Idea, because parts of the northern lower peninsula of Michigan received up to 21 inches of snow Friday through Saturday. These parts included much of the area around Traverse City.
The freeway was pretty snowy, but didn't seem very icy. Theresa was driving, keeping a fairly steady speed around 50-55. As we passed the Big Rapids exit on 131 things got worse. We were no more than a half-mile past the on ramp the van began fishtailing. Theresa did everything right, but there was no recovery when traveling 50 miles per hour on glare ice. We ended up doing a 360 degree spin before leaving the pavement, and another 360 as we rocketed down the drifted embankment, coming to rest facing north (sort of) about 75 feet off the freeway.
After we said a prayer of thanks, I got out and saw that we had ended up between two incredibly unpleasant spots. About 75 feet behind us was a pond. About 75 feet ahead of us was a ridge with a stand of trees. The spot we went off the road was between the mile marker poles. We had spun twice while going 50 on ice, and had no suffered no damage while landing between two potentially deadly spots.
Theresa's new iPhone told us the nearest wrecker was 34 miles away. We called, and she told us we were out of their range. She tried to find a closer wrecker, but when I called the number she gave me, it was disconnected.
We tried to get the phone to help us, but Siri interpreted "I need a wrecker" as a request to find the nearest record store. I didn't realize Siri was old enough to even know what a record store was.
While we were being frustrated by technology (and trying not to call 911) someone stopped to see if we were Ok, then gave us the phone number to a local wrecker service. From memory. I was impressed. I no longer have the capacity to remember phone numbers, that's why I have contact lists on my phone.
30 minutes later the wrecker arrived. We were out after a 15 minute dance between our van and his winch, in which he used geometry to correctly pull us sideways up the hill in stages, moving his truck each time. It was fun to watch, and I don't think I was ever more happy to spend $85.
2. Saturday night in Traverse City
We finally got to Traverse City about 11:30. The trip up took us five hours, counting the hour in the ditch. In the summer this is a three hour trip. But there's no comparison. The fresh, deep winter show is incredibly gorgeous. We stopped once just to take a picture in the dark. All the pictures are on Theresa's new phone. I'll try to get them so I can post them.
As we drove down the main highway in town I commented that half the motels didn't have their lights on. I sarcastically asked what was wrong with these people, the town shouldn't shut down after 11. When we got to our hotel we figured out the trouble. Most of the town didn't have full power. The hotels were operating on generator power, they were sending power to the rooms to keep guests warm, not to the signs to get more guests inside.
Our room had a heater that worked, but the heater lacked both a fan and a thermostat. So we were cold when we got in the room, and added two extra blankets. Four hours later after the heater was on constantly I woke up feeling well done. Ridiculous that I would turn the heat off when it was under 20 degrees outside, but that's what I did. I was able to sleep another two hours before waking up for the day on Sunday.
More later...
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Vacation Brain
Last year Theresa and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We also had two kids get married, plus a number of other rather costly things that happened. We didn't do much for our anniversary other than take our family out for dinner somewhere. I think. See, it was so forgettable that I couldn't tell you now, six months later, whether we went out or not, and if we did, where we might have gone.
So I saved up some of my spending money by brown bagging it for lunch and skipping some of the shopping I do for myself, and surprised Theresa at Christmas with the promise that I'd treat her to a two night stay at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in March.
This is a really nice hotel, but before you think I must usually blow through my spending money, I have a deal through work that gives me half price on the room. Given the fact that the relatively inexpensive winter rate lasts through the end of March, it wasn't too hard to come up with the cash. I had time to plan and budget for this, and it's our anniversary, for crying out loud.
We made the reservation for Sunday and Monday nights this weekend.
I had a terrible time trying to concentrate on anything at work yesterday, because I couldn't wait to get home to get the weekend started. I had Vacation Brain. Today was just as bad. Even though we have no plans for what we're going to do in Traverse City, we really can't wait to get there. This afternoon after lunch Theresa asked if we could just go today instead of tomorrow. Why not stay at a cheap motel just so we're out of town. On vacation.
My practical brain said no. Too many logistical issues with pets and kids. Besides, the money could go toward a nice meal or something this week.
Vacation Brain screamed yes. So of course I checked. I found a motel with a book today internet deal: a queen room for just $35 for tonight. Jeanette and Dave are staying at our house for the weekend already, so Nick and Allison will have supervision if we leave a day early. The dogs and cats will have plenty of people to watch them.
Vacation Brain wins. We're leaving for Traverse City in an hour or so.
So I saved up some of my spending money by brown bagging it for lunch and skipping some of the shopping I do for myself, and surprised Theresa at Christmas with the promise that I'd treat her to a two night stay at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in March.
This is a really nice hotel, but before you think I must usually blow through my spending money, I have a deal through work that gives me half price on the room. Given the fact that the relatively inexpensive winter rate lasts through the end of March, it wasn't too hard to come up with the cash. I had time to plan and budget for this, and it's our anniversary, for crying out loud.
We made the reservation for Sunday and Monday nights this weekend.
I had a terrible time trying to concentrate on anything at work yesterday, because I couldn't wait to get home to get the weekend started. I had Vacation Brain. Today was just as bad. Even though we have no plans for what we're going to do in Traverse City, we really can't wait to get there. This afternoon after lunch Theresa asked if we could just go today instead of tomorrow. Why not stay at a cheap motel just so we're out of town. On vacation.
My practical brain said no. Too many logistical issues with pets and kids. Besides, the money could go toward a nice meal or something this week.
Vacation Brain screamed yes. So of course I checked. I found a motel with a book today internet deal: a queen room for just $35 for tonight. Jeanette and Dave are staying at our house for the weekend already, so Nick and Allison will have supervision if we leave a day early. The dogs and cats will have plenty of people to watch them.
Vacation Brain wins. We're leaving for Traverse City in an hour or so.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Simplifying
Today is Ash Wednesday. Though I'm not Catholic, I have gone through the process of fasting from something for Lent as a spiritual exercise many times in my adult life.
Today I logged out of my Facebook account after posting a "see you later" note. Soon after this I got a note asking me if I had given up Facebook for Lent.
The answer is "not really". I just feel pulled in so many different directions right now that I felt like it would be something I could do to simplify my life. I have unfinished hobbies I wouldn't mind picking back up (I just blogged about this a few days ago), things I want to write, exercise I want to do, and family connections I want to attend to. If I can use some of the time I have been spending on Facebook to do some of these things, then it's not really like I'm giving anything up. So I don't think it qualifies as a Lenten sacrifice.
Plus I don't want to hold myself to a 40 day time frame. Maybe in two weeks I will have figured out a way to motivate myself to a daily 15 minutes on the exercise bike, and will have rewritten one of the essays in my notes into a publishable article, and feel like it's OK to try to incorporate Facebook back into my life.
I'll see if removing something from my routine helps me feel like I've got time to be more productive in other ways.
Today I logged out of my Facebook account after posting a "see you later" note. Soon after this I got a note asking me if I had given up Facebook for Lent.
The answer is "not really". I just feel pulled in so many different directions right now that I felt like it would be something I could do to simplify my life. I have unfinished hobbies I wouldn't mind picking back up (I just blogged about this a few days ago), things I want to write, exercise I want to do, and family connections I want to attend to. If I can use some of the time I have been spending on Facebook to do some of these things, then it's not really like I'm giving anything up. So I don't think it qualifies as a Lenten sacrifice.
Plus I don't want to hold myself to a 40 day time frame. Maybe in two weeks I will have figured out a way to motivate myself to a daily 15 minutes on the exercise bike, and will have rewritten one of the essays in my notes into a publishable article, and feel like it's OK to try to incorporate Facebook back into my life.
I'll see if removing something from my routine helps me feel like I've got time to be more productive in other ways.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Unfinished Business
It seems like I'm pretty good at unfinising things. Here are a few examples...
1. In 1989 we bought our first house. I had always wanted to build a balsa and tissue model airplane, so I bought one. It looked too hard, so I put it away. The bug to try kept nagging at me, so I bought another one. This one was marked "Easy." It's a Cessna, single wing, simple plane. I got to work on my model, and it went together really well. But before I could finish, the reality of all the things we had to do to fix up our house set in. Then we had our first child.
It's 2012. I covered the wings in 2010. The fuselage of my Cessna sits on top of my dresser. It's just the bare frame, without the tissue paper. It's unfinished.
2. I own at least ten blank books. I purchased each one with the intention of using them as a journal. One of them has three pages of entries, two of those pages are drawings. The other nine or so are unfinished.
3. I love to write with a fountain pen. I use one all the time. I won an art award when I was in middle school for calligraphy. I have always wanted to do calligraphy as a hobby. Every once in a while I get passionate about it. I own at least five calligraphy kits. I found a complete set of Speedball nibs at an antique store and bought them without a second thought. We're talking 30 or 40 nibs. I own more than fifteen dip pens. I have purchased calligraphy paper seemingly by the ream. I own multiple calligraphy books. I have bought calligraphy makers (they have never been used so are probably dried out by now). I have actually "done" (what's the correct verb?) calligraphy three of four times in the past five years. Another project, unfinished.
4. Another art project I always enjoyed was painting with watercolors. Last fall I decided to put some work into it. I bought some watercolor paper on sale at Michaels and a set of paints at Hobby Lobby. I painted two weekends. What I produced looks... I'm not sure how to describe it. Let's just say my paintings don't look like they were done in watercolor. Today I noticed that my paint box has a nice layer of dust forming, another silent example that I have left another hobby unfinished.
5. I dabble in game design. I was quite active in the Michigan game design "scene" in the early 2000s. There are several published designers who would get together infrequently. I attended the Protospiel convention for a number of years. I got some really good feedback on several of my designs. I checked my notes the other day as I moved a box of prototypes from one spot to another in my storage room downstairs. 2004. There are maybe five or six games down there, unfinished.
There are probably more examples. I wanted to wrap this up with something insightful, but can't think of much more to say than this: Thankfully, despite everything that is unfinished, there are many examples of projects I have finished.
1. In 1989 we bought our first house. I had always wanted to build a balsa and tissue model airplane, so I bought one. It looked too hard, so I put it away. The bug to try kept nagging at me, so I bought another one. This one was marked "Easy." It's a Cessna, single wing, simple plane. I got to work on my model, and it went together really well. But before I could finish, the reality of all the things we had to do to fix up our house set in. Then we had our first child.
It's 2012. I covered the wings in 2010. The fuselage of my Cessna sits on top of my dresser. It's just the bare frame, without the tissue paper. It's unfinished.
2. I own at least ten blank books. I purchased each one with the intention of using them as a journal. One of them has three pages of entries, two of those pages are drawings. The other nine or so are unfinished.
3. I love to write with a fountain pen. I use one all the time. I won an art award when I was in middle school for calligraphy. I have always wanted to do calligraphy as a hobby. Every once in a while I get passionate about it. I own at least five calligraphy kits. I found a complete set of Speedball nibs at an antique store and bought them without a second thought. We're talking 30 or 40 nibs. I own more than fifteen dip pens. I have purchased calligraphy paper seemingly by the ream. I own multiple calligraphy books. I have bought calligraphy makers (they have never been used so are probably dried out by now). I have actually "done" (what's the correct verb?) calligraphy three of four times in the past five years. Another project, unfinished.
4. Another art project I always enjoyed was painting with watercolors. Last fall I decided to put some work into it. I bought some watercolor paper on sale at Michaels and a set of paints at Hobby Lobby. I painted two weekends. What I produced looks... I'm not sure how to describe it. Let's just say my paintings don't look like they were done in watercolor. Today I noticed that my paint box has a nice layer of dust forming, another silent example that I have left another hobby unfinished.
5. I dabble in game design. I was quite active in the Michigan game design "scene" in the early 2000s. There are several published designers who would get together infrequently. I attended the Protospiel convention for a number of years. I got some really good feedback on several of my designs. I checked my notes the other day as I moved a box of prototypes from one spot to another in my storage room downstairs. 2004. There are maybe five or six games down there, unfinished.
There are probably more examples. I wanted to wrap this up with something insightful, but can't think of much more to say than this: Thankfully, despite everything that is unfinished, there are many examples of projects I have finished.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
One down...
One of my "year in preview" predictions was that I would be published in a professional journal. I'm pretty pleased that I was able to accomplish this early in the year.
I frequent the blogs on the Crisis Prevention Institute website, and comment there once in a while. A few weeks ago I got an email from someone at CPI asking me if I was interested in expanding on a blog comment I made, turning that into an article for their printed journal "CPI Forum".
It's hard to keep an article to a word limit. It took me two weeks, writing and editing in my spare time, but I managed to submit something near the end of January. A few days later I got a note back that they loved my article and will be using it in their next Forum.
The cool thing is that I had put getting published down as one of my professional goals at work. I was able to achieve goal this in January, nine months before I have my performance appraisal. Now I'm looking for another place to get published, so I can exceed that goal.
I frequent the blogs on the Crisis Prevention Institute website, and comment there once in a while. A few weeks ago I got an email from someone at CPI asking me if I was interested in expanding on a blog comment I made, turning that into an article for their printed journal "CPI Forum".
It's hard to keep an article to a word limit. It took me two weeks, writing and editing in my spare time, but I managed to submit something near the end of January. A few days later I got a note back that they loved my article and will be using it in their next Forum.
The cool thing is that I had put getting published down as one of my professional goals at work. I was able to achieve goal this in January, nine months before I have my performance appraisal. Now I'm looking for another place to get published, so I can exceed that goal.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Year in Previw
It's January 1, 2012. News sources, Facebook, and other sites I frequent are filled with retrospective posts about the past year. However, instead of a year in review, I decided to try a year in preview. I'm not writing these as predictions, but here are a few things I expect to happen or not this year...
I will get my first research study approved by the IRB.
I will go backpacking twice this year.
I will post at least twelve times to this blog.
I will continue to think about writing a book about psych nursing but won't make any real progress.
I will not become a grandparent.
I will travel to California once.
I will get an article published in a professional journal.
Again, these aren't predictions. They aren't resolutions either, although it's obvious that I'm going to have to resolve to do things in order to make a couple of these predictions come true. And they aren't all wishful thinking, I'd be perfectly happy if I became a grandparent this year.
I will get my first research study approved by the IRB.
I will go backpacking twice this year.
I will post at least twelve times to this blog.
I will continue to think about writing a book about psych nursing but won't make any real progress.
I will not become a grandparent.
I will travel to California once.
I will get an article published in a professional journal.
Again, these aren't predictions. They aren't resolutions either, although it's obvious that I'm going to have to resolve to do things in order to make a couple of these predictions come true. And they aren't all wishful thinking, I'd be perfectly happy if I became a grandparent this year.
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