It's the third week of Summer semester. I am enjoying the lack of major responsibilities, but I feel like I have way too much free time on my hands.
There are less than three weeks left before I leave for Paris. WOAH. Crazy. It doesn't seem so close.
I have had two weeks and I have done pretty much nothing research-wise. I guess I should start sometime.
I will have occasional computer access in Paris, but not my own computer...so I will be available quite rarely.
I have a new chair for my room. It is wonderful. Totally worth the money. Thanks to those who helped make this possible.
I had a good time in Orlando with some awesome friends. A couple of frustrations came out...but it's all good now.
I have a feeling this week will be good. :)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Bullet lists are how my mind works.
It has been a pretty good week thus far.
Highlights:
Highlights:
- Working one hour and fifteen minutes a week. Well, there is more work than that, but that's all that I have to do that is scheduled
- Finally figuring out how I'm getting paid for Paris
- Made smoothies with Mary
- Had lunch with Stauffer at a new place I'd never been to before
- Had lunch with Leah for super-cheap (thanks raffle tickets!)
- Today's rainy gloom...even though it's still quite warm and feels like Florida, it was a nice relief.
- Lunch with Stauffer's mom (and THE WORLD) on Sunday
- Mike Patz's sermon on stewardship (and the thoughts it provoked in my mind I may one day get to on here.)
- Opening a savings account.
- My students all making As and Bs on their exams
- New beginnings.
- Better understanding of myself.
- A sense of change and peace simultaneously. Not sure how that works but it is good.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
It's interesting the things people say that stick with us...
Sometimes I think I would like to have more comments on this blog. Not for the sake of going, "Oh, look how many comments I have! Look how many people love me!" (Love is not measureable in blog comments...nor should one try to do so.) I think mainly I just want to get some feedback.
This blog is sometimes used for an outlet of expression, but it's also a place to put forth my ideas and my thoughts. In college, I often got feedback from people either through comments in an online blog or being able to just hang out while throwing out ideas or thoughts about whatever crossed our minds. Sometimes it'd even turn into an argument or a debate. I got a call from a college friend yesterday and, over the course of our conversation, she lamented on the fact that sometimes people just don't want to throw these thoughts and ideas around and debate and argue over them. We all argued and debated constantly throughout college. It was hardly ever in anger, it was just a way we figured things out. Put forth ideas, hash through them, figure stuff out.
Sometimes it was typical collegiate subjects in academia: How many dimensions are there? Is Cartesian philosophy really flawed? Are we more controlled by nature or nurture?
Sometimes it was typical subjects of people in their late-teens and early-twenties: Why are women so confusing? What is love exactly? What am I going to do for the rest of my life?
But it was always in good fun and never caused a rupture in our friendships. In fact, we were probably stronger for it.
I'm not sure I get the same vibe in Gainesville.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not down on Gainesville (I love the people that are here), but a lot of times I see an avoidance of conflict of any kind from people and some placation instead of any debate or figuring out things. It's not like people never argue or have debates over things...but it's a different vibe. It's not a bad thing, just...different people, I guess.
But perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps it's not Gainesville. Perhaps it's just because we all lived within close quarters of each other and therefore the opportunities to just chill and chat were far more numerous. And because we were so used to acting that way around each other, when we hang out now post-college, we tend to revert to that type of talking....so I tend to only relate it to these people and that time of my life.
I dunno, I think I got off topic (most assuredly). At any rate, this wasn't a plea for more comments; it's not a complaint about anything, either--just a release of my thoughts.
I definitely talk a lot.
This blog is sometimes used for an outlet of expression, but it's also a place to put forth my ideas and my thoughts. In college, I often got feedback from people either through comments in an online blog or being able to just hang out while throwing out ideas or thoughts about whatever crossed our minds. Sometimes it'd even turn into an argument or a debate. I got a call from a college friend yesterday and, over the course of our conversation, she lamented on the fact that sometimes people just don't want to throw these thoughts and ideas around and debate and argue over them. We all argued and debated constantly throughout college. It was hardly ever in anger, it was just a way we figured things out. Put forth ideas, hash through them, figure stuff out.
Sometimes it was typical collegiate subjects in academia: How many dimensions are there? Is Cartesian philosophy really flawed? Are we more controlled by nature or nurture?
Sometimes it was typical subjects of people in their late-teens and early-twenties: Why are women so confusing? What is love exactly? What am I going to do for the rest of my life?
But it was always in good fun and never caused a rupture in our friendships. In fact, we were probably stronger for it.
I'm not sure I get the same vibe in Gainesville.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not down on Gainesville (I love the people that are here), but a lot of times I see an avoidance of conflict of any kind from people and some placation instead of any debate or figuring out things. It's not like people never argue or have debates over things...but it's a different vibe. It's not a bad thing, just...different people, I guess.
But perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps it's not Gainesville. Perhaps it's just because we all lived within close quarters of each other and therefore the opportunities to just chill and chat were far more numerous. And because we were so used to acting that way around each other, when we hang out now post-college, we tend to revert to that type of talking....so I tend to only relate it to these people and that time of my life.
I dunno, I think I got off topic (most assuredly). At any rate, this wasn't a plea for more comments; it's not a complaint about anything, either--just a release of my thoughts.
I definitely talk a lot.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Hurm.
I can't seem to make up my mind about anything recently. This is not a good.
I wonder how much your environment really alters yourself. I spent a week up in Atlanta and it was weird how I kind of reverted back to some of my old habits that I used to have when living with my parents. Not necessarily bad things, but just different. I found that I was also a lot less stressed about some things. I think that's good. Although, as soon as I got back into Gainesville, it's ridiculous how the stress kind of weighed itself back on me. It wasn't as bad, but it was quite different. My thoughts focused on different things up there than they did down here. I can't quite explain it, but I felt...different. I don't know what that means. I don't know if it's good or bad. I don't really know much of anything about it. Just....thought it was interesting.
OK. I think I'm done with this entry. I was about to get all emotional and expose more of myself than I think is probably wise.
I wonder how much your environment really alters yourself. I spent a week up in Atlanta and it was weird how I kind of reverted back to some of my old habits that I used to have when living with my parents. Not necessarily bad things, but just different. I found that I was also a lot less stressed about some things. I think that's good. Although, as soon as I got back into Gainesville, it's ridiculous how the stress kind of weighed itself back on me. It wasn't as bad, but it was quite different. My thoughts focused on different things up there than they did down here. I can't quite explain it, but I felt...different. I don't know what that means. I don't know if it's good or bad. I don't really know much of anything about it. Just....thought it was interesting.
OK. I think I'm done with this entry. I was about to get all emotional and expose more of myself than I think is probably wise.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.
So, I survived Finals.
Huzzahs all around.
It was a lot of work, I'm not going to lie, a lot of work. I probably could have done a little better than I did. But it was a lot at once. Ah well, it's over for now. After Finals, I was looking forward to the smooth sailing of the summer.
Oh, Matthew. How naïve you are! Life doesn't work like that. Have you not learned from life before? Perhaps you should take a class in history at Matt U.
Perhaps.
After finals I had tons and tons of grading to do. I also had a meeting I had to go to concerning my summer teaching at UF. I was still quite busy for some time, but it wasn't as stressful, which was good. I then went to the meeting and found out my original plans for the summer--which I had stressed about all semester in trying to get perfectly aligned and tried to let everyone know what was going on and not go behind people's backs--were now impossible. The teachers said they don't think it is a good idea and I had to choose between teaching the first half of the summer at UF or teaching the second half of the summer in Paris.
After a lot of debating and discussing with friends and my parents about what the best choice would be, I had not yet come to a decision. There were lots of things to consider: money, time, the ability of each program to replace me, what God might want me to do (if he even has a preference), etc. I was leaning on teaching at UF and then I got a call this morning though, from Paris, telling me that they really would like me to come to Paris and not teach at UF. The director in Paris also tried to talk to the head of the RomLang Dept and ask him to reconsider his decision. Perhaps he might change his mind.
Perhaps.
It turns out we all found a compromise that we could agree upon and I am now able to do both. This is very very good. It's also pretty awesome. I am excited.
So now, I am able to relax much more at home with my family and my friends. I'm going to see Michael, Kathryn, Nicole, & Drew tomorrow. It's going to be pretty sweet. I'm excited to see them. I'll get to see Becca on Friday and hang with Drew (from Gainesville) and Matt Stauffer when they come through too and show them Atlanta. It'll be pretty sweet. I'm excited.
Much less stressful now, which is good. I still have a kink in my back from my crappy chair I sat in way too much during finals week for typing the 50ish pages I wrote for school. But I'm hoping that goes away soon. There are a few things else on my mind, but a lot of them have been eased with the fact that a friend of mine helped me realize that just because you are being patient, does not mean you are not making a decision. Patience is an active decision, it's not laziness. It's something I will hopefully learn to handle well over the summer. That's my goal. God's not finished with me, yet, it seems. Perhaps I'll finally get it. Or, at least I'll be on my way.
Perhaps.
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.
Huzzahs all around.
It was a lot of work, I'm not going to lie, a lot of work. I probably could have done a little better than I did. But it was a lot at once. Ah well, it's over for now. After Finals, I was looking forward to the smooth sailing of the summer.
Oh, Matthew. How naïve you are! Life doesn't work like that. Have you not learned from life before? Perhaps you should take a class in history at Matt U.
Perhaps.
After finals I had tons and tons of grading to do. I also had a meeting I had to go to concerning my summer teaching at UF. I was still quite busy for some time, but it wasn't as stressful, which was good. I then went to the meeting and found out my original plans for the summer--which I had stressed about all semester in trying to get perfectly aligned and tried to let everyone know what was going on and not go behind people's backs--were now impossible. The teachers said they don't think it is a good idea and I had to choose between teaching the first half of the summer at UF or teaching the second half of the summer in Paris.
After a lot of debating and discussing with friends and my parents about what the best choice would be, I had not yet come to a decision. There were lots of things to consider: money, time, the ability of each program to replace me, what God might want me to do (if he even has a preference), etc. I was leaning on teaching at UF and then I got a call this morning though, from Paris, telling me that they really would like me to come to Paris and not teach at UF. The director in Paris also tried to talk to the head of the RomLang Dept and ask him to reconsider his decision. Perhaps he might change his mind.
Perhaps.
It turns out we all found a compromise that we could agree upon and I am now able to do both. This is very very good. It's also pretty awesome. I am excited.
So now, I am able to relax much more at home with my family and my friends. I'm going to see Michael, Kathryn, Nicole, & Drew tomorrow. It's going to be pretty sweet. I'm excited to see them. I'll get to see Becca on Friday and hang with Drew (from Gainesville) and Matt Stauffer when they come through too and show them Atlanta. It'll be pretty sweet. I'm excited.
Much less stressful now, which is good. I still have a kink in my back from my crappy chair I sat in way too much during finals week for typing the 50ish pages I wrote for school. But I'm hoping that goes away soon. There are a few things else on my mind, but a lot of them have been eased with the fact that a friend of mine helped me realize that just because you are being patient, does not mean you are not making a decision. Patience is an active decision, it's not laziness. It's something I will hopefully learn to handle well over the summer. That's my goal. God's not finished with me, yet, it seems. Perhaps I'll finally get it. Or, at least I'll be on my way.
Perhaps.
Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)