Graduation day!


Yesterday was the big day for Eldest Daughter! Graduation day was wonderful, Daughter looked wonderful, and we had a great time at the party.

I am utterly exhausted now, though.

Tomorrow we start moving her stuff to Boston. THAT will be fun, since I've spent the last two days moving Son out of his campus apartment. I should have muscles galore after all this.

Some pics from Orlando


I thought I'd post some pictures of our trip to Orlando. Left below, the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Far in the distance, Discovery on Launch Pad 39B. The tracks are made by the crawler, moving about one mile per hour, taking the Shuttle to the launch pad. The rocks are pulverized by the weight.














The sky en route back to Orlando.










The Space Mirror memorial for fallen astronauts.
The 5 engines and bells of the Saturn V moon rocket.









Son at Cocoa Beach.










Shamu jumping, and two trainers riding the whales.









Finally, some jellyfish from the aquarium. Moon jellyfish are on the left, and I don't remember what the cool things on the right are named.

Note to self:


Never, never, never leave favorite Chinese jacket and other blazers hanging anywhere in proximity to the fumes from a Certain Spouse's stinky hash breakfast.

Thank God my regalia is safely tucked away upstairs in the furthest closet from the kitchen. I hate smelling like food.

The week from....you know


Today begins the marathon of graduation, moving home, and moving out. My tasks for the day include putting together a surprise for my graduating Eldest Daughter, and driving the 60 miles to Uni town where I will be putting together a huge gas grill we bought for her party on Saturday, and dropping off my regalia at my office. Drive home. Iron daughter's regalia, clean the spare room for my friend Pat's arrival, and generally try to declutter my very cluttered house. Fall into bed.

Tomorrow: Drive to Uni town. 9:30 is practice for faculty marshals. I shall wear the US Marshal badge I bought Hubby in Texas a few years ago. Let's see if anyone notices. Right after that, join a presentation (in progress) of the industry project I've been working on with another prof (I sure hope the first installment of funds comes through soon, I've got a graduation to pay for!). Then drive to the meat market and pick up the steaks and chicken we ordered for the party, drop them off at the homestead. At 3:15, don regalia with Graduating Eldest Daughter and line up for Convocation (for joy, the powers that be said we could sit together, although we are in different colleges). 4:00, Convocation. 7:00, dinner with G.E.D., her boyfriend, and his parents. 10:00, fall into bed at the homestead because the next day I get to go to not one, but TWO graduation ceremonies!

Saturday: G.E.D. graduates at noon. College reception at 2. My college's graduation is at 4, lineup is 3:00. While I am marshaling, family and spouse will be at the homestead eating dinner because I don't want them to have to wait for me. Drive home. Fall into bed.

Sunday: Drive to Uni town and borrow Dad's truck. Move Son out of his on-campus apartment by noon. Drive home with his stuff. Unload it. Drive back to homestead in Uni town because...

Monday: Son leaves for Galapagos Islands school trip at 6:30 a.m., from the airport local to the Uni. Which means we have to be at the airport at 4:30 a.m. Gack. Spend rest of day helping G.E.D. pack her things up and clean her apartment. Drive home. Fall into bed.

Tuesday: Drive to Uni town. Pick up truck for G.E.D.'s move to Boston. Continue packing and cleaning. Drive home. Take Youngest Daughter to singing audition. Fall into bed.

Wednesday: Drive to Uni town. Finish packing and cleaning. Fall into bed.

Thursday: Drive G.E.D. to Boston, unload her stuff and help arrange apartment. Fall into whatever passes for a bed in daughter's new apartment.

Friday: Drive home. Fall into bed and never leave it again.

I need a vacation.

Back from Florida

And downright happy to be back, too! This trip was a saga in many ways...late flights, rental cars that don't turn on, conference venues that don't provide continental breakfast at all and tea/coffee service past 8 a.m., giving a presentation at 8 a.m. after only 4 hours' sleep (thanks to the late flights and non-working rental cars), etc etc.

BUT: the presentation went well, I met some nice potential colleagues, and best of all we did some great sightseeing. Sunday afternoon we headed out to Kennedy Space Center. Now HERE is my definition of a perfect moment: Sitting with my kids at KSC, looking out at Discovery on the launching pad, eating chocolate Dippin' Dots out of a plastic astronaut helmet, and listening to the Star Trek theme being played over the sound system. Doesn't get much better than that!

After the Space Center tour (I must confess, I bought a mug. I could stock three houses with mugs. But this one's not just ANY mug, it's a ROCKET SCIENTIST mug! Besides, Son said I could have it) we drove down south a little ways to Cocoa Beach where the two kids ran around on the sand and in the water and (of course) brought back some seashells.

The next day we spent at SeaWorld, the land of Shamu. It was a wonderful day even though we were dead tired and our feet hurt like crazy. We had a great time seeing all the shows and exhibits (except we refused to go to the Odyssea show which looked to us like Busch Garden Williamsburg's icky Imaginique, only underwater) and particularly enjoyed a very witty and sarcastic pirate mime. Usually we hate mimes but this one was unbelievably funny although we were thankful that we came in early and from the back, thus avoiding being the butt of his jokes.

Today we got up a 4 a.m. to make our 7:00 flight. Other than Youngest Daughter's difficulty with her ears on the first leg, the trip was semi-uneventful (the usual seat assignment hassles but all was solved to our satisfaction) and we are glad to be home.

Time for a nap now!

Off to Orlando


I did manage to finish my presentation, and now it's time to get ready to fly. Youngest Daughter and Only Son are accompanying me and this should be lots of fun once I get through my presentation.

There ought to be a law against flying in at midnight and presenting at 8 a.m.!

I also finished writing out the graduation announcements for Eldest Daughter's commencement. A bit late, but better late than never. I am looking forward to seeing her all dressed up in graduation robes and wearing my own regalia for the very first time as a faculty member. Exciting!

Okay, time to wash clothes, make snacks for the plane trip, and pack.

Cliches that make me gag


I've never been a fan of jargon and do try very hard to avoid it as much as I can. These are some cliches and words that I would love to never hear again: "empowerment", "savvy", "edgy", "pricey", "low hanging fruit", and "speak truth to power". We've heard them enough now, let them die! Gag me with a spoon!

Presentation is coming along. I stayed home today to work on it.

While checking the real-estate sites last night I found a nice house--but it's expensive. (Note I did not say "pricey") It has a barn! I could use my telescope there and not have to trek out into the country! Ah well. Maybe someday.

Tell me to get this presentation done

Because I have zero motivation, beyond abject humiliation on Sunday when I totally screw up my first completely solo conference paper.

Way past time for an update


It's been a busy week. Funeral on Monday, all sorts of meetings and things the rest of the week. Car repairs to the tune of $500.

Interesting experience today: I was asked to consult on a project run by another professor. I don't know him well, since I'm new here, but he has seemed nice and easy going so far...until this morning.

The four students working on this project were supposed to have their data analysis done and a presentation ready for today. I have to walk across campus to get to the lab, which is not a big deal but on the other hand--maybe it should be. Considering that I have a lecture to prepare, papers to grade, journal articles to write, research to do, etc., etc., it's really not very considerate of them to waste my time like this. They had sheets of paper with hand written notes, didn't have their S/N ratio analysis correct, and basically had nothing ready to show us. I was in a pretty good mood and didn't really want to knock their heads together, but the other professor was scathing. He told them to leave and not come back for at least two days, that he was embarrassed and upset with them. They hung their heads like little boys caught stealing cookies. I wasn't sure what to say or do, other than tell them what *I* expected to see from them and offer to lend them reference materials to make sure they did the analyses correctly.

Then, once they left the lab, he apologized to me for yelling at them in front of me. I totally understand and agree that they screwed up, but it was a tad uncomfortable to hear them being dressed down like that. I hope they straighten up, I'd like to avoid that sort of scene again.

On a different note, this morning I met the board of a sister institution that's overseas, and my boss introduced me as a world-class expert in my field. Whoa. I sure don't FEEL like that is an accurate description! The thing that surprised me about earning the Ph.D. is how little I think I know. Are people who appear confident really that confident, or are they like me--knowing they know something but also knowing they can never know enough? Or is that the Phony Police?

And lastly, the national conference in my field starts a week from tomorrow. Do I have my presentation ready? Of course not! Yikes.

Whoa, SABRES!

There are no words. That game was INCREDIBLE! Jean-Luc's magic is holding up!

A letter to my Uncle Bill, who went home to Heaven this morning:

Dear Uncle Bill,

My first memories of my extended family are of you. I remember sitting on your lap at some gathering—I couldn’t have been more than four or five years old—earnestly telling you some silly childish thing. I can still clearly see the look on your face; you weren’t bored, or wishing to be elsewhere. You gave me all your attention.

Since we lived in New York and rarely saw our Pennsylvania family, we were always anxious to get to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We would strain to see around that final bend in the long road leading to Newfoundland, trying to be the first to see the farm. Often Grandma and Grandpa would be sitting on the porch, anxiously watching the road themselves, waiting for our arrival. We would erupt from the car in a flurry of outstretched arms and hugs and kisses—and then bolt for the bathrooms.

Soon after we arrived, the rest of the family would come and the adults would visit together while we children played in the barn and that big inviting pile of dirt right by the barn door. More often than not, you would leave the adults and come find us. You showed us little things about nature, talked to us about all sorts of things, told us funny stories, and simply delighted in our presence. I want you to know that we delighted in yours as well.

When we grew older we would often stop by to see you and Aunt Doris. I brought my children along, and you would, predictably, leave the grownups talking in the living room and go outside with the kids. And when my oldest daughter was old enough to drive, she too found her way to the old house in the Poconos to visit with you. In these later years when you couldn't remember my name, I knew I was still in your heart because you would tell my kids “I know who you are—I know who you belong to.” When I told you I loved you you’d say "I know. And I love you too." The love you showed us all was very precious, and very much reciprocated.

I will miss you. When I think of my four uncles—Uncle Andy, Uncle Harold, Uncle Llew, and Uncle Bill—I always picture them smiling. Uncle Andy’s smile was gentle and full of music; Uncle Harold’s smile was wide and full of life; Uncle Llew’s smile is infectious and full of mischief; Uncle Bill’s smile was quiet and full of love. It comforts me to know he is now smiling at his Savior, who is smiling right back.

There’s an old song that has been in my thoughts lately, especially as one by one my family is called home to be with the God they loved and served so well. It speaks eloquently of their steadfast and sure walk:

“We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.”*

William N, defender of your country and your God, I have found you faithful. Thank you for your love, your constancy, your example, your footprints. I am proud and grateful that you are my uncle, and I look forward to seeing you again in your Heavenly home. Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Love always,

Your niece




*Words and Music by Jon Mohr
Copyright 1988 Birdwing Music/Jonathan Mark Music (admin. By The Sparrow Corp.) All Rights Reserved. International Copyright secured.