Saturday, February 19, 2011
An article about introducing science to students
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
embarking on motherhood
As I pass the halfway mark toward my July 2 due date I am somewhat overwhelmed by the remarkable changes my life will undergo in the next year. I look at where I've been over the last twelve or so. I moved down to San Diego in the fall of 1999 footloose, fancy-free of obligation and responsibility; ready to tackle the world and anything that might come my way.
Much of what I've done has been very rewarding; I've taken this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be completely selfish. I've followed Ayn Rand's philosophy of being true to myself.
As rewarding as this has been, it is ending, and now I am entering a new phase in which I cannot keep this same mentality and behavior. It must be my responsibility now to think of the other people in my life ahead of myself. I must provide for their protection and education and well-being. I can no longer date that random guy (that ended three+ years ago when I got married), take a job in another state, or make other random decisions that ride on my daily desires.
In a way I have lost my freedom and in yet another I have gained so much more. The lack of responsibility and obligation seems initially very liberating, however, over time it becomes very empty. It is the responsibility and obligation in life that yields meaningful and lasting relationships. As hard as these can be sometimes they are really what makes life worth living.
I will be a mother, a protector and a care-giver. Hopefully I won't completely lose my professional identity or my sense of daily accomplishments completely inside myself. My first and foremost priority will be my child and my family. I will give my previous sense of self to the betterment, protection and furtherment of another human being in what may become my most significant relationship yet. I am so excited for what awaits me.
I am scared as well. Am I really ready for this? I think so. It has taken me nearly as much time to prepare for this as it took to raise and prepare an infant for college (18 years). I am now nearly 18 years out of high school. A completely different being has emerged with new ideas, values, and sense of the world. I am ready to be a parent.
Cheers to the future.
Much of what I've done has been very rewarding; I've taken this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be completely selfish. I've followed Ayn Rand's philosophy of being true to myself.
As rewarding as this has been, it is ending, and now I am entering a new phase in which I cannot keep this same mentality and behavior. It must be my responsibility now to think of the other people in my life ahead of myself. I must provide for their protection and education and well-being. I can no longer date that random guy (that ended three+ years ago when I got married), take a job in another state, or make other random decisions that ride on my daily desires.
In a way I have lost my freedom and in yet another I have gained so much more. The lack of responsibility and obligation seems initially very liberating, however, over time it becomes very empty. It is the responsibility and obligation in life that yields meaningful and lasting relationships. As hard as these can be sometimes they are really what makes life worth living.
I will be a mother, a protector and a care-giver. Hopefully I won't completely lose my professional identity or my sense of daily accomplishments completely inside myself. My first and foremost priority will be my child and my family. I will give my previous sense of self to the betterment, protection and furtherment of another human being in what may become my most significant relationship yet. I am so excited for what awaits me.
I am scared as well. Am I really ready for this? I think so. It has taken me nearly as much time to prepare for this as it took to raise and prepare an infant for college (18 years). I am now nearly 18 years out of high school. A completely different being has emerged with new ideas, values, and sense of the world. I am ready to be a parent.
Cheers to the future.
Monday, February 07, 2011
My husband the general contractor
One of the wonderful things about being married to my beloved husband is the way he surprises me. I thought I married a great guy three years ago when we walked down the aisle. I am finding out, day by day, that I married a truly amazing person who never ceases to amaze me. I'm constantly finding out new things about him.
Most recently, I've discovered he is a general contractor. What? You ask. The whole thing started with a notice from our home owner's association in October that we were required to leave our condo in the first week in December. Then, a week after that I confirmed something I had suspected for about a week- I was pregnant. It was decided that I would move out of our house indefinitely during the termite tenting. Because we packed up all of our belongings and moved everything into a storage unit, we decided there had never been a better time to tackle that kitchen remodel project.
That was just the beginning. Not many people are remodeling right now. With unemployment high and cash scarce many customers are shying away from Home Depot. For this reason, the barn-burner deals started trickling in. Pretty soon the budget we had allocated became enough to remodel kitchen AND bathrooms. And then we just decided to do the entire house all at once from the kitchen to the bathrooms with some new carpet and hallway linen closets.
And I discovered that my husband is a general contractor. He can negotiate deals with different vendors around town- he knows where to look, how to ask, and how to bargain. His business skills are about 150% better than mine.
What a deal. I love marriage.
Most recently, I've discovered he is a general contractor. What? You ask. The whole thing started with a notice from our home owner's association in October that we were required to leave our condo in the first week in December. Then, a week after that I confirmed something I had suspected for about a week- I was pregnant. It was decided that I would move out of our house indefinitely during the termite tenting. Because we packed up all of our belongings and moved everything into a storage unit, we decided there had never been a better time to tackle that kitchen remodel project.
That was just the beginning. Not many people are remodeling right now. With unemployment high and cash scarce many customers are shying away from Home Depot. For this reason, the barn-burner deals started trickling in. Pretty soon the budget we had allocated became enough to remodel kitchen AND bathrooms. And then we just decided to do the entire house all at once from the kitchen to the bathrooms with some new carpet and hallway linen closets.
And I discovered that my husband is a general contractor. He can negotiate deals with different vendors around town- he knows where to look, how to ask, and how to bargain. His business skills are about 150% better than mine.
What a deal. I love marriage.
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