Finding our Groove

Word

Now that we are 95% settled into the new pad we have time to do things that involve other people, most people call these such things social events. Last night we went to a Happy Hour that our nerd cave organizes every week. Yes 15 Graduate Students in Math and Physics are really about as cool as you can imagine they would be. In their (okay and MY) defense the conversations were quite scientific and nerdy but alot of what came up was actually quite interesting. Plus everyone is really nice. Ben spent the time we had there nicknaming every single person, Agent Orange, Kansas, Potato Chip, Corner Pocket and Ho-Town Yellow Banana are some beautiful nicknames that I am sure will stick for the duration of my time here at UMO. Thanks Ben.

As winter is fast approaching and all the Main-ahs ask, ya got yer wood in? We do have our wood in, Ben happened upon a shed full of wood all split, dried and ready to go that someone was trying to get rid of. This is a pretty awesome deal as our house is big and old and is going to be a bear to heat in the winter. Who knew we would ever get so excited over a big pile of old wood?

Speaking of other awesome deals I just got offered a position in a Research Project that just received a big ol grant. After this semester I will no longer be teaching Algebra but will be paid to do my research and work on my thesis. This project involves bringing an interactive super computer climate model of the earth into the middle school science classroom to teach students about climate change and global warming and also to familiarize them with models, large data sets and system interactions. It seems to be a really good fit for my background in wind, mechanical engineering and physics and I am really pumped. Sometimes things just feel right and right now school feels right!

Everything looks different

Well we are all moved in and I tell you it was the move from hell. It took us a full week to lug 15 car loads and 4 truck and trailer loads the 15 miles from the house in Dedham to our new home in Bangor. Phew I am glad it is over, let the living begin.

Lots of things have changed in the week since we moved. For instance here is the view off our back deck, sweet eh? We have had discussions on wether or not we are really in town, I say no as we have no sidewalks and our house does not show up on the Bangor inset of the official Maine State Map. Ben says we are for sure in town as we have city water, city sewer and city garbage but mostly because we have city traffic. Bottom line, you can call it what you like, it is a fine compromise for this downtown dweller and her country boy.

Out with the old in with the new is theme of late. Here is my old hair I cut off, I decided to grow some new stuff. I actually went in for a trim and ended up donating 8 inches to Locks for Love. I think it is pretty cool that someone would even want my hair and hey if you can use it to make a kid with cancer feel normal than go for it!

We also decided we needed to customize the wagon a bit, you know make it stand out from all the other Boobarus around, so we are having some custom tinted glass installed. No wait we are actually replacing the window that the stupid tv knocked out in the move. Check it out, looks good with a porthole huh? Because the window had to be ordered and it was forecasted to rain all week I had to make a window out of tape and cardboard. Now we fit right in, if only we had less teeth we could be true Maine-ahs.

Three Times is a Charm

After 3 closings we finally got one right. Friday's closing did not go, we showed up at the title company but our lender did not, in fact our mortgage banker pretty much hung us out to dry. What a drag! But yesterday it all went through and now we are in. We moved a bunch of junk over last night and it felt good. The house is sweet, you just have to look past the slanted floors to see its old school charm. Yeah we are finally home!

I started class on Tuesday also, what a big day September 4 was. I don't feel totally out of my element but don't really fit in either. I for sure am not nerdy enough for the crew I got thrown in with. Physics PhD candidates spend a large percentage of each day convincing themselves how smart they really are, uhm excuse me loser you might get the physics right but you got the rest of your world back asswards. Yes it is a total nerdfest in our Grad Office and I am guilty by association.

As part of my responsibilities as a Graduate Assistant I am teaching a College Level Algebra class and it is going to be a learning experience for us all. One interesting (OK super old) freshman got a little scared when I told the class that any math or engineering majors were in the wrong classroom. I guess he is attempting to major in some kind of engineering against the advice of the University. He told me his story and I being the unsympathetic person that I am just told him to take it one day at a time and remember it is only day one. I know the poor guy doesn't have a chance he is already freaking out. You know the old saying, there are no stupid questions, well it's not true because he asked 3 of them today alone.