The move...update number 'I don't know what'

This move has been three months in the works. More if you count the process of getting the job. But it's been three months of a learning experience and study of how one reacts to stress and change. I can't say that it's been the most positive experience, but it is what it is and I'm still happy to have gone through it because I'm stronger and more self-aware as a result.
Anyway, I'm sitting in the Porter lounge right now (flight got cancelled so I have an extra hour to snack on complimentary tea and cookies and to attempt to catch up on my e-mails - I'm SO behind) but this is only the 3rd time that I've been in an airport (a couple more times to go) this month.  It's only the 7th of the month.
I genuinely thought that I'd have three months of leisure and relaxation due to a change of plans and finding myself with three months that I had originally allotted for other commitments, but that never came to fruition. Partly due to me filling the months with other things (that always happens) and needing to use the time to make plans for the future. I ended up traveling a lot, just not for leisure: three flights and two road trips (well, I guess one of those road trips was for leisure, but it was unfortunately cut short and admittedly we both ended up doing work on the trip anyhow). Lots of sorting, planning, packing...lots of meetings, rendezvous, heartfelt chats, teas, lunches, dinners and desserts. Lots of planning in three or four day increments...lots of living out of a suitcase or weekend bag.
But we're definitely moving forward. It's felt like it's been dragging on, but I do see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't think I'll reach that light until the end of the month, but having my belongings packed up into a truck (again) yesterday has been a milestone that I was desperately waiting for. Of course, it didn't come without it's share of challenges. An 8.30am call time turned into a 6pm arrival (and resulted in an migraine - which I still have). I'm impressed at the efficiency of the movers once they arrived. They're getting paid for their job for a reason. It was very hard for me to let go and just have them go through my things and put them in boxes (I can imagined that I would be able to sit with them and make an itemized list of contents so that it would be easier to deal with at the other end), but they were way too fast for me to do that. I was expecting to be a little bit more in shock when the movers drove away, but my lack of sleep and level of stress prevented any emotion. I long for a good night's rest. I want to be at my best when September starts.
So I'm at the airport. But this isn't IT. I still have a couple more flights in the next little while before IT is real.

Reflecting on reflecting

I'm a pretty reflective person by nature. I think about things a lot. Sometimes too much. Someone I know calls me cerebral.
In these three months of transition, I feel like I've been particularly reflective. Thinking about who I am, why I am, what I do, what I want. It's been, errr, interesting. I don't know if this extreme reflection is as a result of an impending change, or a current change of routine. A colleague jokes that he knows when I'm getting bored because I go to him with my 'freakouts'. I'm my own worst enemy.

End of (another) era

Yesterday, I was part of the academic procession for one of our faculty's convocations. It was a wonderful ceremony, with some well written and delivered speeches, fun whooping and hollering, and a fair share of selfies. The Honourary Graduand was superbly chosen having received degrees from both faculties in attendance and not only is he a superstar himself, the fellow who introduced him is another icon of the university and the nation. And our ceremony probably had the best singing of the national anthem, thanks to the faculty that we were matched up with. Score.
It's nice to see students make that walk across the stage. To see their excitement and joy, to meet their support team and hear about upcoming adventures.
It was an enjoyable afternoon and very much a full circle situation having walked across the stage myself (again) just last year. That ceremony last year was the final piece in the puzzle to confirm that I really had ticked that box off my life list. And I think I needed yesterday's ceremony to tick yet another box for me to bring this part of my life to closure and be able to move forward to the next era. With mixed emotions, I move forward, but I will continue to remind myself how awesome my life truly is.

Oh, and speaking of eras gone by, I saw a student from my CH days on the Conan show. Wow.

Moving

It's happening. My beloved place is being emptied out. I'm actually quite sad about it all. I've got a couple months of transition so I don't think I'll hit my high for awhile. I think it's going to continue to be a roller coaster for a little while yet.
And classic moving stress. Had a wee break down last night. Needed a good cry. And then pulled an all-nighter to make sure everything was packed up. And glad to have had someone here to help me through it all.
But yeah, my condo is awesome. I'll miss it loads.

Update - 11.58am - It's really sad seeing everything packed into the truck and then watching the movers close the doors and drive away.

Still here - changes afoot

As I constantly say, things have been crazy. Life is intense and awesome all at the same time. Changes are afoot and I sincerely hope that I'll have some more time to start blogging again. Especially given my original reason for starting this blog.

Blech

Being sick and staying in bed during the holidays is kind of sucky, but watching the 2013 Tony Awards makes it vaguely better.
(Of course, I could also use the time to do all of the updates on this blog that I 'intend' to do...)

I'm back!

I finally have a new laptop. At least, it's mine until July. I'm not sure what's going to happen after that.

How have things been, you ask? Busy.

Here are excepts from a nice little e-mail exchange between a colleague and myself to provide some context.

A: I'm pretty tired, but I am loving it...I haven't had a chance to breathe. With teaching, grant proposals, job applications, and all the non-work things that I load myself up with...like I said, I'm tired. How are you?
B: Pretty much the same; tired, stressed out, over-worked.
A: Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?
B: Right now it feels like the other end of the tunnel isn't even open.  I think we're just supposed to dig our way out using our bare hands in the dark, and there's a giant hungry bear who just entered the tunnel at the end we entered from.

Word.

Conduct Us

Love this.


Also, still don't have a new computer. which sucks, because I have a lot of posts that need to get done (TIFF'13!!!).

Ack!

I'm about to go teach my first class of the new year. I'm so nervous I could throw up. Some things never change.
Let's do this

I promise

...to be back soon.
I'm still living my awesome life so there's lots to share and report on, but my laptop is on a transition to retirement and as such it hasn't really been up for blogging.
Hopefully a new laptop will make an appearance sooner rather than later as September is just around the corner and I want to break it in before the kiddies arrive! Well, that and I need to get back to blogging!

Perfect temperature

Tonight is the perfect temperature. I just want to sit outside all night. A little earlier tonight, I had this pretty awesome feeling of just, I don't know, happiness? But not the I-feel-like-my-body-is-beaming happiness, but more like the calm happiness. Maybe contentment? It's been awhile since I've felt that particular feeling.
Anyway, I wanted (maybe want? The night's still young) to just sit on my balcony, bring a blanket out there and fall asleep under the stars. I switched out the lounge chair for a little patio set, so it's not quite as conducive to lying out there, but it is very tempting.
Life is awesome.

Awesome day

Every day is an awesome day, and here are the reasons why today is awesome:
1. A little bit of a lie-in to ease into the day.
2. Picking up produce at the St. Lawrence Market this morning (jumping on the bandwagon and going to try to make kale chips!)
3. Having brunch on a patio at Gusto101 and catching up with friends
4. Going to the Toronto Flower Market and picking out the perfect bouquet (shame they don't have this year round).
5. Kicking it high school styles tonight and watching some HK triad films at the Lightbox.

How to Live with Introverts

I thought that this was a cute representation of introverts.
I never officially learned what the terms 'introvert' and 'extrovert' meant. Even when they were being used to describe people around me, or well, me. And I don't really think that everyone who uses the term understands what it means (I assume this based on my limited knowledge of the terms having done a little bit of reading about it recently).
Anyway, I think the graphic is funny and a neat interpretation of 'introvert'.

Same old thing...

Although I officially bid adieu to 'studentdom' this past friday, going in to work this morning didn't feel much different.

...And I guess it's pretty much status quo when it comes to this blog. Darn it, I really need post more things. It's not like there hasn't been lots going on to share. I'm usually pretty good when I'm on a schedule or when I set some sort of goal. So maybe I should add 'post of blog' to my list of things to do.

Wow

It seems like the past week was the most stressful. I mean, that's probably not true, because I did get quite frantic during other parts of this process, but making sure that I dotted all of my i's and crossed all of my t's was stress inducing, that's for sure. Headings and subheadings seemed to magically change their indentation.
I didn't actually have to make any revisions, really. I'd done that all before the big day. It did take me a couple days to write my acknowledgements, though. And last night, I worked myself up into such a frenzy thinking about APA. I actually had to put it away after a certain point because I got so worked up. Today, it took me WAY too long deciding what keywords to use. And then I was panicking over 1.5 spacing versus 2.0 spacing. And then I stressed over...well, a lot of other things.
I'm neurotic, I admit it.
I don't even want to think about all of the typos that are still in there.
Final count:  241
But that's it. Everything done. Officially.
Well, I do have to walk across a stage at some point.

The penultimate hurdle

Only ~1h15m. We started two minutes early at 9.58am. I was called back into the room at around 10.15am. I should have paid closer attention to the actual time. Maybe is was 10.17am or something like that. I kind of wanted it to go on longer. It was a lot of fun, actually.

What will google come up with next?

They really are on the cutting edge... ;)

 1. Google Nose

2. Gmail Blue

YouTube's ready to select a winner

Clearly today's a day for procrastination. ;)

The June Phenomenon: Graduation rates and teacher absenteeism

If they had done a mixed methods study, they would have been able to truly understand the phenomenon at play. ;)

TTC introduces the "personal car"

No matter how many people complain about the TTC, I love it. ;)