Thursday, June 10, 2010

Telling the parents/the changes continue


The actual, purchased art




The "abstract, modern art" -- also known as packing materials



The view from my office window (my personal "art")


So after I send an email to Mom, Dad and Sister about my dropping the house search, I needed to call them all and discuss. 

Sister was, of course, supportive of whatever.  She's known for awhile my frustrations here (aside from my job -- which I LOVE -- this place is crazytown) and knows that I wouldn't be here forever.

Mom was supportive, even when I told her I might get crazy and go back to school full-time for my Ph.D.  She might have thought me a little crazy to go back to eating ramen and spaghetti-os but overall, supportive.  I think she was a titch more uptight about losing her south Florida vacation spot.  :) 

Dad -- well.  Hmm.  Dad never gets upset about much but hearing that I was calling off the house search in FL sent him into a frenzy.  He's used to having me around here now (he lives two hours north, near Tampa) and God Only Knows his life with the Stepmom has been anything but roses lately.  There are times I think I'm his only bit of sanity.  His next suggestion after hearing that I may get crazy and do something else was that I should move to Tampa and work for University of South Florida "because they have a really good school up there."  That and I'd be a half-hour from his house all add up to no, thank you.  Love my Dad, not-so-much-loving the tension at his house these days.  You'd think after 20 years of marriage they'd get it together but I'm not so sure anymore.

******
Dropped by the apartment office last night after work.  Last month I signed a month-to-month lease because I was house hunting and it made sense.  Now that I've dropped that idea, I asked them to sign me up for another 10 month lease.  Ended up talking to the apt manager, S, for a few minutes, just shooting the shit.  She wanted to know if I was alright at my job here (yes), what was going on (life) and then proceeded to tell me she understood.  Seems that I'm not the only one here that is frustrated with the retiree-centered lifestyle. 

Trying to sign up for a class this fall at FGCU in Data Analysis for Public Service.  Basically, if I'm going to get the Ph.D. I need to bone up on my stats and math skills again.  It has been *cough* eleven years since I've sat in a stats class and I can't tell you I learned much then. 

Still haven't heard from FIU on the Ph.D. program there yet.  Am thinking if that doesn't play out, I'm broadening the field a bit.

Sent a job lead to my cousin in Indy.  He's 11 years older than I am, great guy, just went through a divorce last year.  I think he's still trying to unbury and I can surely relate.  He's working in a job he isn't sure he likes, so perhaps a new job would create some options for him.  If nothing else, I think he'd be great on the faculty there.

Played a practical joke on some coworkers today with my friend Mary.  We had pulled out this strange-looking recycled cardboard mat-thingy from a packing box and after a few discussions of what it could be used for, we decided to hang it behind a coworker's desk as "modern art."  Well, she came in today and LOVED it and so did another coworker.  While I was silently howling in my office, I sent a text to Mary telling her to get in here, that both other coworkers were asking me where she got this "great piece of art."

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