What I did on my day off...

This is my cherry pie... darn thing looks like a photo in a cookbook (except where the cherries oozed out because I overfilled it and where the lattace is crooked because I kept breaking the pieces... hee hee). So today, I totally channeled Betty Crocker. I made the cherry pie and 12 mini loaves of banana bread. I vacuumed, did laundry and did the dishes. Whew! Is it time to go back to school yet? =)

Happy almost thanksgiving!

Cute Picture

Just wanted to share a cute picture of Steve, Katie and I at the orchard a few weeks ago. Steve ran in a 5K there to support the Humane Society, and Katie and I were supposed to do a 1 mile fun walk together, but it was running way behind schedule, so we didn't end up doing it. Anyhow, this is the first picture we have of the three of us together (thanks to the poor guy who was trying to take it... just like photographing a toddler!).

So not much else going on right now. Home a little early from school, so I think I'm going to try and sneak in a nap before the rest come home. Shhh... don't tell... =)

See... it's real!

Good morning! I don't have a whole lot of time to post this morning, as I'm supposed to be heading out the door soon. But I just had to share. For those who were at all curious what the mysterious "textbook" project I was working (a bit slavishly... hee hee) much of the summer, the details have finally been released. Which means, in short, that I can stop acting like I'm an international spy (though that was a fun bit of pretend) and tell you about it. Here's a link to a blog post by the author:

Teaching College Math Technology Blog: Activities for Algebra - Sample now available

Have a great day!

Empty Office Hours

Well, my students had a test on Monday night, which means none of them want to come into office hours today (actually, I had one very dedicated student who was trying to finish up next week's homework already, but she didn't have many questions). Thus I have an empty office hour. The perfect time to catch up on studying, homework, and class prep... or, more likely, to catch up on blogging and Turbo Solitaire. =)

So what's been going on lately? Let's see...

I have officially finished my first grad school midterm week (blech!) and I lived through it. Actually, I did fairly well on most of my tests. I know most of you will say "but of course you did... you always panic and then do well!" But this semester has been awfully different from any other semester I have ever had. I've been having some issues with my time management and not putting too much time into teaching. Also, since all I take/teach are math classes, the last thing I really want to do at the end of the day is math homework... so I've been having some motivation challenges, too. However, I've been assured by lots of people here that all of this is pretty common for a first year and I just need to get used to everything (and probably stop blogging when I could be doing homework, but that's another story). So anyhow, I got an A on my Linear Algebra midterm, an 82 (B I guess) on my Analysis midterm (after a 20 point curve... yikes!), and a 32/40 (A-B ish) on my Modern Algebra midterm. So I'm staying out of the forbidden C-zone thus far - I just hope I can keep it up.

In other news, tonight I'm going to test drive a 2007 Dodge Caliber. I already test drove a 2008 (which was orange - how fabulous is that!?!), but I had some issues with my salesperson at that dealership and decided to test the waters elsewhere (thank goodness for Mother Internet and her son Google). I ended up finding a better car (automatic, anti-lock breaks and a sunroof - though decidedly un-orange) in a 2007 (which is exactly the same as the 2008 incidentally), and the dealership was willing to give it to me for very nearly the same price as the first car I looked at. So I'm going to try it out and see if I like it! How exciting is that!?!? It is also kind of scary... I mean buying new cars is something that grown-ups do! Eek!

And Steve is being all grown-up too, and has been talking to the bank about mortgage possibilities. Honestly, this just doesn't seem like us! But it's kind of fun, too... and I'm definitely looking forward to having a house with a yard (instead of an itty bitty apartment with an un-itty bitty dog). =)

As for the dog, she's getting really good at sit and stay (at least in fairly controlled circumstances - not so much at the dog park), and is starting to learn "watch me" which I hope will help her focus more on walks and get less freaked out by other dogs and such. She doesn't quite get "leave it" yet; she just thinks I'm torturing her by not letting her go after the treat laying on the floor. But overall, she's come sooooo far since we first got her. You'd hardly even recognize her as the same dog. =)

Well, I guess that's about it (since my office hour is about over). Now it's off to the gym (God, I hope it's not an arms day... my arms are still killing me from the last time! My trainer is a tough one, but she encourages me to do things I never believed I could.)

Have a good weekend,
Meg

Katie Learned to Play Fetch!

... well, she almost learned to play fetch anyway. We were at the dog park (Lexington has 3 public dog parks, how fabulous is that?) with 2 dogs who were WILD about fetch. And after watching them chase the ball for awhile, Katie started to chase the dogs, and eventually, started stealing the ball from the smaller of the two dogs. I wasn't sure whether to praise her or chastise her... I mean, I was excited that she seemed to care about the ball, but I don't want her to turn into a bully. But it was awfully cute. =)

And speaking of awfully cute...

As for me, I still don't know how to fetch. lol. But life is good. I'm a little miffed about one of the questions on my most recent math test (analysis... grrr!). I spent about 35 minutes and used about 3 pages of scrap paper trying to figure out how to prove that a series converged... another guy in my class asked the teacher after the test, and the proof is about the size of two postage stamps! Once again... grrr...

Analysis aside though, things are going great! I got a 93 on my linear algebra midterm, which totally surprised me. And Steve has been reading the Home Buying for Dummies book a lot lately. I'm also looking into buying myself a car...

For now though, I'm off to class...

Dancing in the Changing Room

Stay tuned for the news of the week...

First on today's news - supposedly PetSmart Obedience School is going to help us teach Katie to ring a bell when she has to pee. How cool would that be? But I'm a little dubious, if only because Katie does really well with her lessons - when she wants to. But it sure would beat cleaning the carpet over and over while I try to get a handle on whatever signal she's sending. So far though, she's getting pretty good at her name and sit.

Coming up next, silly grad student dances in the Old Navy dressing room - find out why. But first a word from our corporate sponsors.

(Wait... I don't have any sponsors!?!? Bummer! Alright then, back to the news.)

Saturday afternoon found one silly grad student (that'd be me...) dancing around the dressing room at Old Navy. Why? After working all summer to be able to eat a balanced diet, and working out three times a week with my trainer for several weeks, I am now a size 16!!!! I can honestly say I don't remember the last time I was a size 16, but the last time I went clothes shopping, back in March, I was a 22! I was so stoked, that I didn't care if anyone saw me dancing like an idiot. Plus, this puts me one step closer to riding around town on a brand new Honda Shadow! Only 35 more pounds to go! So hopefully, by the time winter is over here (February or something, I think), I'll be saddled up and ready to go!

In other news, stock prices in the sleep industry are now sky high, as it becomes an increasingly rare and precious commodity. But I found out that the Grad School has a tradition called Cease Fire Weekend, where teachers don't hand out homework to be done that weekend! It's the first weekend in October, and I can't wait.

Well, I guess that's about all the news for now. We're going to take Katie to the dog park tonight (Lexington has 3 public dog parks with fenced in areas... super cool), so I'd better get some homework done.

More pee-ing issues

Hmmm... so Katie started school today, and she did really well. Actually, she was, by far, the best behaved dog in her class (except for the teachers dog, of course). So we were all excited and proud and such...

... then I got ready to go to the store to get something for dinner, and out of the blue, Katie pees. Right in the middle of the living room floor. I'm hoping I'm not seeing the beginning of a BAD pattern here (she had an accident on Thursday morning, but that one was more my fault). This time she didn't even act like she had to go out or anything though. One minute she was laying on the couch, and then I walked into my office, shut the door so I could change, and I hear Steve saying BAD (which is our new correction word, courtesy of training class)! I don't know what was behind this at all!

And besides that, she still won't eat! I think she's had about a cup total since the Thursday a.m. accident-incident. We keep putting it out there (and I even tried leaving it out longer this morning, in case her pills had upset her stomach), but she won't touch it. I really don't know what to do there.

As for me, I'm dog tired (pardon the pun). Steve and I walked Katie about 3 miles this morning, then we had doggie school. After that, I met with my trainer at the gym and worked out for an hour. And when Katie peed (and Steve was on the verge of murdering her), I took her for another 3 miles and then we went to the park and played "Chase Mom while Mom Chases Frisbee" (we don't quite have the idea of fetch down yet... lol). So I'm not sure if Katie got tired out, but I sure did! =)

Anyhow, dinner is finally ready, and I'm starved, so that's all the news I've got for today.

Just a short one tonight...

...because I'm beat! Went for the walk of the century with Katie tonight, at an arboretum that my trainer told me about. Katie really loved it (except I'm not quick enough for her to catch any squirrels while she's on the leash).

But the funny (only because she didn't get away with it) thing she tried to eat today... the diamond off my engagement ring! Yep, I reached down to pet her, and she, very gently mind you, put her teeth around the setting for the diamond. Lol... what's next?

As for me, I'm doing really well. I'm glad it's the weekend though (and my teachers were all nice enough to make sure I wouldn't be bored this weekend, three shiny new homework assignments). Mostly, I just want to sleep... a lot. But since Katie is now becoming acustomed to waking up at 5:30 with me, I'm assuming she won't understand that Saturday is a great day for sleeping in. So I guess I'd better get to bed. =)

No really... my dog did eat my homework!

Okay, so actually she ate my course notes for Linear Algebra, but close enough. Really though, I was lucky, because my students' homework was right underneath my notebook waiting to be graded and recorded. Imagine having to explain that to them...

No really... my dog ate your homework...

Hee hee hee.

So Malibu (who still needs a new name), finally went potty outside tonight! Steve and I were so proud... it's like the first time your kid uses the toilet or something. =) I was beginning to think it would never happen, since we must have walked her almost 4 miles at various points today with only one itty bitty tinkle. But she did it (perhaps it was Steve's demonstration that made the difference?).

And tonight I got to tell my parents that they have their first grand-puppy now. They're pretty excited (although not too surprised she ate my schoolwork... I got an "I told you so" for that one).

Well, I guess I'd better cut this short, before I start sounding like a parent whose kid just made the honor roll. Nighty-night!

So how do you make a dog pee?

Today we got a new family member. For the moment, her name is Malibu (the name they gave her at the pound), but only until I decide on a name that doesn't remind me of Barbie dolls. This is her:She's an incredibly sweet dog, and the coolest shade of red (she and Steve have matching hair!), but she's still a little unsure about people and pretty shy. We knew about this when we picked her up, so it's not really a big deal... The only problem is, she won't pee when we take her outside. I think maybe she's too nervous or overwhelmed or something, but we took her to the field behind our house when she first got here, took her for a long walk a couple of hours later, and just spent about 45 minutes outside trying to let her roam the yard and get acquainted with it... and still... no pee. I'd be fit to burst by now if I were her!

Other than that, it's been really fun watching her exploring our apartment. The walk was a little hairy at a couple of points when there were loose dogs around. It wasn't like she was aggressive, more just skittish or a little afraid. And she also gets a little nervous around people who move too fast (she laid down and wouldn't get up when a runner ran by, but she got up fine afterwards).

So, I think we all have a ways to go in the getting comfortable department, but we're working on it (if anyone has any hints, lemme know). I already signed her up for an obedience class that starts in a couple of weeks. And there's a doggy daycare (yes, Maria, I could possibly be turning into one of "those people") just down the road, and I'm thinking about sending her once or twice a week on the days I have to stay all day on campus, so she can socialize and learn a little more about being dog-ish (I mean, she's the only dog I've ever met who will take a Milk-bone or a Snausage from you and then set it on the floor and walk away!).

Anyhow, I'm lovin' it, finally having a dog in the house! (Megan does the happy dance) And that's pretty much all the news I've got for today.

God created the world in 7 days...

... and me, I got trained! I swear, I could have been trained to be an astronaut faster than I was trained to be a TA (well, maybe not an astronaut, but Steve's airborne school was just about as long as my TA training...). In case you're curious, it takes about a week and a half to train a bunch of new TA's and convince them that sleeping with their students is a bad idea (I heard that one about 20 times!). But the training is finished, as are the first few days of school.

I made my syllabus on Tuesday (with some input from Maria... Thanks!). It was kind of wild to be writing my own syllabus after being handed so many in the past. It was also kind of funny how in depth mine was in comparison to the ones my profs handed out this semester. I guess we grad students are just supposed to know all of the additional stuff, eh?

Anyhow, I survived my first day as a TA... in fact, I think I did pretty well. There wasn't really much to teach, since the students had only been to their lecture once, but I got all the usual first day stuff done and had everyone do a review worksheet to see where we might run into some complications (dastardly negative numbers!).

I also started my classes this week. It's kind of crazy having three math classes and nothing else. I think my profs will be keeping me pretty busy this semester. I mean, they were all nice enough to give me something to do over the weekend. =) Actually, I don't think the classes are going to be impossible or anything. Challenging, for sure, but my instructors all seem really nice. And my Linear Algebra prof is amazing! He comes in with no notes and just does the whole lecture like he was born talking about vector spaces and fields! He actually reminds me a bit of Hayden Smith, and how I used to be so awestruck that he could do physics problems in pen.

In less math-y areas of my existence, my parents came down for a week, which was really neat. We went to all sorts of places: Kentucky Horse Park, Fort Boonesborough, and a reenactment of the battle of Blue Lick (yep... real place, but the Americans lost the battle in about 15 minutes, and we were a bit late, so we mostly just toured the exhibits they had set out). My folks also did a whole bunch of touring on their motorcycle while I was in school during the day. If you want to find all of the incredibly twisty roads in Kentucky, I think they're now experts (and my dad's arms may never recover... hee hee).

Well, I guess I've dawdled long enough. I should really get back to my homework.

~mighty meg

The first post

So, Maria (the new queen of bloggy-ness) suggested I should create a blog to keep the Michigan crew updated on my whereabouts and whatchadoings. Well, ask and ye shall receive...



And here's the update on the goings-on so far:



Steve and I moved in sometime in mid-July (if you ever decide to move to Kentucky, I highly recommend not doing it in the middle of the summer... it gets HOT and HUMID here!). We managed to get everything moved in, and now it's all unpacked and a bit cluttered.

Aahhh... home sweet home!

Since then, I'm almost done with my training for being a grad student and a TA, and Steve has found a job. Speaking of Steve, last I heard he was stuck in the Dallas airport... I sure wish he would call to let me know he made it out of Texas alright (since there's a hurricane headed that way and all...).

In the time I've been here, I've also learned some cool stuff:

1. Air conditioning rocks!
2. Louisville is not pronounced Lou-iss-ville nor Lewy-ville. It's Luah-vull.
3. The sky lift is a must-see.

4. Evidently hockey does not exist in Kentucky.
5. Chuck E. Cheese's is far cooler than Gatti-town (for skeeball fans, anyway). Gatti-town is like a Chuck E. Cheese idea, but with mostly electronic video games and gambling type games for kids. But their Gatti-ball is a poor imitation of Skee-ball.
6. University of Kentucky campus is ginormous, and if you are looking for something besides the two buildings I'm ever in, I don't have the faintest idea where it is.
7. According to my observations, no one in Lexington has good cellphone service.
8. Movie Tavern is fabulous! No longer do you have to decide whether to eat dinner before or after you go to the movies!
9. Horse farms are not like normal farms... they tend to have multimillion dollar mansions and BMWs in the drive, rather than rickety barns and Ford trucks.
10. Kentucky rocks... and it's especially going to rock when Michigan is covered with 3 feet of snow!!! Hee hee hee... =)

Well, my parents are coming for a visit and they should be here soon-ish. So I guess it is time to cut this short. 'Till next time, keep your stick on the ice!