I can't wait until this freaking week is over. I have my yearly GYN appointment tomorrow (fun, oh fun) and I have to give an hour-long seminar presentation on my thesis topic on Friday morning. I am stressed to the point where I just want to go hide under my bed until it all passes. Plus, I am having to decide whether or not I want to apply for an internship for this summer, depend on my advisor to help me get a position as a field assistant to one of the other grad students, or do more field work for my own thesis.

I found the most perfect-sounding internship for this summer, working as a shorebird monitoring intern at a national wildlife refuge in Virginia for 12 weeks. The problem, you ask? My surgery is supposed to be this summer, but I don't know when. Plus, I have to go to two nutrition classes that are two weeks apart. Add on the meeting with the surgeon, and I'm doomed to stay in Kentucky for the summer.

Damn it. It's just like the best-sounding PhD programs. The best opportunities come along when you can't take them.

And by the way? The best thing ever when you are super-stressed is homemade beanless chili. I made some last night, had it again for lunch today, and I'll probably have it for dinner again tonight. Nothing like working up a sweat while eating.

I feel your pain. I am in the middle of a Master in Teaching program. we are now past theory and into actually producing lesson plans and teaching them!!!! I also have an interview next Monday for student teaching. Although in one way I feel I have gotten through the hard part-I know the hardest is still to come. However, I love the kids the best and as a future high school teacher I can hardly wait to actually be in class.

PS-what is the recipe for that chili? sounds yummy!!

Boy, sounds like all your ships have come in at once! For some reason my computer (or maybe it's me) is having problems, so you may get some form of this twice, sorry. Would it be possible for you to take this awesome sounding internship now, and schedule your surgery for a more convenient, less-stressful time. like December break or something?

Just trying to help. We're all here for you.

Cindy

I feel your pain. I am in the middle of a Master in Teaching program. we are now past theory and into actually producing lesson plans and teaching them!!!! I also have an interview next Monday for student teaching. Although in one way I feel I have gotten through the hard part-I know the hardest is still to come. However, I love the kids the best and as a future high school teacher I can hardly wait to actually be in class.

I know what you mean. I have a teaching assistantship, so part of my duties are to teach non-majors' biology labs and assist in a couple of education-majors' biology classes. I've learned so much, just because I actually have to teach the students. You can learn things in classes until the cows come home, but you don't really know them until you can teach it to someone else. I have to say, I like the education-majors' classes the best. My non-majors just kind of sit there and stare at me, but the future teachers actually want to know the material. Most of them ask lots of questions. I've learned more in those classes than in some of my own biology classes.

PS-what is the recipe for that chili? sounds yummy!!

1 pound lean ground beef (could be made with ground pork or turkey, if you want to cut calories)

couple of teaspoons minced garlic

2 15 oz cans of tomato sauce

1 14.5 oz can petite diced (or regular diced, whatever you prefer) tomatos

1 can Rotel (diced tomatos and green chilis)

1 can corn (I've used yellow, but have been wanting to try white) - this imitates the texture of Beans

1 packet McCormich original chili seasoning

Brown the beef with the garlic and drain it. Add everything else, let cook at medium-low heat for at least 30 minutes. It can also be prepared in a crock pot (other than browning the meat) and cooked on low for several hours. Beware, though, it gets spicier the longer it is cooked. Serve topped with shredded cheese.

Would it be possible for you to take this awesome sounding internship now, and schedule your surgery for a more convenient, less-stressful time. like December break or something?

To be honest, December wouldn't be much less stressful. I am hoping to finish my Master's program in December, and then move to another university and start a PhD program.

What I may do is put off the PhD program until Fall 2008, and spend the spring and summer doing internships. They'll be offering this internship again next summer, probably, so I may just wait and apply for that one. It would actually be better, probably, because I'll be in better physical condition. It's probably what's best, but it's still disappointing to look at all these great opportunities that I can't take.

Thanks-I am going to try that this week end.

Remember-teaching is learning. As for putting off your surgery-in my opinion NO!! For me it just got to the point as to how long i was going to put things off and I just started to think NO!!! just do it. The first was returning to grad school and the second was my lapband surgery I felt that both these decisions were ones I just needed to finally act upon, rather then intellectually ponder. Of course I am single with no children (except my future students), so I understand that others may have to consider different things. I had my surgery during spring break and i feel i was ultra prepared both in mind and in what I needed in physical preparation. I was back in class a week later. In my opinion, if you are prepared both physically and mentally-do not put it off any longer than you have to. Late July is plenty of time to prepare. Do it for yourself.

*tongue firmly in cheek*

It must be AWFULL to have to CHOOSE between all these marvelous opportunities... I mean, do you have the life saving surgery NOW, and lose the fantastic educational opportunity? Or do you take the fantastic educational opportunity NOW and hold off on the life saving surgery until later?

Buck Up Laurend - Either way you win. Either you will have the band now, and start on the road to better health, or you will have the summer internship of your dreams now and be that much closer to getting your PHD. I can't see a downside to either decision.

Sorry about the stressful week. I hope it all looks more positive on the weekend.

Hugs!

Man oh Man. WOW.. wildlife intern... super ROCK! I am hoping all this will work out for you somehow. I'd hate to see you have to put off the band any longer than you already have but you'll come up with the right choice for you. Go love on one of your beautiful kitties.. that will make you feel better.

hugs,

Tracy

Sorry about the stressful week. I hope it all looks more positive on the weekend.

Yeah, the thing I am most looking forward to is getting some sleep. I've managed to stress myself out enough that I'm getting hardly any sleep. You'd think I would learn that it's bad to procrastinate. But, noooo. I can actually say for once, though, that it isn't all my fault. My advisor decided that he wanted to do my statistics for me and didn't get the results back to me until yesterday night. Plus, he still hasn't sent me the pictures that I need for the presentation. Makes it a ton of fun to try and finish a presentation when you don't have everything you need. I'll have it done by Friday morning, though, if it kills me.

I have been writing research papers for a daughter-in-law who is trying to complete her degree in special ed. So far, I have 3 A's. Much less stressful than when I wrote my own papers, back in the stone ages. At the time, I was trying to juggle 12 hours of college, a husband, a job, and 4 kids.

I have received numerous offers of compensation from the DIL's friends if I would write their papers, too. But I figure I have to preserve some semblance of integrity.

Laurend, is there anyway that you can do both? I found that my recovery time from the surgery was very quick and I am 57. I spent 3 days in bed dozing, reading and enjoying the narcotics. By the 4th day I was bathed, dressed and up and about.

Carlene, I have been helping my niece with writing some of her B.ed papers. She is a single mum and her child is severely dyslexic. And she suffers from the family curse: she is another depressive. I have been enjoying helping her with her work.

Laurend, is there anyway that you can do both? I found that my recovery time from the surgery was very quick and I am 57. I spent 3 days in bed dozing, reading and enjoying the narcotics. By the 4th day I was bathed, dressed and up and about.

Not really. The internship would require lots of lifting and physical activity, so I don't think there is any way I could have surgery and still be able to fulfill the requirements of the internship. I am hoping that if the surgeon's office will go ahead and give me a date, it might be late enough in the summer that I could do the internship.

Hugs, Laurend!

Good Luck getting your presentation done tonight!

Hi from Kentucky and things will get better.