Hey Siberia! You can have your air back!

So here we are over halfway through February.  This has not been a bad winter compared to last winter here in Indiana (over 3 feet of snow last winter) or the winter they are having in the northwest states (over 9 feet of snow).  But the last few days have been brutal here in Indiana.  We are in the midst of a change in the jet stream bringing Siberian air to the Midwest. 

Yes, I know there are people who live in Siberia and I applaud them.  They are much tougher than I am.  As the temperature has dipped below zero for the last few nights I have just not been much of a trouper about it. (Think - whine, whine, whine).  My dogs have been miserable when we go out.  Sadie our beagle (who now believes she is a diva since the beagle won Best in Show at the Westminster Dog Club) comes in limping after each foray out into the cold.  Allie (the Princess) just looks at me like "really, do we have to do this again?"  It's not been a pleasant time all around. 

Starting today it is supposed to warm up but we will be getting either more snow or possibly a "wintry mix" based on the path of the "juicy" weather that is coming our way.  Weather that has snow, ice and cold attached is not "juicy" in my opinion, it is just nasty. 

The wonderful thing is that we are halfway through February.  Spring is only a few weeks away and warmer weather is approaching.  I have my seeds for the garden and the tomatoes and peppers are going under the grow lights this week. 

Pretty soon Siberia will have their air back and we will be on our way to warmer weather.  That suits me just fine. 

Mansplaining and the Grammys

Mansplain - (Of a man) explain (something) to someone, typically a woman, in a manner regarded as condescending or patronizing:  (www.oxforddictionary.com)  

So this week I am getting in touch with my feminist side and talking about the 2015 Grammy Awards.  My husband and I watched a portion of the show (until I got bored and went to bed) and got to see the moment when Beck was awarded the album of the year.  Kanye West in his typical, rude, condesending manner went to walk on stage when Beck was accepting his award.  Yet this time, (unlike when he interrupted Taylor Swift receiving the same award in 2009) he walked away before totally interruping the moment for Beck.  

It's interesting to me that research is showing that women are interrupted and their voices drowned out by men in business and social situations.  This happens often to the point that female voices become silenced and their ideas are lost.  So Kanye, being the chauvinist that he is, felt totally comfortable interrupting the award speech for a post adolescent female (Taylor Swift) but was unwilling to interrupt a man (Beck) as he was accepting his award this year.  

As a woman I have experienced being interrupted (many times) in business and social situations by men.  I have also experienced having the floor and being "talked over" by a man in meetings and social gatherings.  Usually I just give up and allow myself to be silenced.  That is my issue to deal with and resolve.  

Yet as a watching audience we have now seen a great example of how a woman can be interrupted in a defining moment in her career yet a man will not have the same experience (even though he was trashed on social media by Kanye later). 

I took the plunge and discovered the secret!

I have written about my frustration with providers (namely Comcast and AT&T) which seem to value new customers over the ones who have been with them a long time and have been great customers(i.e. pay their bills on time).  After several phone calls to Comcast's customer service about my rising bill for bundled services (Xfinity, phone, internet) I decided to give AT&T a call.  They made me an offer that was great for similar services (Uverse, phone, internet).  After talking to my husband we decided to take the plunge and switch. 

So after AT&T was installed I called Comcast to cancel our service.  This is where I discovered the secret to life (or at least the secret to getting a better rate with Comcast).  I was sent to the "customer retention" department.  After hearing all the ways I would be unhappy with AT&T the woman finally said that she could get my Comcast bill (that had been a little over $200 a month) down to $115 for the same service. 

I just lost it with her.  I told her I had called many times and was told that the best they could do was reduce our bill about $30 if I returned all the unused receivers in my house.  She offered me new installation, new equipment, wireless receivers for free and just about anything else I wanted.  I told her it was too late.  I have already made the switch and was not going to make it again.  I also said I was extremely unhappy that I had to go to these lengths to find out they did value me as a customer and wanted to work with me to get my bill down to something manageable. 

So here is the secret to life with cable or AT&T.  If you are unhappy with your cable/internet provider don't call customer service.  Call and threaten to cancel your service.  Then you find out that there are many ways they can bend the rules to keep you and lower your bill. 

Our journey with AT&T has not been without bumps.  The internet is not as fast or as reliable at Comcast - as Comcast predicted.  The worst problem is that AT&T does not offer CBS On Demand in our area.  So we have to remember to DVR our favorite shows on CBS to watch them later.  Who watches live TV any more? That works out all right until football runs over on Sunday night and everything gets delayed.  Of course football will be over soon. 

So the jury is still out on this.  My husband is not totally happy with AT&T.  We may give in and call Comcast.  At least we will be a new customer and will be eligible for all the new stuff, installation and equipment as well as the best rates. 

Now What? (Part 2)

If you follow this blog you probably know that I recently finished a doctorate.  Until I got through graduation weekend I had not realized how much that effort had consumed me.  The last 6 months were non-stop with research, writing, editing, rewriting and finalizing my dissertation.  Then I had to submit all the detailed paperwork for graduation.  As one of my friends said getting a doctorate is not easy and I found that out as I was mired in all the final details of finishing. 

So now what will I do with my time.  Friends have told me that it takes a few months for the energy to restore after this journey.  I do know that I have not wanted to write anything (as you can see by my sporadic work on this blog).  Now that I am catching my breath I can look ahead and see some things on my "to do" list.

First on the agenda, look through my Kindle and see what books I have that I want to read.  I have been downloading free and discounted books, as well as new additions to book series I have followed,  but have not read them.  So I will be taking my Kindle with me and catching up on my favorite authors and book series. 

Second on the list, finish all the craft projects that are half done in my house.  I want to mark them off the list and then begin new projects that I complete rather than set aside. 

Finally, I want to just enjoy whatever comes my way without the weight of knowing I have a major life project/goal to finish.  That goal is done. 

I may just wander through life for the next few months with no greater goal than finishing a book or a craft project.  There will be new big goals that will come my way.  I have a couple of novels in my head that are nudging me to get written.  I also have some academic projects and collaborations that are waiting on the horizon.    For right now I will revel in the moment and just enjoy what I have accomplished. 

A Solitary Journey but Surrounded by an Army of Encouragement

As I was completing my dissertation I was writing the acknowledgements for the beginning of the document.  I reflected on the fact that a journey for a doctorate is a lonely, individual journey but also it is a journey that cannot be completed without lots of help and support. 

During the final few months of researching, data analysis and writing my dissertation I worked for hours alone.  It was painstaking work making sure citations were correct, drawing conclusions and providing analysis for all my research findings.  Yet during that time of spending hours on my own, immersed in research results I felt the encouragement and support of so many people. 

One day a package appeared on my front porch left there by UPS.  When I opened it there was a coffee mug from my sister-in-law, Marty. 

I was so excited to receive this gift.  It reminded me that other people who I loved also cared for my progress and were cheering me on.  This gift has resided on my work table where all my research was stacked as I was writing.  I will cherish it as a reminder of the support I received through this process.

Then at a particularly difficult time when I was struggling to meet editing deadlines my sister, Janine, sent me a card of encouragement.  One of her statements was "this is your time.  Own this time and know you will succeed."  I carried that statement in my heart and repeated it as I was driving to my dissertation defense with my committee.  Again, I realized that my journey was a solitary one yet what sustained me was the encouragement of those people who loved me. 

Finally on the Friday before my dissertation defense on the following Monday I received this delivery:

It's a floral arrangement from my sisters with a card telling me that they were proud of me and wishing me all the best.  Again, it meant so much to me that they were cheering me on.

Now as my dissertation is winding its way through the list of entities who must approve it and sign off I am focused on graduation.  This journey would not have been possible but for the support of my family, my husband, my employer and my doctoral committee chair.  Each of those people were there in my journey at exactly the right time to encourage me and help me over my feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.  I am forever grateful.  

Now What? My Post Doctorate Bucket List!

For the last, almost seven, years I have been focused on one goal.  I was a doctoral student working on an Ed.D at Ball State University.  I took classes, both online and face-to-face.  I spent time writing papers, keeping journals and producing academic output (more papers).  I have developed an idea for my dissertation.  I successfully completed my dissertation proposal, completed the research and wrote up the results.  Last week I presented my dissertation research to my doctoral committee and it was accepted and approved. 

Yesterday I uploaded my revised dissertation to the graduate school.  The completion of that with the submission of all the required signatures have me on target to graduate with my doctorate in December of this year.  My cap, gown and hood are all ordered and I am ready to finish this goal I set over seven years ago! 

Now what?  People keep asking me what I am going to do with my time?  To be honest, I don't know.  It is a little bit of a let down after uploading my dissertation.  It's just amazing that years of work come down to pressing the "submit" button on my computer. 

I have jokingly referred to my post doctorate "bucket list" with my friends.  I plan to catch up on my non-academic reading.  My Kindle is overloaded with books I want to read.  I also plan to clean my house.  Finally I plan to get back to all the craft projects that have been waiting for me for years. I have half finished afghans to complete and a list of quilts that are waiting for me. 

First of all I am going to the Fabulous Food Show with my sister-in-law.  She offered me this trip and the timing was perfect.  All I am doing now is waiting for graduation.  So we are off to an adventure to immerse ourselves in all things food, and see demonstrations by chefs Tyler Florence and Michael Symon.  I can't wait!  New tastes, new cooking toys, an entire weekend of food and cooking.  I'm sure it will be a wonderful adventure. 

OK Google - can you help me find my way?

Last week I got a call from a student who was trying to find her class.  The conversation went something like this:

Student: I am trying to find your building but the GPS dropped me off in front of the bowling alley. 

Me: Is that the bowling alley near the highway? 

Student:  Yes.  I can't find where you are. 

Me:  Here is how you get to the building.  Drive out to the street and turn left.  Then you want to drive about a mile to the main intersection.  There is a brake place, a car dealership and a sign to the airport on the corners.  Turn left and then make an immediate right.  You will see our building when you make the right turn.

Student:  Well that's not what my GPS says. 

Me:  Well your GPS took you to the bowling alley so it is obviously wrong. 

Student:  OK, I will just check Google Maps. 

After we disconnected the call I was totally amazed.  This student who is talking to a person in the building they are trying to find does not want to believe the directions.  Since her GPS was wrong then she would rather check Google Maps instead of following directions from someone who knows the area and the location of the building she is seeking. 

After that conversation I felt like a dinosaur.  Are we raising a generation of young adults who would believe Google over the directions from a live person.  The amazing thing was I had this same (or very similar)conversation with several students that week. 

Let's hope the satellite systems, GPS and navigation systems and Google Maps all stay active and available.  I see in the near future an entire generation of people who are unable to find their way anywhere without an intervention from a satellite!